A PERSONAL PRAYER God, Whisper a word of kindness in my ear. When I see someone hurting, help me to be kind. When I am confronted by someone angry, help me to be kind. When I am frustrated, help me to be kind. When someone offends me, help me to be kind. When I seek to defend my opinions and point of view, help me to be kind. When I meet someone new, help me to be kind. When I speak to those closest to me, who will love me even when I am unkind, still help me [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God, Today I thank you for my friends. I thank you for those friends to whom I talk often, and those I seldom see. I thank you for new friendships that keep life dynamic, and old friends, with whom I have shared so much. I thank you for the friends with whom I have lost touch, grateful for the time we shared together, and for friends in which a renewed relationship is a resurrection, remembering what brought us together in the first place. I thank you for the friends for whom friendship was easy and [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God, Sometimes, when I am afraid or anxious, someone speaks into my life a word of faith, a word of confidence, a word of trusting in your love. I know you send them to me, whether they know it or not. Thank you so much for those words of faith, reminding me of that peace that transcends understanding that allays my fears. Sometimes, when I am paralyzed by my fears, you send someone who just steps in and begins to take action, and I am drawn into their momentum, the work of your Holy Spirit that [...]
God, Thank you for good neighbors, the man who was thinking of us at the farmer’s market and so brought over fresh vegetables for Dee and a stuffed pork chop for me! How nice was that. Such a simple thing, and so thoughtful. What a great way to serve. Thank you for the worship team and the media team who work so hard to make our worship services excellent. We pastors have our faces in front of folks, but the artists and techs behind the scene work so many hours to pay attention to every detail. They provide such an amazing service. As [...]
God, I watch on TV the violence on the streets of some of our cities. Property destroyed. Rocks and bottles thrown. Guns are brandished, and people even killed. I know that there are some people who live in fear of violence in their neighborhoods every day, and I can’t imagine what that must be like. Your son came as the Prince of Peace, and it is by his grace and the power of the Holy Spirit that real peace can come. As his people, his body in the world, I pray that somehow, we might “do the things that make for peace.” (Romans [...]
I’ll be honest, God (as if I could ever fool you). I am relieved hurricane Laura did not hit Houston directly. I found myself saying, “thankfully, it turned North toward Port Arthur and Lake Charles.” I heard someone say, “it is answered prayer.” What kind of prayer is that? You tell us in your Scripture that when one of us suffers, we all suffer. You teach us that our lives as human beings and as followers of your son are inextricably linked together, that we are a part of one another. And we see our brothers and sisters suffering from devastating challenges [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God, I never really expected to become such a creature of habit. But I have come to realize that I am sort of stuck in my ways. I like my morning routine the way it has always been. I like to prepare and preach sermons the way I have always prepared and preached. I like to lead and care for a flock the way I have always cared for them. I am “dancing with him who brung me.” It seems to work pretty well. Until it doesn’t. Until so many things change around me that it doesn’t work so well anymore. Until a [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God, I remember when I was an intern pastor and read the words of the supervisor evaluating me. “Tom is really good at starting things, but sometimes does not finish them.” That stung because I knew it to be true. I do not always persevere. There are some things I’ve stuck to well in my spiritual disciplines -- prayer, study, worship, giving,-- but I wonder if I would be as consistent if it wasn’t my vocation. There are other personal habits in which I am inconsistent, proceeding with fits and starts, choosing to give up when the going gets [...]
A PERSONAL PRAYER God of grace, of love, and of justice, I love it when things go well when it seems you are blessing my work and life with success. I praise you for bringing results for bringing fruit to the efforts. I praise you when I feel productive, and when I feel the tasks I do actually matter. But sometimes, that is not the case, and success is hard to come by. Sometimes, I am in a batting slump. Sometimes, I completely fail. These are the times, God, when I need you the most when I cry [...]
God, Remember In a Pastor’s Bible Study last week, when we were talking about St. Paul toiling and even suffering for the sake of the Colossian church? Remember Cliff Ritter asking me about my calling? It was a moment when it came clear to me that I sure don’t want to suffer, and it made me wonder if I have it in me to really struggle to the point of suffering for you and your mission. You said “if any want to be my followers, let them deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me.” (Luke 9:23) I don’t [...]