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MEDITATION:

Written by Kyle Norman, a contemporary pastor and author.

Sometimes the most profound experiences of God’s presence occur within the ordinary places of over lives. God comes amid the regular and routine, catching us unawares. This is no truer than in the story of Jacob. One of the high points of his life with God is when he dreams of a ladder upon which the angels of God ascend and descend. Rising from his dream Jacob exults in the presence of the Lord saying, “Surely the Lord is in this place!” He dedicates the spot to the Lord, and calls the place Bethel, meaning “The House of God”. Bethel becomes a recurring place of divine encounter throughout Scripture. Did Jacob simply happen to lie down in a thin place, a place where heaven and earth touch? Was his dream nothing more than blessed happenstance, a byproduct of resting near the stairway of the heavens? If we read the scripture this way, then we must assume that Jacob has the dream simply because he happened to lie down in the correct spot. The implication of this is clear; if we wish to have a similar occurrence, we must make our way to the appropriate location. God will come to us if we rest in the correct place. But what does this mean? Does God remain hidden behind secret doors and heavenly staircases? Does an encounter with God simply boil down to being in the right place at the right time – even if it’s by accident? … The Lord’s house is the place where the Lord lovingly dwells, and that is around us and within us. Jesus promises to reside within the heart of those committed to him…Like Jacob, the one who created us also sustains us. There is no place in our lives where we are outside God’s gracious presence. This means that each evening, regardless of where we place our heads, we rest within the presence of God.  Hear these comfortable words: Surely, the Lord is in this place. Every moment of your life, you are surrounded by the gracious presence of the Lord. When you retire for the evening, you rest your body and soul in the protective arms of Jesus. And when you rise, you waken to a day that will be lived in the context of his grace and mercy. You may not experience divine dreams such as Jacob did, but the reality of God’s presence is assured just the same. This is an awesome place. You stand at the gate of heaven.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Leonine Sacramentary, the earliest surviving collection of Roman Mass formularies and ordination prayers from the early 7^th century.

O Lord,

hear our prayers.

Just as we trust

that the Savior of humanity

is seated with you in your majesty,

we may also trust that he remains with us always

to the end of the age, as he has promised;

through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471) a German-Dutch canon and author.  This is an excerpt from his book “The Imitation of Christ.”

Wait a little, my soul, wait for the divine promise, and you will have more than enough of all good things in heaven. If your appetite for present things is excessive you may lose eternal and heavenly ones. Use the things of the world, but long for the things of eternity. You cannot be fully satisfied by material possessions, for you are simply not made to enjoy them. Even if you owned every good thing in the world you would not be happy and blessed, for your blessedness and joy is in God, who created all those things. Your happiness is not what is seen and admired by others but in what the good and faithful followers of Christ seek. Your happiness is in what the spiritual and pure of heart, those whose citizenship is in heaven, sometimes experience in this life, though it is meant for the next.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Gelasian Sacramentary, a book of Christian liturgy that is the oldest western liturgical book that has survived. It is linked to Pope Gelasius and was compiled near Paris around 750.

O God,

in your deep counsel

and foresight for humanity,

you sent your Son to heal the hearts of the weak

and purify our souls and bodies.

You are the Savior of body and soul.

You are the loving bestower of eternal happiness! Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Robert Calder Gillie (1865-1941), a British author and minister.

The words often on Jesus’ lips in His last days express vividly the idea, “going to the Father.” We, too, who are Christ’s people, have vision of something beyond the difficulties and disappointments of this life. We are journeying towards fulfillment, completion, expansion of life. We, too, are “going to the Father.” Much is dim concerning our home-country, but two things are clear. It is home, “the Father’s House.” It is the nearer presence of the Lord. We are all wayfarers, but the believer knows it and accepts it. He is a traveler, not a settler.

PRAYER:

Written by Janet Thompson, a contemporary speaker and author.

Father, it’s not always easy for me to accept problems that come my way. I admit I would like my life to run smoothly and carefree but I know this world is not my home. I want to learn to turn to you first during troubling times, listen for your guidance, and feel your loving arms around me. To God be the glory! Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), an English Baptist preacher, known as the “Prince of Preachers.”

Where showers fall most, there the grass is greenest. I suppose the fogs and mists of Ireland make it “the Emerald Isle”; and whenever you find great fogs of trouble, and mists of sorrow, you always find emerald green hearts; full of the beautiful verdure of the comfort and love of God. O Christian, do not thou be saying, “Where are the swallows gone? They are gone; they are dead.” They are not dead; they have skimmed the purple sea and gone to a far-off land; but they will be back again by and by. Child of God, say not the flowers are dead; say not the winter has killed them, and they are gone. Ah, no! though winter hath coated them with the ermine of its snow; they will put up their heads again and will be alive very soon. Say not, child of God, that the sun is quenched, because the cloud hath hidden it. Ah, no; he is behind there, brewing summer for thee; for when he cometh out again, he will have made the clouds fit to drop in April showers, all of them mothers of the sweet May flowers. And oh! above all, when thy God hides His face, say not that He hath forgotten thee. He is but tarrying a little while to make thee love Him better; and when He cometh, thou shalt have joy in the Lord, and shalt rejoice with joy unspeakable. Waiting exercises our grace; waiting tries our faith; therefore, wait on in hope; for though the promise tarry, it can never come too late.  

PRAYER:

Written by DeLano Sheffield is a contemporary author and works as a resource specialist for Goodwill.

I come asking for forgiveness where I have forgotten to remember to wait for your presence. I thank you for being present to keep my soul longing for you also, and we thank you for this great anticipation of seeing you in glory that is to come. In the meantime, while we wait, please keep the glimpses of what is to come in view in ways our simple minds can handle, so that we will be humbled enough to know that none of us have fully arrived but be encouraged enough to endure this arduous journey by trusting in your Son. In the name of the one who we call the bright and morning star, Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Meg Bucher, a contemporary author.

In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is writing to them about living by the power of the Holy Spirit and how that affects their relationships. He said: “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Ephesians 5:15-20) This is a laundry list full of things Paul wants the Ephesians to address. To follow Christ isn’t a burden, but these adjustments to our everyday lives can be hard to incorporate! The process of breaking bad habits doesn’t feel light, but the consequence of allowing them to continue in our lives is too heavy not to address them. One by one, Paul is guiding the Ephesians in the way to live a holy life. But there is one key component they, and we today, need to become more like Jesus each day. We need the Holy Spirit and His power in our lives.  Making good choices, unfortunately, doesn’t come naturally. It takes effort to steer our hearts toward what is good and right in the world. “Submit to one another,” Paul encouraged the Ephesians. But first, we must submit our lives to the One who created us. James wrote, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7).  Submission means to yield control to a more powerful authority…Submission removes us from the center of every situation. When we submit our lives to Christ, we give Him authority over us. Submission to the Holy Spirit means to pause and pray into the space He occupies in our hearts and allow Him to move and motivate us in the right direction. In our relationships, when we submit to each other, we are putting that person before ourselves… God created each of us with a specific purpose and plan to bring glory and honor to Him. His plan for us is a full life, and to reach it, we follow His will for us. To know which way to go requires daily submission to the Lord and to the wise people He has placed in our lives. We don’t do this with selfish motives but out of reverence for Christ. Micah 6:8 reads: “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.”  In order to accomplish this way of life, the Lord did not leave us alone but gave us His Holy Spirit, who is always with us.

PRAYER:

Written by Paige Deane, a contemporary author.

Lord, you are so good to me. I don’t deserve your love and grace but I am so thankful for it. Your ways are higher than my ways and your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Please help me submit fully to your lordship in my life. Give me the strength to resist the desires of my flesh. Help me to deny myself, and relinquish all that I have, and all that I am for you. Destroy my attachment to this world so that I can fully rely on you in every situation. I want to develop a strong relationship with you and to be your disciple. Help me to continue to pursue this goal every day, and to help others do the same. I give my entire self over to you Lord. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Richard Foster, a contemporary author and co-founder Renovare, an interchurch movement committed to renewal of the Church.  This is an excerpt from his book “Celebration of Discipline.”

The Christian discipline of simplicity is an inward reality that results in an outward lifestyle. Both the inward and the outward aspects of simplicity are essential. We deceive ourselves if we believe we can possess the inward reality without its having a profound effect on how we live. To attempt to arrange an outward lifestyle of simplicity without the inward reality leads to deadly legalism. Simplicity begins with inward focus and unity. It means to live out of what Thomas Kelly calls “The Divine Center.” Kierkegaard captured the nucleus of Christian simplicity well in the profound title of his book, “Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing.” Experiencing the inward reality liberates us outwardly. Speech becomes truthful and honest. The lust for status and position is gone because we no longer need status and position. We cease from showy extravagance not on the grounds of being unable to afford it, but on the grounds of principle. Our goods become available to others. We join the experience that Richard E. Byrd, after months alone in the barren Artic, recorded in his journal, “I am learning…that a man can live profoundly without masses of things.” Contemporary culture lacks both the inward reality and the outward lifestyle of simplicity. We must live in the modern world, and we are affected by its fractured and fragmented state. We are trapped in a maze of competing attachments. One moment we make decisions on the basis of sound reason and the next moment out of fear of what others will think of us. We have no unity or focus around which our lives are oriented. Because we lack a divine Center our need for security has led us into an insane attachment to things. We really must understand that the lust for affluence in contemporary society is psychotic…because it has completely lost touch with reality. We crave things we neither need nor enjoy. “We buy things we do not want to impress people we do not like” … It is time we awaken to the fact that conformity to a sick society is to be sick.

PRAYER:

Written by Sam Kim, a contemporary seminary professor.

Holy One, there is something I wanted to tell you, but there have been errands to run, bills to pay, arrangements to make, meetings to attend, friends to entertain, washing to do… and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you, and mostly I forget what I’m about or why. O God, don’t forget me, please, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Eternal One, there is something I wanted to tell you, but my mind races with worrying and watching, with weighing and planning , with rutted slights and pothole grievances, with leaky dreams I keep trying to plug up; and my attention is preoccupied with loneliness, with doubt, and with things I covet; and I forget what it is I wanted to say to you, and how to say it honestly or how to do much of anything. O God, don’t forget me, please, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Almighty One, There is something I wanted to tell you, but I stumble along the edge of a nameless rage, haunted by a hundred floating fears and … I forget what the real question is that I wanted to ask. and forgot to listen anyway because you seem unreal and far way, and I forgot what is it I have forgotten. O God, don’t forget me, please, for the sake of Jesus Christ. O Father in heaven, perhaps you’ve already heard what I wanted to tell you. What I wanted to ask is forgive me, heal me, increase my courage, please. Renew in me a little of love and faith, and sense of confidence, and a vision of what it might mean to live as though you were real, and I mattered, and everyone was sister and brother. What I wanted to ask in my blundering way is don’t give up on me, don’t become too sad about me, but laugh with me, and try again with me, and I will with you, too. What I wanted to ask is for peace enough to want and work for more, for joy enough to share, and for a awareness that is keen enough to sense your presence here, now, there, then, always.

MEDITATION:

Written by Janice Buckson, a contemporary author.

Over the years, men and women of the United States Armed Forces have served and sacrificed much for our country. Patriotic and proud, members of the military have willingly laid down their lives to protect and defend, in wartime and peace, the Constitution of the United States of America and its freedoms. In America, you have religious freedom to attend a church of your choosing. You are permitted to own a Bible…or several. In this nation you may choose to marry…or not, to vote…or not. You have the right to free speech and the right to peacefully assemble. These freedoms have been defended and protected by the members of the military. Today, November 11, is Veterans Day. Today we celebrate with great gratitude all who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces. Today we give honor to whom it’s due—to all military veterans. Take time to pause, reflect and pray for our veterans and their families. Thank God for those He’s called to serve. Ask Him to cover them with His hand of protection. If you are a veteran, wherever you are placed, whatever position you hold, you are highly esteemed and valued. Thank you!

PRAYER:

Written by Beth Patch, a contemporary editor, and producer.

Lord Jesus, you are not a stranger to war and know the stress our veterans have felt. Please comfort and strengthen them with your Holy Spirit. Meet each of them right where they are today and speak to their souls. You’ve brought them through many trials. Help them see your mighty hand at work in their lives and know how much you love them. Heal their hearts as well as their bodies. Help us to show our sincere thanks to them and help us all never to forget the sacrifices that they’ve made. Help us to love them just as you have loved us.

MEDITATION:

Written by John Wesley (1703-1791), an English cleric, theologian, and evangelist who was a leader in the revival movement known as Methodism.  This is an excerpt from his book “Christian Perfection.”

Sins of omission are avoiding to do good of any kind when we have the opportunity. We must beware of these sins and, instead, be zealous of good works. Do all the good you possibly can to the bodies and souls of your neighbors. Be active. Give no place to laziness. Be always busy, losing no shred of time. Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might. Also, be slow to speak. It is said, ​“In a multitude of words sin abounds.” Try not to talk too much, or for a long period of time. Not many people can converse profitably beyond an hour’s time. Especially avoid pious ​“chit-chat” or religious gossip. 

PRAYER:

Written by Lesli White, a contemporary Christian author.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for being good and for blessing my life with good. Even when bad things happen, I know that You are good and You do good. I cling to You, and pray that You will continue to perform in me that which is good, for Your glory. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Paul David Tripp, a contemporary pastor, author, and speaker. This meditation is adapted from his work “Reactivity: How the Gospel Transforms Our Actions and Reactions.”

The desire for even a good thing can become a bad thing if it becomes a ruling thing. It is good to want some control in your life, but if your heart is ruled by control, you will destroy your life and relationships. It’s good to want to be happy, but if happiness rules you, you will be endlessly demanding, frustrated, and angry. It’s good to want to know right and be right, but if being right rules you, you will be critical, unapproachable, judgmental, and unlivable. It’s good to want relationships, but if your heart is ruled by the acceptance of others, you will be entitled and demanding or paralyzed by fear of man. There is no other safe lord over your heart than the Lord of lords. And there is no better way of living than to value what he values. I want to propose six street-level examples of what it means in our current cultural climate to value what God values.

1. The gospel is of greater value than politics. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, politics should not form your foundational worldview; the gospel should. If you are a believer, politics is not what should give you your identity; the gospel should. If you are a believer, political power should not give you hope; the gospel should. If you are a believer, you should give your life not to any earthly king but to the King of kings. In this moment, politics and political power have become too important, too central, and too life-shaping; they have become a seedbed of much division, acrimony, and reactivity in the Christian community.
2. Relationships are of greater value than dominating the conversation and winning the day. The gospel is entirely relational. Christ purchased for us peace with God and, through that peace, peace with one another. The gospel teaches us that our walk with God is not an individual pursuit but a community project. Second only to the command to love God above all else is the command to love your neighbor as yourself. So much of our debate of the issues of the day are no longer personal but digital. In this arena, people become dehumanized. Because we lose the sense of flesh-and-blood relationships that necessitate commitment and carry consequences, we allow ourselves to behave in ways that are antisocial, not recognizing the value of our relationships with one another.
3. God’s honor is of greater value than your comfort, appreciation, and respect. So much of the toxic reactivity that greets us every day is the result of a self-focused, self-aggrandizing, and self-referencing way of looking at and experiencing the world. It is me in the center, and the offenses that grieve, anger, and motivate me the most are perceived offenses against me. It is an entitled and demanding way of living that never produces personal happiness or relational peace. The gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to produce in you a heart-shaping awe of God that makes his glory the thing that then directs everything you do and say. Self-glory always destroys community and is a sad substitute for the true peace and happiness that is to be found in living for the glory of one infinitely greater than you.
4. Unity is of greater value than individualism or tribalism. Sadly, sin causes us to be better at division than unity. Sin causes us to confuse unity with a demand for uniformity. Sin causes us to think that we can do individually what can only be accomplished in community with others. Sin causes us to divide into little issue/ theology/affinity tribes, often treating those outside of our tribe as if they were the enemy. In Jesus’s final prayer, he argues for the value of our unity with one another (see John 17). He argues that our unity with one another is meant to be a powerful argument for the gospel. You cannot read Scripture without concluding that this unity is not a luxury but essential for our continuing growth in grace and our ongoing witness to the world.
5. Love is of greater value than even the most subtle forms of hate. More than once people have reacted to something I tweeted with accusatory, character-judging, and dismissive responses. These kinds of responses do not come from a heart of love. They do not lovingly encourage me to reflect, reconsider, or repent. They are the words of judgment and dismissal. Sadly, they are posted by brothers and sisters in Christ, who are bound together with me in a unity that only the Holy Spirit can create. Together we are to be known for our love for one another. The subtle hatred of disrespect, dismissal, mockery, cancellation, and judgment never produces good fruit. When someone yells at you, you defend yourself; you don’t open up your heart. Only love has the power to break down my defenses, creating a safe place for me to take an honest look at myself. And love assures me that you are for me and will be with me even when sin and disagreement get in the way.
6. Character is of greater value than position or power.One functional idol in the current Christian culture is power. For the purpose of political power, we will compromise our character and close our eyes to the character flaws of the leaders we’ve attached our hopes to. In his word, God listed the qualifications for leaders in his church. The entire list is a character list, with the exception of one skill set (the ability to teach). God’s call to every believer is “Be holy as I am holy.” Holiness forever trumps power. Holiness forever trumps position. Holiness is not only God’s call; it is what his grace works to produce in us every day. There are too many Christian bullies on social media. There are too many bully leaders in the church. No Christian community can remain healthy if the quest for power and position motivates us more than the beauty of godliness.

PRAYER:

Written by John Birch, a contemporary author on Celtic and other prayer.

We pray for our communities –

that snapshot of humanity

with all ages, backgrounds,

education, employment status,

politics and religious viewpoint

who are our neighbors

in the streets where we live.

We pray for all of them;

not only those we know by name

and chat to through the day,

but also less familiar faces

about whom we know so little

and pass by with just a smile.

Bless their homes and families,

and let your love and peace

so shine within this community

that smiles turn to conversations,

and strangers become friends.

We pray this through Jesus Christ,

the Prince of Peace. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Dalla Willard (1935-2013), an American philosopher, theologian, and author.  This is an excerpt from “The Divine Conspiracy Continued: Fulfilling God’s Kingdom on Earth.”

As disciples of Jesus, following in his footsteps, this is what we must know and do as well. This is the great Divine Conspiracy. To have this humble, peaceful, wise, and loving festival of goodwill overwhelm every competing agenda, fearful scheme, or desperate plan to build our lives on the shifting sands of arrogance or ignorance. Such lonely acts of despair are forged only by those whose ears and deaf to the music and eyes blind to the beauty of the symphonic plenitude on which God has set all creation. Such a God comes to the weary and burdened to whisper hope in our ear. “Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:18-20). No greater meaning can be found to human existence than what God has appointed to those who know and love him and his ways with their entire being. This is the church’s greatest opportunity—to model, demonstrate, and manifest the fruits of such a life as both a witness and a beneficiary of God’s overflowing goodness and agape love.

PRAYER:

Written by Dallas Willard, author of today’s meditation. It is his interpretation of the Lord’s Prayer.

Dear Father always near us, may your name be treasured and loved, may your rule be completed in us— may your will be done here on earth in just the way it is done in heaven. Give us today the things we need today, and forgive us our sins and impositions on you as we are forgiving all who in any way offend us. Please don’t put us through trials, but deliver us from everything bad. Because you are the one in charge, and you have all the power, and the glory too is all yours – forever—which is just the way we want it! Amen (Whoopee!).