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MEDITATION:

Written by Anthony Bloom (1914-2003), Orthodox Christian writer and broadcaster on prayer and Christian life. This is from his book “Living Prayer.”

Basically, humility is the attitude of one who stands constantly under the judgement of God. It is the attitude of one who is like the soil. Humility comes from the Latin word humus, fertile ground. The fertile ground is there, unnoticed, taken for granted, always there to be trodden upon. It is silent, inconspicuous, dark and yet it is always ready to receive any seed, ready to give it substance and life. The more lowly, the more fruitful, because it becomes really fertile when it accepts all the refuse of the earth. It is so low that nothing can soil it, abase it, humiliate it; it has accepted the last place and cannot go any lower. In that position nothing can shatter the soul’s serenity, its peace and joy.

PRAYER:

Written by Ephraim the Syrian (AD 305-373), a Syriac Christian deacon and theologian who wrote a variety of hymns, poems,  sermons, and other theological documents.

O Lord and Master of my life,

give me not the spirit of laziness,

despair, lust of power, and idle talk.

But give rather the spirit of sobriety,

humility, patience and love to Thy servant.

Yea, O Lord and King,

grant me to see my own transgressions

and not to judge my brother,

for blessed art Thou unto ages of ages. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Rebecca Van Noord, a contemporary Christian author and editor of Bible Study Magazine. This is an excerpt from her book “Connect the Testaments.”

We sometimes jump on the bandwagon with politics. Yet if we put our full trust in political candidates or believe their rise to power is an indication of our future—a common campaign platform—we’re putting our hope in something transitory. No earthly person or kingdom has absolute rule. The book of Revelation portrays this in a surprising way. In the last book of the Bible, God’s judgment is loosed, and it can be overwhelming to read and interpret. Six trumpets, blown consecutively by angels, unleash God’s judgment. When the seventh trumpet blows, we expect judgment to be set in motion yet again. Instead, a loud voice from heaven announces a different, glorious event: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15). This seems like a strange turn of events, but it’s the culmination of plans and actions that have been happening all along. The initiation of God’s kingdom is prophesied throughout the Bible, and it is presented in John’s vision to bring hope. All of God’s judgments have a purpose. They terminate an old way of life to usher in a new one—a life guided by the eternal reign of God. In some ways, the arrival of God’s kingdom is a judgment—it’s a judgment on all other kingdoms. John’s vision would have been a comforting reminder to the early church that the kingdoms of this age are transitory. Their flawed, corrupt rule is not forever. And while the kingdoms of the world come and go, God’s kingdom will never end. We can be hopeful, then, in hopeless situations. We need not feel morose or hopeless when the factions and kingdoms of the world struggle and disappoint. God’s eternal kingdom—His exclusive, righteous rule—is our hope.

PRAYER:

From the Gallican Sacramentary, an historical version of Christian liturgy within the Latin church in the 1st millennium.

O God,

you have forbidden us

to be anxious about what we need for this life.

Move our hearts

to seek you and your kingdom,

that all good things may be given to us as well; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by William Law (1686-1761), a Church of England priest who refused to swear an oath of allegiance to the German George I to the English throne. This is an excerpt from his book “A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life.”

Thus, one who makes it a rule to be content in every part and accident of life because it comes from God praises God in a much higher manner than one who has some set time for the singing of psalms. The person who dares not say an ill-natured word or do an unreasonable thing because he or she considers God as everywhere present performs a better devotion than the person who dares not miss the church. To live in the world as a stranger and a pilgrim, using all its enjoyments as if we used them not, making all our actions as so many steps toward a better life, is offering a better sacrifice to God than any forms of holy and heavenly prayers.

To be humble in our actions, to avoid every appearance of pride and vanity, to be meek and lowly in our words, actions, dress, behavior, and designs – all in imitation of our blessed Savior—is worshiping God in a higher manner than do they who have only stated times to fall low on their knees in devotions. Those who content themselves with necessities that they may give the remainder to those who need it; who dare not spend any money foolishly because they consider it as a talent from God, which must be used according to his will, praise God with something that is more glorious than songs of praise.

PRAYER:

Written by John Robinson (1576-1625), the pastor of the Pilgrim Fathers before they left on the Mayflower and considered one of the founders of the Congregational Church.

Through Christ, the only master and teacher of his church, to you be praise forever. God the Father, for your Son Christ’s sake, show your mercy every time we stray. Reveal our sins to us more and more. Keep us in, and lead us to your truth. Show us how to be faithful in everything we have received, whether it be less or more, and preserve us against all the scandals the whole world is filled with. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Excerpted  from a devotional written by Jill Weber, a contemporary Christian spiritual director and the Director of Houses of Prayer at 24-7 Prayer.

In his book, The Lord of the Ring, Phil Anderson tell us about 36-year old Johan Leonhard Dober and 26-year old David Nitschmann, “The two men were among the first missionaries to be sent out in Protestant church history, the first to go as lay workers rather than theologically trained ministers, the first to be sent by a church rather than a state body or society, and the first to work among slaves.” They left Copenhagen harbor for the Danish West Indies in 1732.

Backing them up was their Moravian community in Herrnhut, Saxony (now Eastern Germany), who were praying literally 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. During the decades that followed, Moravians went to the slaves of the Caribbean, the Eskimos of Greenland and Newfoundland, the black South Africans, and the American Indians. They reached Ceylon, South America, the Far East, and the Russian and Arab worlds. By the end of the century, this tiny village of around 300 people was responsible for sending out over 1,000 missionaries to virtually every part of the known world.

Dober and Nitschmann had wanted to sell themselves into slavery. When they were prevented from doing so, they instead took manual jobs on plantations so they could have close access to the slaves they were trying to reach. I can just imagine these men considering their series of firsts. It’s never been done before. Well, high time that somebody did it then! They jumped out of the box, colored outside the lines, and they made Church history.

PRAYER:

Written by Jill Weber, author of the meditation.

God, I ask for creativity and courage to innovate. Even now, in the quiet, would You show me how we can break new ground together? 

Jesus, I give you my selfish pre-occupation and my instinct for self-preservation. Lamb that was slain, I fix my eyes and my heart on You. I offer up myself to You today that You may receive the reward of Your suffering. Here I am, Lord. Send me.

MEDITATION:

Written by Henry Blackaby, a contemporary pastor, author, and founder of Blackaby Ministries. This is an excerpt from his book “Experiencing God Day by Day.”

Would you dare to believe that God, who called you to Himself and equipped you with His Spirit, could work mightily through you? Have you made the connection between the time and place in which you live and God’s call upon you? World events never catch God by surprise. He placed you precisely where you are for a purpose.

Daniel did not let the temptations of his day interfere with his relationship to the Lord. He knew that to make his life useful to God he must be obedient in all things. Regardless of what the most powerful king in the world commanded, Daniel refused to compromise what he knew God required of him. History is replete with examples of Christian men and women who believed that God would work through them to make a significant difference for His kingdom. God placed Esther strategically in the king’s court at a crucial time when she could save the lives of God’s people (Esther 4:14). God placed Joseph strategically to become the most powerful adviser to the pharaoh in Egypt and to save Jacob and his family from a devastating drought (Genesis 41:39-40).

Are you allowing your surroundings to determine how you invest your life? Or are you letting God use you to make a difference in your generation? Ask God to reveal His purposes for you and His will for your life today.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Book of Worship for the United Church of Christ.

Almighty God, you have given all peoples one common origin, and your will is to gather them as one family in yourself. Fill the hearts of all with the fire of your love and the desire to ensure justice for all our sisters and brothers. By sharing the good things you give us, may we secure justice and equality for every human being, and a human society built on love and peace, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Suzanne Eller, a contemporary Christian author and head of TogetHER ministries. This is an excerpt from her devotional “Come With Me.”

Jesus’ stomach caves in with hunger. He doesn’t have to be in the wilderness. With one word, the stones at Jesus’ feet could be turned to bread, but he stands firm. The adversary taunts Jesus. “You don’t have to be  hungry. Take things into your own hands.” Jesus faces the enemy head-on, declaring that obedience to his Father is greater than satisfying a right-now hunger. He refuses to be deceived by one who cares less about him and more about the destruction of his soul.

We have all heard that voice of enticement. It calls us to compromise or fulfill an instant longing that takes us from the will of God. It demands that we take things into our own hands and strip them from God’s. We are not alone in this battle. Our heavenly Father is aware of our needs, far beyond the right now. He will help us overcome temptation to walk into our destiny. Our Father promises to lift us above temporary desires to lasting transformation.

PRAYER:

This prayer is from the Anglican Book of Common Prayer.

Almighty God,

whose blessed Son was led by the Spirit

to be tempted by Satan;

Come quickly to help us who are assaulted by many temptations;

and, as you know the weaknesses of each of us,

let each one find you mighty to save;

through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

one God, now and for ever. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Christopher Hudson, a contemporary Christian author. This is an excerpt from his book “Following Jesus Daily Devotional.”

Why do we love TV shows that feature makeovers (of people, houses, etc.) or those that track unknown people becoming national singing sensations? Surely, it’s because such stories remind us that change is possible; and deeper than that, they hint at the most miraculous transformation of all.

When Jesus began gathering followers, he essentially said: Follow me, and I will transform you into something you’re not. If you’ll come to me and remain with me, your life will never be the same. In the end, you’ll actually become like me. This is why we come to Jesus. We come to him not only for forgiveness and the promise of eternal life—as amazing as those things are—but in order to become like him.  Following Jesus isn’t about acquiring theological information. It’s embarking on a journey of personal transformation. It isn’t only about heaven one day; it’s about holiness right now.

PRAYER:

Written by Ambrose (339-397), a bishop of Milan.  He contributed to theology and doctrine of the early Christian Church and influenced Augustine of Hippo.

O Lord, who has mercy upon all, take away from me my sins, and mercifully kindle in me the fire of Your Holy Spirit. Take away from me the heart of stone, and give me a heart of flesh, a heart to love and adore You, a heart to delight in You, to follow and to enjoy You, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Athenagoras (c133-c190), an Athenian Father of the Church and Christian apologist, philosopher, and convert to Christianity. This is from his letter “A Plea Regarding Christians,”

It is like the potter and the clay. The clay is matter, the potter is an artist. So is God the creator an artist, while matter is subject to him for the sake of his art. But as clay cannot by itself become pottery without art, so matter, which is altogether pliable, cannot receive distinction, form, or beauty apart from God the creator. We do not, moreover, reckon pottery of more value than the potter, or bowls or vessels of gold than the artisan. If they have artistic merit, we praise the artist. It is he who reaps the renown for making them. So it is with matter and God. It is not matter which justly receives praise and honor for the arrangement and beauty of the world, but its creator, God. If, then, we were to worship material forms as gods, we should seem to be insensitive to the true God, identifying what is eternal with what is subject to dissolution and corruption. Beautiful, indeed, is the world in its all-embracing grandeur, in the arrangement of the stars, both those in the circle of the ecliptic and those at the Septentrion, and in its form as a sphere. Yet it is not the world, but its maker, who should be worshiped.

PRAYER:

Written by the Lasallian Brothers, a  religious teaching organization founded by Jean-Baptiste de La Salle (1641-1719) in France and now based in Rome.

All-loving and ever-living God,

We pray with the prophet Isaiah:

“Yahweh, you are our Father;

We, the clay, you the potter,

We are all the works of your hand.”

Help us to trust in you.

Free us to be shaped by your love.

Help us to follow the example of your Son, Jesus,

Whose love transformed the lives of his disciples.

Through love, may we influence the lives

of those entrusted to our care.

We make this prayer through Jesus,

your Son and our Brother.  Amen.

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MEDITATION:

Written by Valerie E. Hess, a contemporary Christian author. This is an excerpt from her book “Spiritual Disciplines Devotional.”

Some people are never satisfied. The Irish saint Columbanus is reported to have said, “The man [or woman] to whom little is not enough will not benefit from more.” We all know people like this. Give them an all-expenses-paid trip to an exotic destination and they complain about the view from their hotel room. Take them to a place of beautiful scenery, and they complain of being tired from all the traveling. Show them another culture with all of its marvelous characteristics, and they hate the food and the bathrooms. These kind of people always find something wrong because they are looking for perfection on earth, a quality that is simply not available in this life.

One way to practice the discipline of simplicity is through a spirit of contentment. This is so contrary to the culture around us that people are bound to take notice. We can strive to be sincerely thankful for all of the little things in life. Sure, there may be struggles or things we wish were different or needs or wants we would like to see met, but we are invited to keep them from becoming our defining reality. When we respond in peace and joy to the question “How are you?” we can be a witness to others of God’s goodness in all things.

PRAYER:

Written by Basil the Great (330-379) of Caesarea, an influential theologian and pastor. He was one of the Cappadocian Fathers.

O God and Lord of the Powers, and Maker of all creation, Who, because of Your clemency and incomparable mercy, sent Your only-begotten Son and our Lord Jesus Christ for the salvation of mankind, and with His venerable cross tore asunder the record of our sins, and thereby conquered the rulers and powers of darkness; receive from us sinful people, O merciful Master, these prayers of gratitude and supplication, and deliver us from every destructive and gloomy transgression, and from all visible and invisible enemies who seek to injure us. Nail down our flesh with fear of You, and let not our hearts be inclined to words or thoughts of evil, but pierce our souls with Your love, that ever contemplating You, being enlightened by You, and discerning You, the unapproachable and everlasting Light, we may unceasingly render confession and gratitude to You: the eternal Father, with Your only-begotten Son, and with Your all-holy, gracious and life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

MEDITATION:

Written by Evelyn Underhill (1875-1941), an English writer and pacifist known for her numerous works on religion and spiritual practice. This is an excerpt from her book “The Spiritual Life.”

St. John of the Cross says that every quality or virtue which that Spirit really produces in our souls has three distinguishing characters—as it were a threefold National Mark—Tranquility, Gentleness, Strength. All our action—and now we are thinking specially of action—must be peaceful, gentle, and strong. That suggests, doesn’t it, an immense depth, and an invulnerable steadiness as the soul’s abiding temper; a depth and a steadiness which come from the fact that our small action is now part of the total action of God, whose Spirit, as another saint has said, “Works always in tranquility.” Fuss and feverishness, anxiety, intensity, intolerance, instability, pessimism and wobble, and every kind of hurry and worry—these, even on the highest levels, are signs of the self-made and self-acting soul; the spiritual parvenu. The saints are never like that. They share the quiet and noble qualities of the great family to which they belong.

PRAYER:

Written by Jay McDaniel, a contemporary an American professor of religion.

In this century and in any century,

Our deepest hope, our most tender prayer,

Is that we learn to listen.

May we listen to one another in openness and mercy

May we listen to plants and animals in wonder and respect

May We listen to our own hearts in love and forgiveness

May we listen to God in quietness and awe.

And in this listening,

Which is boundless in its beauty,

May we find the wisdom to cooperate

With a healing spirit, a divine spirit

Who beckons us into peace and community and creativity.

We do not ask for a perfect world.

But we do ask for a better world.

We ask for deep listening. Amen.