Spiritual Practices

Prayer of Confession – Week Two Advent 2024

This week as we honor the gift of peace we have received through Christ’s birth, it might be good to take some time to look at what hinders that indwelling peace. I think we might agree that anxiety in our culture has reached an epidemic level. Two verses from the New Testament, I believe, help us turn to the One who gives us the peace that brings wholeness and well-being.

Paul in Romans 8:15 – “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father!”

And John then in 1 John 4:18 – “there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”

In the verse from 1 John, “perfected” might be better translated as completed or fulfilled. You could say John is saying – “freedom from fear is ours because God’s love for us has been fulfilled (in Christ!)” The context for this verse is found in the verses that preceded this – (and for that matter, the verses that come later). John is not talking about imperfect love as if there was something we could actually do to counteract fear in our lives. Looking at the verses that come right before verse 18 – I love what John says about this kind of love –

¹⁰ In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹ Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. ¹² No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us. ¹³ By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. ¹⁴ And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. ¹⁶ So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us.

God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God and God abides in him.
1 John 4:16 (ESV)

I’ve included these two passages in this particular prayer of confession because anxiety breeds a lot of shame – and what we see in both Paul and John is that love is the antidote to fear. We are promised a Father in heaven – because of what Christ has done for us we now call him, Abba, dear Papa… And we are told in the passage from 1 John that the way through fear and anxiety is to receive the kind of love that leads to abiding in Him.

All this to say, that when we come to the prayer of confession in our theme of peace, I think it’s unproductive to simply say – “repent of your fear or anxiety.” I’m not saying there isn’t a need to repent of any attitude that keeps us from receiving all that God has done for us in Christ. I just don’t think that’s where we start.

As we look to the Holy Spirit to reveal our hearts let’s be open to seeing the ways our sins against others, ourselves or God keep us bound to anxiety. Here are some questions that might help us be specific in our confession and thus to go on to receive His forgiveness.

Are there ways you try to manage our anxiety through unhealthy practices? In our confessions of sin last week, I talked about defensive mechanisms that keep us numb. – over-using our phones, binging on shows (I do love my murder mysteries), scrolling through social media, over or under eating… These are all ways we might try to manage our anxiety. Here are a few others:

Do you compare yourself to others? This can almost be unconscious, because we do it so often. We walk into a room and immediately measure ourselves against others there. We’re better, smarter, cooler, whatever. Or we’re painfully aware of how we don’t measure up – we will never be that smart, good, cool, whatever…

Do you judge others harshly – out of an attempt to mask your judgment of yourself?

Are there self-destructive patterns of behavior you engage in while trying to mask anxiety?

Do you hold onto unforgiveness because you believe you could never measure up to what you “think” God demands of you?

Do you find that your thoughts spiral down in paralyzing ways?

Prayerfully consider these questions as you come into this prayer confession. Confess, repent, receive and then come back to a place where you can abide in His love for you! And let that assurance bring you the kind of shalom peace Christ has purchased for you. That kind of love and peace Christ gives us restores in us wonder and worship. There is no other god like our God!

…we cannot talk about sin for very long without being drawn into doxology. Were it not for the mercy of God surrounding us, we would have no perspective from which to view sin, for we would be entirely subject to it. That is the reason for affirming that wherever sin is unmasked and confessed, God’s redemptive power is already present and acting. Fleming Rutledge

Begin by centering your heart in God’s presence… Give thanks to Him that you do not need to hide anything from him. Affirm that He is faithful and good, and his mercy and grace are “new every morning.” The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness” (Lam. 3:22-23).

Now let Him begin the process of searching your heart. Are there ways you have not honored Christ this week? Where were your thoughts and desires not centered in Him? How have you failed in obedience to Christ?

Then, simply confess in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

Receive His assurance of pardon – ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ . (Eph 1:7-9 ESV)

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in His forgiveness ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. “Cast your burdens unto Jesus!” Friends, I couldn’t resist this video – I remember singing it often during Pastoral Care Ministries schools!

Please note here, I realize there often is a need to get professional help in dealing with anxiety disorders. I am not trivializing that by giving you “five points to freedom from anxiety.” Please know that God is deeply concerned about what you need. And whether it’s spiritual help or psychological help you need – please reach out to get the help you need!

The Lord’s Prayer Week One Advent 2024

Prayer is of course one of those spiritual practices that help form Christ in us. I started this particular practice last year because I wanted to keep the Lord’s Prayer fresh in my devotional life. I encourage you to do this as well. I simply wrote out the prayer from Matthew 6 and then asked the Holy Spirit to help me write my own with that week’s theme in mind.

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed by thy name.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread,

And forgive us our sins,

As we forgive those who have sinned against us.

And lead us not into temptation.

But deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power,

And the glory, forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13

Our Father – You whose name is so holy that we cannot help but worship; we are in awe that we have a Father in heaven and not some distant or indifferent power. Who else is there but You – and if we have you, what more do we need? You lavish us with not only your blessed kingdom, but also what we need to satisfy our hungers. Yet, Lord, we ache for the fullness of a kingdom without hunger or thirst, a kingdom without fear or despair. Our sure and fast hope is that you will bring that kingdom to us, your beloved on the Day of the Lord. Turn our hearts away from our own willful ways to your will alone, and forgive us Lord. We do not take it for granted, and so out of gratitude for this wonder[ful] gift, we give you praise and honor. How can we then keep from those who have sinned against us that same grace and charity? Hide us, Abba, through your Holy Spirit that we might not fall into temptation, but stay true to you alone. May we persevere with hope until that day when you will make all things new. Keep from us all wiles of the devil or the world that we might for all eternity bend the knee to you for whom belongs all the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.

Lectio Divina – Week One Advent 2024

All of a sudden we just know: prayer is a conversation in which God’s Word has the initiative and we, for the moment, can be nothing more than listeners. The essential thing is for us to hear God’s Word and discover from it how to respond to him. His Word is the truth, opened up to us. For there is no ultimate, unquestionable truth in man; he knows this, as full of questionings, he looks up to God and sets out toward him. God’s Word is his invitation to us to be with him in the truth. We are in danger of drowning on the open sea, and God’s Word is the rope ladder thrown down to us so that we can climb up into the rescuing vessel. It is the carpet, rolled toward us so that we can walk along it to the Father’s throne. It is the lantern which shines in the darkness of the world (a world which keeps silence and refuses to reveal its own nature); it casts a softer light on the riddles which torment us and encourages us to keep going. Finally, God’s Word is himself, his most vital, his innermost self: his only begotten Son, of the same nature as himself, sent into the world to bring it home, back to him. And so God speaks to us from heaven and commends to us his Word, dwelling on earth for a while: “This is my beloved Son: listen to him: (Mat. 17:5) ^[1]

Psalm 146:5 – Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, who made heaven and earth the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry…

Step One – Read the passage slowly, attentively. Allow yourself to be taken in by the words – pay attention to any word or phrase that strikes you in the passage. (If you haven’t studied this passage, you may find this first reading will stir observation questions in you – such as who, what when, where, how).

Step Two – Read it again. Meditate and reflect on the passage. What is it in your life that needs to hear that word or phrase? Sit in silence for a time, attending to the thoughts, images and impressions that begin to come to you. Turn that into prayer.

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

[1] Hans Urs Von Balthasar, Prayer (San Francisco: Ignatius Press), 1986. Translated by Graham Harrison.

The Lord’s Prayer – The Shattered Door

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come; thy will be done.
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day, our daily bread,
And forgive us our sins,
As we forgive those who have sinned against us.
And lead us not into temptation.
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom, and the power,
And the glory, forever. Amen.

Our Father in heaven, where all the angels sing for joy. Christ Your Son has been resurrected from the dead! Can we hope, dear Abba, that this will be your will for us as well? That in the ushering in of the final kingdom – we will be made new – in body, soul and spirit? What incredible grace! What incredible joy! Nourish us, Father, with this bread of life, which is real bread and real food! And forgive us our sins, especially in this season, the sin of unbelief. Give us strength of will to forgive those who have sinned against us. We desire, Lord, that no one be exempt from Your grace! Keep far from us the power of temptation and deliver us from all evil. We wait Father, for the fulfillment of the Kingdom of Your Son – to whom with You and the Holy Spirit belong all the power, and all the glory, forever. Amen.

Confessional Prayer – Eastertide Week 5

“Reflecting on the week that has passed, Lord, show me where you were at work in my life. In what ways did I experience your goodness and when did I hear you speak.” * In what ways did I experience the power of your resurrection? In ways unique to my life, my relationships and/or my practices?

I have come to see that it is hard work to answer this question. It takes dedication and patience to see how and where God has been faithful and good. I think the same is true of confession of sin. We are not naturally attuned to either. One of the ways I’ve gotten a bit better at this is to try to start each day with asking the Holy Spirit to orient my attention through the day so that I can identify God’s goodness to me; or for that matter to help me identify sins I need to confess.

Then, simply confess in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

Loving Lord Jesus, thank you for bearing my sins in Your body on the cross. By your wounds I am healed and by Your blood I am cleansed (1 Peter 2:24). I receive Your forgiveness now. *

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in His forgiveness ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank Him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

*Both these prayers are from the app lectio365.

Lectio Divina – Eastertide Week Five

1 Peter 1:3-5 ³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he gave us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴that is, into an inheritance imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. It is reserved in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are protected through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

[Regarding] divine hope: there is no gap, no space between the future and the present, because the kingdom of God is at hand and “God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying ‘Abba! Father!’” (Gal 4:6). Our Christian hope is rooted in the possession of the substance to be revealed, not in the expectation of a substantial gift to come. If we “have been raised with Christ…seated at the right hand of God” (Col 3:1), we have all that we can ever hope for—even if we need immense patience to wait for its revelation. Ladislaw Orsy

Lectio Divina -The Gospel and the Resurrection

The following passage is a great entry into the gospel and Acts. If you read Acts through you will find that “resurrection” is found 10 times, and “raised” also ten times. And every time the apostles are gathered and they preach – it is the resurrection that they proclaim as the good news! This passage is a great Lectio passage in that you can put yourself right there with them in the weeks and months following Pentecost. This passage comes after Peter and John were arrested and jailed. They came before the religious leaders the next day and were told to not preach Jesus to the people. Acts 4 and the rest of Acts tells the story of what happened when they refused to stop witnessing about Christ and the Resurrection! Imagine yourself there in the excitement and drama of those early days.

Acts 4:29-35 – ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. ³² All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. ³³ With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all ³⁴ that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales ³⁵ and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. (NIV)

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

To preach Christianity meant (to the Apostles) primarily to preach the Resurrection. … The Resurrection is the central theme in every Christian sermon reported in the Acts. The Resurrection, and its consequences, were the ‘gospel’ or good news which the Christians brought. (Miracles, chapter 16)

You can go through the same steps that we use for Lectio Divina for Scripture, or simply take some time and read this quote slowly, and seek The Spirit’s help to discern how this passage might bring new understanding to preparing for His return.

Thomas and the Lord’s Prayer

Abba, Father, who dwells in the highest places, even the heavens, Your name is so holy. I pray that Your kingdom would come in fullness – and that all my doubt would be cast off because of Your great love. I know that Your will is that all the world would come to know and believe in You. Today, Lord, I need the sweet nourishment that comes from Your holy presence. Even in my unbelief Lord, You are there, wooing me into Your goodness, and into the life You have given me through Your Son. Forgive me all my sins that have grown out of that unbelief – and give me grace, Lord, and power to forgive all my enemies. Keep from me the temptations of doubt, and deliver me from all that comes against You. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are due to You, all the days of my life, forever and forever. Amen.

Confessional Prayer – Eastertide Week Two

*These words are from an app I mentioned in a previous post, called lectio365. I can’t recommend it enough – especially as you prepare to end your day. The idea that follows, comes from the post I wrote earlier: “He is alive, but where is He?” As we try to ground our understanding of resurrection life, we need practical ways to see that, and I hope that these three areas help us to do that.

It’s a small example, but I spent time with one of my grandsons last week, and my goal was simply to get him talking. I didn’t care what he talked about, but I wanted him to get excited and to look at me when he talked. And he did! I felt that it was a resurrection moment because he knew I was present to him, and that was the way Jesus was with Thomas, or even the other disciples, especially Peter in John 21:13-17.

I think we have to be intentional about moments like these. I know we want to experience a life that mirrors Christ’s – and we do that as we learn to abide in Him; to rest in Him, and to practice His presence with us and in us. The intentionality comes when we decide to look for that – whether in our own bodies, our relationships or our practices of prayer, worship, study…

So whether we are asking God to reveal the ways we experienced his goodness or we are asking Him to show us our sin – it’s all a part of the resurrection life He has invited us into.

In this season then, let’s be intentional about both – which is all about living out our baptisms – we take our place in His death, and we take our place in His rising – through confession, through dying to the old man, to being present to those around us.

Then, simply confess in as specific a way you can the sins that trouble you. Don’t rush through this process. Simply rest in God’s presence as He does this.

Now choose to let this go and receive Christ’s forgiveness for you. Remember – “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9)

Receive His assurance of pardon.

⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, ⁸ which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight ⁹ making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ .
Ephesians 1:7-9 (ESV)

And finally commit this confession to the Lord. As you rest in His forgiveness ask Him how to walk this out. Ask for the supernatural power of His Spirit to give you what you need to move forward. Thank Him that you “have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer [you] who live, but Christ lives in [you]” (Gal. 2:20).

Some of you may be aware of the African Anglican liturgy for confession of sin during Communion. It paints such an incredible picture and so I want to leave that with you as you close this time of confession.

AN AFRICAN BENEDICTION

All our problems,
We send to the cross of Christ!
All our difficulties,
We send to the cross of Christ!
All the devil’s works,
We send to the cross of Christ!
All our hopes,
We set on the risen Christ!

Lectio Divina – Eastertide Week Two

John 20:24-29 ²⁴ Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. ²⁵ So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.” ²⁶ Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” ²⁷ Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” ²⁸ Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” ²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (ESV)

Step Three – What is God saying to you? What do you begin to feel called to?

Step Four – How does God want you to live this passage out? What are you resolved to do?

Lectio Quote

‘[But] I often think about why Thomas did not believe his companions when they proclaimed to him, “We have seen the Lord.” Perhaps, we might easily say that such belief asks a great deal of someone, especially without his being present during Christ’s appearance. But perhaps… it was because the disciples were still huddling in the upper room, as John tells us, with the doors locked. Perhaps Thomas thought about what they proclaimed, looked around at the fear that kept the doors locked, and concluded simply, “I don’t believe you.”

After all, to believe in the risen Christ is to believe that God can take the brokenness, vulnerabilities, and losses of our lives and redeem them. It is to believe that all other standards of judgment, all other criteria of value, and all other measures of success must be rooted first in the faithfulness to the one who says, “Whatever you do for the least, you do for me.” It is, finally, to live in relentless and courageous love, in faith that love has conquered even death.’

Polish poet Czeslaw Milosz, puts it sharply when he observes*:

“’Christ is risen.” Whoever believes that
Should not behave as we do.”

by Andrew Staron

For the whole quote go to: <https://dailytheology.org/2015/04/12/why-did-doubting-thomas-doubt/>