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Author Archives: John D. Willome

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About John D. Willome

I post a blog of daily devotions that are my prayer journals based on scripture.

Lent Day 3: Excerpts from Psalm 31,

16 Feb

Dear God, as I intentionally experience Lent this year and go through Day 3 for Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer, I’ve decided to do something a little different today. I want to read the passages and then call out the verses that resonate with me. But before I do, here are the passages that have for us to read today.

  • AM Psalms 31, 95
  • PM Psalms 35
  • Deuteronomy 7:12-16
  • John 1:35-42
  • Titus 2:1-15

Here we go:

Psalm 31: 6 – I hate those who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD

Idols have come to mean more to me over the last three and a half years. Ever since I heard Andy Stanley interview the couple where the pastor/husband barely survived COVID and he noted that we tend to make an idol out of “certainty,” and we find all kinds of tangible things to put our certainty in (spouse, children, economy, government, etc.) when you, God, are the only thing that is the same and never changes. It’s now easier to see the idols in my life that I must relinquish, and also see the idols others make. Right now, in election season, it feels like many people are worshipping their political party, counting on it to save them or else all will be lost. I hate those [including myself] who cling to worthless idols; I trust in the LORD.

Psalm 31:11-13 – Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbors; I am a dread to my friends–those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten by them as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side; they conspire against me and plot to take my life.

This is a psalm of David, and I cannot help but wonder if he wrote it during Absalom’s revolt. The idea that David would be the contempt of his neighbors and that those who see him would flee from him is shocking, but then again aren’t we all, as humans, shockingly fickle? Are there areas of my life where I foolishly abandon those I should support because it is the safe thing for me to do?

Psalm 95:6-7 – Come, let us bow down and worship, let us kneel before the LORD our Maker; for he is our God and we are the people of his pasture, the flock under his care.

This is just a nice piece of worshiping you right here. Oh, Father, you are my Maker. You are my God. I am a lamb in your pasture. A lamb under your care. Thank you. I submit myself to your care.

Deuteronomy 7:12 – If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the LORD your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your forefathers.

Deuteronomy is where you are laying down the law, literally, for the Israelites. This whole passage is, frankly, a little simplistic in my mind. It says you will make good for the good and bad for the bad. All I ask right now is not for good, but that you will help me to be near to you.

John 1:37-38 – When the two disciples heard [John the Baptist] say this, they followed Jesus. Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

What an interesting question. I wonder if they knew. I wonder if they had an idea of what they wanted but didn’t have the courage to say so they just asked where he was staying. In their heart of hearts, I would imagine they were looking for the same Messiah everyone else was looking for. They wanted to be lifted out of the mire of subjugation to Rome and restored to power. Had they known at that moment how things would play out over the next three years they might have stayed behind. What do I want from you, even this morning? Is it the right thing or is it selfish?

Titus 2:9-10 – Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teacher about God our Savior attractive

For this passage, I want to quote part of today’s reading from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer: “But reading the letter to Titus can be overwhelming. Planting and nurturing the church in Crete is not an easy matter. The culture is crude and in constant agitation. As part of the Roman Empire, it is subject to, among other things, the norms of slavery, the subjugation of women, and the abuse of alcohol. Sexual immorality is rampant, and hopelessness is widespread.\\Knowing and following Jesus, according to Paul, is the only adequate antidote to such a broken world.“

Father, I am still leaning into the word “patience” for this Lenten season. Help me to continue to die to myself and simply embrace everything Jesus was–and everything Jesus was is completely contradictory to who I am. Thank you for this amazing gesture on your part to come to earth and give us your example of how to behave and live. How to love and serve. How to give of ourselves, worship you, and love others. Help me to be that man today.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2024 in Deuteronomy, John, Lent 2024, Psalms, Titus

 

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Lent Day 2: John 1:29-34

15 Feb

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for he existed long before me.’ 31 I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel.”

32 Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33 I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God.”

John 1:29-34

Dear God, as I enter into this season of Lent, the word that keeps popping up for me over the last few days (even before Lent started) is “patience.” Going back to the parable of the wheat and the weeds, the farmer encourages patience. Today’s readings from Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer also mention patience.

  • AM Psalm 37:1-18
  • PM Psalm 37:19-42
  • Deuteronomy 7:6-11
  • John 1:29-34
  • Titus 1:1-16

In the commentary about these passages, the author writes, “In the scriptures for today we are reminded that we must be patient with the long, slow, sometimes imperceptible movement of God on our behalf.” (Emphasis added) Several years ago, I had a revelation that I think still holds true: We measure time in days, weeks, and months; while God measures time in years, decades, and centuries. When I get in a hurry then I try to take the power away from you and put it upon myself. I stop listening to you and waiting for you. I start to despair when things don’t move as quickly as I want them to. And then I start to sin.

Father, the “Serenity Prayer” from AA comes to mind right now. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I will amend that prayer to ask that you will not let me try to change anything without you and your power. Even as we have a staff meeting today to sort some things out, help me to lean into you for wisdom, discernment, insight, and solutions. And, of course, there are the prayer requests that are always on my heart, and for which I can sometimes have very little patience. I give you those situations, and ask that you simply bring healing and wholeness where there is suffering and strife.

A pray all of this in Jesus Christ and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 15, 2024 in John, Lent 2024

 

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Lent Day 1: Psalm 32, Jonah 3-4

14 Feb

Psalm 32

A psalm of David.

1 Oh, what joy for those
    whose disobedience is forgiven,
    whose sin is put out of sight!
2 Yes, what joy for those
    whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt,[b]
    whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
3 When I refused to confess my sin,
    my body wasted away,
    and I groaned all day long.
4 Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
    My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. Interlude

5 Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Interlude

6 Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time,
    that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment.
7 For you are my hiding place;
    you protect me from trouble.
    You surround me with songs of victory. Interlude

8 The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.
    I will advise you and watch over you.
9 Do not be like a senseless horse or mule
    that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.”

10 Many sorrows come to the wicked,
    but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.
11 So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him!
    Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Jonah 3-4

3 Then the Lord spoke to Jonah a second time: 2 “Get up and go to the great city of Nineveh, and deliver the message I have given you.”

3 This time Jonah obeyed the Lord’s command and went to Nineveh, a city so large that it took three days to see it all. 4 On the day Jonah entered the city, he shouted to the crowds: “Forty days from now Nineveh will be destroyed!” 5 The people of Nineveh believed God’s message, and from the greatest to the least, they declared a fast and put on burlap to show their sorrow.

6 When the king of Nineveh heard what Jonah was saying, he stepped down from his throne and took off his royal robes. He dressed himself in burlap and sat on a heap of ashes. 7 Then the king and his nobles sent this decree throughout the city:

“No one, not even the animals from your herds and flocks, may eat or drink anything at all. 8 People and animals alike must wear garments of mourning, and everyone must pray earnestly to God. They must turn from their evil ways and stop all their violence. 9 Who can tell? Perhaps even yet God will change his mind and hold back his fierce anger from destroying us.”

10 When God saw what they had done and how they had put a stop to their evil ways, he changed his mind and did not carry out the destruction he had threatened.

4 This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. 2 So he complained to the Lord about it: “Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, Lord? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. 3 Just kill me now, Lord! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.”

4 The Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry about this?”

5 Then Jonah went out to the east side of the city and made a shelter to sit under as he waited to see what would happen to the city. 6 And the Lord God arranged for a leafy plant to grow there, and soon it spread its broad leaves over Jonah’s head, shading him from the sun. This eased his discomfort, and Jonah was very grateful for the plant.

7 But God also arranged for a worm! The next morning at dawn the worm ate through the stem of the plant so that it withered away. 8 And as the sun grew hot, God arranged for a scorching east wind to blow on Jonah. The sun beat down on his head until he grew faint and wished to die. “Death is certainly better than living like this!” he exclaimed.

9 Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry because the plant died?”

“Yes,” Jonah retorted, “even angry enough to die!”

10 Then the Lord said, “You feel sorry about the plant, though you did nothing to put it there. It came quickly and died quickly. 11 But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?”

Dear God, I have decided that I am going to be very intentional about Lent this year. I found a book called Sacred Invitation: Lenten Devotions Inspired by the Book of Common Prayer. No specific author is listed, but it’s from The Foundry Publishers. I’m going to let it be my guide through this season.

Day 1 listed several passages:

  • AM Psalms 32, 95, 143
  • PM Psalms 102, 130
  • Jonah 3-4
  • Luke 18:9-14
  • Hebrews 12:1-14

I’ve decided to commit to getting up about 45 minutes earlier than I normally do to spend this time dedicated time with you. I’ve read everything at this point except the PM Psalms. The two passages that struck me were Psalm 32 and Jonah 3-4.

I like Psalm 32 because it reminds me of why I came to you in the first place. Well, that might not be exactly true. I cannot remember how much of my motivation was “fire insurance,” but what ended up happening was this amazing release when I first experienced the cleansing of your grace. What an amazing thing.

I like Jonah 3-4 because it reminds me of what I was praying about yesterday with the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds. While what Satan had done in Nineveh was evil, Satan was the enemy. The Ninevites were not the enemy. Jonah saw them as the enemy, but you didn’t. You were angry with them, but you wanted their repentance, not their destruction. Jonah wanted only their destruction.

Father, help me to see each and every person I encounter today with your eyes. No one–absolutely no one–is my enemy. They are an opportunity to bring your life into someone who needs you. They are an opportunity to bring the freedom and joy David speaks of in Psalm 32 into their life and into the world. Help me to remember that. Help me to also remember that amazing freedom I first felt and have felt a few times since I received the amazing grace that you give to me.

I offer this prayer and this Lenten season to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 14, 2024 in Jonah, Lent 2024, Psalms

 

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Matthew 13:24-30

13 Feb

Here is another story Jesus told: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away. When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew. “The farmer’s workers went to him and said, ‘Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?’ “‘An enemy has done this!’ the farmer exclaimed. “‘Should we pull out the weeds?’ they asked. “‘No,’ he replied, ‘you’ll uproot the wheat if you do. Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.’”
Matthew 13:24-30

Dear God, this can be a hard parable, but I heard someone talking about it on a podcast today, and one of his statements struck me so much I stopped to write it down as soon as I heard it. Here it is:

“Instead of trying to get rid of the root of evil—because evil will corrupt every instrument designed to remove it—why don’t you work instead for the good of the field.” Mike Erre, Voxology Podcast: Episode 441, 57:00

Another thing he pointed out was that the weeds were not the enemy. I’d never thought about that before. The evil growing around me isn’t the true enemy. It’s Satan. It’s the powers and principalities that I cannot see. The evil or mean person around me isn’t the enemy. She or he is my sister or brother going through life and, most of the time (just like me), making the best decisions they know how to make. I might see their work as evil, but what I need to be about doing is “work[ing] instead for the good of the field.” That’s a powerful thought to me. I’m still not 100% sure how I feel about that statement, but it certainly provoked something within me.

They said they have an entire podcast they did a few years ago dedicated completely to this parable. I’ve downloaded it and I’ll listen to it later tonight. But in the meantime, I want to really see this physical world with the eyes Jesus would see it with if he were here with me (which, of course, he is). I’m having dinner with someone tonight after work. Help me to see him completely with your eyes. I have a job to do today with people to work with and help. Help me to look at them and think of them as Jesus would think of them. As I pray for my friends, my enemies, my family, and strangers I don’t even know, help me to think of all of them as sojourners with me in this field of wheat and weeds. Help me to be the best wheat I can be so that the evil in them might be choked out and they can become your wheat as well. And thank you for the weeds that grow in this field. Who knows? Without them, I might never have found you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 13, 2024 in Matthew

 

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James 1:9-11

12 Feb

Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
James 1:9-11

Dear God, these verses aren’t about being rich or poor, but about all of us being your children regardless of our financial state. I have nothing with any wealth I might have beyond an opportunity to serve you with it, and there is nothing additional wealth could buy me that would bring me more than you already give.

I have some things going on today that are important. First, I get the honor of giving the invocation at a local government meeting. Help me to be a blessing to them, but also to invite the Holy Spirit into that room. My words will be forgotten, so make this not about me trying to say anything meaningful, but to simply be an effective force for your kingdom to come into the world.

Second, there is something important happening at work, and I really need you to be in it. I need for the work done today to be good, to plant seeds that will find good soil, and for good fruit to grow. Help me to be part of that process and to encourage the best in all of it.

Father, I see poor people every day in my work. I see wealthy people as well. The sun rises and sets on all of us. We all get between zero and 110 years on this earth. Help each of us—help me—to find our purpose in you. Give us our daily bread. Nourish us. Forgive us as we forgive others. Keep us from temptation, and give me the strength to avoid and reject temptation when it comes to me. And please let everything I do be about bringing your kingdom onto this earth and your will being done on this earth as it is in heaven. Oh, Lord, I love you.

I pray all of this to you in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 12, 2024 in James

 

Leviticus 13:43-46

11 Feb

43 The priest must examine him, and if he finds swelling around the reddish white sore anywhere on the man’s head and it looks like a skin disease, 44 the man is indeed infected with a skin disease and is unclean. The priest must pronounce him ceremonially unclean because of the sore on his head.

45 “Those who suffer from a serious skin disease must tear their clothing and leave their hair uncombed. They must cover their mouth and call out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean. They must live in isolation in their place outside the camp.

Leviticus 13:43-46

Dear God, the Bible is a complicated book. Frankly, there is no way, as a lay person, I could ever completely understand what you are saying in each part of it. Even the most educated disagree on what different parts are saying, or misinterpret something out of context. From disagreements on a six-day creation story, to stories of miracles like Jonah being swallowed by a big fish, to Jesus feeding 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish, to rapture theory, it’s mostly a hazy mystery to all of us. And I do mean all of us.

This passage is another example. There are certain things that were true 5,000 years ago that are no longer true. We can now ignore much, if not all, of Leviticus 13. It seemingly no longer applies. That’s an easy line to draw that they couldn’t necessarily draw even 100 years ago. But there are other lines that are squishier. And if we allow ourselves to draw one line here, then what do we do with the other parts of books like Leviticus that are heavily debated?

I was listening to some theologians this week discuss Jesus’s second coming/rapture/tribulation theory, and I couldn’t help but hold onto my traditional view of this, which is, “I don’t care.” I simply don’t care about when Jesus is coming back, if there will be a rapture, and if I will be spared from a tribulation. I don’t care. There is so much in the Bible to sift through, and I love all of it–even Leviticus. I love that you share the essence of yourself through all of these flawed people and how they wrote about you. I love that the 66 books I have in my Protestant Bible are not dictated by you, but inspired by you (although, ironically, it seems that passages like the one today are literally dictated by you). But when I look for the bedrock upon which I can build my life, it all breaks down to the idea that Jesus restored me to you through his death and resurrection, and I now have the opportunity to love you with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. And my job now is to continue to do that and then love my neighbor as myself. After that, everything points back to those two things.

So as I try to figure out which things in Leviticus are out of date and which ones should still be enforced (e.g., beastiality should undeniably and uncontroversially still be prohibited), let me first lead with loving you and then loving others. I heard one of the people discussing the end times stuff say something I really believe. If we are just trying to motivate people into discipleship through fear of hell or missing the rapture and suffering the tribulation then we are using the wrong thing to motivate them. That is not what Jesus did to motivate people into relationship with himself. He offered them freedom from their sin. That’s not what the apostles did to motivate people into relationship with you. They offered them freedom from their sin. I guess the word “saved” can mean “from hell,” but it can also mean “from the life your sin will give you on earth and the separation from God you are experiencing in the moment.”

Father, I’m not theologian. Frankly, a good portion of the things I even type into this prayer journal are likely wrong. I confess that. I’m not trying to teach anyone anything. I’m just trying to get to know you better, search what your Holy Spirit might be trying to say to me through scripture, and then inspire others to do the same thing. If I found out that people who read this only read it once, but then started doing some sort of daily worship of you themselves, that would delight me to no end. So use me. Use this blog. Use it in my life. If it’s appropriate, use it in the lives of others so that they might be drawn closer to you and into daily discipleship. Let it be a part of making my life a prayer to you.

I pray to you, Father, in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 11, 2024 in Leviticus

 

Galatians 5:16-26 – “Still Life with Fruit”

10 Feb
The above image is from Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups, written and compiled by Ned Bustard. The image is called “Still Life with Fruit” and was created by Kreg Yingst.

16 So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17 The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions. 18 But when you are directed by the Spirit, you are not under obligation to the law of Moses.

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Galatians 5:16-26

Dear God, as much as I love Galatians 5:22-23 about the “Fruits of the Spirit” I cannot believe I haven’t seen this image in Bustard’s book yet. But I have to tell you, before even reading anything about the image or studying the image too closely, the title that the artist, Kreg Yingst, gave it has my mind spinning: “Still Life with Fruit.”

Normally, a painting or photograph of a bowl of fruit is called a “still life.” So it would be called a “still life of fruit.” But Yingst subtly changed the of to with and it makes a big difference for me. Instead of the word “fruit” relating to the apple on the table or the painting on the wall behind the man in the picture, the fruit are the nine items Paul lists in Galtians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self control. The “still life” portrayed in the image is the man. Him being an example of a “still life” is due to the Holy Spirit, as referenced by the dove outside the window descending, him studying your Word (presumably a Bible) laid out before him, and the “fruits” of the Spirit exuding from his hands. The man is making himself still and at the same time the Spirit is meeting him and making him even more still.

So that’s my take on the image. Let’s see what Bustard has to say. Bustard’s words:

Followers of God do not pick one fruit over another to exhibit in their lives. For example, a person may want to say they have faithfulness and joy but simply can’t muster forbearance and self-control. For the Christian, such selectiveness is unacceptable. The fruit of the Spirit is a unified process. Over time, a life truly lived in the Spirit will produce the fruit. Speaking of fruit, a title such as the one for this print generally refers to a picture like the one hanging over the man’s left shoulder. But this still life incorporates a man, a Bible, an apple, a cup of coffee, and a descending dove. These symbols (along wit the words protruding from the man’s fingers) suggest that a life of prayer, study, and waiting on the Spirit–that is, a still life–leads to a person becoming transformed into the Fruit that God desires.

So I think I got that one pretty close to the way Bustard saw it. That’s kind of affirming and refreshing. But the truth of the concept is the important thing.

Psalm 46:10 has this important pull quote from you:

“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.”

In the rest of the psalm, the psalmist(s) point out everything you are, but then he/they give us these words from you and they start with “be still.”

Father, it is hard sometimes for me to simply be still. And when I am still, I’m not really still. It’s a lazy still that uses distraction to check out the way some people use alcohol or drugs. So as I go into this day, give me the vision for the right kind of stillness, and the strength and self-discipline to embrace it. Let my life be a portrait of a “Still Life with Fruit.”

I pray all of this in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 10, 2024 in Galatians, Psalms, Revealed: A Storybook Bible for Grown-Ups

 

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“The Melody” by Jody L. Collins

08 Feb
“The Melody” by Jody L. Collins

Dear God, my wife showed me this poem yesterday morning, and it really spoke to me.

I’ve decided there is one small part that unravels it for me at the end. Ms. Collins asks, “Does He steal way and wander, ‘Perhaps today my child comes home?’” The problem with being you is that you are omniscient and you know the answers. You know who is coming home and when. You know who will never come home. Knowing all of that in advance might allow you to mourn in advance or patiently wait in a way that the author and many of us cannot because we don’t know how this will end.

But I can relate to the Ms. Collins’ sentiments. The busyness that helps distract. The life that must continue to be lived, even in the midst of sorrow.

Father, help me to find the line. Help me to find the point on the spectrum between apathy and obsession. Complete apathy towards what brings me sorrow would be wrong. Complete obsession would be equally wrong. But there is a line between them I’m trying to find. And thank you for the work you’ve given me to do in the meantime. Live through me. Love through me. Comfort and inspire me. I am sorry for all that I do to disappoint you and also tie my own self down. Thank you for your grace. Thank you, Jesus, for your sacrifice, love, and example. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for walking with me and being very near. And thank you, Father, for caring so much about all of us.

I offer this prayer in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 8, 2024 in Miscellaneous, Musings and Stories

 

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“Be Thou My Vision”

05 Feb 
"Be Thou My Vision"

Be Thou my vision
O Lord of my heart
Naught be all else to me
Save that Thou art
Thou my best thought
By day or by night
Waking or sleeping
Thy presence my light

Be Thou my vision
And Thou my true word
I ever with Thee
And Thou with me, Lord
Thou my great Father
I Thy true son
Thou in me dwelling
And I with Thee one

Riches I  heed not
Or man's empty praise
Thou mine inheritance
Now and always
Thou and Thou only
First in my heart
High King of heaven
My treasure Thou art

High King of heaven
My victory won
May I reach heaven's joys
O bright heaven's Sun!
Heart of my own heart
Whatever befall
Still by my vision
O Ruler of all

Dear God, it’s interesting to really sit with the words of this song. Parsing out the early English is slightly tricky. For example, the third and fourth lines say, “Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.” Whoa! Let me think about for a second. I’ve sung that line a hundred times, but what does it mean? Naught = Nothing. Therefore, I’m going to saying that it means “nothing is anything to me except you.” It’s not as cool sounding when I put it in my modern language and much more poetic, but the meaning is also a little obscured from my 21st-century English.

Maybe I should just translate this into modern English: 

Let me see with your eyes
Lord of my heart
Nothing is anything to me
Except you
You are the best of my thoughts
Day and night
Whether I am aways or asleep
Your presence is my light

Let me get my wisdom from you
Show me what truth is
Let me be always with you
And you with me
You are my great Father
I'm your devoted son
Live in me
And I will be one with you

I am not impressed by riches
And I do not care about impressing people
My inheritance is only you
Now and forever
You and you alone
Are first in my heart
King of heaven
You are my treasure

King of heaven
You have won the victory for me
May I reach the joy of heaven
The spectacular heaven to come
My heart is your heart
Whatever happens
I still want to see with your eyes
And have you rule over everything

Okay, so a lot of poets could probably take apart what I just translated. My poet wife would probably have a field day with the inaccuracy of my interpretations. But the sentiment really works, and I’m going to stick with it. This is a great song of devotion to you. Denying myself and embracing you as my everything. Show me how to really, effectively, make you my everything.

I pray to you, Father, in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 5, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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“Holy, Holy, Holy”

04 Feb 

"Holy, Holy, Holy" 
Holy, holy, holy!
Lord, God Almighty!
Early in the morning
Our song Shall rise to Thee
Holy, holy, holy
merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons
Blessed Trinity

Holy, holy, holy! 
All the saints adore Thee
Casting down their golden crowns
Around the glassy sea
Cherubim and seraphim
Falling down before Thee
Who wert, and art, and
Evermore shalt be

Holy, holy, holy! 
Tho' the darkness hide Thee
Tho' the eye of sinful man
They glory may not see
Only Thou art holy
There is none beside Thee
Perfect in power, in 
Love, and purity

Holy, holy, holy!
Lord God Almighty!
All Thy works shall praise Thy name
In earth, and sky, and sea
Holy, holy, holy
Merciful and mighty!
God in three Persons
Blessed Trinity

Written by Reginald Herber and John Dykes

Dear God, I was in church last night, and we sang this hymn. It seemed like a good thing to spend some time with this morning in worship of you. While it’s not particularly early right now (it’s about 10 a.m. as I write this) I am coming to you this morning before I get on with the rest of my Sunday to worship you.

The truth is, I cannot even begin to fathom what these words mean. They are good words, but do I really grasp them? Just the act of calling you “holy.” The words “God almighty.” Singing about how the cherubim and seraphim falling down before you. All the saints casting the crowns they might have earned in this earthly life before you. Considering it all nothing. Knowing that all of your creation, whether we want to or not–even the proudest of humans–will one day proclaim your name as our God. The fact that you are perfect in power, love, and purity. Acknowledging that the darkness of my life and this world can obscure you from me. My mind is limited. I cannot fathom you, nor can I understand anything about you or your ways.

Father, as I consider all of this, let me turn back to the simplicity Jesus taught me through the Gospels that recorded his life: love you with everything I have and love my neighbor as myself. I accept this truth. I accept Jesus’s life, death and resurrection so I might become your child and have relationship with you, freed from the sin and shame that wants to tie me down. And I accept the idea of having to love my neighbor as a way of releasing my own life to you. For in you is my only real joy. The idols of my wife, children, job, standing in the community, money, or whatever will all let me down. But you are Lord, God Almighty! Let my song rise to you.

I pray all of this in Jesus with the Holy Spirit,

Amen

 
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Posted by on February 4, 2024 in Hymns and Songs

 

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