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Tag Archives: Unity

John 17:20-21

29 Jul

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

John 17:20-21

Dear God, maybe this is just the bargaining stage of mourning.

  • Denial
  • Anger
  • Depression
  • Bargaining
  • Acceptance

We have denied the reality of COVID-19. We have been angry about having to quarantine and wear masks. I’m sure some have been depressed. And now there is a group out there that is once again pushing a seemingly false solution to the problem so that we can take a shortcut and get out of this pandemic more quickly. And I mention all of this this morning not to take shots at those that believe this. They are good people. The part that is on my heart is that it is one more thing that Satan (and the earthly powers and principalities) is using to tear us apart. To tear apart our unity. Our country is called the United States of America. Well, there is not much about us right now that is united. This turmoil is awful and it is making me sick to my stomach. One answer would be to just ignore it and focus on me, but I don’t think that’s what you’ve called me to do. I think you’ve called me to go back to Jesus’s simple prayer for us before he died. He prayed that we would be one, as you, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit are one.

Father, first, it starts with me. Help me to love beyond my exasperation. Help me to let things go and just rest in you. Help me let go of my need to be right or what I perceive as reasonable. Help me to just love. Yes, let it start with me. And then I pray for your church. The pastors and the lay leaders: let them be a source of your unity. Make them one. Then let that filter down to your people. Unite us together. I am afraid of what kind of persecution it will take to answer this prayer, Father. I can’t imagine another way for us to unite except through persecution. But whatever you have for me, I submit to it and I accept.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on July 29, 2020 in John

 

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John 17:20-23

06 Jun

20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:20-23

Dear God, I think I’m going to be praying this passage over and over again for the time being. My wife told me last night that she has been spending a lot of time in prayer in our church’s chapel over the strife in our country right now. I asked what specifically she is praying and, to her credit, a lot of it was focused around your church and our response. Yes, that is a good place to start.

So I’m combining that with the knowledge that Satan’s goal is to work against that prayer and divide us. Divide us against each other as Christians. Divide us against others in our community. Divide us against our own family. And divide us, ultimately against you. He doesn’t care how successful we are or how much we might struggle. That’s not the war he is in. The war he is fighting is our unity with you. He is against our peace and joy because he knows that our suffering is the only way to make you suffer.

Father, I pray for your church. From nondenominational to Catholic, make us one, Father, as you and Jesus are one. And help us to abide in you. Reveal and unmask the plans of Satan to us. Help us to see the battle that is waging among the powers and principalities of this world. And help us to run to you. Help us to march into battle behind the power of Jesus and what he did for us. Help us to be lead by the Holy Spirit. Show us as a faith community the actions you want us to take, and that starts with prayer and clinging to you. As for me, show me my role in all of this. She me where my faith lacks. Reveal to me where I am failing you. I’m sorry for the ways I’ve contributed to any of this.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on June 6, 2020 in John

 

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Galatians 3:26-29

29 Aug

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And now that you belong to Christ, you are the true children of Abraham. You are his heirs, and God’s promise to Abraham belongs to you.
Galatians 3:26-29

Dear God, why is prejudice just so darn easy? I’m in a production of “12 Angry Men” in our local community theater and I was talking with my wife this morning about what a difficult time the man playing the bigot is having rehearsing his last tirade over and over again. It’s just so evil. And it’s easy to judge that character, but how much of his views are some combination of what he was taught and his life experiences?

I suppose that, when it comes down to it, this is just Satan executing his game plan. He wants us divided against each other. From the beginning, he wanted to pit Adam and Eve against you and then each other. He wanted Cain to kill Abel. And on and on, right down to devotees of one news network being intolerant of those who watch and subscribe to the bias of another one. Division, division, division. It’s so easy!

Father, open my eyes to my own prejudices and the things I might do to foster division in all of my relationships and the ones that touch my life. Make my life a source of unity in our community. Let it start in my own family and go from there. And do it all for your glory.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on August 29, 2019 in Galatians

 

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Romans 15:5-7

20 May

Romans 15:5-7
May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory.

Dear God, last night, as our church group wrapped up, we started talking about dissension within our church. There is apparently a vocal segment of our church (I have zero idea how large) that has started a letter writing campaign to the diocese complaining about the local congregation’ leadership. Assuming that there are some complaints that are legitimate, some that are frivolous, and some that are ridiculous, it has left me wondering what is the proper way to handle this tension. I’m pretty sure that all of us, including me, are not living up to Paul’s admonition here in Romans 15.

Obviously, the trickiest situation right now is for the lead reverend. I want to pray for him this morning that he will really hear you and receive your guidance. Whether it is the decisions he is making about how things should be done or how he is selling and implementing those changes, he needs you. He needs to completely feel your love and acceptance. And he needs to hear your call on how to love this congregation.

Then there are those in lay leadership. They need to work honestly with him and help to guide the relationship between him and the church. They need to help him find his footing and he needs to allow them to do it.

Of course, there is the bishop. He needs to make some hard decisions. He needs your wisdom and discernment. Please be with him and guide him. Give him the wisdom you gave to Solomon.

And finally there is the rest of us. Help us to love our leadership as ourselves. Help us to want the best for him and to help him grow in his relationship with you. And help us to Major in the majors and only care about what you consider important.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen

 
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Posted by on May 20, 2019 in Romans

 

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