Prayer Walk

In worship yesterday, we encouraged everyone to get outside this week. To spend some time in nature as a spiritual practice. Being in God’s creation has a way of humbling and quieting us before God, as well as bringing a sense of peace. Nature is also often our greatest teacher. In fact, Jesus used numerous metaphors and parables drawn from the created world to communicate truths about the Kingdom of God.

After worship yesterday, a group of us took a prayer walk around the Friedens campus. We are fortunate to have a beautiful and serene outdoor setting. Despite the fierce wind, it was a meaningful and inspiring time together. We prayed for our church, our community and the wider world. If you missed it, perhaps you’d like to stop by the church sometime this week for a prayer walk. (The forecast looks good for today, Wednesday and Friday!) Below is a guide you can use on your walk, or ditch it and let the Spirit lead you as you walk, pray and spend time in God’s creation.

Guided Prayer Walk around Friedens Church

Begin outside the front entrance of Friedens. Offer a prayer of thanksgiving for God’s beautiful creation that nourishes our spirits.

The garden: Thank God for the promise of new life and for making beautiful things out of dust. Pray that our lives would be grounded in good, life-producing soil. Lift up our local community partners who tend our garden. Pray for our Weekender Backpack program, our Bread for the World chapter and that Friedens would be a church that feeds people both spiritually and physically.

135 and the surrounding homes: Pray for our neighborhood and for the people who drive up and down 135 each day. Pray that Friedens would be a safe and loving church that welcomes people and that as we reach wider, our presence in the community would reveal the Good News of Jesus Christ.

The pond: Ask God to fill us with living water. Pray that our lives would reflect the light of Christ. And that everyone around the world would have access to clean water.

The geese: Pray for the care and protection of all of God’s creatures great and small. Pray that we would be a people who seek refuge under the shadow of God’s wings.

The playground: Lift up the children of our church, the preschoolers who attend Hill Valley Preschool, the young people who spend time at our church campus each week, and the students of Perry Township schools.

The young trees by Hill Valley Dr: Pray that we would be deeply rooted in Christ, that we would branch wider with Christ’s love and that our lives would bear fruit. Pray for the Spirit-led growth of our church.

The butterfly garden: Pray that new life would be “cacooned” within us and that the Spirit would lead us in sharing the love of Christ. Lift up prayers of hope and gratitude for resurrection life. Like the Monarch Waystation, pray that Friedens would be a place of shelter for those in need of God’s love and protection.

The rocks by the front entrance: Thank God for being our rock and our salvation. Pray that God’s steadfast love would ground and guide us in the week ahead.

Lent Soundtrack: Suffering

Tomorrow in worship we’ll look at Luke 13:1-9 and ask, Why Suffering?  Jesus suffered, people suffer, creation suffers. Why?!? It’s a question that haunts many of us.

The songs in our Going Deeper Playlist are far from uplifting this week – though there is some hope scattered about. However, they capture the painful truth that much of life on earth is spent in heartache.

Recently, one of the young ladies in our youth group told me that when she’s feeling sad or angry, she likes to listen to music that matches her mood. The songs give words and melodies to her pain, and she feels less alone. My prayer is that these four songs will help connect us to the suffering that we and others (including Jesus) endure. And that they would connect us with the One who never abandons us in our anguish and who promises us that one day, all of the pain will end.

“Sunday Bloody Sunday” – U2. This is a political protest song that asks the question, “How long?” How long do we have to put up with the hate, the violence, the oppression, the suffering? How long, God?

“Human Race” – Jars of Clay. As the band reminds us, we’re “limping along in the human race.” But they also seem to be offering up a solution. If you “look in my eyes, touch my face,” perhaps we wouldn’t inflict so much pain on one another.

“Until the Levee” – Joy Williams. Williams encourages us to embrace the suffering. To “stand here in the ache.” The song causes us to ponder if perhaps something good or valuable to  be discovered in the suffering.

“Lean on Me.” – Kirk Franklin, etc. This song is a beautiful reminder that God most often meets us in our suffering through the loving support of our friends and loved ones. Plus, there’s just nothing like a soulful church choir. Hallelujah (as I throw a Gospel hand in the air)!

Any suffering songs you would add to the list? 

Gathered by Mother Hen

Image Source: A Photo of One of Todd Parr’s Feelings Flashcards

On Sunday, our Scripture lesson was Luke 13:31-35. We focused on Jesus’s words to the people of Jerusalem: How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

My prayer this week is that we would allow ourselves to be gathered close to God. That we would rest a bit in the shadow of God’s wings and accept God’s love and protection. And that our Mama Hen’s warm embrace would inspire and empower us to reach wider with Christ’s love.

This metaphor of God as mother hen is a rich one. What does this image conjure up in you? How does reflecting on this image of God shape your understanding of who God is? What does thinking about the feminine nature of God invoke in you?

Breathing the Scriptures

Image source: Adobe Stock

Yesterday, in worship, Pastor Marc led us through a Breath Prayer and included this information on how breathing the Scriptures throughout our day can help us find peace:

Breath Prayer

In Biblical Hebrew and Greek the word for Spirit can also be translated as Breath.  God’s Spirit is like a breath of fresh air, bringing a renewal of life, energy and power.

One way to open your life to the gift of the Divine Spirit is to use a simple prayer technique called a Breath Prayer.  A Breath Prayer can be used anywhere you can take a few moments to focus on your breathing.  It is especially helpful as a tool to find peace and calm when feeling stress.

Here are some simple instructions:

1. Take a brief break from the activities of your day by finding a quiet place to sit or stand. Bring to mind a favorite phrase from the Bible.  Note some suggestions below.
2. Focus on your breathing.  Take smooth, calm and easy breaths.  Let go of the agenda, activities and challenges of the day, feeling a bit more peaceful with each breath.
3. When you are ready use your breathing to silently say the scripture phrase.  For instance, as you breathe in slowly say: The Lord; and as you breathe out slowly say: is my light.  Repeat this several times.
4. Conclude this Breath Prayer time by thanking God for always being gracefully present.

Scripture Phrases from Psalm 27 to Try Each Day

Day          Breathing In                Breathing Out

Sun          The Lord                        is my light.

Mon         My heart                       shall not fear.

Tue           Behold                           the beauty of the Lord.

Wed         Set me                            on a rock.

Thu          Be gracious                   to me.

Fri           Teach me                        your way.

Sat          Wait                                 and take courage.

May the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding fill you as you breathe in God’s love!

Lent Soundtrack: Rejection

This week’s Question of our Faith is Why Rejection? This morning in worship we explored Luke 13:31-35. It’s known as Jesus’s lament over Jerusalem

In the Scripture lesson, Jesus cries out, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it!” (13:34). How could the people of Jerusalem reject the man who cast out demons and cured people? Why do we continue to reject God and those on God’s side – the ones speaking out against injustices? And what about the ways in which we reject others – especially in the name of Jesus?

I’ve chosen three songs for our Lent Soundtrack that reflect the theme of rejection:

“Ya Hey” – Vampire Weekend. The singer wrestles with a mysterious God who is rejected by everyone – including himself – but who continues to “love everything.” Drawing from the Scripture lesson, we fickle humans reject the one who wants to care for us “as a hen gathers her brood under her wings” (13:34).

“Dear God 2.0” – The Roots. The Roots paint a pretty dismal picture of what happens when we are “ignoring the prophecies” – “Terrorists, crime sprees, assaults and robberies; Cops yellin’ ‘stop freeze,’ shoot him before he try to leave.” We’re left pondering the question that many of us wrestle with: “Why is the world ugly when you made it in your image?”

“Set Me Free” – Jennifer Knapp. If you’re not familiar with Knapp’s story, she’s a popular, contemporary Christian artist who came out as a lesbian a few years ago. The songs she has put out on her albums since coming out are powerful testaments to the excruciating pain we cause when we reject someone’s identity, withhold our love and try to block God’s love as well.  In this particular song, we get a snapshot of a relationship full of  judgment and shame. Knapp has finally come to terms with the idea that she would rather be set free from this relationship then to continue experiencing such devastating rejection.

Can you think of any rejection songs you would add to this list? What was your experience like listening to these three songs?

 

Lead Me: A Prayer Song

Our Chancel Choir sang Lead Me by Samuel S. Wesley on Sunday. The melody and lyrics of this anthem combine to form a beautiful prayer. Perhaps you’ll want to say it or sing along with the Cathedral Choir during your prayer time this week …

Lead me, Lord, lead me in thy righteousness.

Make Thy way plain before my face. 

For it is Thou, Lord, only, that makes me dwell in safety.

Teach me to feel that Thou art always nigh;

Teach me the struggles of the soul to bear,

To check the rising doubt, the rebel sigh;

Teach me the patience of unanswered prayer.

Teach me to love Thee as Thine angels love,

One holy passion filling all my frame,

The baptism of the heaven descended Dove,

My heart an altar and Thy love the flame. Amen.

Connecting to God through Song

Yesterday in worship, we discussed how listening to inspiring music can often lead us into a transcendent moment. When we create or listen to beautiful music, our mindfulness of God’s presence is enhanced. When God is greater in our lives, temptation (the topic of yesterday’s sermon and something we’re especially mindful of during Lent) becomes less intimidating and destructive.

Now, I’m the first to admit that not all of the music I listen to is especially life-giving. In fact, if you’d like proof that pastors are just regular, old people, ask to browse my playlists sometime. You may even find curse words in some of the songs I listen to. Gasp!

However, I think we are wise to be intentional about what we’re consuming. I’m not advocating burning your rock albums and listening to Christian music all day, every day. But if we want to be open to God’s presence, then listening to songs with degrading lyrics probably isn’t going to leave us feeling very connected to the Divine.

So, whether your genre of choice is classic rock, folk or R&B, I encourage you to fill your ears with the good stuff this season. The kind of music that makes you feel alive and joyful and connected to something bigger than yourself.

Here are a few playlists I have created or discovered in case you dig my kind of music:

• Going Deeper during Lent (a Lenten soundtrack of sorts)
• Revive (the background music for our youth ministry gatherings)
• Hymns & Choirs (the traditional stuff)
• The Liturgists (one of my favorite Christian artists and some other random songs)
• Gungor’s One Wild Life: Soul (one of my husband’s and my all-time favorite albums)

Finally, here are some ideas for how to connect to God through music during Lent:

• Replace talk radio with inspiring music during your morning commute.
• As you’re listening to your favorite albums and radio stations, listen for the Sacred. Perhaps a particular refrain or melody will stand out in a divine, new way.
• Compose a song or write some lyrics as an act of prayer or worship.
• If you are fasting from something during Lent, choose a simple, life-giving song (perhaps the Doxology) that you can sing whenever you’re feeling tempted to return to this thing/behavior.
• As a family, learn a new worship song and sing it together each day.
• Sing a prayer every time you sit down for a meal.
• End your day with 20 minutes of prayer accompanied by meditative music.

What ideas would you add to the list? And what songs/artists help you feel more connected to the Divine?

 

 

Lent Soundtrack: Temptation

Tomorrow, we’ll be looking at Luke’s account of Jesus’s time in the wilderness  (Luke 4:1-13) and asking ourselves, Why temptation? Why was Jesus’s time in the wilderness important to his life and ministry? And what do we learn from his example about how to deal with temptation?

I hope you’ll take a listen to tracks four and five on the Going Deeper During Lent playlist. 

“Gravity” – John Mayer. Mayer beautifully conveys the heaviness of temptation. Often times, the things in life that lure us away from shalom (peace/wholeness) are so tempting that we feel physically burdened until we give in or overcome the temptation. Mayer also offers a prayer that we can come back to whenever faced with temptation: “Just keep me where the light is.”

“Shake It Out” – Forence + The Machine. As Florence + The Machine express, “It’s hard to dance with a devil on your back.” Truly, it’s impossible to live fully and freely when our demons are dogging us. This is a great anthem to belt out and dance around to as we celebrate coming out of the wilderness, having just shown the devil who’s boss.

Any temptation songs you’d add to the list? 

Going Deeper through Music

On Sunday in worship, I’ll be discussing the power of music and how it can help connect us to the Divine. To help us go deeper in discipleship this Lent, with the help of a couple contributors, I have created a Spotify playlist that will serve as a soundtrack for our journey together towards Easter. Included are songs for the liturgical days (Ash Wednesday, etc.), as well as songs that reflect the big questions of faith we’ll be covering each week in worship (Why Temptation? etc.).

Click here to access the playlist. 

If you aren’t familiar with Spotify, you can download it to your device, listen to the radio or entire albums, and even create and share playlists (depending on whether you choose the free or subscription version).

Since Ash Wednesday is tomorrow, here’s a blurb for each of the songs (the first three in the playlist) chosen to help us connect with the Divine on this sacred day. Hopefully you’ll find some time tomorrow and throughout the week to listen to them. I find the first two to be especially worshipful.

“Dust We Are and Shall Return” by The Brilliance. This quiet, meditative song quotes Genesis 3:19, while giving us words to pray – Be still my soul. Lord, make me whole. 

“Vapor” by Gungor. The opening lines of this song bring attention to the “vapor of it all … the powers of the earth so pale and thin.” We’re reminded of our own mortality and James’s words: “What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14b). However, this news should not bring despair. Instead, we find hope and joy in the fact that we are wrapped up in the beauty, mystery and holiness of the Divine, seen all around us – like in the trees that clap their hands for God, and the oceans that dance for God. For the story behind this song, check out Gungor’s blog post.

“Terminal” – Jon Foreman Foreman reminds us that we are terminal. Our bodies will deteriorate until they cease to function. Meanwhile, we bring nothing with us when we enter the world and will take nothing when we depart. And yet, “we are the living souls … flickering like candles … fatally flawed in the image of God.” So, while are are here on this earth, we have the opportunity to reflect God’s light in the world. To be living souls who cultivate life and love.

What are some other songs that reflect the Ash Wednesday themes of confession, mortality or penitence? They can be religious or secular songs. 

Taking off Our Masks

Tomorrow is Fat Tuesday, the “last hurrah” before Lent begins. I’ve decided to give up sweets this year, so you can bet I’ll be polishing off the Girl Scout cookies tomorrow!

When you think about Mardi Gras, you likely get an image of the beautiful and elaborate masks that are worn, as they’re an integral part of Mardi Gras culture. According to my internet research, masks were originally worn to enable Mardi Gras attendees to escape societal and class restraints.

Image Source: Adobe Stock

 

However, masks also symbolize the way we try to hide our true nature and our sinfulness. Yesterday, in our gathering of youth, we passed out plain, white masks and markers and encouraged everyone to decorate the outside of their mask with words and images that reflect how people see them. On the inside of their mask, we encouraged them to display their “inside” self – their fears, doubts and shortcomings; as well as the precious parts of themselves that people don’t seem to notice or value.

 

The season of Lent is a wonderful time to take off our masks. To be real before God and ourselves. To be open to God’s forgiveness, grace and unconditional love; to be open to transformation; and to learn to love and accept ourselves just as God does.

As you prepare for Lent, I encourage you to try this exercise. You don’t need a mask – a piece of paper, your journal or a word document will do. Take a few minutes to reflect on your outside self and your inside self. Keep your reflections close during Lent, and continually come back to this idea of taking off your mask before God – thanking God for creating you in the Divine image, accepting grace for your shortcomings, and asking for help in becoming more Christ-like.