Prayer: The Gate

Redeeming God, you bring us hope and life.  Jesus said he came that we might have live more abundantly.  Forgive us for doubting.  We know in our hearts you are with us even in times of dark despair.  Heal us, Oh God.  Keep us well.  We want to let go of the pain and suffering.  We are ready to accept your healing touch.  Fill us with love, and with faith.  Amen

First Epistle of John Verses 3 through 5

What we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, that you also may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write so that our joy may be made complete. And this is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

I John 2:8 Darkness is passing away, and the true light is already shining.

When someone is acting differently than you expect, or doing something we don’t understand.  We tend to say something like, “What are they thinking?”

My mother, Donna, has a little saying that always puts grace in my heart.  “They are walking in all the light they have.” In fact we are all walking in all the light we have.  It is how we function, right or wrong, blue or green. We walk in all the light we have.

Easter dinner is over.  The church service is over, the eggs are gone. The after Easter walk needs to be in all the light we have, and now we have quite a bit.

Heavenly Father, we are grateful for our advocate in your son Jesus Christ.  Keep us walking in your light.  Keep us moving in the right direction.  Let us be bold in answering the calling you have for each of us today.  Amen 

When we take a couple of moments and think about our blessings it can be astonishing how many there are.  We might only see a couple at first; but then they reveal themselves one by one.  We are blessed beyond measure. 

Since each of our blessings are unique, there is no standard list.

LORD, I rejoice in you and I am blessed. 

Thank you for my good health, and for shelter in the home I live in. Thank you for my family and friends. Thank you for the food on our table. Thank you for the eyes to see and the ears to hear the wonders of the LORD, my God.

I give thanks that I am your child and you have given me talents, and abilities that I may also serve others and be blessed in this service.

Thank you for seeing me as your child and loving me as I am, and not as I should be.  But do help me, LORD, to reach my full potential in this life here on earth.

Guide me, direct me, and let this day count for something. Bring out the best in me today.  Amen

Do you have great joy in your heart today?

It is simply too easy to focus on all the things that are bad.  The television, newspapers and Internet sites are full of  all the bad news as well as scary speculation.  They thrive on it. We tend to believe the scary speculation. Why would we not choose to believe positive speculation?

Probably the biggest reason is that people think positive thinking is for those not smart enough to understand the problem.

2 Corinthians 5:7 …we walk by faith, and not by sight…

Psalm 70:4  Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually,”Let God be magnified.”

Our faith can be negative, or positive.  It is time we believe that change can bring wonderful opportunity.  Try letting go of the sadness and fear. There might be some life changing task you could do better than any one else. But hanging onto the past prevents you from being available for the miracle. Transform yourself from, “I lost my job” to “I have an opportunity now to be blessed and find truly meaningful work that I will love and still make great money.”

Father God, we rejoice in this day.  We are so happy and grateful for the new opportunities that come to us now in your wise and perfect ways. Let us all have fulfilling work.  Let us be open and receptive to the new work you have for us.  Let us prosper, and allow us to serve and we go through the changes and find our way.  Guide us.  Fill us with the holy spirit that we may know your will in our live.  We believe you love us and want us all to rejoice in you.  Amen

Heard a great sermon and First United Methodist Church in Colorado Springs yesterday.  Rev. Kent Ingram, the senior pastor there is funny, genuine, humble, unafraid and quite current on spiritual matters.  He compared Easter morning at the average home with children to Easter morning at the tomb with Mary Magdeline.  

Often chaos is the standard with visiting relatives, chocolate eggs, jelly beans, dogs, kids, a limited number of bathrooms per number of guests.  Do we let them have a pound of chocolate for breakfast?

But the morning at the tomb was also confusing and a little chaotic.  Mary goes there, the body is gone.  Peter and an un-named guy are running there, they run back, Mary comes back.  Angels appear, some person who she thinks is the gardener.  Mary is crying.  Where is the body?  Who is the gardener? Then Jesus calls her name.  And things have never been the same for the next 2000 years.

Don’t expect Easter to be orderly.  It has always been confusing and chaotic.

Back to Rev. Kent’s theory; some people come to church on Easter to find some answers about death.  There are folks diagnosed with cancer or something everyday, but no one wants to let them talk about it or face their own mortality.

I know in my own family and circle of friends, we all want them to fight.  Fight and not give in to death.  We don’t want to know where the funeral arrangement folder is, or the insurance policy, or what they are thinking as they face their fears.

In my book about prayer I talk a little about my thoughts on death.  I believe we are made up of energy and physics teaches us that energy can neither be created, nor destroyed.  So we go somewhere when the energy leaves our body.  I believe our spirit goes on.  It is our light, our energy and the part of us that also is made in God’s image.

So I know I am more afraid of pain and suffering before death than the actual passing over to heaven.  I don’t spend much time speculating about heaven. It is a waste of the precious time I am allocated here in this life.

I believe the resurrection happened and changed everything.  I believe I will spend the phase after the end of this life with Jesus in heaven.  Whatever comes, whatever heaven is, it will be good and I want to be there.

Christ is risen.

He is risen indeed.

Easter people rejoice!