Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The Easter Story You Haven't Heard


The weight of a lifetime of shame and utter worthlessness hung on her neck--a burden far too heavy for such a frame. All the words that had been spoken against her--countless stones cast over the years--left bruises that would not heal. She could barely lift her head to cast her eyes to the heavens--eyes that grew dim from searching for hope. "Harlot," "Daughter of an addict," "Sinner," "What a waste!" Battered and beaten, she was abandoned by the very ones who had been chosen to nurture her. The sole cry of her broken heart is, "Abba, don't leave me!"

Sounds like the description of the lost, doesn't it? But, it's not. It doesn't seem like the daughter of a King should live this way, but how many of us secretly live these lives because we have been stuffing our emotions, afraid to admit that we are broken.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The Lord's Prayer: Part 2


Recently, I have been unpacking the Lord's Prayer in my mind and considering what it means to me. In the first post of this series, I took a look at the first two parts of the prayer: 1) "Our Father, Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name." 2) "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven."
In this second post, I would like to investigate the third: "Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us."

While God led His people through the wilderness, on the way to the promised land, He provided manna from heaven to sustain them. The catch was that except on the Sabbath, they had to gather fresh manna each morning to provide their nourishment for the day.


Friday, March 8, 2013

The Lord's Prayer


FRUSTRATION! 

After a semi-sleepless night of leg cramps that made me want to gnaw my own leg off, I wake up at 6am. After waking my son up and telling him to get ready for school, I decide to lie back down and sleep a little longer...only to wake up two hours later to find that my son had gone back to sleep and missed the bus and breakfast! I probably could have handled that situation much better, but I must admit that I let my frustration get the better of me. As soon as I realized it, I had to bring my thoughts and emotions under control and cry out to the Father to help me remain centered in His grace. I had to pray.

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 trespasses 
as we forgive those who trespass 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 and ever Amen.

Christ taught His disciples to pray in this way, but I think that sometimes we repeat it so often, that we don't stop to think what it truly means. Lately, I have been making it a point to be conscious of the liturgy I repeat and the prayers that I pray. It has made all the difference in the world, and God has really spoken to me through my treasured traditions. The Lord's Prayer was the focal point of my day today and the first two statements really spoke to my heart this morning. Let me tell you how my heart sang with understanding.