Prayer & Praise
that there is not enough to go around
we are going to run short
of money
of love
of grades
of publications
of sex
of beer
of members
of years
of life
we should seize the day…
seize the goods…
seize our neighbor’s goods
because there is not enough to go around
and in the midst of our perceived deficit;
You come
You come giving bread in the wilderness
You come giving children at the 11th hour
You come giving homes to the exiles
You come giving futures to the shut-down
You come giving Easter joy to the dead
You come … fleshed … in Jesus
And we watch while
the blind receive their sight
the lame walk
the lepers are cleansed
the deaf hear
the dead are raised
the poor dance and sing.
We watch … and we take
food we did not grow and
life we did not invent and
future that is gift and gift and gift and
families and neighbors who sustain us
when we do not deserve it.
It dawns on us, late rather than soon, that
You give food in due season
you open your hand
and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
By your giving,
break our cycles of imagined scarcity
override our presumed deficits
quiet our anxieties of lack
transform our perceptual field to see
the abundance…mercy upon mercy
blessing upon blessing.
Sink your generosity deep into our lives
that your much-ness may expose our false lack
that endlessly receiving, we may endlessly give,
so that the world may be made Easter new,
without greedy lack, but only wonder
without coercive need, but only love
without destructive greed, but only praise
without aggression and evasiveness…
all things Easter new…
all around us, toward us and by us
all things Easter new.
Finish your creation…
in wonder, love and praise. Amen.
Walter Brueggemann
Χριστός ἀνέστη!
Έχει όντως ανέστη !
Échei ónto̱s anésti̱ !
Interesting day at church today. I was at all 3 services and our pastor preached 3 completely different sermons. Not just variations off one, but 3 individual sermons.
I wanted to give you an update on my husband….blood tests and CT scan showed no metastasis outside the original location, so that is a huge praise. He still needs to have surgery in a couple of weeks, and we would appreciate wisdom and prayers for that, but what an encouraging report for Resurrection Day!
Linnea, amen – praying with
Praising and praying with you, Linnea.
Please pray: Our 2 1/2 year old grandson, Bennet, will be having Cardiac catheterization early Tuesday morning. The purpose of the cath is to get a clear picture of his heart and confirm that all is well enough to go ahead with his 3rd open heart surgery.
I think we are all apprehensive about this procedure as the grandson of our friends died from this procedure, just 2 weeks ago. For a heart baby, every surgical intervention is life threatening.
Please pray for Bennet and that the procedure will go very well. Please pray for peace and strength for his mama and daddy, brothers and sisters. Nonnie and Poppie are 5,000 miles away, but we shall be holding up our sweet boy in prayer, continuing to entrust him into our Father’s care. Thank you friends.
Oh Nonnie–praying for Bennet, for the doctor’s wisdom and steady hands, and for strength and peace for his Mama and Daddy and brothers and sisters. Truly, he is a sweet miracle child.
I was standing alone outside on Saturday morning at 5 am in pajamas watching the blood red moon and was wondering to myself, what if He came right now while the eclipse was going on?
How great that would of been if that had happened. After seeing the moon in that state during passover/Easter weekend for the second time, I wondered how much longer do we have.
praying with all here for baby Bennet (what a dignified name he’s been given) and all of Nonnie’s family
i think we all wonder, Charles – even the skeptics – Lord, keep us close, occupied with You and always ready for Your call
Update on Bennet: Thank you all for praying !! The heart Cath went better than expected and he is in recovery. The doctors were surprised how well his heart is doing. So so thankful! Thank you all for praying.
Glory to God!
What Xenia said!
#11 – praising with all here for God’s goodness and mercy to Nonnie’s family today
Oh Nonnie–that is wonderful! Praising God with you!
Could I ask for continued prayer? My husband is scheduled for surgery Monday, but is considering having treatment at another facility, which will delay the surgery. Please pray for a wise decision as the doctors are concerned there may be more cancer. Please pray also for peace in the decision and in preparing for surgery. Thank you!
Lord, have mercy!