I've just finished reading "The Message's" version of Luke 24. In part of this chapter, two disciples on the way to Emmaus have a conversation with a (perceived) stranger who explains every prophecy of the Messiah and how Jesus fulfilled them. They didn't realize this stranger was Jesus until they sat down to supper and he broke the bread - and then disappeared! What was their response? "Didn't we feel on fire as he conversed with us on the road, as he opened up the Scriptures for us?" (v. 32)

In the last section of this book Jesus explains a few more things to them, gives them their (our) commission, and then ascends to heaven. But not before giving this strange directive: "I am sending what my Father promised to you, so stay here in the city until he arrives, until you're equipped with power from on high." (v. 49) We know the disciples are soon "equipped with power from on high" when the Holy Spirit comes upon them at Pentecost.

This leads me to a variety of questions - and prayers ---

When have I/you felt "on fire" as you spent time with Jesus? Has it been lately?

God, give us hunger for your presence, for spending time with you, for being quiet and waiting for you....

What is my/your response when you break the bread and taste the wine of communion?

God, give us renewed vision of what it means to "do this always in remembrance" of you...

Am I/are you in a waiting period? Do we have part of our marching orders from God, but not the final umph to get going? How are we using that waiting period?

God, when we are sitting still in life - whether by choice, by circumstance, or by struggle, help us to trust you in the waiting. Help us to wait for your directions and your empowerment so that our lives are Kingdom work.

Holy Spirit, come and do your work......Amen.

Weary of waiting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iWj8wPhimE

"We Will Wait"

We will run and not grow weary

We will walk and will not faint

For the Lord will go before us

And His joy will be our strength

Mounting up with wings as eagles

As our spirits start to soar

When we come into His presence

And we wait upon the Lord

We will wait upon the Lord

For in His presence is fullness of joy

And our strength will be restored

As we wait upon the Lord

CCLI Song No. 833465

© 1992 Integrity's Hosanna! Music

Martin Nystrom | Tricia G. Allen

O God, you are my God,
earnestly I seek you;
my soul thirsts for you,
my body longs for you,
in a dry and weary land
where there is no water. (Ps. 63:1 NIV)

I've written two blog entries this week and have the start of another one. However, this blog/prayer entry is very specific: I want to pray for the search process for our church's new pastor. We have been without a permanent pastor for 18 months now and actively searching for a year. I am (personally) becoming weary of the process, the waiting, the unknowns - and I'm on the search committee. Tomorrow night we interview (via Skype) three potential candidates.

The past two weeks we have been praying this scripture from Colossians 1 over ourselves and the new pastor. Now I ask you to pray it with us.

⁹For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully ¹²giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. (NIV)

We pray for knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.

We pray that we and he may live a life worthy and pleasing to God, bearing fruit in every good work.

We pray we would continue to grow in the knowledge of God.

We pray we will be strengthened with all power according to God's glorious might.

We pray for great endurance and patience.

We pray for joy to inhabit this situation.

And we join with the words of the Psalmist:

² We have seen you in the sanctuary
and beheld your power and your glory.

³ Because your love is better than life,
our lips will glorify you.

⁴ We will praise you as long as we live,
and in your name we will lift up our hands.

⁵ Our souls will be satisfied as with the richest of foods;
with singing lips our mouths will praise you.

⁷ Because you are my help, we sing in the shadow of your wings.

⁸ Our souls cling to you;
your right hand upholds us. (Ps. 63 NIV)

Uphold us, God; help us not to be weary. Help us run with endurance the race set before us. Help us trust your ways, your thoughts, your timing. Give us strength and hope - and patience. May our hearts be in tune with yours and our spiritual ears be able to hear your voice. May our wills do what you want and may your Kingdom be honored and furthered. In the strong and comforting name of Christ we pray. Amen.

Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

³¹ but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint. (Isa. 40 NIV)

Suspended time

Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:25 NIV)

They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled. "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death," he said to them. "Stay here and keep watch." (Mark 14:32-34 NIV)


Today is Holy Tuesday for Christians, which means...well, what? It's the Tuesday between Palm Sunday and Easter and there are lectionary readings assigned for this day. But, I was thinking today that Monday, Tuesday, & Wednesday of Holy Week are kind of like suspended time for us - nothing much going on yet.

There are other instances where time seems suspended.

In the suspended time of what seemed to be slow motion, I watched an elderly woman fall backwards down the steps.

In the suspended time as Job listened to the "advice" of his "friends," he didn't know if or when his trials would be over.

In the suspended time of decades of faithfulness, Abraham and Sarah did not know how God would fulfill his promise to give them descendants.

In the suspended time of waiting and wondering, the family of the Iraqi-American contractor kidnapped in Iraq did not know if or when their loved one would be returned.


There's a saying in the church: "It's Friday, but Sunday's coming." In this instance we equate the Friday with the crucifixion or some life calamity. And we equate Sunday with the resurrection or relief from the calamity. But the original friends of the earthly Jesus did not know on Saturday that "Sunday's coming." They knew only that Jesus was dead. Dead as in beaten, crucified, pierced. Dead as in "in the tomb." Dead. That was Saturday. The first day of a world without Jesus. The first day of time suspended.

Two thousand years later we know that the Jesus story does not end there. By Sunday there is an empty tomb, empty gravecloths, an angel messenger, some women & some disciples running to tell the others that Jesus is alive. And that is good news.

But, go back with me for a moment to the suspended time of Saturday.

How would you pray?

What would you do?

What would you say to other believers?

There are people in this world today who live in such suspended time. A variety of circumstances, choices, or attitudes mean they are living in "Friday" and have no idea if or when there will be "Sunday."

Hear these words of the Psalmist:

1 The Lord is my light and the one who saves me.
So why should I fear anyone?
The Lord protects my life.
So why should I be afraid?
2 Evil people may try to destroy my body.
My enemies and those who hate me attack me,
but they are overwhelmed and defeated.
3 If an army surrounds me,
I will not be afraid.
If war breaks out,
I will trust the Lord.
4 I ask only one thing from the Lord.
This is what I want:
Let me live in the Lord's house
all my life.
13 I truly believe
I will live to see the Lord's goodness.
14 Wait for the Lord's help.
Be strong and brave,
and wait for the Lord's help. (Psalm 27 NCV)

So, today we pray for people - including ourselves - living in suspended time....

Creator God who spoke and there was a universe, who set the planets into motion, who knows the number of hairs on our heads: thank you for being all powerful, all knowing, and more than able to rescue your children. Thank you for the strong examples of people like Simeon, Abraham, and Sarah who, no matter their faults, trusted in your promises. Help us to also be filled with your Holy Spirit and trust in your promises. Thank you for the examples of people like Peter, James, and John who, no matter what their strengths, still abandoned you when you asked them to wait with you. Help us to learn from times we turn our backs on you and, instead, to stay close to you.

God, there are many people in this world, including ourselves, who are living in suspended time. It's Friday but they (we) don't know when or if Sunday will come. So, for those looking for jobs...facing surgeries....searching for lost loved ones...praying for children who are not believers...waiting for unborn babies...searching for a new pastor...waiting medical tests...and for so much more...

So, today we pray for people - including ourselves - living in suspended time....Help us to trust and live out your promises.

You are our light and the one who saves us. You are the Lord who protects our lives. Why should we be afraid? Let us live in your house all our lives. We truly believe we will live to see the Lord's goodness. We wait for the Lord's help. We will be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord's help. We trust that even if today is Friday, Sunday is coming.... In the strong name of Christ we pray: AMEN.

While I'm Waiting

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience
While I'm waiting
I will serve You
While I'm waiting
I will worship
While I'm waiting
I will not faint
I'll be running the race
Even while I wait

I'm waiting
I'm waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I'm waiting on You, Lord
Though it's not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve You while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting
I will serve you while I'm waiting
I will worship while I'm waiting on You, Lord*

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. ²⁵Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal. 5 NIV)

^28-30"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Mt. 11 MSG)

^26-28Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. (Mt. 8 MSG)

This day I am in a period of waiting -- sort of like waiting for the other shoe to drop but with some spiritual implications. My waiting also involves surrendering my hopes, dreams, and will to the God of the universe. His ways and thoughts are higher than mine (Isa. 55:9), he gives good gifts to his children (Luke 11:13), he calls us to give him our worries and to take on his "unforced rhythms of grace."

So we pray....

God of the Universe whose ways are perfect, we say "yes" and "amen" to your plan for our lives. Help us to trust you for all things, knowing that you want good for us. Today my husband and I wait to hear whether the offer on our new house is accepted. Grant us patience and peace. Today we wait for the results of voting for a Senate seat from Massachusetts, a race that has implications for the whole nation. Help us remember this country - these people - this race is all in your plan and that all things work together for good for those that love you. Today our church waits to see if a pastor we have called to ministry will say "yes" to our call. In our individual lives we wait - for an interim time to conclude, for a house to sell, for a call to be clarified, for babies to be born, for questions to be answered, for the infirm to be released into heaven. Help us remember as we wait that you are in the waiting. Empower us by your Spirit to grow in our capacity to wait with you. Help us remain hopeful, to serve you, to worship you, to be at peace. In the strong name of Christ I pray. Amen.

* "While I'm Waiting" by John Waller

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb7TSGptd3Y