Dear Grace,
We’re just past the halfway point of these 21 days of Prayer and Fasting, seeking the Lord, asking Him to grow our longings for more of Him. Quite surprisingly, my fast has been easier than expected. I haven’t had the cravings or appetite that I thought a fast would uncover. And while my fast hasn’t hurt as much as I thought it would, I still can sense that it’s necessary. I sense there’s still something about making the room that God will fill… I’m just not sure what it is right now.
And that’s ok. I’m remembering that fasting and prayer work differently in a relationship with God than just as a religious ritual. Rituals work on the basis of performance: if I do such and such in the right way, then the deity has to do its part. They’re transactional. Relationships work on the basis of presence. I’m here, God, making room for you to come in if you’d like. I certainly desire you to come in. I pray that you are experiencing the dynamic of God moving and working at His pace and His way, pouring out His love on you in unexpected ways and at unexpected times.
As we look to the second half of the 21 days, I’d love to hear your experience and story. How has God come to you? How is he drawing you into His love? As a way of capturing our community’s experience, we’ve created a simple form. If you have something to share today, please do so. I’ll also have it in next week’s Poema, so you can wait to see what God does in the next week as well!
This past Wednesday, I was able to visit with the Re|Engage marriage program that launched. There were about 25 couples there, ranging from 5 months of marriage to 52 years!!! What a sweet time and space. I was so encouraged to see couples setting aside intentional time to connect and deepen their marriages as signs and wonders of God’s love. Will you join me in praying for them over these next three months? Pray for endurance, humility, and great trust. Participating in programs like these can sometimes make us feel discouraged about all the things we’re NOT doing well. Pray that the conversations and lessons would be an invitation to depend on God and to pursue one another deeply. Pray for passion for these couples!
Next week, our Stephen Ministry training concludes. Over the last year, a dozen or so men and women have been gathering, studying, and training in order to journey with those in our congregation needing friendship and space. Stephen Ministry has been something we’ve needed for a while as the size of our congregation makes it challenging for our pastors to give attention to each person in the way we want to. By intentional training and anointing, our Stephen Ministry leaders will be used by God to walk alongside individuals who might need some extra care and attention for a season. Our Director of Counseling, Sara Phillips, has been an absolute gift to Grace as she directed the training and will continue to give oversight to the Stephen Ministry team. Pray for divine appointments and safe relationships to form – ones through which the love of God can be given and received.
Next Monday, we remember the way God used Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to catalyze a justice movement that still rolls on today. Over the years, our family has watched a movie that depicts the wickedness of segregation and the beauty of endurance and courage. We’ve watched movies like, Selma; 42; Remember the Titans and had a SHORT debrief on what life must have been like back then. We sit with the uneasiness of watching hatred depicted on a screen. We resolve to be instruments of courage and compassion in our world today.
God used my middle school son this year to bring an added insight around MLK’s life and work. He shared how in his school, the discussions around MLK seem to ignore the biblical references and centrality of God. If they do recognize them, they are simply explained away as metaphor. My son sees right through it. “It’s like they think that MLK’s faith is just an add-on, not core.” It was a good reminder to me that MLK’s passion, endurance, and drive to see change happen in the world wasn’t just a social justice agenda. Social justice was the river that flowed from his love for God and deep belief in the principles of His kingdom. Before was a civic activist, he was most certainly a pastor and disciple of Jesus.
May the Lord continue to root us deeply in the love of Jesus over the remaining 10 days that we might be disciple-makers who transform our communities and the nations. I look forward to hearing about what God has done/is doing in your life and our life together!