"Promised... to the praise of his glory."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, compassion, empathy, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."

Ephesians 1:11-14

¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; ¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

1) "...set our hope on Christ;" "...live for the praise of his glory;" "...marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;" "...inheritance... as God's own people;" "...praise of his glory;" "...obtained an inheritance;" "...destined;" "...accomplishes all things according to his counsel;" "...hope on Christ;"

2) Is our hope set on Christ?  Or is it set on this action plan, or that fundraiser, or this prescription, or that job, or this diet, or this exercise program, or that minister, or this psychotherapeutic method, or that 12 step program, or this support group, or this building development, or... or... or... It is so easy to put my hope in some work, rather than remember that hope is in Christ Jesus.  The work is necessary so we do it.  But the work may or may not be effective.  So we do the most effective work we can.  And that requires constant discernment and assessment.  But hope.  Hope is set on Christ.  We set our hope on Christ, then work our program, our action plan, our fundraiser...

3) What is the invitation in all this?  In light of my "constant companions," I need to continue to discern and work towards amends and reconciliation, but also, remember that hope is set on Christ Jesus, not my work.  That's a good thing.  What is impossible for the rest of us, is possible for Christ.

"Holy One, keep my hope set on you. that I might live for the praise of your glory."

Breathprayer: "Promised... to the praise of his glory."

"Riches... Lavished on Us."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully, in service to the one that calls us out of chaos into order, and out of order into chaos.  I ask for patience, tolerance, compassion, empathy, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly.


Ephesians 1:5-10
⁵He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, ⁶to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. ⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace ⁸that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and insight ⁹he has made known to us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth in Christ, ¹⁰as a plan for the fullness of time, to gather up all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.


1) "...the good pleasure of his will;" "...glorious grace;" "...freely bestowed;" "...the riches of his grace;" "...that he lavished on us;" "...all wisdom and insight;" "...a plan for the fullness of time;" "...to gather up al things in him, things in heaven and things on earth;" "...destined us for adoption as his children;"


2) It was a beautiful morning as I ran this morning.  I ran with my "constant companions" and it occurred to me that I am not feeling "more shame than any mortal could possibly forebear" that I've experienced in the past when aware of my companions.  It seems that a prayer around tolerance, and patience with those companions has been answered.  I can't say there's empathy or compassion yet, but tolerance is an improvement.  Here in Ephesians 1, Paul speaks as one who has come to the end, or at least has tremendous hope that it is possible, even inevitable, that everyone "destined... for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ" will be free of the fetters "of our trespasses."  Paul is full of confident praise.  "With all wisdom and insight [God] has made known to [Paul and his communities] the mystery of [God's] will, according to [God's] good pleasure that [God] set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time to gather up all things in [God], things in heaven and things on earth."  At any rate, our "constant  companions" are not an obstacle to God's love.  God's love that can still be witnessed in community and intimate relationships.  Thanks to all God's wisdom and insight, our "constant companions" do not need to impede in right relationships.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To be grateful for prayers answered, even if I didn't know what I was asking for.  To continue to trust this journey.  To acknowledge that it is simply the way it is that when we seek deeper self-knowing through Christ, we are going to come to discover things we don't like.  Anything else, would not be following Christ.


"Holy One, thank you for wisdom and insight."


Breathprayer: "Riches... lavished on us."

"Grace... and Peace."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate on behalf of my congregation faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Ephesians 1:1-4
1Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are in Ephesus and are faithful^* in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, ⁴just as he chose us in Christ^* before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love.


1) "...by the will of God;" "...faithful in Christ Jesus;" "...grace to you;" "...Blessed be the God;" "...who has blessed;" "...every spiritual blessings;" "...chose us;" "...before the foundation of the world;" "...holy and blameless before him in love."


2) my first observation this morning is of the pinch of shame I feel as I ask for what I need, knowing I still need to ask.  Anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance are constant companions; constantly causing me pain, and shame; constantly revealing themselves when I least want them around; constantly hanging me on a cross of my own making.  Recently, cynicism and discouragement in particular.  I'm reminded again and again that one meets one's destiny on the very path one takes to avoid it.  And so I continue to hold my shadow traits up in prayer.  "Holy and blameless" is definitely part of the Parousia, and not the here and now.  In this life, I will not be holy and blameless, but need to work with what I have been given.  "Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do," Christ says of the soldiers who nailed him to the cross.  But I feel such resistance to "forgiving" those parts of me that hang me on a cross on a daily basis.  And what's more, I'm inclined to hang other people on the cross who also reveal those traits.  It's an ever lasting cycle of condemnation.  "Grace and peace," "Grace and peace," "Grace and peace."


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To let God be God.  To acknowledge the cynicism and discouragement, but not condemn them.  To let the sadness that invokes simply be.  And to hold it all up in silent prayer.


Breathprayer: "Grace... and peace."

"...My Cup Overflows."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Psalm 23:4-6
⁴ Even though I walk through the darkest valley,^*
   I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
   your rod and your staff—
   they comfort me.

⁵ You prepare a table before me
   in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
   my cup overflows.
⁶ Surely^* goodness and mercy^* shall follow me
   all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
   my whole life long.^*


1) "...you are with me;" "...comfort me;" "...in the presence of my enemies;" "...my cup overflows;" "...all the days of my life;"  "


2) My first thought is that I wish I bore the "presence of my enemies" more gracefully.  The darkest valley doesn't bother me too much, but people who openly wish me ill will are hard to be around.  And, of course, everyone who disagrees with me, or has unreasonable expectations of me, or judges me, wishes me ill.  That's a compulsive mind at work, but its so easy to go there, especially if I'm already tired, stressed, or overwhelmed.  And tired, stressed, and overwhelmed is a common state in church leadership these days: the world is changing, and congregations are struggling to adapt, declining in the process, grieving the way things used to be.  I know the remedy is to remember the anointing, and the cup that is overflowing; to remember that the rod and staff are still with us, comforting us; to remember that goodness and mercy follow us... we don't have to struggle to keep up with goodness and mercy running ahead...


3) What is the invitation in all this?  Any number of lines from this psalm are an affirmation to sit with and absorb: "fear no evil;" "you are with me;" "comfort me;" "you anoint my head with oil;" "my cup overflows;" "goodness... shall follow me;" to sit with any one of these lines or combination of lines and let them dwell in my deepest heart.


"Holy One, just to be on the safe side, I want you to know that it would be okay with me to spend a little less time in the presence of my enemies, but if that isn't possible, keep me mindful of your presence and of my cup that indeed overflows."


Breathprayer: "...my cup overflows."

"The Lord... Restores My Soul."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance. I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Psalm 23:1-3
¹ The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
²   He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;^*
3   he restores my soul.^*
He leads me in right paths^*
   for his name’s sake.


1) "...I shall not want;" "...lie down;" "...green pastures;" "...still waters;" "...he restores my soul;" "...shepherd;" "...makes me;"


2) I remember in the confusion, busy-ness and bewilderment of my first week of seminary, I often jokingly "bleated" in the hallways like a sheep, following the flock from one room/event to another, trusting the flock would get me where I needed to go, I was so overwhelmed.  I often rankle at the notion that I should be a sheep.  I am no sheep.  Even at my most obedient, I'm no sheep.  Of course, we've associated meek and mild with sheep... "sheep being led to slaughter" is the expression isn't it?  I've seen baby sheep leaping and playing in their pen.  Nothing frolics like a lamb, unless its goats.  And as Plato pointed out... shepherds shear and eat sheep.  So this metaphor has some strong "is not's" going on, which simply means it is a healthy metaphor.  God does guide me.  And seriously... I have no idea where we are going.  I do trust that God will restore my soul.  Again and again, I am restored.  I am so incredibly for the access I have to "green pastures" and "still waters."  Move after move after move, living in all four western provinces to study and work, I have always had ample access to green pastures and still waters, and my soul has been restored.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To acknowledge the "is" and "is not" of a metaphor.  To continue trusting the shepherd, especially when I don't know where we are going.  Gratitude, gratitude, gratitude for continual restoration.


"Holy One, make us, lead us, restore us."


Breathprayer: "The Lord... restores my soul."

"Search Me... Know My Heart."

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully.  I ask for patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion, and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Psalm 139:23-24
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any wicked^* way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.


1) "...know my heart;" "...know my thoughts;" "...lead me in the way everlasting;"


2) These two verses always make me think of the Fourth Step in the Twelve Step Program: "Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."  I feel a tinge of excitement at self discovery, mixed with a tinge of anxiety for what I might discover.  The Fourth Step seems somewhat presumptuous and arrogant to me... perfect past tense... as if one is ever finished such an inventory.  I feel a sadness (and joy?) that the work is never done.  The wisdom behind the oracle of Delphi, "Know thyself" is that knowing one's self is an eternal journey.  If indeed we are made in the image and likeness of God, then how could we ever be done searching?  So it's up to God.  God doesn't need to be bidden to search or test, God is already there.  But I need to ask.  I need to become vulnerable and admit I need assistance.  I need to want to know what is there to be found.  I need to trust that what is to be found will displease me, but on the other side, there is awe and wonder.  Do I really want God to know my heart?  Do I trust myself to be "tested"?  "Yes" and "No" both rise up in my heart as I ask those questions.  I do trust God.  I do trust Wisdom.  I do trust prayer, mediation, and age old process.  I do want God to know me, even if I'm anxious about knowing myself. 


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To breathe deeply and trust, to ask humbly to be searched and known, and to let God be God in me, even when that is painful.


"Holy One, know my heart.  Lead me in the way."


Breathprayer: "Search me... know my heart."

"O God... Rise up!"

"I ask for the grace to pray and meditate faithfully, I ask for patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion and gentleness.  I ask to abstain from anger, anxiety, arrogance, compulsive behaviour, cynicism, discouragement, and self-importance.  I ask to know and follow Jesus more closely, seeking justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly."


Psalm 139:19-22
¹⁹ O that you would kill the wicked, O God,
   and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
²⁰ those who speak of you maliciously,
   and lift themselves up against you for evil!^*
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
   And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
²² I hate them with perfect hatred;
   I count them my enemies.


1) "O... that the bloodthirsty would depart from me;"


2) I debated whether I would pray this passage.  It would be easier to move on to the closing verses.  But there it is.  There are indeed days when I know who the enemy is and I'm quite certain it isn't me.  These four verses themselves illustrate the very wickedness they would condemn.  I know that it is when I'm feeling my most vehemently towards someone when I'm most deeply in my own wickedness.  But whatever you do, don't point that out to me at the time.  These are the very depths of the earth where God already knows what is in our hearts and on our lips.  The psalm is at least honest in the depths of is feeling.  And then I hate myself for my own hatred... and I hate myself for hating myself, and I hate them more for making me hate myself... and that is not the cycle to which we have been called.  "Peace be with you," were the first words Jesus spoke to his disciples when he appeared to them.  I await with excited anticipation the final verses of the psalm.  I think I might find peace there.


3) What is the invitation in all this?  To move on to the final verses for the psalm after sitting with the depth of my shadow self.


"Holy One, be with us in darkness, the darkness is as light to you.  In the darkness, reveal to us what you would have us see that we cannot see in the light."


Breathprayer: "O God... rise up."