Not Enough, and Too Much

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is again from Yancey's book on prayer...

"Why does prayer rank so high on surveys of theoretical importance and so low on surveys of actual satisfaction? What accounts for the disparity between 'the greats' of church history on their knees for several hours at a time and the modern-day 'pray-er' fidgeting in a chair after 10 minutes?...

"In much of the world, modern skepticism taints prayer. We breathe in an atmosphere of doubt... Prosperity may dilute prayer as well. In my travels I've noticed that Christians in developing countries spend less time pondering the effectiveness of prayer and more time actually, you know, praying...

"Increasingly, time pressures crowd out the leisurely pace that prayer seems to require. Communication with people keeps getting shorter and more cryptic: voice-mail, e-mail, text messages. We have less and less time for conversation, let alone contemplation. We have the constant sensation of 'not enough'--not enough time, not enough money, not enough exercise, not enough rest. Where does God fit into a life that already seems behind schedule?"

Hmmmm...You've been prayed for today.

"A Living Incompleteness"

Today's RST is another quick thought from Yancey's book on prayer (tomorrow's is a bit longer). So again--why should prayer even exist if it's so hard to "get"?

"Prayer is universal because it speaks to some basic human need. As Thomas Merton put it, 'Prayer is an expression of who we are...We are a living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment.'"

You've been prayed for today...

"All You Can"

Today's Random Spiritual Thought is a quote of John Wesley's (he was an 18th century Anglican evangelist and a founder of the Methodist movement):

Do all the good you can
By all the means you can
In all the ways you can
In all the places you can
At all the times you can
To all the people you can
As long as you ever can.

Words to live by, huh?

You've been prayed for today...

Did I Get Through?

Hey, Y'all,

Ironically, I tried to send this out last night but was foiled by a balky network--it's another thought based on a quote from Yancey's book "Prayer."

Once I was traveling overseas, trying to send and retrieve e-mails from my laptop while the hotel's network kept cutting on and off. As I finally finished one message of particular importance and pressed "Send" just then (of course!) a warning popped up informing me that the network was down. "Is this how prayer works?" I asked myself. Don't we sometimes seem to merely send signals from this visible world to an invisible one in the hope that Someone over there is receiving them? Does He? Am I the only one who asks, "How will I know He has heard me?"

Yeah, I know, it's probably just Yancey (well, and me I suppose)--right? Stand by for more--he's just getting started (and you've been prayed for today).

Prayer Exists: Why?

Hey, Y'all,

Well, turns out time does fly--already nearly a week since our last post! Today's RST consists of a couple of quotes from Philip Yancey's book "Prayer: Does It Make Any Difference?" We'll stay on this book and topic for a bit (with of course the occasional more-random RSTs interspersed for good measure). Here goes...

"Prayer exists, no question about that. It is the peculiarly human response to the fact of this endless mystery of bliss and brutality, impersonal might and lyric intimacy, that composes our experience of life."
Patricia Hampl

"The reason why we pray is simply that we cannot help praying."
William James

And speaking of which, you've been prayed for today...

Words To Live By

Hey, Y'all,

Well, things are slowly getting back to normal after my most excellent trip to Bogota and Atlanta/Chattanooga--I can't even begin to get into the culture shock aspect of it all :-) --but it was as always very cool to reconnect with family and friends, many (too-) long unseen.

Today's RST was partially quoted a few months ago but struck me yesterday as "words to live by" this year--check it out (again):

"Those who take Christ at His word, and surrender their souls to His keeping, their lives to His ordering, will find peace and quietude. Nothing of the world can make them sad when Jesus makes them glad by His presence. In perfect acquiescence there is perfect rest.

"The Lord says, 'Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee: because he trusteth in Thee.' Isa. 26:3.

"Our lives may seem a tangle; but as we commit ourselves to the wise Master Worker, He will bring out the pattern of life and character that will be to His own glory...As through Jesus we enter into rest, heaven begins here. We respond to His invitation, 'Come, learn of me,' and in thus coming we begin the life eternal."
The Desire Of Ages p. 331

More on this tomorrow, but you've been prayed for today...

(Real) Fellowship In The Light

Hey, Y'all,

Today's RST is based on a thought by John Fischer from PurposeDrivenLife.com and it got me thinking about what we ought to aspire to this coming year--see if it doesn't ring true for you as well...


Author Phillip Yancey tells a story of a man in his church that can't help comparing being late for church to being late for his regular Alcoholics Anonymous meeting.

When he's late for church, he says that he has the distinct feeling from everyone around him that he's not being very responsible or he would get to church on time. When he's late for an A.A. meeting, however, the meeting stops, everyone jumps up to hug him because they realize that maybe he almost didn't make it there at all, and they are so glad that his need for fellowship with them won out over his need for alcohol.

Hmmm...

Real fellowship means stepping into the light of God's truth where everything is revealed, and when we bring ourselves to the light, we discover we are not alone. There's a roomful of other believers all struggling with something too, and that sense of shared need is part of what makes us His family.

Yes, we're people following Christ, but we're also a bunch of forgiven sinners, too. So grab someone and let's walk into the light together, where the blood of Jesus purifies us from all of our sins.

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin."
1 John 1:7


You´ve been prayed for today...

Feliz Año Nuevo! (Happy New Year!)

Hey, Y'all,

Feliz Año Nuevo from Bogotà, the capital of Colombia (for those who didn´t want to Google it). Hope y'all had the opportunity to ring in the new year with loved ones and much laughter like we did over here--my face still hurts.

For today´s RST I looked at what we wrote last year, and we're looking at more of Isaiah 43 (we touched on it last new year`s day but there`s lots more there). Here´s wishing you God`s blessing and His peace this coming year, and like we said last year: God is all about new years and new starts and new things...

But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.
O Israel, the one who formed you says:
Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you go through deep waters,
I will be with you.
When you go through rivers of difficulty,
you will not drown.
When you walk through the fire of oppression,
you will not be burned up;
the flames will not consume you.
For I am the Lord, your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior...
I am about to do something new.
See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?
I will make a pathway through the wilderness.
I will create rivers in the dry wasteland...
Yes, I will make rivers in the dry wasteland
so my chosen people can be refreshed.
I have made Israel for myself,
and they will someday honor me before the whole world...
I, yes, I alone, will blot out your sins for my own sake
and will never think of them again.
Let us review the situation together,
and you can present your case...


You`ve been prayed for today...