Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one. Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; No good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you. Psalm 84: 8-12 (NIV)I would rather be a doorkeeper. I wonder what it would be like to be God’s doorkeeper.To see all who comes and goes.What they look like and what they carry to God?I wonder if God’s doorkeeper ever puts her ear against the door and quietly eavesdrops.Does she peek in?Does she ever enter herself?Does God even see her standing there?Lord, at times I am your doorkeeper.I stand half way, on the threshold of fully committing to you.One foot in. One foot turned away, set to run back to my … [Read more...]
The Lord, My Shepherd – Lectio Divina
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me John 10: 27The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside quiet waters,he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.Psalm 23These words speak for themselves, Lord. This is my prayer this morning.To recognize You and only You as my Shepherd.To be so close to Your breath, that I hear even Your quietest whisper.To have my only steps following the footprints You have laid before me.To lie down at night in Your arms and drink from Your refreshing water.To know with all my heart that … [Read more...]
The Lord is my Song – Lectio Divina
The Lord is my strength and my songand has become my salvation.Psalm 118: 14My SongLord, I am weak without You.You are my strengthLord, I am lost without You.You are my salvation.But Lord, I never thought before that You are my song.But yes, You are the maestro and my conductor of all I speak and do.You create simple scales, detailed orchestration and lovely tunes that accompany my every moment.Your melody adds harmony to my life.Your voice is the swelling crescendo of all the open thresholds You direct my paths through.Your melody vibrates in my every cell.You are music, Lord.You exist in every silly chantey to the quarter rest in grand symphonies.You are the hush in a lullaby.You fuel the love in a serenade.You are the energetic beat of the bass drum in a march.You are song, Lord.You are the trumpets announcing the birth of new life.You are the hymns comforting the broken hearted.You are the chords proclaiming holy matrimony.I want to sing harmony with You, LordMay my path of life … [Read more...]
Peace – Lectio Divina
When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit.A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you."John 20:19, 21-22, 26Peace be with you.What a powerful greeting, Lord.That was the first word I heard You said when You appear before us, Your disciples. We have been hiding behind locked doors so afraid of the others, the rumors, the unknown. Your first gift to us? “Peace.”Fear vanished. Rejoice! My heart skips with delight. You are alive!We celebrate Your presence, once again You offer Your sacred gift,“Peace.”What more could we ever ask … [Read more...]
I Have Seen the Lord – Lectio Divina
Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him."Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first.He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus' head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself.Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed;for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples … [Read more...]
Holy Week Scripture Lessons – Lectio Divina
Jesus went out as usual to the Mount of Olives, and his disciples followed him.Luke 22: 39Luke 22:14-23:56Jesus went out as usual...and his disciples followed him Lord, so my lessons once again in this week’s long Scripture reading.Yet it is a small phrase buried someplace in the middle of those many verses that draws me in.Jesus went out as usual.I almost missed it as I get tangled up in visions of the last supper, Peter’s denial, your tears in Gethsemane.Jesus went out as usual.Prayer is a powerful anchor in Your life, LordAgain and again You left the crowds to pray in silence and solitude.I read the other day, Lord, that too often we speak and write about faith in Jesus and ignore the faith of Jesus.Prayer saturated Your faith.Your priority was time alone with God.You show us once again in this phrase and by Your actions where You found strength, direction and trust.Your “usual” nourished Your faith.Jesus went out as usual...and his disciples followed him. May I be like Your … [Read more...]
Extravagant Fragrance of Worship – Lectio Divina
Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.John 12: 1-3 (NIV)And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumeSo many lessons today from Your Word, Lord but I can’t help being drawn into Mary’s moment of uninhibited worship.Mary brought to You her most valuable possession and poured it out for You with intimacy, tenderness and extravagant love.Just a few drops of her precious perfume would have been adequate, enough, sufficient, but she choose to gave You all. Everything. Then she humble drew close to You to distribute its soothing balm with her hair. May my heart be so willing as hers, Lord.May I lavish all I … [Read more...]
God Runs to His Children – Lectio Divina
So he got up and returned to his father. The father looked off in the distance and saw the young man returning. He felt compassion for his son and ran out to him, enfolded him in an embrace, and kissed him.Luke 15: 20 (The Voice)I run from You, Lord.You run towards me.I turn with lowered eyes and shame dripping my from head.I limp homeward.You run.I barely turn the corner, limping back.You run.You come the furthest to welcome me home.The prodigal - full of fear and dread and remorse.The Father - full of nothing but love.With the first hint in my eyes of seeking Your face, You rush into my heart.I wonder what your eyes look like in that moment of love, greeting this lost child of Yours.Lord You come to us, for us.You descend into our sin.You embrace us and lift us up.You look off into the distance, watching for our slight turn towards you and Your heart fills with compassion.You don’t stop there. You race to me.You don’t see the rags, the dirt, the sin coating me.You only see me.You see … [Read more...]