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When it is time to pray, It is also time to ask, "Where is God in the circumstance?"

It is time to invite God to work in this circumstance, to bring loving and creative

life to this event and the lives touched by it. To pray is to ask, what part we can play

in God's touching human lives in a particular place in a unique way, and to open ourselves

to just what that creative act just might be. To watch for it and bear witness to its coming.

To pray, is to be open. To be open, is a great adventure in faith.

Two Watch Together

One of the greatest adventures in faith I have ever embarked upon is the sharing of my life with the one whom I have chosen, who has chosen me. Daily we repeat the vows we have made, with or eyes and with our hearts.

Every day I try to see the world as from her eyes:

To see what she sees, to appreciate her view -- upon the world.

It is a wonder to simply enjoy looking together, at the world before us.

Curiously, there are great moments in life to be had in simply, stopping together, to drink in the last dancing rays of light given off by the sun as it continues on, behind the horizon, away from our view, but not from our appreciation. The warmth of its last few rays rain sweet upon our embrace, and we are one; in our watching and receiving and enjoying.

Seeing a Sunset together is the best way to live it.

Share the light, love the moment and soak it in.

Happy Anniversary my Love; my partner, my flower, my friend.

…and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one.’

Mark 10:8

Listen for when things "Click."

I was lost in my mid twenties, too much education and not enough “out in the world” life experience. As a part of my searching I remembered being a teacher’s assistant for 5^th grade Sunday school when I was in High School. It wasn’t a great experience but I made a few connections with a couple of the kids and with the teacher. I wondered if teaching on my own would be meaningful, so I volunteered. I was quite unsure of how it would all go. The only opening was in the 4,5 and 6 year old class, so I volunteered for that.

As I got into the class a few weeks I discovered that I wasn’t thrilled with the curriculum. So I began to experiment with what was working with the kids. Things like sharing time were fun. Turns out not many people had time to listen to the kids, so when I did, they loved it. We built upon that and began to pray together after sharing time. We prayed like God was a big brother or sister we idolized, who looked after us.

We would play games that explored the lesson for that class; we had snack time and show and tell. It was a great experience. Parents began talking to me about their children’s sharing about class. Turns out our playing and sharing in class was opening the children up to sharing with their parents. “Click” I thought to myself. I still hear from the parents of two of those children. The kids are married and have kids of their own these days but they still remember that Sunday morning time together.

Mark 10:13-16

¹³People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. ¹⁵I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." ¹⁶And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Prayer:

In each of us O Lord, you have given the gift of reaching and touching a few special ones that you wish to draw near to you. Allow us to be the heart and hope thorough which others will draw near to you. Let us offer ourselves to your service until where hear the “click” of your unlocking our lives. Because of the life of Jesus and in his name we pray. Amen.

Letters of Faith

You show that you are a letter from Christ, … written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of the human heart. Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God.

2^nd Corinthians 3:3-4

I’ve been listening more lately. It is a great way to get to know people. When I have turned up the gain on my intent to listen, I found there were a number of people there ready to talk about their lives and their faith with me. (These names are fictitious but the stories are real)

Susie talked about physical and verbal abuse she has been through and about the joy she has these days in treating people with love and respect that she had not received at some points in her life. You can see the peace and freedom, preciously won, in her eye and hear it in her voice.

Mark talked about his parents who as they age are terribly difficult to know how to care for. He talk about how to “honor your Father and Mother” when their patterns are destructive to themselves and to their adult children. Difficult questions indeed. What an honor to watch a man struggled with being faithful in a difficult situation where there are no easy answers. It reminded me of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Your will be done, Lord,” he said. And Mark would add, “By me Lord, May your will be done by me.”

Patsy talked about the wonder of watching her daughter begin to sparkle with the beginnings of faith. As she sees the strength of believing take root in this young child, the deep satisfaction gives her peace and somehow communicates hope and encouragement, even to me, as I listen.

As I think of these stories shared, I also think of this passage from Second Corinthians 2:3-4. Listening to these friends was very much like being encouraged in faith by the scriptures. In fact, I think these lives, like many books in the New Testament, are letters – written by Christ to any who would hear. These stories of faith are the heart beat of the Living Word, making itself known in our lives.