My Easter Prayer
St. Andrew's Abbey '11
Is it just another day, another ritual performed,
a chance to wear new clothes and serve festive meals,
a celebration to mark our days and orient ourselves in a new year?
Is it just another obligation,
a compartment to fit in all the praiseworthy things
we ought to feel,
hope to feel,
about One so distant, so long ascended?
Has the burning in our hearts been quenched by familiar practices
and institutions?
Has the finger-in-the-side-faith lost its exclamations,
replaced by programs, distractions, and holy soundtracks?
Has our communion in the garden become commonplace
rather than ablaze with revelation and intimacy?
Oh, God of the resurrection,
God of the unruly and easily sidetracked,
burn within my heart this day.
Renew this shabby faith, these tattered shreds of almost belief,
with an obsession,
a knowing,
a persistence,
and an urgency to love You,
to love the faltering, the lost.
To be the Kingdom person you suffered to make me
is my Easter prayer.
St. Andrew's Abbey '11
I hope your Easter was a blessed one, Lilly.
ReplyDeleteI don't personally know you, but I saw your post on my neice's blog...(Carissa).
ReplyDeleteI just needed to tell you that I loved how you communicated the shameful fact of how pitiful a people we are before our HOLY GOD!
I believe the condition of the 'church' today is escalting to the chilling words in Revelation of the letter to the 'Church of Laodecia'! Which I believe will be a large part of 'the GREAT falling-away.
It is encouraging to read the words from your heart and I encourage you to keep your eyes upon your Precious LORD and SAVIOR; and cling only unto HIM....HE is the Author and Finisher of your faith...HE is Faithful to do it.
When all else is growing dark and cold around you, lift your eyes upon JESUS, look fully into HIS face; The ONE who saved you by HIS GRACE and worship HIM in spirit and in truth...the radiance of HIS GLORY will shine upon you.
These words written are not meant to imply that you don't know; it is very obvious that you do know and is only meant to encourage you when you see righteousness and true worship of our HOLY GOD, fade around you.
GOD BLESS you in HIS KINGDOM....keeping writing!!!
patsy gibson
I don't personally know you, but I saw your post on my neice's blog...(Carissa).
ReplyDeleteI just needed to tell you that I loved how you communicated the shameful fact of how pitiful a people we are before our HOLY GOD!
I believe the condition of the 'church' today is escalting to the chilling words in Revelation of the letter to the 'Church of Laodecia'! Which I believe will be a large part of 'the GREAT falling-away.
It is encouraging to read the words from your heart and I encourage you to keep your eyes upon your Precious LORD and SAVIOR; and cling only unto HIM....HE is the Author and Finisher of your faith...HE is Faithful to do it.
When all else is growing dark and cold around you, lift your eyes upon JESUS, look fully into HIS face; The ONE who saved you by HIS GRACE and worship HIM in spirit and in truth...the radiance of HIS GLORY will shine upon you.
These words written are not meant to imply that you don't know; it is very obvious that you do know and is only meant to encourage you when you see righteousness and true worship of our HOLY GOD, fade around you.
GOD BLESS you in HIS KINGDOM....keeping writing!!!
patsy gibson
I don't personally know you, but I saw your post on my neice's blog...(Carissa).
ReplyDeleteI just needed to tell you that I loved how you communicated the shameful fact of how pitiful a people we are before our HOLY GOD!
I believe the condition of the 'church' today is escalting to the chilling words in Revelation of the letter to the 'Church of Laodecia'! Which I believe will be a large part of 'the GREAT falling-away.
It is encouraging to read the words from your heart and I encourage you to keep your eyes upon your Precious LORD and SAVIOR; and cling only unto HIM....HE is the Author and Finisher of your faith...HE is Faithful to do it.
When all else is growing dark and cold around you, lift your eyes upon JESUS, look fully into HIS face; The ONE who saved you by HIS GRACE and worship HIM in spirit and in truth...the radiance of HIS GLORY will shine upon you.
These words written are not meant to imply that you don't know; it is very obvious that you do know and is only meant to encourage you when you see righteousness and true worship of our HOLY GOD, fade around you.
GOD BLESS you in HIS KINGDOM....keeping writing!!!
patsy gibson
Thank you for your encouragement! The world is growing darker, and what is more concerning is the lack of passion and commitment in His body. It breaks my heart while at the same time convicting me of my own weakness. We must all presson, press in, and live in such a way that what we believe has feet and hands in this world. Bless you!
DeleteI'm SOOOO SORRY....I'm NEW TO THIS BLOGGING THING AND I DON'T KNOW HOW I GOT MY COMMENT ON THERE THREE TIMES, AND I don't know how to get the excess off!
ReplyDeleteIt was an accident and I can't figure out what exactly I did....
patsy
It's a conspiracy! :-) Technology is great when it works, but often it seems to have a mind of its own.
DeleteAmen to your prayer Lilly. With our busyness of life, how easy it is to just "get on with it" and neglect to include our Creator in the equation. Thankfulness to Him for His sacrifice, grace, mercy, forgiveness, protection and provision comes naturally. However, there is still a recognition that there needs to be more of Him and less of me in my daily living. Thank you for your prayer of encouragement that I am not alone in this desire.
ReplyDeleteLilly, Thank you for your replies....you are so cool! :)
ReplyDelete