On the Offensive

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints (Ephesians 6:10-18)

The belt of truth -
(Gotta lose a few pounds to get that to fit right...)
Check.
The breastplate of righteousness -
(Thank God we're not talking about my righteousness here,
Or this thing would be tin foil)
Check.
The readiness of the gospel of peace
To protect my two little feet
Wherever they may take me -
(I'm as graceful as a bull in a china shop,
And could use the extra traction)
Check.
The shield of faith -
(Because I know the Adversary
Is hurling things my way)
Check.
The helmet of salvation -
(Well...I have always liked to wear hats...)
Check.
These are my defensive weapons.

Five defensive pieces of armor,
Five denoting the unmerited, free Grace of God.
How fitting.
(There are no accidents.)

But there is one more piece
To this warrior's armor,
The only piece mentioned
That is my weapon,
The object I can use
To put the Enemy
On the defensive:
The sword of the Spirit,
Which is the Word of God
Praying at all times in the Spirit
With all prayer and supplication.

Lord,
We both know
I hardly had a sword to use
Until rather recently.
You gave me salvation,
But I didn't understand
The putting to death of the old me,
And the putting on of the Christ.
I didn't understand
The depth and breadth of the war,
And how our actions
Are maneuvers on the
Battlefield of life.

In my mind's eye,
I am wielding something
That best resembles
Andúril, Aragon's sword from The Lord of the Rings
It is a sword forged from
The Word of God -
The Holy Spirit at work -
The prayers of the Faithful.
It glows an iridescent blue
That bathes me in a sphere of light
As I kneel in fealty
Before the Throne of Grace.

"My Lord God and King,
El-Shaddai,
Ancient of Days,
Endue me with the Holy Spirit.
May my prayers,
And the prayers of the Faithful,
Rise from the altar
Before Your Throne. *
Hear us, O Lord!
Be with us!
Fill me with You!
Teach me Your Ways,
That I may stand firm
Against the Adversary!"

In my mind's eye,
I rise to my feet,
Take up my stance
In the classic longsword Ochs style,
And give thanks
To the Eternal I AM.
The blue glow of the sword
Balloons beyond my field of vision,
Encompassing the lives I
Have touched -
Am touching -
Will touch -
And I feel God's Mercy and Grace,
Justice and Lovingkindness,
Flowing through me
Out into the glow...
Out beyond the glow...
Out and out and out...
Ever out,
Kissing Eternity's edge.

As for you, Adversary...
En guard.
En guard, you bastard.
I see you now.
May Almighty God ever protect and guide me
Everywhere I encounter you.

We're going to rout you.
Your days are numbered.

* And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. (Revelation 8:3, 4 ESV)

Application Support

Lord,
You know what's going on at work.
You know there are several initiatives being implemented
In the weeks and months ahead
That revolve around the
Classified application system.

We're upgrading the version.
We're exploring new components
For integration with our websites.
We're setting up the system for use
By our Outside Sales force.
We're troubleshooting unresolved, unexplained behaviors,
And fixing the mistakes of human hands.

I need help.
I'm smart enough to know
That I don't know everything involved
To set all this up
Correctly
Properly
Precisely
Anticipating current needs
And future growth.

Please give me
Wisdom and knowledge
To accomplish my tasks.
Prompt me to reach out to others
When I need to.
Allow me to be guided and taught
By the Aussie's probing questions,
And lightning-paced mind.
Be present
When I'm configuring, testing,
Assessing, researching.
Give me answers
When I am stuck,
As You so graciously have already.
Comfort me
When I get frustrated
And my mind tailspins.

Lord,
I do not ask all this
So that I can brag,
"Look at what I have done!"
I ask for Your help
So that my team can take advantage
Of the features in the new version
That may make their lives easier...
So that the clients can be serviced better...
So that outside sales can work more efficiently...
So that the managers can help their staff
More richly cultivate their time and relationships..
So that, overall,
Burdens are eased.

To me, the work feels overwhelming.
To You, it is as nothing.
Still my mind.
Calm me.
Guide me.
Make me a vessel
Fit for this work,
To the Praise and Glory
Of Your Holy Name!

Vending Machine God

It was an innocent comment,
Made while we were serving food
At the community lunch.
One of the women being served
Said that we ought to be paid
For our time serving the community.
"We don't do this to get paid,"
One of the coordinating women replied.
"We do it to get blessings."

It wasn't until later
When I was walking the dogs
That I realized why the woman's reply
Bothered me so.
That's not why we do it either,
I realized.

A vending machine God:
I put in the right amount of change
(Good deeds, clean living, tithes, etc),
And God spits out the desired selection
(Blessings on my life, no hardships along the way, etc).
Right?

What a recipe for disaster
And endless disappointment!
A new kind of legalism,
Embodying the age-old agenda:
"What's in it for me?"

Lord,
Why is it so easy to lose
Sight of You?
Why do we miss the point entirely,
That we're doing these things
Not to seek You for what You can do for us,
But because it is fitting
To give You glory and praise...
Because You have given us
Breath and life and
Our lives should be a
Call and response love song
Sung back to You.

That's the point...
Of everything -
Our lives -
Our circumstances -
Our tribulations -
Our callings.

Lord,
Grant that,
In the whirligig of my everyday,
I do not lose
Sight of You.

Fellowship

Ah, Lord,
Let it be
That I have stumbled upon
People who need You
As much as I do...
Who turn to You
In all seasons...
Who recognize that church
Is a hospital for sinners,
Not saints.
I am in desperate need of others
Like me:
Sinners enraptured by
Your Heart,
A Body of Christ
Seeking Jesus as its Head.
Let me find fellowship here,
In Your Name,
In Your Spirit.
Amen.

Bethlehem

There are no accidents,
No strange coincidences
In these lives we lead.
There is a Guiding Force,
And much of what happens to us
Is the result of either
Letting Him drive,
Or trying to drive on our own.

Jesus Christ -
Anointed One -
The Bread of Life -
True Manna from Heaven -
It is no accident
That you were born in little Bethlehem.
The meaning of the Hebrew
Is lost on us.
Bethlehem. Beth lachem.
House of Bread.
Coincidence?

I was offered up for adoption
When I was one day old,
And placed in the care of a woman
Whose name is Mercedes.
Mercedes. Spanish for Mercy.
Another coincidence?

Lord,
Redeem me!
May I ever let You guide me!
May I ever reside in the House of Bread!
May Your Mercy ever cover me!
Amen!

Eli

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? (Psalm 22:1)

My God,
My God -
The boy's name
Echoes the cry of longing
Within our own hearts.
Thus Your Anointed cried
As he called out to You
From The Cross. *
Thus we cry out to You
For the sake of this
Sick little boy.
Through Your Power
Lepers were cleansed,
The blind saw,
The deaf heard,
The paralyzed moved.
Healing flowed,
And continues to flow,
From Your Throne
And into our lives.

Lord,
Let this plea come before You.
Heal the boy named Eli,
Whose very name is
A desperate cry to You.
The life of the flesh is in the blood, **
Which is why Jesus Christ shed His -
To bring us
Wholeness, Soundness,
Health of Body, Mind, Soul, and Spirit.
Jesus gathered the children to Him,
And gave them His Blessing.

Father,
Do not forsake this boy.
Bring Your Blessing,
Your Healing Touch,
To the child in a Florida ICU.
We pray that You would heal
The infection within His body.
We ask that You would
Reach down,
And touch him,
So that his parents and doctors
And he himself when he's a little older
May know that
You Are Lord over all Creation,
And praise You for the Grace and Healing
That You daily pour into our lives!

* And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?" which means, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"(Mark 15:34)

** For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls, for it is the blood that makes atonement by the life. (Leviticus 17:11)

Sophie

Little girl
Dancing in the sunlight
Of a St. Vincent's morning -
In the space of a volley of gunshots,
Your entire world has changed.
You must get well.
Your body must heal.
More changes are coming.
Familiar faces await your arrival
Here in the US.
Come and live among us,
Saints and sinners alike,
And may you grow to know
The Mercy and Wisdom and Peace
That the Lord alone provides.

Lord,
Why do I feel so attached
To this little one who
I haven't even met yet?
Let it be that, as I hum lullabies,
And pray thoughts at her
Through You,
That somewhere in St. Vincent's,
You are there,
Humming lullabies,
Comforting her,
Healing her,
Drawing her ever closer
Into Your Arms!