Great is your Name and greatly are you to be Praised. You formed the waters, you measure the wind, you set the earth on its foundation, you pushed the mountains up in the air, and you sank the valleys into their place. You care for beasts of the field, and babies that cry…to each of them you give food to eat. You have named the stars and you have numbered the ants…how many are your works?
And yet, who are we, that you are mindful of us? We have sinned this past week more times than we either know or can recall…we can consider those Beatitudes and think about all the ways we failed to live in light of them before your Holiness:
So often we were not poor in spirit, but we were proud. We did not mourn our sin, often we didn’t even care to evaluate them. We weren’t meek, but instead, we returned evil for evil while still taking the name of Christ. We hungered more after food and material goods this week than righteousness, which likely explains our dissatisfaction, though you told us where to go for our satisfaction. We were not merciful, but we cared little or nothing for those who were in pain and need. Our hearts weren’t pure as we lusted after idols…How many times this week were we peacebreakers instead of peacemakers by our slander, our gossip, our covetousness, and our lies? I shudder to consider the times we cowered in fear of man instead of fear of you when we did not stand for Christ and His righteousness because we did not want to be persecuted? If you kept a record of our sins, oh Lord, none of us could stand…but OH, with you there is forgiveness…not so that we would continue in our sin, but that we would cease from sinning out of a delight in your righteousness…thank you for the provision of Jesus Christ, our great High King for His mercies that are new each day.
Teach us to walk in light of the grace that has been shown to us: Humble us by your Grace in order that we might make much of Christ and do many good deeds in order that others may give Glory to You, Father. How thankful we are for the Hope of the Resurrection…yes, for the Hope of the Day where there will be no sin…bring that day quickly, Lord, when Christ returns and righteousness will only remain.
Until then, Lord we plead with you to bring peace to not only Ferguson, MO, but in all the places throughout the world where the ugliness of racism darkens the hearts and minds of people. Introduce people into the lives of those that are so full of hate that, by one degree of glory to another, they do not see the color of skin anymore, but the worth of humanity. For those that are in uniform that are full of evil and hatred, I pray they either step down from their positions or, better yet, you would use the circumstances of our day to change their hearts forever. To those innocent policemen/women who are trying to be peacemakers, Lord, would you grant them perseverance and safety in these days? We thank you for their service and ask that they would be your arm of justice as Romans teaches us.
Come, Lord Jesus, Come…it is so tiring to watch the news night after night. From children’s cancer, to seemingly unending wars of hatred, to freak accidents and corruption…we beg peace. Cause our society to see that the ever increasing darkness is a result of relaxing your Law….help them to see that it does not contribute to the joy of humanity to allow us to do whatever we will.
May we…may the churches across this country and across this world be Salt and Light. May we be the kind of communities that speak of the change that will come upon Christ’s return. May we not reflect the darkness, but walk in the light as Christ is in the light. Give us the boldness and the love that is needed to do that. Remind Redemption Hill church in Medford, Mass., Sojourn in St. Louis, MO, and Oaks Church in Raleigh, that Christ is the Light and in Him is NO darkness at all…so there ought to be no darkness in THEM!
Remind us, here at Restoration Church, sinners though we are…sinners we ought not be. Give us a resolve this week that would cause us to be the Ministers of Reconciliation that the Ambassadors of the Kingdom should be. We need your help in this Father…we recognize how weak we are in this, so where we are weak…make us strong. Make J.G., G.P., J.S., N.O., N.M., and L.M. weak…that they may be strong.
How thankful we are for the Gospel of Jesus Christ…we cannot imagine life without the life of Christ…may He be our Great Reward…may HE be our Hope…may He be our Light and our Salvation!