Dealing with Anger: Finding Strength in Weakness

I lately have been struggling with anger towards a certain friend, and so I found this article at Christianity today helpful.  Since Lent is a time for self-examination and repentance, I thought it would make a good Lenten reflection for the blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

Shortly after I began writing this column, I found myself in rare conflict with a friend. At first I thought my anger was giving me strength, bolstering my courage so I could deal with the issues. But the anger soon betrayed me, sapping my energy and compromising my ability to act according to wisdom and divine direction. It’s only as I have turned my hurt—and the overwhelming urge to prove that I’m right—over to God that I’ve begun to be able to respond (and sometimes resist responding) from a place of holy, rather than human, strength.

Psalm 37 is all about strength in meekness. It deals with trusting God to be God, and with not trying to do his job. The meek, for example, don’t repay evil for evil; they rely on God for justice (vv. 1-3). Several verses mention that the meek don’t fret. And the meek let God provide their hearts’ desires rather than trying to manipulate people and circumstances to get what they want (v. 4).

How much energy do I expend trying to secure provisions, control outcomes, and manage people’s perceptions of me? Psalm 37 tells us that the meek give that labor up. They trust God’s claims that he will provide, protect, and defend, and in so doing free up resources for putting their hands to God’s plow. It’s a good plan.

Full article here.

Hat tip to Pat at Transfigurations.

Fr. Nigel request for prayer

Date: Fri, 19 Feb 2010
From: Fr. Nigel Mumford+
Subject: Fr Nigel Prayer update
My dear and faithful prayer warriors,

As far as I am concerned I have three pressing issues:

1)      The day my pressure sore closed up, thanks be to God, I had pain in my right side chest where one of the chest tubes were inserted. I had an x-ray of it and it shows a calcium mass between ribs 4 & 5. I will be seeing the surgeon next Thursday to find out what needs to be done. It is quite large about 3 inches across and a good half inch high. Apparently calcium grew around the tube and has been growing ever since. I am I am amazed that the prayers were answered in regard to not needing surgery on my rear! Thanks be to God. Please pray specifically that this calcium mass will dissipate naturally within the body. Thank you.

2)      My legs feel like lead. It feels like I am going backwards as far as PT is concerned. It is like one day forward and three back! I am finding it a real effort to walk… not sure what this is about. I should be getting stronger but feel worse! Please pray specifically for a new stamina and new energy for my major muscles in my body. I am calling upon you in need.

3)      Please pray as you have prayed for my life, for Fr. Hap Carrier. He really needs prayer and a lot of love. Please ask the Lord Jesus Christ to heal him with power, love and the ‘full on” compassion of the healer Himself, Jesus. Thank you so much. Please pray specifically that the Lord will remove every cancer cell in his body and restore him to perfect health.

I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your real prayers… the prayers of the righteous ARE powerful AND effective. James 5:16 This has been proven…

Do hope to see you on March 2nd 10am at the healing service at the CtK chapel.

Much love to you all… God bless you, Fr. Nigel+

Albany Intercessor

A torn curtain

Looking at Old Testament scriptures through a Christocentric lens is like opening a treasure chest. JW

Father, when Jesus gave up His spirit on the cross, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split. The tombs broke open and the bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life.
O blessed tear in temple veil, translating the ark into my heart, translating Your life into my spirit!
I bless You, O Lamb that was slain, leaping across the mountains, bounding over the hills; weaving in and out, over and through time and space. You are the same yesterday, today, and forever.
O blessed tear in time and space! In adoration Your creature earth did quake! You have split the stony lattice of my heart. You have torn the veil over my ears, and I hear Your Spirit singing,

Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.

The winter is past indeed.

Song of Solomon 2:8-11, Matthew 27:50-52, Hebrews 13:8, Revelation 5:12

What does God do with dust and ash?

I found this wonderful Ash Wednesday meditation at the Gospel-Driven Church blog, via a link from Trevin Wax’s blog Kingdom People.  What an awesome reflection – and what an awesome hope we have in a God who can bring forth such beauty and new life from ashes!

What does God do with dust and ash?

He grows things out of them.

He covers them with purple raiments.

He lifts people out of them.

He unfairly accepts them in exchange for beauty.

He writes mysterious things in them.

He spits in them and uses the mud to give sight.

He washes them off your stinky feet.

He breathes into them and creates new life.

He descends into them, submits to their suffocation, and emerges alive and spotless.

When you return to dust, even if your body should be burnt to ashes and scattered over the four winds, he who is the Lord over the earth will be able to collect you, reconstitute you, and resurrect you into a body fit for eternity.

***

I’m reminded in reading this of Steven Curtis Chapman’s new song: “Beauty Will Rise” – written as his testimony of the hope and promise God has given his family in the aftermath of their five year-old daughter’s tragic death.  I cannot recommend this song (or the whole album) highly enough!

Beauty Will Rise

It was the day the world went wrong
I screamed until my voice was gone
and watched through the tears
as everything came crashing down

Slowly panic turns to pain
as we awake to what remains
and sift through the ashes that are left behind

But buried deep beneath all our broken dreams, we have this hope

Out of these ashes, beauty will rise
and we will dance among the ruins
we will see with our own eyes
Out of these ashes beauty will rise
for we know joy is coming in the morning
in the morning
beauty will rise

So take another breath for now
and let the tears come washing down
if you can’t believe
I will believe for you

‘Cause I have seen
the signs of Spring, just watch and SEE

Out of these ashes, beauty will rise…

I can hear it in the distance
and it’s not too far away
it’s the music and the laughter
from a wedding and a feast
and I can almost feel the hand of God
reaching for my face to wipe the tears away
and say it’s time to make everything new
He’s making all things new

This is our hope
This is the promise
The is the hope
This is the promise

It will take our breath away
to see the beauty that’s been made out of the ashes
out of the ashes
it will take our breath away
to see the beauty that He’s made out of the ashes, out of the ashes

Out of these ashes beauty will rise
and we will dance among the ruins
we will see it with our own eyes
Out of this darkness new light will shine
and we’ll know the joy that’s coming in the morning
in the morning, in the morning
beauty will rise

***

Isa 61:1-3 [...] He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion– to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor.

art credit

A Lenten prayer based on Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions

Baptist pastor and blogger Trevin Wax at Kingdom People adapted Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions into a prayer.  He posted it in January as a new year’s prayer, but I think it works wonderfully as a Lenten prayer.

Lord God Almighty,
I understand that I am unable to do anything without your help,
so I ask you to enable me by your grace to fulfill your will.

Give me grace to do whatever brings most glory and honor to you,
pleasure and profit to me,
and life and love to others.

Help me to number my days,
spending my time wisely,
living my life with all my might while I still have breath.

Humble me in the knowledge that I am chief of sinners;
when I hear of the sins of others,
help me to not look upon them with pride,
but to look upon myself with shame,
confessing my own sins to you.

When I go through difficulties and trials,
remind me of the pains of hell
from which you have already delivered me.

Place people in my path who need my help,
and give me a compassionate and generous spirit.

Fill my heart with such love
that I would never do anything out of a spirit of revenge,
nor lose my temper with those around me.
Hold my tongue when I am tempted to speak evil of others.

Thank you for the gospel and for the hope of glory.
Help me to live in light of these truths every day of my life,
so that when the time of my death arrives,
I will rest assuredly in you,
and you will be most glorified in me.

In Christ’s name…

- Trevin Wax (adapted from the first 21 of Jonathan Edwards’ resolutions)

Trevin’s post is here. I apologize for copying the full post here, but this is just so good, it deserved posting in full!

Jehovah-Nissi: War with my sin today!

A Lenten prayer from Jill W. from our 2007 archives…

Jehovah-nissi

You are Jehovah-nissi, The Lord my banner. You utterly put out the Amalekites from under the heavens. You war with our sins from generation to generation. War with my sin today, Lord. You are my victory. Defeat my iniquity! I am Your child and I am weak. Help me to overcome my weakness. I wish my life to be a sweet, sweet savor of Christ on earth. Amen.
Exodus 17:14-16, 2 Corinthians 2:14-16

Feb 19th Lenten Devotional

Update: there is now a Lent category at Anglican Mainstream.  You’ll find the daily Lenten devotionals here.

***

From the Church of the Resurrection in Tampa, also being posted daily at Anglican Mainstream.

Scripture readings:
am:  Psalms 95, 31
pm: Psalm 35
Eccl 4. 20-28 2 Timothy 4. 1-8 John 12. 24-32

Friday After Ash Wednesday – Feast of Janani Luwum, Archbishop and Martyr of Uganda, 1977 ( transferred from Ash Wednesday)

LITURGICAL THEME FOR THE DAY: – On the Fridays of Lent, it is customary (in the Church of the East and West) to abstain from meat as a sign of our common penance.  It represents our efforts to abstain from – do without – so many other patterns that get in the way of our happiness and wholeness. Sacrifice and doing without is a worthy thought to ponder when one considers the life and witness of the saint remembered this week.

On this feast we recall the witness of Archbishop Luwum who exercised exceptional and courageous leadership when he opposed Idi Amins regime of tyranny, gross human rights violations and “islamisation” agenda in Uganda. The vibrant Anglican Church of Uganda under his leadership was on the verge of centennial celebrations of its birth through the seed of the blood of the Ugandan Martyrs. Thus Archbishop Luwum became the first martyr of the second century of Christianity in Uganda.

MEDITATION OF THE DAY: What is the implication of this Gospel passage in our lives today? This is an important question when we consider the life and witness of Archbishop Luwum. Are we individuals who are effected and affected by the changing demands of today’s world in relation to our faith and Christian life? IF we understand the way of the world we know the journey will be rocky and rough and we need to be strengthened by Word and Sacrament.

The bread of the Eucharist, made out of grains of wheat, is offered to us as food for the journey so that we have the strength to face what the world may throw our way. Who of us does not need spiritual renewal and nurture?

Archbishop Luwum’s witness reminds us that martyrdom always bear fruit; this is why the Scripture says «Those who love their life», paradoxically, «destroy it». How do we hear that passage in our place and time? Have we been doing what is right and just in relation to our Christian faith?

Christ died to bear, with his blood, fruit; we have to imitate Him to resurrect with Him and bear fruit with Him. Can we join those persecuted Christians who offer their lives silently for the welfare of their brothers and sisters? This is critical as we must learn this Lent that the grain that dies is a pathway to Life.

PRAYER OF THE DAY: God our Redeemer, whose Church was strengthened by the blood of your martyr Janani Luwum: so bind us, in life and death, to Christ’s sacrifice that our lives, broken and offered with his, may carry his death and proclaim his resurrection in the world; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

ANCIENT WISDOM/PRESENT GRACE: “Prodigal sons are forgiven and reconciled with their heavenly Father, could they do other than forgive one another? A fellowship of prodigal sons came into being — the church of Christ. Love begets love. A new power … was let loose upon our suffering world, the power to love those who have not deserved love, the unworthy, the unlovely and unlovable, a man’s enemies, and even his torturers. Christians, in imitation of the Savior, became, as it were, Christ’s to one another and to the world”. – Archbishop Luwum, 1977

LENTEN DISCIPLINE – Abstain from lunch today and make your other meals simple. During that time of lunch, make a commitment to yourself to spend time in reflective prayer on the action of God’s grace in your life. Listen to God so that you may draw closer to God this Lent and at the same time consider making a gift of the monies you would have spent today on meals for the Luwum Trust http://www.jananiluwumtrust.com/help.html

***

You can  download all of the meditations for Lent 1 at the Church of the Resurrection’s website.

Philippians 4:1-7

Therefore, my beloved and longed-for brethren, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, beloved. (Philippians 4:1)
      Lord, having stood all, help us to stand.

I implore Euodia and I implore Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. (Philippians 4:2)
      Holy Spirit, help your people make peace with one another in the parishes of this diocese. Please help all of us lay aside bitterness and resentment toward one another.

And I urge you also, true companion, help these women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and the rest of my fellow workers, whose names are in the Book of Life. (Philippians 4:3)
      Father, please bless the Daughters of the King, the Sisters of St. Mary, the Brotherhood of St. Andrew, the Franciscans of the Holy Cross, and all those men and women who labor for the gospel. Raise up more vocations to dedicated service to your son Jesus.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)
      Jesus, help us daily make you our joy and crown. Let our joy in you overcome the difficult circumstances of our lives.

Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. (Philippians 4:5)
      Father, bless all the shepherds of the flock: that they will deal gently with the sheep entrusted to their care.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; (Philippians 4:6)
      Jesus, please help us cast all our cares on you, for you care for us.

and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)
      Jesus, please come into my heart today with your peace. Thank you for giving me hope which surpasses my understanding.

      A word received: I AM with you; keep your eyes on me.

Friday: 35; Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Philippians 4:1-9; John 17:9-19
Saturday: 42, 43; Ezekiel 39:21-29; Philippians 4:10-20; John 17:20-26

Albany Intercessor

Massachusetts

Preamble:
We, therefore, the people of Massachusetts, acknowledging, with grateful hearts, the goodness of the great Legislator of the universe, in affording us, in the course of His providence, an opportunity, deliberately and peaceably, without fraud, violence or surprise, of entering into an original, explicit, and solemn compact with each other; and of forming a new constitution of civil government, for ourselves and posterity; and devoutly imploring His direction in so interesting a design, do agree upon, ordain and establish the following Declaration of Rights, and Frame of Government, as the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Lord God Almighty,
You are indeed the great Legislator of the universe. You are the source of all goodness. We devoutly implore Your direction for the government of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Establish it in accord with Your holy ordinances. Amen.

A note about the Lent 2010 index

Just to let all our readers know that while there will be a bunch of Lent devotional entries, quotes and prayers posted from Friday – Sunday, I don’t expect to be able to update the Lent 2010 index again until sometime on Sunday afternoon, as I’ll be offline all weekend.  So make good use of the category links to see the latest posts:

All Lent entries

Lent devotionals

Lent prayers

Lent quotes

Lent resources

This Day in the Word – back on the sidebar

I recently took “This Day in the Word” (reflections on the daily office readings) off our sidebar because there had been no new posts since December.   But I’m glad to say James has resumed posting for Lent. (It seems to be a trend! )

So, the RSS feed is back on our sidebar.

I commend to you the Ash Wednesday reflection there.  I especially appreciated the closing exhortation. What a helpful reminder!

No amount of fasting, tithing, or any other works, no matter how good they may seem, will send us home justified if they become ends in themselves, rather than means through which we keep our focus squarely on God.

Amen.

Northern Plains Anglicans – meditation on sin and the imitation of God

Over at Northern Plains Anglicans, in addition to posting the short daily Lenten reflection for his congregation, Fr. Tim Fountain has a posted a parishioner’s talk at a school chapel on the nature of sin:

Sin is imitation of God, Augustine tells us. But how can this be so? After all, saints from Saint Paul to Thomas à Kempis reminds us that we are to imitate Christ; and Christ, we are told, is God the Son. So surely imitation of God is no sin?

[...]

But sometimes, we imitate not in order to give honor but in order to take it. We imitate what we hope to avoid, or what we hope to replace. The con man imitates good deals, the usurper imitates the rightful ruler, or the teenager imitates a legal adult with an imitation ID card. This kind of imitation is mockery, and it is based in the lie that says we don’t need the one we are mocking.

Go read it all, and don’t forget to check Northern Plains Anglicans daily!

Intellectual offense

Father in heaven,
Jesus performed few miracles in Nazareth due to an atomosphere of intellectual offense. What intellectual offenses are in my atomosphere?
I want more of You, Lord.
I am blind. Teach me to recognize the lies I believe. Help me to throw them off, like Bartimaus casting away his beggar’s cloak. Send angels to remove the stumbling blocks in my spirit and in the atmosphere around me.
I want more of You, Lord. I want more of You. Amen.
Matthew 13:36-43, 57-58, Mark 10:50

Ideas for Lent Activities for Kids – from Story-formed blog

Good news!  I mentioned in my entry Lent 2010 Around the Blogosphere that I hoped Tara at Story-formed would resume blogging for Lent.  She has!

She has a new post Lent & Kids #2 – here’s an excerpt:

I have a few moments of quiet and just thought I’d share a few things we are going to do as a family to observe this Lenten season together:

During a conversation around our breakfast table, we discussed Lent and the stories or images that are often associated with it.  From these stories we decided to form some activities that our family will engage in during the next 40 days.

1.  Prayer – this is a no brainer, but prayer is at the very heart of Lent.  We ask God to “create in us a clean heart”, to help us see ourselves and Him ever more clearly, and to deepen our union with Him.  Because of this, we are going to set up a little prayer space in our house.  It will be a corner with a little table, a candle, a prayer book, a bible and whatever else our kids decide to add to it.  Both of them struggle with prayer (they think it is boring!) so there may be some unconventional items in our prayer space.  However, the point is to create a space that reminds us to pray and helps take us further into our prayer practice.

2.  Tie-Dye – As we talked about the imagery of Lent being the dying to self and Easter being the risen to new life, baptism naturally came up.  In the process of the conversation, my husband shared with us that “baptism” was the word they used when they dyed fabric.  What went in one color took on a new color after being dipped in the dye.  I thought that was a beautiful picture of us sharing in the life of Christ – of being baptized into Him – and coming out colored by His life, death and resurrection.  So….we are going to do a couple types of dyeing experiments.  The first will be taking black shirts and using bleach on them (the idea being that He has washed us whiter than snow).  The second will be taking white shirts and tie dyeing them to give us a physical picture of our lives taking on the colors of Jesus.

Go read the full entry here – there’s a lovely short reflection at the end!

Tara’s 2009 Lent & Kids post is here.

The Agony and the Sinner: Two Lenten Poems by George Herbert

Thanks to Phil at Deacon’s Slant blog for recently posting these two wonderful poems – they serve as wonderful Lenten meditations:

The Agony
Philosphers have measured mountains,
Fatholmed the depths of seas, of states, and kings,
Walked with a staff to heaveN, and traced fountains:
But there are two vast, spacious things,
The which to measure it does more behoove:
Yet few there are that sounds them, Sin and Love.
Whoever would know Sin, let him repair:
Unto mount olivet; there he shall see
A man so wrung with pains, that all his hair,
His skin, his garments bloody be.
Sin is that press and vice which forces pain
To hunt his cruel food through every vein.
Whoever does not know Love,
let him assayAnd taste that juice, which on the cross a pike
Did set again abroach; then let him say
If ever he did taste the like.
Love is that liquor sweet and most divine
Which my God feels as blood, but I as wine,

The Sinner
Lord, how I am all with fever, when I seek
What I have treasured in my memory!
Since, if my soul makes even with the week,
Every seventh note by right is due to thee.
I find there quarries of piled vanities,
But shreds of holiness, that dare not venture
to show their face, since cross to thy decrees:
There to circumference earth is, heaven center.
In so much dregs he quintessence is small.
The spirit and good extract of my heart
Comes to about the many hundreth part.
Yet, Lord, restore thine image, hear my call.
And though my hart heart scarcely can to the groan
Remember that thou once didst write in stone.