Lord, teach me. . . .

When I admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon, my soul expands in the worship of the Creator. –Mahatma Gandhi As people of God, we are drawn to worship and to prayer. Right? So why is it, then, that prayer can seem so difficult at times? We come together from our busy lives, gathering in our houses of worship to praise and to pray. The praise part seems to come naturally. After all, there’s music and exhortation from the worship leaders to engage us. Then the time comes to pray. Silent prayer seems terminally long sometimes. And spoken prayer—well, please , let’s leave that to “the professionals.” Please don’t ask me to pray aloud! Even Jesus’ disciples asked for help there. Lord , they pleaded, teach us to pray . And he did—but the words we know as The Lord’s Prayer were not really intended for memorization; rather, Jesus was offering a method . A way to pray, no matter the situation. A more contemporary idea: the word PRAY can be seen ...

A real conversation always contains an invitation. You are inviting another person to reveal himself or herself to you, to tell you who they are or what they want. –David Whyte A lot of churches wonder what they’re doing wrong. They tell the world everyone is welcome, and maybe even fly a rainbow flag out front. They have a dynamic preacher; their music, whether traditional, praise or both, is terrific. But for whatever reason, people just aren’t showing up. Where are all those spiritual people we hear about, anyway? Why aren’t they interested in us ? Wrong question, really. There has to be more to church and following the Christ than any of these things. Music changes, pastors move on or retire—but the core message of the gospel remains unchanging, and that’s what churches need to offer, today more than ever. That message is Love . And that message is for all. There are two phrases that occur frequently in the New Testament: Don’t be afraid and Come . Angels re...

We must welcome the future, remembering that it will soon be the past; and we must respect the past, remembering that it was once all that was humanly possible. –George Santayana Some people think we are nearing a crisis in this country. By the year 2045, there will no longer be a single, racial majority; in fact, we will be a “majority of minorities.” More and more, we are truly becoming a “melting pot,” or “salad bowl,” welcoming people from every corner of the world, inviting them to make a fresh start, living life in freedom and relative safety. Many people see this as a frightening prospect. There is talk of building walls to keep people out, sending people “back where they came from”—even when it means sending them back to war and destruction. Some seem to have forgotten that Jesus was far more interested in bringing people together than dividing them over things that just don’t matter. Honestly, the church should be excited by this prospect. After all, the Kin...

In my deepest, darkest moments, what really got me through was prayer. Sometimes my prayer was, “Help me.” Sometimes a prayer was, “Thank you.” What I’ve discovered is that intimate connection and communication with my creator will always get me through because I know my support, my help, is just a prayer away. –Iyanla Vanzant When was the last time you set aside some time to spend alone with God? I’m not talking about a few fleeting seconds of pleading for a break, or a cry of desperation during a tough time. No—I mean more than a quick Thank God when something goes your way. If you have those moments regularly (and recognize them as prayer), good for you. But God desires more. And frankly, you need more. A prayer life that consists of nibbling and noshing, and never settling down for a real meal, can leave our souls feeling malnourished and longing for more . When was the last time? And—when will be the next time? Spring is coming in our part of the world. The ...