A Reflection
Have you been thinking about how to respond to the news of Osama bin Laden's capture and death? I have heard from many Christians who feel very conflicted and are trying to process the images on TV of people celebrating the death of not only a terrorist, but a human being, made in God's image. Christians believe that death, war, killing, are all part of the wickedness of a fallen world, and are not God's intended future in the age to come. Yet, in this lifetime, everything is messy and often mysterious, and we face questions and challenges that don't always offer up to us obvious ways to respond. Instead of hearing from me about the complexities of the ethical questions involved, I think we may need to listen to someone like Dietrich Bonhoeffer and how he tried to process through his Christian framework his own reluctant part in plotting to kill another mass murderer, Adolph Hitler.
Here are two links for reflection:
Bonhoeffer and bin Laden >
Osama bin Laden: "an unhappy business" >
A Resource
After reading that, maybe now you just need to pray. Or read your Bible. Or sing. Or how about all of the above? I'd point you to "The Daily Office". What is "The Daily Office" you ask?
The short answer: The Daily Office is an ancient way to pray. It marks the passage of time by offering Morning and Evening Prayer as written in the Book of Common Prayer of The Episcopal Church, but shared in some form by Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, Lutherans, Presbyterians, and Methodists among others. Each service features psalms, one or two Bible readings and prayers.
Why pray The Daily Office? The Daily Office (or "service") allows me to pray what Christians have prayed every day of every week of every year since the time of the early church. Additionally it allows me to pray the exact same prayers with Christians all over the world, from a multitude of denominations and Christian traditions. I do not pray alone. It is always 'Our Father' not merely 'My Father'. In the Daily Office we are part of the 'communion of the saints' at prayer.
The Daily Office counters my tendency to subject my prayer life to my transitory moods and emotions. I have to intentionally move into God's presence, because often I do not feel it at all. The office helps us pray when prayer is hard. From an old article I read years ago, 'Even if you may have to say it quite coolly, you can still say it. I compare it to my wife's cooking: even when she's not that fond of me, she still cooks for me.' The Daily Office is an act of faith I can make each evening and morning."
Some say, "It just seem repetitious!" From that same article: "It's. ... like turning a drill. It might appear boring, but the more you are turning the deeper you get. It's literally boring. But if you only turn it once you don't get very far. I suppose most folks who don't like repetition never say 'I love you' to their wife more than once in their life," he says, laughing."
Here's probably the greatest argument: You can't go wrong praying the Office. Almost every word of it comes from the Bible.
Here is a link for this resource:
The Daily Office from the Mission of St. Clare >
A Request
This weekend I'll be traveling first to Philadelphia to spend time with Jared Ayers, who planted and pastors one of our daughter churches in that great city. Jared spoke at our February City Church Retreat, and his church in Philadelphia has grown to over 300 in just a year or so of worship. I'll be preaching at liberti church on Sunday, and would appreciate your prayers. Scot Sherman will be preaching this Sunday at our Sutter location and likewise Chuck DeGroat at our 23rd St. location.
Here is a link for this request:
After Sunday I'll be heading up to Connecticut to meet with leaders that have planted or are successfully planting in urban contexts across North America. We will meet to encourage one another and share experiences and ideas about the challenges of gospel ministry and church planting in the leading cities of North America. I don't have a link for this one, sorry! But I'd appreciate your prayers as I travel.
