christianity

Peace on Earth

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath, you begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breathe in: Peace
  • Breathe out: On Earth

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:13-14

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Luke 2:8-20 AKJV

“On earth peace, good will toward men.” This is the greeting the angels gave the shepherds as they were in the field watching their sheep. We want peace on earth, and in our own lives. Both of these forms of peace do not come easily. It takes work to have peace. Sometimes it takes more work to have peace than to have chaos.  

I have found that when I catch my heart racing, or find myself worrying about things I cannot control it is time for me to stop, take a few deep breaths, and relax. This is my answer to Psalm 46, which says, “Be still and know that I am God.”

In between the breaths, I can find God.
In between the breaths, I can find my calm.
In between the breaths, my heart begins to stop racing.

  • Try taking some deep breaths when you are feeling anxious.
  • Take a moment to be still with God.

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breathe in: Peace
  • Breathe out: On Earth

God of peace, thank you for being with me in my anxious moments. Thank you for reminding me that I need to breath during these times. Thank you for being with me in between my breathing. Amen

Rest in the Midst of Chaos

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breathe, you can begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breath in: Stillness
  • Breath out: All Anxiety

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Psalm 95:7a
Psalm 95:7a

O come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and the dry land, which his hands have formed.

O come, let us worship and bow down,
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.

O that today you would listen to his voice!
    Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
when your ancestors tested me,
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray,
    and they do not regard my ways.”
Therefore in my anger I swore,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

Psalm 95

When I am in a wilderness place in my mind, body or soul, I find that I have a hard time seeing the good in the world. I have a hard time listening to the voice of God. Even praising and worshiping God become difficult. I am at the place Israel was when they were at Meribah. It was here they questioned if God was still with them. It says about Meribah, “[Moses] called the place Massah and Meribah, because the Israelites quarreled and tested the Lord, saying, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’” (Exodus 17:7)

When I am in these wilderness places, I am not able to enter into God’s rest because I am not even sure God is there with me. I question God’s love for me, and I am not sure God is looking out for my best interests. At times like this, I cannot enter into God’s rest because I am not able to find rest within myself. It is not that God has decided that I am not worthy of entering into God’s rest. It is that I am not able to enter the rest because there is no rest within my soul. At these times, I need to take a step back from the world, and quiet my soul. I need to “Be still, and know that [God is] God!” (Psalm 46:10)

I do this by taking a long walk, doing some yoga, reading a good book, or taking a some deep breathes. How do you still your mind and soul?

  • Take 10 minutes or whatever time you have to be still in the presence of God in whatever way works for you.

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breath in: Stillness
  • Breath out: All Anxiety

God of rest, thank you for giving us the rest we need. It is hard to be restful when everything around us seems to be in chaos. Help us to take a moment, calm our minds, and enter into your rest. Amen.

Let my good days be as many as my bad days.

Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil. Psalm 90:15

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breathe, you can begin to clear your mind.-

  • Breath in the good
  • Breath out the bad

-Continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us, and as many years as we have seen evil. Psalm 90:15
Psalm 90:15

So teach us to count our days
    that we may gain a wise heart.

Turn, O Lord! How long?
    Have compassion on your servants!
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
    so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad as many days as you have afflicted us,
    and as many years as we have seen evil.
Let your work be manifest to your servants,
    and your glorious power to their children.
Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
    and prosper for us the work of our hands—
    O prosper the work of our hands!

Psalm 90:12-17

This psalm is attributed to Moses. When I read it, I cannot help but think about the many difficult times he had throughout his life. He was born at a time that all the male children were being killed by the Egyptians. He fled Egypt after he killed an Egyptian guard for abusing a fellow Israelite. He came back to Egypt, and led the Israelites out of slavery through the wilderness to the land of promise. While in the wilderness the Israelites were not always happy with their situation, and Moses became the mediator between them and God. There were some very low days for Moses, and in the psalm he prays that God will give him as many good days as bad days; as many good years as bad years.

I can pray this prayer for myself and for every person reading this. I pray that God will give us, as many good days as there have been bad days. I pray God will give us, as many good years as there have been bad years.

  • Take some time to think about the good things in your life.

-Please take a moment.-

-Take some deep breaths.-

  • Breath in: the good
  • Breath out: the bad

God of grace, give each of us, as many good days as there are bad days. Give each of us, as many good years as there are bad years. Keep us safe, and pick us up when we fall. Amen

Forgiveness

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breathe, you can begin to clear your mind.–

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “forgive”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “me”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.-

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, o God! You are my help and my deliverer; o Lord, do not delay! Psalm 70:5

Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.
    O Lord, make haste to help me!
Let those be put to shame and confusion
    who seek my life.
Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor
    who desire to hurt me.
Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!”
    turn back because of their shame.

Let all who seek you
    rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
    say evermore, “God is great!”
But I am poor and needy;
    hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
    O Lord, do not delay!

Psalm 70

I do not have people who are wishing me harm at this point in my life. There have been times I could list people who were seeking to do me harm. At times, if asked, I would list people as being my enemies, and yet these people were not as concerned about me as I thought they were. They were just trying to live their life in the midst of a tough situation. When I came to realize that those I think are doing me harm are really just trying to live their life in the best way they can, I began to think differently about who my enemy was. I do not see that many enemies in my life now. Instead, I see people who are struggling.

Jesus said to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Part of loving your enemies is offering them the grace that Christ has given you. By remembering that they have lives that are just as hard as yours are, sometimes even harder, we are able to give our enemies grace in the midst of a tough world.

  • Who are your enemies?
  • Take some time to put yourself in your enemies’ shoes.
  • What might be happening in their lives?

-You might want to write your response down.-

Forgiving God, thank you for your forgiveness, and please help me to forgive my enemies. God, it is hard to forgive those I do not like, and even harder to forgive those who do not like me. Please be with me as I strive to forgive. Oh Lord do not delay. Amen

Light and Truth

O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling. Psalm 43:3
Psalm 43:3

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breathe you can begin to clear your mind.–

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “Truth”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “Light”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.–

Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause
    against an ungodly people;
from those who are deceitful and unjust
    deliver me!
For you are the God in whom I take refuge;
    why have you cast me off?
Why must I walk about mournfully
    because of the oppression of the enemy?

O send out your light and your truth;
    let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
    and to your dwelling.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
    to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
    O God, my God.

Why are you cast down, O my soul,
    and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
    my help and my God.

Psalm 43

There are so many times that I do not feel as if I truly know the light and truth of God. If I do not know them how can they guide me? At times, I have too much going on in my life to calm down enough to really hear from God. There are other times I am just too tired to stay awake let alone hear from God. The psalmist is not asking us to do anything to receive the truth and light of God. It is asking God to send it to us in the midst of our confusion. I know there are times God has done this for me. I am always shocked when clarity comes in the midst of confusion, business or depression.

Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus also describes himself as the light of the world (John 8:12). God’s truth and light came down to the earth through Jesus. He came into this world at a time when he was needed most. When he came to earth people were looking for salvation from the Roman armies and their lives of oppression. It was a time of oppression and confusion. This gives me hope that God is able to reach down and teach me truth and light even when I am not sure I know where to look for them.

I am able to see my way through confusion when I take the time to meditate on the word of God.

  • Read the psalm slowly.
  • What phrase stands out to you?
  • Take 5 minutes to think about what God is telling you through this phrase.

-Please take a moment to do this exercise. –

  • Sunset
  • Pelicans
  • Sunset

God of truth and light, I pray that you will bring truth and light into the world. Please help the world to see your truth, and bring you light to shine in the darkness that seems to surround us at times. I also pray for your light and truth to be known into our hearts so they can lead each of us. There are times we are confused, to busy, depressed or just not sure what way to go, please bring your truth and light into these times so we can be led by your Spirit. Thank you for coming into our confusion and showing us your son Jesus Christ. Amen.

Be Still and Know God

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you can begin to clear your mind.–

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “Be”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “Still”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.–

Psalm 46:10

God is our refuge and strength,
    a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
    though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
    though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved;
    God will help it when the morning dawns.
The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter;
    he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord;
    see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
    he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I am exalted among the nations,
    I am exalted in the earth.”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Psalm 46

“Be still and know that I am God!” WOW!! This is a hard thing, and yet when I take the time to be still and know who God is my mind seems to work better. This is the message I needed this week. The message to remember to take time to see God in the world around me. The message to take a moment of silence so I can truly hear from God.

The psalm talks about earthquakes, floods, war, and other chaos going on around the earth. This is what our world has become. There is chaos all around us. The reminder to be still and know God is most important in the midst of chaos. When my world is falling apart around me one of the hardest things for me to do is to be still, and yet this is the very thing that helps me to calm the chaos in my soul and mind.

Taking a moment is not always easy. It is not what I hear from others as being important. I hear that it is important to stay busy, to keep working, to find things to do. I have taken this message to heart. Even though the world around me has slowed down I find myself looking for distractions that will keep me busy. The reminder to be still and know God is more important than ever in the midst of the distraction I am creating for myself.

  • Take a walk
  • Take some time meditating on this Psalm
  • Take some time and meditate on your favorite scripture or poem

-please take a moment to think about one of these activities.-

Take some deep breaths.

  • Breath in: “Be”
  • Breath out: “Still”

God of the moment, thank you for being with me in the midst of the storm; for being with me through the earthquake. Help me to continue to be still in your presence. Help me to continue to get to know who you are. Amen.

God Judges with Equity

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you can begin to clear your mind.–

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “God”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “will judge”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.–

Say among the nations, “The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.” Psalm 96:10

Say among the nations, “The Lord is king!
    The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
    He will judge the peoples with equity.”
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
    let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
    let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
    before the Lord; for he is coming,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
    and the peoples with his truth.

Psalm 96:10-13

Meditation

The psalmist is excited that God is coming to judge the earth. Who looks forward to judgment? I do not look forward to judgment unless I am not the person who is being judged. The only person I can think of who might happy about judgment is the person who has been judged wrongly, and knows God will see past the wrong judgments to judge with fairness. To be judged with equity is something we all hope for. Judging without prejudice: without preconceived notions of who a person is. This is what is being celebrated.

As human beings we are not always fair in our judgments. Even when we think we are being fair, we still use prejudices we have been taught to make our determinations. I know there are times I am shocked to realize prejudices I have are influencing how I think. There have been many times in my life when I look at someone and think something; then it strikes me my thinking is not as a result of knowing that person, but as a result of the way I was taught to think about people who look, act or live like that person.

I am so glad God does not look at me based on the way some people look at me. God is able to see what is in my heart: not just the way I look, act or live. Thinking about judgment this way, I can rejoice with the psalmist that God is coming to judge the world with equity.

  • Take some time to imagine what it will look like when God is judging the world.
  • Think about you last week. Have you judged others with equity?

-please take a moment to do one of these things. After meditating you might want to write your thoughts down.-

Prayer

God, you look down on this earth and see each of us where we are. You see our faults and our triumphs. You are able to look past the things people judge us on, and look into our hearts. Thank you for judging all of the earth with equity and fairness. Please help me to be able to judge the people around me with equity as well. Amen

The Good Shepherd

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you can begin to clear your mind.–

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “Good”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “Shepherd”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.

Psalm 23:1-2

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
    He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
    he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
    for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
    I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
    your rod and your staff—
    they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
    my whole life long.

Psalm 23

It is comforting to think of God as our shepherd. The psalm says God guides us to green pastures and still waters. God is there to help us find the food and water that we need to survive. There are many times in our lives we need someone to guide us in the right direction, or to a still quiet place. We can trust that God is there to help us through all of these things even helping us find peace in the darkest valley or a banquet when we are surrounded by our enemies.

This psalm reminds us that God is with us even in the darkest valley. God is walking along side us when we are at our worst, and when the world around us is at its worst. God is also preparing a banquet for us when we are surrounded by our enemies. When we do not have a friend to talk with God is there providing us a banquet to enjoy. God takes our worst moments and makes them into experiences we can look back on knowing we have grown to be better people through them. Our experiences do not change, but God helps us to see the good in the midst of it all.

In the gospel of John Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). Jesus not only lays down his life for us, but he does everything God does in Psalm 23. A meaningful experience for me is to read the psalm and replace “he” with Jesus. I read the Psalm slowly, and meditate on each line. If you do not have time to read the whole Psalm like this, read as many lines as you have time for.

  • Read the Psalm slowly.
  • As you read the Psalm replace “he” with Jesus

-please take a moment to think about one of these questions. You might want to write your answers down.-

  • Mallard Ducks
  • Mallard Ducks
  • Mallard Ducks

Take some deep breaths.

  • Breath in: “Jesus”
  • Breath out: “my shepherd”

Good Shepherd, you have lead me to the food and water that I need to sustain my body and my soul. You walked with me in the darkest valley, and given me a banquet when I am surrounded by enemies. Thank you for being my friend, guide and Lord. Amen.

Restore Us

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you can begin to clear your mind.

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “Restore us”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “Oh God”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.

Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved. Psalm 80:3

Restore us, O God;
    let your face shine, that we may be saved.

O Lord God of hosts,
    how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
    and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
    our enemies laugh among themselves.

Psalm 80:3-6

Restore us, Oh God. The first few times I read this I thought it said, “Restore me, O God.” Living in an individualistic society, many times I think of things as being personal. I struggle against this tendency, and when I realized I was reading I instead of we I could not believe myself. I struggle against this tendency because I know the culture that the bible was originally written in and to was a more communal society. There was more concern for the group and less concern for the individual.

That being said, I know of so many people who are struggling with setbacks this year. Some have been medical, some relational, and others financial. This has been a rough year for many people, but it has also been a rough year for the world as a whole. This psalm can be prayed for many individuals in our world, and it can be prayed for the world as a whole.

Last week I went to a drive-in prayer meeting. The focus verse for the prayer meeting was 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Our land is hurting right now. All of the Earth is hurting right now. The Coronavirus has not just hit one nation, but the whole world. The prayer for restoration might begin as an individual prayer, it quickly moves to a prayer for our nation, and then a prayer for the whole earth.

  • What in your life needs restored?
  • What needs to be restored in your community?
  • What needs to be restored in the world?

-please take a moment to do one of these questions.-

Restoring God, we pray that you will bring restoration to what has been lost. Reach down and heal our land. Heal our hearts and our souls. We seek your restoration, and ask your help in teaching us how to help bring restoration. Thank you for your restoration of our lives, our community, and our world. Amen

Teach me to Pray

–Begin by taking some deep breaths. As you breath you can begin to clear your mind.–

  • Breath in by saying or thinking “Teach me”
  • Breath out by saying or thinking “to pray”

-continue this breathing exercise until you feel you are ready to continue.

Psalm 25:16

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.
O my God, in you I trust;
    do not let me be put to shame;
    do not let my enemies exult over me.
Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame;
    let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all day long.

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
    for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
    according to your steadfast love remember me,
    for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

Good and upright is the Lord;
    therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
He leads the humble in what is right,
    and teaches the humble his way.
All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness,
    for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

For your name’s sake, O Lord,
    pardon my guilt, for it is great.
Who are they that fear the Lord?
    He will teach them the way that they should choose.

They will abide in prosperity,
    and their children shall possess the land.
The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him,
    and he makes his covenant known to them.
My eyes are ever toward the Lord,
    for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

Turn to me and be gracious to me,
    for I am lonely and afflicted.
Relieve the troubles of my heart,
    and bring me out of my distress.
Consider my affliction and my trouble,
    and forgive all my sins.

Consider how many are my foes,
    and with what violent hatred they hate me.
O guard my life, and deliver me;
    do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
    for I wait for you.

Redeem Israel, O God,
    out of all its troubles.

Psalm 25

I have heard of the Psalms as being songs of praise. Some of them are songs of praise, but others like this one seem to be something different. Bonhoeffer talked about the Psalms as being a prayer book. I think this is a better description of the Psalms. I have been reading the Psalms to help me get a deeper understanding of prayer. Prayer is something I was taught as a child, and yet I feel I am always learning more about how to communicate with God.

Psalm 25 is a different prayer than I have ever heard prayed, and yet it is a prayer I have prayed. Even if my prayer was only in my heart. This seems to be a prayer given by a person who is struggling with life. The Psalmist asks God to turn to them because they are lonely and afflicted (Psalm 25:16). There are many in our world today that are lonely. We are isolating because of covid-19, and this has increased the loneliness of many. This Psalm is a prayer for today!

This might be a prayer for today, but I hesitate to remind God of anything. I feel that I don’t need to ask God to be mindful of mercy and love (Psalm 25:6), and yet this is what the Psalmist does. I can learn from the Psalmist that God is willing to listen even when I doubt who God is. This is comforting, but also very challenging. And yet, it reminds me that even when I am suffering from loneliness God is there with me in the midst of my loneliness to comfort and protect me.

  • Are you in a time of loneliness? Imagine God setting beside you.
  • Take the time to tell God exactly how you feel right now.
  • Write out a prayer that includes all of your doubts and fears.

-please take a moment to do one of these activities.-

Take some deep breaths.

  • Breath in: “Teach me”
  • Breath out: “to pray”

God of mercy, thank you for being gracious to me even when I fail. Thank you for being with me even when I feel alone. Thank you for accepting me when I do not feel acceptable. Thank you God for all of your great gifts given to me. Amen.