intersections

Pray

What do you pray for?

As I was praying this morning and reflecting on the Psalms I read this from Psalm 20.

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble!
   The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
² May he send you help from the sanctuary,
   and give you support from Zion.
³ May he remember all your offerings,
   and regard with favour your burnt sacrifices.

May he grant you your heart’s desire,
   and fulfil all your plans.
⁵ May we shout for joy over your victory,
   and in the name of our God set up our banners.
May the Lord fulfil all your petitions.

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed;
   he will answer him from his holy heaven
   with mighty victories by his right hand.
Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses,
   but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
They will collapse and fall,
   but we shall rise and stand upright.

⁶⁷⁸

I distinctly remember reading this Psalm on the morning of September 11, 2001 and it has been a favorite of mine ever since. But that's another story for another time...

This morning as I read this words I was reminded of another contemporary psalm, written and performed by one of the most authentic Christian singer-songwriters I've ever met, Kendall Payne. I hope she doesn't mind me including the song here...

Pray - by Kendall Payne

Below are the lyrics to this song.

I will pray for you now, for you have been my faithful friends
While the road we walk is difficult indeed
I couldn't not ask for more than what you've already been
Only that you would say these prayers for me
May your heart break enough that compassion enters in
May your strength all be spent upon the weak
All the castles and crowns you build and place upon your head
May they all fall, come crashing down around your feet
May you find every step to be harder than the last
So your character grows greater every stride
May your company be of human insignificance
May your weakness be your only source of pride
What you do unto others may it all be done to you
May you meet the One who made us
And see Him smile when life is through
May your blessings be many but not what you hoped they'd be
And when you look upon the broken
May mercy show you what you could not see
May you never be sure of any plans you desire
But you'd learn to trust the plan He has for you
May your passions be tried and tested in the holy fire
May you fight with all your life for what is true
I have prayed for you now all my dear and faithful friends
But what I wish is more than I could ever speak
As the way wanders on I'll long to see you once again
Until then, would you pray these prayers for me?
Oh, that you would pray for me.

It's Really All About God

My dear friend, Samir Selmanovic, has just published his first book entitled, It's Really All About God (buy on Amazon) and what a way to start. This is not a review...that will be coming soon. But I will tell you that this is a radical, peaceful vision of the force for good that religion can and should be in the world, told through the intimate, personal lenses of someone who hase expereinced so much of the good and bad of religion.

There is a review at the Spectrum website by my friend, Brenton Reading. You can read that here.

The blurb I wrote for inside the front cover says this:

“Samir has written a book that reads like an extended poem; an ode to life. Where others see only the darkness and destructiveness of religion, Samir sees beauty and hope. Where others see only competition and violence, Samir sees synergy and life. And his vision is no simple syncretism; a blending of all religions into one inoffensive ‘smoothie’ of goodness and light. This book is a celebration of postmodern ‘otherness’ of the first order. It will inspire you, frustrate you, maybe even anger you. Samir will not answer all your questions or tell you exactly what to do next. But if you’ve ever felt that nagging deep in your soul that God is lurking just beneath the surface in places you have least expected, you need to read this book!”

I will write a review here after I get a chance to read it again.

Please go buy this book and read it. In the meantime, check out this short video of Samir talking about his book.

Video: Prayer Rally for Healthcare Reform

This is a video of our health care rally, held on Tuesday, August 11, in Hollywood. Congresswoman Diane Watson and Congressman Xavier Becerra were in attendance and spoke eloquently and powerfully of their support for comprehensive reform that would put health care within reach for our families.

This rally was led by LA Voice clergy, Father Mike Mandala, Father Jaime Edwards-Acton, Rev. Liz Munoz, Rabbi Sharon Brous, Rev. Byron Smith, Sr. and myself.

Doubting Thomas

I'm sorry I haven't written much. There are many potential excuses, most of which are not suitable to write about. The main reason is that I haven't had much to say. Perhaps you can relate. But allow me to break my silence and share something personal that perhaps will connect with your journey as well.

A few weeks ago I was driving back to Los Angeles from the Central Valley where I had just attended my 20th High School reunion. I was listening to Nickle Creek on my iPod. On came this song, "Doubting Thomas". I've heard this song dozens of times without paying attention, but it really struck me this time and I've been thinking about sharing here for a while. Here's a video of the song (not an official music video). Lyrics are after the jump.

The lyric that has given voice to my prayers recently is this:

Can I be used to help others find truth
When I'm scared I'll find proof that it's a lie
Can I be led down a trail dropping bread crumbs
That prove I'm not ready to die

I'm a doubting Thomas
I'll take your promise
Though I know nothin's safe
Oh me of little faith

I guess that's where I'm at. "I'll take your promise / though I know nothin's safe. Oh me of little faith." I think it's enough. In fact, this is faith, right? Faith, in some sense is defined by doubt. Without doubt there is no faith. And so much of our doubt is wrapped up in fear. The calm realization that nothing is safe, that we are incurable vulnerable, is a bitter-sweet realization that can set us free for reach out in faith.

Advent rather than future

As I'm reading back through Lesslie Newbigin's classic, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society, I am a struck by how my own ideas have been shaped by Newbigin to such a degree that I forget where I originally learned these things. For this reason (and many others) I highly recommend reading again the most important books in your life. Here's a sample for today:

Hopeful action means having something to which one can confidently look forward. It means having a horizon. As I said earlier, apart from what has been done in the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we are shut up to only two possibilities. One possible horizon for our action is a vision for the future of the human race, a future in which we shall have no part. The other possible horizon is a personal future for me beyond death. From that future the world in which I now seek to serve God is absent. Its future is not part of my future. The one possibility gives meaning to my participation in the public life of neighborhood, nation, and world at the cost of marginalizing the human person. The other provides meaning for the individual human person at the cost of marginalizing our shared public life. What is made possible through the gospel is a life looking toward a horizon which is different from either of these. That horizon is defined in the words "He shall come again." For a Christian the horizon for all action is this. It is advent rather than future. He is coming to meet us, and whatever we do -- whether it is our most private prayers or our most public political action -- is simply offered to him for whatever place it may have in his blessed kingdom. Here is the clue to meaningful action in a meaningful history: it is the translation into action of the prayer: "Your kingdom come, your will be done, as in heaven so on earth" (101-102, emphasis mine).

Video: Holy Saturday worship

The video includes excerpts of our Holy Saturday worship service which I have written about here and here.

All of our Holy Week resources, including sermons and the program and liturgy we used for Friday, Sabbath and Sunday, are compiled at the Hollywood Adventist Church website.
Easter 2009: Holy Saturday on Vimeo.

A Prayer for Holy Saturday

This is the prayer I wrote to close our Holy Saturday worship service today.
-----
Loving God.
We have such fond memories of you.
The way you used to comfort us when we were sad.
The way you gave us such confidence in the face of uncertainty.
We miss you!

We had hoped that you were the one
    to fulfill our dreams and give us the desires of our hearts.
We are deeply disappointed and broken this morning by the realization that
    our hopes were misplaced.
We have dreamed for the wrong things.
We have prayed the wrong prayers.

Where shall we go from here?
We are lonely and in pieces.
If you can hear us…
If you can hear us now...

We’re not even sure what to ask for.
Amen.

Holy Week Readings and Prayers | Monday

This week I'll be tweeting and emailing the texts for Holy Week and acompanying prayers. If you'd like to follow along with our congregation, please follow @adventhollywood on Twitter or subscribe to our church's email list. (NOTE: if you subscribe to our email, check your junk mail. This has been a problem in the past).

Here's today's readings...

Marked by Ashes, by Walter Brueggeman

Ruler of the Night, Guarantor of the day . . .
This day — a gift from you.
This day — like none other you have ever given, or we have ever received.
This Wednesday dazzles us with gift and newness and possibility.
This Wednesday burdens us with the tasks of the day, for we are already halfway home
     halfway back to committees and memos,
     halfway back to calls and appointments,
     halfway on to next Sunday,
     halfway back, half frazzled, half expectant,
     half turned toward you, half rather not.

This Wednesday is a long way from Ash Wednesday,
   but all our Wednesdays are marked by ashes —
     we begin this day with that taste of ash in our mouth:
       of failed hope and broken promises,
       of forgotten children and frightened women,
     we ourselves are ashes to ashes, dust to dust;
     we can taste our mortality as we roll the ash around on our tongues.

We are able to ponder our ashness with
   some confidence, only because our every Wednesday of ashes
   anticipates your Easter victory over that dry, flaky taste of death.

On this Wednesday, we submit our ashen way to you —
   you Easter parade of newness.
   Before the sun sets, take our Wednesday and Easter us,
     Easter us to joy and energy and courage and freedom;
     Easter us that we may be fearless for your truth.
   Come here and Easter our Wednesday with
     mercy and justice and peace and generosity.

We pray as we wait for the Risen One who comes soon.

Christianity as a way of life

I've come to the end of a couple of books recently and I'm facing that beautiful dilemma of what to read next. I have some "required" reading to prepare for an upcoming series on the Christian creeds, but I'm in the mood to put that off for one or two more books in the first part of August.

So, I've picked up Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices, by Brian McLaren. This is the first in a series by Thomas Nelson called The Ancient Practices Series. The second title is now available as well, which I am very excited about. It's called, In Constant Prayer and is focused on the power and value of "fixed hours of prayer" which is something I have been attempting to practice for about 5 years now.

This statement from the chapter 1, called "Searching for an Everyday Sacredness" grabbed my attention in light of the preparation we're doing for upcoming worship series called "CREDO."

Without a coherent and compelling way of life, formed in community and expressed in mission, some of us begin losing interest in the system of belief, or we begin holding it grimly, even meanly, driving more and more people away from our faith rather than attracting them toward it (3-4).

I know this is true in my personal experience as well as the experience of so many people I meet in my daily work who have given up on religion and church. I find that part of what brings people back to an interest in spiritual community (rather than being a spiritual loner) is the sense that a community is expressing their faith as a way of life.

What we need, says Mirosalv Volf, is a theology for a way of life--a theology that inform, support and compel us to live in the way of Jesus. Without that vital link, the source of energy and joy is cut off.