A prayer from a pray-er
A being who prays, who often strays from that which he knows is more than breathing
More that receiving blessings and offering praise, in ways that are more than life
To a man who is dying, with every breath, a bit of death
But when received, a bit more like life, and life abundant
We are reminded that this is not un-natural, a foreign concept or wheels in need of training
But like framing a picture in need of reference we accept as more than preference
This activity meant to be our very mode of being
Which is freeing.
When I don’t have to carve out an hour, and drown out the power of noise
The colorful toys that speak to a life lived with young children
Who are not distractions to, but allow fuller expressions of – prayer. From this pray-er.
My wife and my life do not require a retreat from, but diving in full presence of God into.
It’s true, and God invites me and you to partner in ways we don’t understand.
Why does God need a man? As God calls, through the halls of time we see signs through
Noah, and Moses, and Jonah, all men unnecessary but made powerfully vital as the tidal waves of God’s moving in our midst began to crash the shores of humanity.
It’s insanity. But that’s God.
And it’s odd, His ways, the rules he plays by, we cannot deny he seems to depend on us, and we see it revealed not as dependence but as allowing transcendence, inviting us to participate in the divine,
a crime against the Holy, and fully allowed out of love, even though He’s enough to do it on His own, his throne is placed in our midst, and we often miss out on this gift, because we’re busy.
Busy with our own lists, we insist that our work is good, but if we could be honest we’d confess a bit more of our mess, because at best? Our cupboards are empty. And so we ask, we seek, we knock on behalf of a world in need, not out of greed, but out of desperation, not simply our nation but for all creation, we pray – Jesus come.
We find that he has, he is, he will, and the Kingdom spills through such partnerships of prayer as we’ve described, and gates are open wide for those who are willing to join, and see the flipped coin has landed, we’ve been branded as citizens of His reign and rule, and the pool is being filled with waters of His presence, and we the water walkers, the prayer talkers, the God stalkers, are called not to leave this world for moments of the monastic, but still as drastic, we’re called to live as prayers speaking prayers, layers of Kingdom coming on earth as it is in Heaven.
And here are the yeast that leavens the dough that bakes in ovens known as Free Methodist, here in the form of a list:
Number One, Embracing All, hearing the call to unity we recognize neighors are less about location and more about all of humanity carrying God into all creation.
Number Two, more than what we do is who we are, Discipling Deeply beyond gold stars and answers filled in blanks, but lives transformed and giving thanks.
Number Three, cultivating health, a wealth of transformation both in bodies and the body of Christ, he’s paid a price to do so much more than save us from hell, but has come to make us well.
Number Four, we exist for more than those who’ve come through our doors and so we pour ourselves out toward Developing Leaders, who will continue to strive as we hit
Number Five, a multiplication of ministries, not so that we find our names in books of history, but for increased presence of a Kingdom that sticks, and mixes well with
Number Six, much more than a fix for the locals, but bursting out in every direction, nation, language, and inflection. This movement is unfurled and hurled out into the world. And as it goes, it sows seed for
Number Seven, in which we honor the fruitfulness and celebrate what has grown, by the grace of God alone, yet worth celebrating still, and for more fruit we await
Number Eight, which sees this movement returning to cities once abandoned, taking stands, hand-to-hand in, demanding justice for the oppressed and speaking for those who no longer have a voice, through no choice of their own, and we cannot do this alone…
And so, Number Nine we are aligned together, and partner strong, a song incomplete as a solo, but as the chorus will build, and fill the concert halls of all creation, tearing down walls of mere decoration and years of jubilation arrive not because of what we’ve done or provided, but because of who we’ve turned to…
Who we respond to. The God who walks in the garden and asks, not out of ignorance but out of desire, a spoken Word of something higher asking, calling out to humanity who should be abiding but remains in hiding, “Pray-er, where are you?”
words from wick 