07.28.2019

Heidelberg Catechism

What is your only hope in life and death?

That I am not my own,

but belong body and soul, in life and death

to My faithful savior Jesus Christ.

He has paid for all my sins with his precious blood.

He has set me free from the power of the devil

And cares for me so that not a hair of my head can fall outside of God’s will,

In fact all things must work together for my salvation,

Even evil, suffering, and all of God’s opponents 

can only accomplish God’s plan,

Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he secures eternal life for me,

And makes me able to live for him.

07.21.2019

God my creator and savior,

How great are your works, how glorious your deliverance, how beautiful the story of your unstoppable love,

Yet instead of remembering the long story of your redeeming grace,

I easily and often forget.

You sang wonders into existence,

By day a blue sky hangs over my head,

At night a starry expanse stretches over the world,

Yet I forget to look up and marvel 

Every morning I see a creature bearing your image in the mirror,

Yet I am never astonished,

You are patient and merciful to the broken,

Yet I am often forget the simple fact that I am broken,

I believe that I’m perfectible,

and get frustrated as I repeatedly fail to become perfect,

And am even more frustrated with others for not being perfect

You became human, died, and rose to save me

Yet I somehow forget that Christ has done all, 

I live my life before you as if it were up to me to save myself,

I repeatedly resort to my own strength,

I seldom pray,

And my heart fails to rejoice in Christ as it should,

You promise to redeem all things,

Yet I forget this glorious hope,

and my heart is gripped by despair at the state of the world,

My eyes hope no further than my life, my family, my nation,

When your redemption touches the whole world not only my concerns

God let us remember what we so easily forget,

That you are there, you are calling, and you are redeeming!

07.14.2019

Lord Jesus, we lift up our nation in prayer to you,

In all is glorious achievements and its failures,

We thank you for the kindness, mercy, and blessing you’ve given this nation,

We thank you for the early refugees who sought to build a society which honors you,

And the vision of the founders who created a society with rights for every citizen,

We thank you for the many courageous people in our nation’s history who stood for righteousness and compassion,

For how it has served as a refuge for so many hungry and persecuted people,

We thank you for the amazing creativity and industry which has blessed the world,

We acknowledge that all of these good gifts are blessings from your hand.

Yet we also recognize the many ways that our nation has failed to live up to its own vision, ignored your word, and grieved your heart,

That the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have not be extended to all human beings or even America’s citizens,

That to this day they are denied to the poor, the immigrant, and the oppressed.

That our early wealth was built on the backs of slaves,

That we have not protected and valued all human life,

That we have waged unjust wars for material gain,

Please have mercy, do not treat us as our sins deserve.

We pray for America’s future,

We pray that you would guide our leaders and give them wisdom,

We ask for blessing peace and justice to fill our land,

And that we would turn from evil to honor your name,

Amen