“Shine Jesus Shine” by Graham Kendrick

“Shine Jesus Shine” by Graham Kendrick

Lord, the light of your love is shining
In the midst of the darkness, shining
Jesus, Light of the world, shine upon us
Set us free by the truth you now bring us
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light

Lord, I come to your awesome presence
From the shadows into your radiance
By the blood I may enter your brightness
Search me, try me, consume all my darkness
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light

As we gaze on your kingly brightness
So our faces display your likeness
Ever changing from glory to glory
Mirrored here may our lives tell your story
Shine on me, shine on me

Shine, Jesus, shine
Fill this land with the Father’s glory
Blaze, Spirit, blaze
Set our hearts on fire
Flow, river, flow
Flood the nations with grace and mercy
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be

Send forth your
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there
Send forth your word
Send forth your word
Lord, and let there be light

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Graham A. Kendrick

Dear God, ever since seeing the Jesus Revolution movie yesterday, I’ve been thinking a lot about it. As I said last night in my prayer, I’ve had a lot of disparate thoughts.

What’s been on my heart a lot today is not only the youth in our community, but also the difference in the way some Christians see to help them. There is a very passionate group that wants to focus on every single thing the school is doing that might influence children. From curriculum, to counseling, to policies, etc. They (and I say “they” because I am not one of them) think this will protect our children. But I’ve thought a lot about this today. I cannot think of a single revival in our country that started with a movement of the government or other authorities. Never has it been legislated from the top down. Even thinking back into the Bible stories, it’s always suffering that brings us into repentance. It’s always suffering that brings us to you. The only example I can think of off of the top of my head that might be an exception is the preaching Jonah did in Nineveh. I don’t know what exactly the Ninevites were experiencing to make their hearts so ripe for your message through Jonah, but they were radical in their response.

Now, I look at our children and I keep thinking back to the movie yesterday when they talked about the hippies looking for you, but they were looking in all of the wrong places. From drugs, to promiscuity, to any other type of experimentation, they were looking for something to fill their “God hole.” The same is true for today. I think of what revival would look like if it were to work its way through our school, and it would put any agenda for controlling the library books, the counseling program, etc. to shame. Even students are smart enough to know when to reject something after they have found the truth. In fact, they are probably better at that than adults are.

That leads me to this song. It was the closing song in the church I attended this morning. The lead into the chorus that Graham Kendrick wrote starts with “Shine on me.” It starts with us as individuals. Then, to borrow Kurt Kaiser’s words from “Pass it On,” “It only takes a spark to get a fire going.” So, Father, this is my prayer today: “Shine, Jesus, Shine. Fill this land with the Father’s glory. Blaze, Spirit, Blaze. Set our hearts on fire. Flow, river, flow. Flood the nations with grace and mercy. Send forth your Word, Lord, and let there be light.” Let it start in my home. Let it be in my community. Let it be in my state. Let it be in my country. Let it be in my world. Let is start with what you’re doing in Asbury. Let this movie be your fuel. And let this be the start of something amazing. Let this pain of the pandemic over the last three years, the toxicity of social media, and the idolatry the church has adopted for government and power count. Let it bring us, bring me, to repentance. And then teach us discipleship so that your church might bring your will into the world from the bottom up.

I pray all of this through the name of Jesus, the author and perfector of my faith,

Amen

 

The Jesus Revolution

Dear God, my wife and I just saw The Jesus Revolution in the movie theater this afternoon. I thought it was excellent. She did too. It was based on a Time Magazine story from June 1971. There were several disparate things that were good about it.

First, and at a most basic level, most Christian movies are not well-produced, but this one was. The production–acting, directing, cinematography, sound, etc.–was excellent. It didn’t feel like I was watching a Christian movie. It was just a movie.

Second, the basic message of people who are pursuing happiness in the world through carnal things are really just looking for you was very powerful for me. They are looking for that transcendental peace that you put in our nature to long for because only you can fill it, but they are looking for it in all of the wrong places. It really made me think about my own concern about the youth in our community. A lot of people are concerned, but they are putting their focus, I believe, in the wrong things like what the schools are doing. The problem is so much deeper and more foundational than that. What will we do to offer you to our world?

Third, the timing of this movie’s release is interesting given the revival happening at Asbury College. What are you up to? Is it something we should be sensitive to here? The rest of our country? Are you ready to short-circuit the toxicity of our evolved society and bring us to you?

Fourth, the battle against the ego. It happens to all of us. Sometimes, we start to believe our own press. Sometimes we exalt ourselves and enjoy the exultation of others and forget to decrease so you can increase through us. It has certainly happened to me. It was portrayed well in the movie too. It’s something I feel like I fight all of the time now. Every day. Success is so much fun to not only celebrate but also to use to lift me up and help me displace you with me. There were a couple of times in the movie when the main characters said “I” when they were referring to who had done something. My wife and I squeezed each other’s hands each time because we heard the same thing. They were taking glory for themselves–even in their private argument.

Finally, I got to thinking about basically what amounts to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13), although I didn’t think of it until now. Regarding the young people (and some older) in the movie who were coming to know you, how much were they really developing their soil and giving the Holy Spirit room to grow fruit? Their hearts were not the path, where the seed was snatched away by birds. It stuck more than that. But was it the rocks that allowed the seed to spring up quickly but then die with no root? I would bet a lot fit into this category because this was me back in middle school and high school. Every time I would “accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior,” I really meant it, but I did nothing to till my soil and give you space to develop roots. The seed died over and over again. In the movie, were others like the soil with thorns? Did the cares of this world choke out the seed? I think that is where a lot of our current Christian church in America is. Power. Influence. Dogma. These are all choking out the Spirit in our churches. No, I would like to have seen just a couple of scenes of people learning to walk deeper with you in their private lives as well as their communal lives. The movie showed people moving into the same spaces to live together or going to church almost every night to sustain the fire. But what about when living together and daily church isn’t possible? We need the personal time to connect with you. I described it to my wife as “transparent time with God.” We all need to be spending quality transparent time with you.

Father, use this movie. Use Asbury. Don’t let it be wasted. Show me what to do. Show me, Lord, what to do. Move in the leaders in our community. Move in our country. Move in our world. I was thinking this morning about praying for the influencers of our children. Bring the influencers to you. Bring our children to you. Bring me to you. Bring my wife to you. And do it all for your glory and not ours.

I pray all of this under the glory of your name and because the grace of Jesus enables me to be here before you, my Triune God,

Amen

 

Isaiah 58

“Shout with the voice of a trumpet blast. Shout aloud! Don’t be timid What good is fasting when you keep on fighting and quarreling? This kind of fasting will never get you anywhere with me. You humble yourselves by going through the motions of penance, bowing your heads like reeds bending in the wind. You dress in burlap and cover yourselves with ashes. Is this what you call fasting? Do you really think this will please the Lord? “No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people. Share your food with the hungry, and give shelter to the homeless. Give clothes to those who need them, and do not hide from relatives who need your help. “Then your salvation will come like the dawn, and your wounds will quickly heal. Your godliness will lead you forward, and the glory of the Lord will protect you from behind. Then when you call, the Lord will answer. ‘Yes, I am here,’ he will quickly reply. “Remove the heavy yoke of oppression. Stop pointing your finger and spreading vicious rumors! Feed the hungry, and help those in trouble. Then your light will shine out from the darkness, and the darkness around you will be as bright as noon. The Lord will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring. Some of you will rebuild the deserted ruins of your cities. Then you will be known as a rebuilder of walls and a restorer of homes. “Keep the Sabbath day holy. Don’t pursue your own interests on that day, but enjoy the Sabbath and speak of it with delight as the Lord’s holy day. Honor the Sabbath in everything you do on that day, and don’t follow your own desires or talk idly. Then the Lord will be your delight. I will give you great honorand satisfy you with the inheritance I promised to your ancestor Jacob. I, the Lord, have spoken!”
Isaiah 58

Dear God, this reminds me of 1 Samuel 15 when Samuel says, “To obey is better than to sacrifice…” you don’t want my piety. You simply want me to love you with all my heart, soul, mind and strength and to love my neighbor as myself. The purpose of fasting is to discipline myself into submitting to you, not just making myself feel good because I engaged in some sort of pious activity.

A couple of years ago, a local pastor encouraged his parishioners to consider not giving something up for Lent, but to instead consider taking up an activity that glorifies you. Maybe service. Maybe worship. Maybe prayer. Whatever it is, make it a worshipful add-on to your life instead of a ritualistic denial of something. That’s pretty much what I’m trying to do this year. I’ve pitched something that I think will bring me closer to you, and then the fruit of that will take care of itself.

Father, Isaiah’s words for Israel are likely the same thing you would have to say to the American church today: “Obey me before you have to sacrifice.” There’s a lot in here about loving the poor and oppressed. Help me to go that more and more. For your glory, oh Lord.

Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Holy Spirit, have mercy,

Amen

 

Proverbs 17:9

Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends.
Proverbs 17:9

Dear God, this plays on yesterday’s passage out of Leviticus and it is so true. Forgiveness. It’s a fascinating thing. It’s most difficult when the forgiveness is not sought by the offending person. The person who doesn’t say they are sorry. They might not regret doing something that I think they did wrong. I’ll be frank, God. That person can be hard to forgive. But what happens if I don’t? What are the consequences if I don’t let it go and forgive? Does it hurt them, or does it hurt me? The answer is that it hurts me much more than them.

That doesn’t mean that I don’t set boundaries to keep a chronic offender from hurting me. But I also have to let go of the anger and hurt they’ve caused.

The other thing that is interesting is the difference between when the offending person is my child vs. anyone else. When it is my child, the forgiveness is so, so easy. It really doesn’t matter what the child has done. I will always have a hug waiting for them. It kind of reminds me of the George Strait song “Love Without End, Amen.”

Father, thank you for loving me. Thank you for forgiving me so readily. Thank you for guiding me. Thank you for teaching me to love and forgive. Help me to be an example of this to others so that your kingdom might come into this world.

I pray this through the mercy you grant to me through the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus,

Amen

 

Romans 8:28-30

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Romans 8:28-30

Dear God, you really do work it all for my good. Even the pain. It forms me. It breaks me, and then if I allow you to you mold me, fill me and use me. And when you are using me and I am submitted to you then that is where I find my peace.

There is a song by Garth Brooks, “The Dance,” that so completely encapsulates the pain I carry in my heart that I literally cannot hear it without having tears stream down my face. What I think is brilliant about it is that it expresses gratitude for ignorance: “And now, I’m glad I didn’t know the way it all would end, the way it all would go. Our lives are better left to chance. I could have missed the pain, but I’d have had to miss the dance.” Honestly, the pain I feel now makes the memories sweeter. At least I think it does. I know the memories comfort me. And now the pain forms me. Maybe it makes me more useful to you. I know it focuses my prayers and makes them very intentional.

Father, I trust you that you are working all of this for my good. Make it for the hood of others around me as well. Make it for the hood of your will being done and your kingdom coming in earth as it is in heaven. Make this pain count. Don’t let it be wasted.

I pray this in the name of the one, Triune God,

Amen

 

2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10

Dear God, I have been completely overwhelmed and stressed this week. Too much to do. Too little of me to do it. It’s been oppressive. I’ve been exhausted. And losing a week to COVID last week and then losing two employees to COVID this week didn’t help.

But then I was listening to a friend’s podcast last night and I was reminded that being at the end of ourselves is actually a good thing because that is when you can truly take over and do it better than I could have done it alone. It’s also when I stop taking credit and acknowledge that all of the good around me happens from you.

Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I offer you my coworkers for whom I am concerned. Some are facing some significant personal problems. Some are getting over illness. Help all of us to completely lean into you and upon you. Help me to bring you into the workplace. I pray for the volunteer who texted last night that she was heading to the hospital in San Antonio. I don’t know what is happening with her, but I pray over her body. I pray that you will strengthen and comfort her mother and family. Give them answers for her. And help me know how to truly lean into you today and turn things over to you.

I pray all of this submitted to you and under your authority,

Amen

 

John 13:33-38

“My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Simon Peter asked him, “Lord, where are you going?”Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
John 13:33-38

Dear God, I obviously don’t know how verbatim this quote of Jesus by John is, but assuming John wrote this intentionally, I noticed something new this morning. Peter was so distracted by the idea of Jesus going somewhere he couldn’t go that the words Jesus spoke about the disciples loving one another got lost: “By this they will know you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So what does loving one another look like? There is a patient at our clinic who we have been trying to figure out how to love, but she has boxed herself into a corner through a myriad of life decisions that has left us with very few options. We don’t know how to help her. Is it possible for us to show her live without being able to help?

Of course, the bigger implication here is how we treat each other as Christians. Jesus knew it was rare for people to really love each other because he knew that the disciples loving each other would stand out to the world. At the same time, I’m sure he was looking around the table at this group of people and wondering how they would ever get along without him. They would argue about who would be greatest. How would they do after he was gone?

I think one thing that helped galvanize them together was the crucifixion, the time Jesus was dead, and then the resurrection and subsequent time until Jesus ascended. At the last supper with Jesus, they were on the precipice of the greatest refining fire of their lives up to that point. Of course, for each of them, martyrdom (except Judas Iscariot and John) would come later. This was only the beginning.

Father, help me to be prepared for the refining you have in store for me. Help me to not waste a thing. And most of all, help me to always automatically lean into you in every moment.

I pray all of this under your authority,

Amen

 

“Doubly Good To You” by Rich Mullins

Rich Mullins performing “Doubly Good To You,” a song he wrote but was originally released by Amy Grant

“Doubly Good To You” by Rich Mullins

If you see the moon
Rising gently on your fields
If the wind blows softly on your face
If the sunset lingers
While cathedral bells peal
And the moon has risen to her place

You can thank the Father
For the things that he has done
And thank him for the things he’s yet to do
And if you find a love that’s tender
If you find someone who’s true
Then thank the Lord
He’s been doubly good to you

And if you look in the mirror
At the end of a hard day
And you know in your heart you have not lied
And if you gave love freely
If you earned an honest wage
And if you’ve got Jesus by your side

You can thank the Father
For the things that he has done
And thank him for the things he’s yet to do
And if you find a love that’s tender
If you find someone who’s true
Thank the Lord
He’s been doubly good to you

Dear God, this is just a great song. Nice and simple. a reminder to count our blessings. The end.

Ah, but then there is the rest of the story. Rich Mullins wrote this for his own wedding that never happened. He lost the “doubly good” about which he was singing. Of course, Rich never experienced having children. I can attest that there can be windows in life when your marriage and kids are all great at the same time, and it really feels like even a “triple” goodness. But then those windows pass and things don’t play out like you hope. How will I respond?

I spent some time last week while I was sick pouring over old pictures of my wife and kids. Those pictures always encourage me. They remind me that there was legitimate goodness at one time. That my mind hasn’t imagined it. No, the photos didn’t capture the pain between the smiles. There are holes in the story for which I don’t know the content. But it really does help me to lean into the pain of the current loss I feel from no longer having that sense of “triple goodness” and embrace the life you e given to me now.

So, Father, thank you for the things you have done and the things you’ve yet to do. Help me to be your complete servant today.

I pray all of this under your authority and in your name,

Amen

 

Parenting Through Pain

February 11th entry from Simply Sacred by Gary Thomas

Dear God, I got to thinking yesterday about the challenges a lot of my coworkers are facing right now. There is a lot going on. Some are dealing with very difficult and scary things with their children. Others are dealing with personal health issues that are daunting. One, in particular, is dealing with both plus the recent death of a sibling.

I was already thinking about how I need to really pray over our organization and office when I came across this daily reading from Gary Thomas’s compilation of various clips from his different books called Simply Sacred. It was the last paragraph that struck me after reading the moving story (above): “In fact, every child uniquely stretches us, pushes us, challenges us, and–by God’s design–thereby teaches us how to love. Thank God for difficult children!”

While it can be hard to thank you for the difficult parts of our children–mainly because it can be those difficult parts that concern us the most for our children and we want the best for them–it is easy for me to come to you and ask you to simultaneously 1.) remove the thorns from our children’s sides and 2.) use the presence of the thorns and hopefully the removal process for their good.

I’ve been thinking that I really need to spend some time in deep prayer today in a sacred place for the people in my office. I feel like the frog who has been slowly boiled without realizing it was happening. Now I look around and without my realizing it has started the whole pot is boiling and I didn’t appreciate what was going on. So I’m going to find some time today to go to a chapel and really beseech you on behalf of my coworkers. I’m also going to call on some of the board members where I work to pray. Is this a time of spiritual attack from Satan? Probably. Can it be used for your glory and to advance your kingdom coming and will being done on earth as it is in heaven? Definitely. I just need to bring it to you.

Father, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, please be with the staff and volunteers of our clinic. Be with all of us. Break us, mold us, fill us, use us. We are broken. We are vessels that need your molding and your formation. Don’t let any of this pain we are experiencing as individuals or collectively to be wasted.

I pray this under your authority,

Amen

 

Mark 6:53-56

When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there. As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Mark 6:53-56

Dear God, for whatever reason the word “ran” caught my attention this morning. The first version of this story I read used the word “scurried.” These are words that apply to humans and not you. Whether it’s the Father, the Son, or the Holy Spirit, the image of any type of franticness just doesn’t fit—except for one example.

When I was in college there was a song by Benny Hester called “When God Ran.” The only time we get an image of you running is in the Prodigal Son story. The second part of Luke 15:20:

But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.

To quote “When God Ran”: The only time I ever saw him run is when he ran to me, took me in his arms, held my head to his chest, said, “My son’s come home again!” lifted my face, wiped the tears from my eyes, with forgiveness in his voice he said, “Son, do you know I still love you?” It took me by surprise when God ran.

Father, as a dad—as a dad who has been left by a child—I can see at least a little of this in me. It’s interesting because it really hasn’t left me angry at this child. I can see myself responding exactly how Jesus describes you in this parable. I heard a podcast last week who where a mom and dad were missing an adult daughter who had left. When she finally answered the phone one day, His first words were, “Please don’t hang up. We don’t care what you’ve done. We love you.”

Father, help me to live my life in such a way that franticness is not a part of it. Give me peace. Help me to exude you. And I pray that you will one day give me the opportunity to run to my child.

I pray this all under your authority, trusting in you no matter what.

Amen