Mudshot Eyes

I was listening to a friend of mine yesterday (we’ll call him “Michael”, since that is his name) tell about his grandmother’s recent health problems and her stay in the hospital. After he explained everything, I hesitated to give the standard Christian answer, “I will be praying for her.”

I don’t judge anyone else for saying that, but when I say that it means only one thing: I’ll probably forget about it until the next time I see you. I have a difficult time remembering things, whether it’s to-do lists, prayer requests, dates on the calendar, or putting on deodorant in the morning. So if I ever tell you that I will be praying for you, just nod and wink, because you know I’m just talking to fill space.

One option is the recommendation from my friend Debbie that you tell them you have been praying for them after the fact, instead of a shaky promise of a forthcoming prayer somewhere in the distant future. Another approach is to pray for them on the spot, which guarantees you won’t forget, unless your short-term memory is like the guy from the movie Memento. For me, either one is better than the empty prayer promise that I have resorted to in the past.

On that note, the “weakly prayer” this week is for Nana:

Healer God, Yahweh Rapha,

You know how sickness wrecks havoc on our lives, and you have touched the sick many times over (thank you for Jesus, who never hesitated to touch the untouchable lepers, to make them well). Please apply your healing power to Nana’s heart, lungs, and other organs. You know her and love her, and I pray that she would know You and love You more fully through this sickness. Amen.

From Prayers Plainly Spoken, by Stanley Hauerwas:

“Crucified Lord, your creation is full of pain. Our lives are filled with pain. We must appear happy, to be OK, to others and ourselves. After all, we know no one likes to be around people in pain. So we cannot even be around ourselves. We refuse to remember because memory is just another name for pain––dull, meaningless pain that makes us numb. But you would have us be a passionate people, filled with the Spirit, possessed by memory. We fear that if we remember, the pain will return and kill our present. Give us courage, which is just another name for friends, to stare down the terror in our own and our neighbors’ lives, that we may be your joyous people. Amen.”

In memory of my dear cousin, Mark Winn, today being the anniversary of his death. Thanks be to God for giving us the strength to remember with joy.

Creator God (Elohim),

This sunset view from 35,000 feet
makes me wonder if You gave us the airplane
simply to have a better view.

Is there any place more important right now
than seeing Your glory through this small window?

I’ll stay right here
and look with all my eyes.

Before now, I did not expect so much color
in Your glory!

(We always think of white-bright white
and a long beard)

Color is Your glory
Your glory is color-full!

My eyes have tasted this
creative color palette;

I think I am seeing better now.

Amen.

Lord of the Sabbath,

Today is Sunday, as you know.
It is the day you have made,
just like Monday,
but this day is set apart.

You want us to set ourselves apart
for teaching,
for fellowship,
for the breaking of bread,
for prayer.

It looks good on paper;
it’s the reality that troubles me.

When next Sunday comes
I will gather with the saints.

I think it would help if I saw you there.

Amen

Faithful God,

When we have trusted you and staked our claim with your power, your interference has been obvious.

You interfere with our worry.
You interfere with our failings.
You interfere with our opinions.
You interfere with our relationships.
You interfere with our self-absorbed way of living.

Sometimes you don’t interfere with our pain the way we would like you to, but even then we see you more clearly in our affliction because of the way you interfere with our blindness.

Thank you for getting in our way.
We need you to stand in the paths of our brokenness.

Amen.

Agape God,

I wonder if I’ll ever learn
Love’s way.

“I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life,”

And the Love,
Which was put on display
In Your life,
Your death.

I wonder at the way of
Love’s learning.

“Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me,”

To love,
All who You love so freely
With Your life,
Your death.

Amen.

*Agape is one of the Greek words used in the Bible for love. Click to learn about that.

*Why a “weakly” prayer? Click.