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Prayer

The Everyday Little Big Things

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I’m pretty good at loving the people who are fun to love. Easy to love. The people I want to be like. Or the people a little bit like me. I’m good to those people. I’m available to them. I extend grace to them. But what about everybody else? What about the awkward people? The ones that haven’t seemed to learn the social graces of our time and place? And what about the people who continually need something? Or the people who exhaust you? The ones you don’t seem to understand? I’m lost in this concern this week. I can’t […]

Holes

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We’ve given up chocolate. Or coffee. Or Facebook. We’re doing without meat. Or complaining. Or Sugar. And in this giving up, there are empty places left behind. The instinct of our flesh will be to fill those holes with something it wants. Something it convinces us we need. If we gave up chocolate, we’ll increase our sugar or find comfort in something else sweet. If we gave up Facebook, it’s likely we’ll spend more time on Pinterest. If we gave up coffee, we’ll probably find another drink that satisfies the thirst of our flesh. If we gave up meat, there’s […]

Raw1

Keeping it Raw

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The Jesus we like to identify with and tell people about is the ever loving, full of grace, resurrected Jesus. We mention that he died on the cross for our sins but we don’t talk much about what the really means. Maybe it’s because we’re not fully sure why death was necessary. Or what that means for us as his followers. But when we speak of his life, death and resurrection, we claim the resurrection as the miraculous part. His life is unique and challenging. His death, humbling. But his resurrection? That’s one miracle no one’s been able to imitate. […]

The Skinny on Fasting

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Just a few more days before Lent begins! After trying every flavor of the baked paczki at Give Thanks Bakery this coming Tuesday, I will begin forty days of fasting as we anticipate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. For those of us who didn’t grow up with this Lenten practice, we tend to interpret this time of fasting as simply “giving something up.” We choose something we really like, and do without it for 40 days. And maybe, just maybe we pray a little bit more because our giving up reminds us to. But surely there’s more to […]

Praying Grace Today

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Oh that your grace might chase me. Into my selfishness. Into my pride. Into my control. Oh that your grace might cover me. My sin. My ugly parts. My insecurities. Oh that your grace might teach me. Of love. Of forgiveness. Of renewal. Oh that your grace might lead me. Into the pain of others. Into uncomfortable places. Into your perfect will. Oh that your grace might show me. Hope. Faithfulness. Affirmation. Oh that your grace might humble me. To listen. To learn. To sacrifice. Oh that your grace might reveal. My strengths. My courage. My gifts. Oh that your […]