Author: Craig

Passion Week ~ Thursday ~ Unload your heavy heart.

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In the week of Jesus’ passion, His passion ran strong.

But he warns that a heavy heart wears down passion.

What makes a heavy heart?

“But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down

with dissipation and drunkenness and the cares of this life,

and that day will come upon you suddenly like a trap.

For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth.

But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have

strength to escape all these things that are going to take

place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”  Luke 21:34-36

Dissipation:  like a drop of colour in water, purpose dissipates; it must be renewed.

Drunkenness:  fake passion fueled by consumption steals life.

Cares of this life:  can stand in for real purpose; they lose meaning when

disconnected from the Lord of life.  The normal tasks of life and relationships

where never meant to bear the weight of our souls.

Jesus draws us into the relationship with Him:  attentive prayer.

In prayer purpose is renewed.

In prayer consumption is held in check.

In prayer the cares of this life meet the promise of the Lord of life.

In prayer we discover His passion ~

the capacity to suffer, sacrifice, and love meaningfully.

In prayer we unload the heavy heart.

Passion Week ~ Wednesday ~ Blind no more.

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Bartimaeus intrigues me. (Mark 10:46-52)

Blind.

He was intensely aware of his situation.

And he wanted a change.

He called out to Jesus until the crowd was annoyed.

“Jesus Son of David have mercy on me.”

They told him to shut up.

Jesus told him to “come here.”

Spiritual blindness is a silent condition.

When we suffer from it we do not call out to Jesus.

His grace, that’s what we need.

Grace gives us awareness.

Grace gives us courage to call out to Jesus.

Grace lifts us up, “Your faith has made you well.”

Grace gives us unction to follow the Lamb of God.

Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi

miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei qui tollis peccata mundi,

miserere nobis.

Agnus Dei qui tollis peccta mundi.

Lamb of God, who takes away the

sin of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the

sin of the world,

have mercy on us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the

sin of the world.

Passion Week ~ Tuesday

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Last week in front of the UBC bookstore I saw the most wonderful sight:

A staircase as if lowered from heaven was deposited on top of the new SUB.

UBC New SUB Stairs

I recalled God’s invitation to Jacob. (Genesis 28:11-19)

Unless God comes reveals we will not see Him.

Unless God makes a way we cannot reach Him.

Unless God comes down…

It’s the week of Jesus’ passion — His suffering.

The cross was the trajectory of His life.

He “came down” that we might “go up to Him.”

He fulfills the longings of our heart to be near to God.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gosY-UrpHcA&feature=youtu.be

In Nearer my God to Thee Sarah Flower Adams reflects on Jacob’s experience and our longings.

Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

E’en though it be a cross that raiseth me;

Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee,

Chorus: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,

Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;

Yet in my dreams I’d be nearer, my God, to Thee,

Chorus

There let the way appear steps unto heav’n;

All that Thou sendest me in mercy giv’n;

Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee,

Chorus

Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs Bethel I’ll raise;

So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee,

Chorus

Or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upwards I fly,

Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee,

A sixth verse was later added to the hymn by Ed­ward H. Bick­er­steth, Jr. as follows:

There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,

There in my Savior’s love, perfectly blest;

Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee.

Chorus

(Thanks to Stacia Sealey for the UBC New SUB Stairs picture.)

Passion Week – Monday

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Standing on the edge of what looks like disaster,

we wonder if we will lose our freedom.

Jesus entered Jerusalem.

And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up,

saying, “Who is this?”

He’s the One who called them to step into the water; the One

who brought them through the waters; the One who stirred

the waters.

I’ve got a song on my mind: Wade in the waters.

Freedom is costly.

We see God’s hand most often when we move forward in obedience.

For the slaves who fled their oppressors in America, the streams hid

them from the dogs, but they always had to step out… hoping.

“Now I know that the LORD saves his anointed;

he will answer him from his holy heaven

with the saving might of his right hand.

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,

but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.”

Psalm 20:6-7

Praying with Patrick

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It’s St. Patrick’s Day this weekend.  And some in our University are already celebrating.  Here is a part of a famous prayer attributed to Patrick.

I arise today through God’s strength to pilot me:

God’s might to uphold me,

God’s wisdom to guide me,

God’s eye to look before me,

God’s ear to hear me,

God’s word to speak for me,

God’s hand to guard me,

God’s way to lie before me,

God’s host to secure me–

against snares of devils,
against inclination of nature,

against everyone who shall

wish me ill, afar and anear,

alone and in a crowd.

 

Christ to protect me today.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me, Christ in me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit,

Christ where I arise,

Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

I arise today through a mighty strength,

the invocation of the Trinity,

through belief in the Threeness,

through confession of the Oneness towards the Creator.

 

Salvation is of the Lord.

Salvation is of the Lord.

Salvation is of Christ.

May Thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us. AMEN.

 

This prayer is part of the Breastplate of St. Patrick, missionary to Ireland.  Born 385 AD in England.  Enslaved in Ireland at age 16.  Escaped but returned to Ireland to proclaim the way of Jesus.  Died March 17, 461.