Saul’s Story

A young Jewish boy grows up in a deeply broken world, surrounded by injustice, suffering, and unanswered longing, yet shaped by ancient stories of God’s power and promise. Among those stories, the hope of a coming king quietly endures, fueling his pursuit of knowledge and devotion. 

As he studies and rises in religious achievement, begins to see that the problem runs deeper than oppression—it is an ancient sickness within humanity itself.

Would-be Messiahs

As various would-be messiahs rise and fall, the young man becomes increasingly convinced that true deliverance is a myth. So when rumors spread of a crucified teacher rising from the dead, he rejects them outright as dangerous lies. 

Certain that these claims dishonor God, he moves from skepticism to hostility, actively persecuting the followers of Jesus and attempting to silence the movement before it can spread.

Damascus Road

Everything changes on the road to Damascus, where the risen Jesus confronts Saul directly. 

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”—Acts 9:4

“Who are you, Lord?”—Acts 9:5

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”—Acts 9:5

The crucified Messiah is revealed as the risen Lord, the first to conquer death and the beginning of a new creation. 

“God in Christ... has acted from outside the human sphere to topple Sin, Death, and the devil from their thrones.”—Flemming Rutledge

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus is not only restoring the world but also extending reconciliation to those like Saul, transforming him by grace. 

"For the power of God, by its contact with our nature, becomes the source of a new life for us, and the one who was formerly an enemy becomes a friend... through the mystery of reconciliation, the soul is transformed into that which it contemplates."—Gregory of Nyssa

This reality becomes the foundation of the message Saul—now Paul—will later proclaim: a sweeping vision of Jesus as supreme over all and the one making all things whole.

“The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross. 

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 

But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. This is the gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant.”—Colossians 1:15–23 (NIV)

Paul’s Story

Paul’s life becomes a living testimony to the truth of the resurrection. Once an enemy of Jesus, he abandons status, security, and success to follow the One he once opposed. 

Enduring suffering, rejection, and imprisonment, Paul’s transformation points to a powerful reality: he did not merely adopt a new belief system, he encountered a living Savior. 

A World Made Whole

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God has begun the work of restoring the broken world, defeating sin and death and launching a new creation. Though that restoration is not yet fully complete, we now live in the tension between what has been accomplished and what is still to come. 

"The good news is that the one true God has now taken charge of the world, in and through Jesus and his death and resurrection... God’s plan to put the world right has finally been launched. The ancient sickness... has been cured at last... Life has come to life and is pouring out like a mighty river into the world, in the form of a new power, the power of love."—N.T. Wright

As followers of Jesus, we are invited to live as citizens of this new world—marked by love, justice, mercy, and hope—joining in the work God has already begun and trusting that one day, all things will be made fully whole.

Palm Sunday: Declaring a King

Palm Sunday marks Jesus’ royal entrance into Jerusalem, where His identity as King is revealed in a way that challenges our assumptions.

American Revolution

We live between rejecting authority altogether and misusing Jesus’ kingship as a political slogan—both misunderstand who He truly is.

Whether resisting Jesus or co-opting Him, both responses fail to recognize that His authority is good, trustworthy, and demands our surrender.

A Climactic Moment

Palm Sunday brings these tensions to a head as Jesus publicly reveals Himself as King in a decisive and symbolic moment.

“They approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives…”—Matthew 21:1 (NIV)

The Subversive King

Jesus intentionally contrasts earthly power by entering on a donkey, revealing a kingdom built on humility and peace, not force.

“Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, ‘Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.’ This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: ‘Say to Daughter Zion, “See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”’ The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on.”—Matthew 21:1–7 (NIV)

“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will take away the chariots from Ephraim and the warhorses from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be broken. He will proclaim peace to the nations. His rule will extend from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.”—Zechariah 9:9–10 (NIV)

Where Rome establishes peace through violence, Jesus brings true peace through His own sacrifice and love.

“God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”—Colossians 1:19–20 (NIV)

Jesus’ kingship subverts worldly expectations, calling for allegiance not through force, but through faithful witness.

The Misunderstood King

The crowds honor Jesus as King but misunderstand His mission, expecting political revolution instead of spiritual redemption.

A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Hosanna in the highest heaven!”—Matthew 21:8-9

The people long for liberation from Rome, but Jesus comes to defeat sin, death, and evil itself.

“God in Christ, the God-man,  has acted from outside the human sphere to topple Sin, Death, and the devil from their thrones.”—Fleming Rutledge

“Christ conquered the devil as man had been conquered by the devil.”—Anselm of Canterbury

A Humble King

Seeing Jesus as only political king or only moral teacher falls short—He is Lord over all.

“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this?’ The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.’”—Matthew 21:10-11

Jesus brings a “shalom-shaped” kingdom marked by wholeness, peace, justice, and restoration.

“One of his core teachings has been to redefine what this new community would look like. He has taught about this shalom-shaped kingdom in Galilee and in Judea, and now he must confront the corrupt Jewish and Roman leadership in Jerusalem. Jesus signals the different nature of this kingdom in his “triumphal entry.”—Danny Zacharias

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”—Isaiah 9:6–7

Jesus redefines kingship through humility—serving the lowly, transforming hearts, and choosing the cross over power.

Responding to the King

We are invited to stop ruling our own lives and instead submit to Jesus’ gentle and good leadership.

“Nero did not throw Christians to the lions because they confessed that ‘Jesus is Lord of my heart.’ It was rather because they confessed that ‘Jesus is Lord of all,’ meaning that Jesus was Lord even over the realm Caesar claimed as his domain of absolute authority.”—Michael Bird

In a divided world, we boldly and faithfully declare that Jesus alone is King through both word and action.

Silence And Solitude

Modern life resists silence and solitude through busyness, distraction, competition, and the pressure to build a life around achievement.

“They live with a sense that there is adequate time to do what needs to be done each day.”—Robert Banks

“…a lot of competition and a lot of emphasis on individual achievement—[i.e.] doing reasonably well in school, getting into the right college, landing the right job, moving toward success and status. This competitive pressure means that we all have to spend more time, energy, and attention on the external…. The self is less likely to be seen as the seat of the soul, or as the repository of some transcendent spirit. Instead, the self is a vessel of human capital. It is a series of talents to be cultivated efficiently and prudently. The self is defined by its tasks and accomplishments. The self is about talent, not character.”—David Brooks

The Gospel Of Self-Trust

A culture of self-sufficiency trains us to depend on performance and approval instead of cultivating an inner life with God.

“Not only am I able to do incredible things, but I also have a responsibility to be exceptional.”—David Brooks

“approval-seeking machines, [that] measure their lives by external praise.”—David Brooks

Jesus’ Rhythm Of Retreat

Jesus regularly withdrew to quiet places, showing that solitude was not optional but essential to sustaining His life and ministry.

“And he called his twelve disciples together and began sending them out two by two, giving them authority to cast out evil spirits. He told them to take nothing for their journey except a walking stick—no food, no traveler’s bag, no money. He allowed them to wear sandals but not to take a change of clothes. ‘Wherever you go,’ he said, ‘stay in the same house until you leave town. But if any place refuses to welcome you or listen to you, shake its dust from your feet as you leave to show that you have abandoned those people to their fate.’

So the disciples went out, telling everyone they met to repent of their sins and turn to God. And they cast out many demons and healed many sick people, anointing them with olive oil.

The apostles returned to Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all they had done and taught. Then Jesus said, ‘Let’s go off by ourselves to a quiet place and rest awhile.’ He said this because there were so many people coming and going that Jesus and his apostles didn’t even have time to eat. So they left by boat for a quiet place, where they could be alone.”—Mark 6:7–13, 30–32

Success Cannot Sustain The Soul

Jesus leads His disciples away from outward accomplishment to rest in God, teaching that achievement is not enough to sustain spiritual health.

“Jesus seems to have little time for their ministry reports. He is concerned about the bigger issue of how they will sustain their spiritual life rather than being distracted by outward successes. Without wasting any time at all, he invites them to experience solitude as a place of rest in God.”—Ruth Haley Barton

“But many people recognized them and saw them leaving, and people from many towns ran ahead along the shore and got there ahead of them. Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things.”—Mark 6:33–34

What Happens In Solitude

In silence and solitude, God meets His people, reveals what is true beneath the surface, and renews them for what comes next.

“Silence helps us drop beneath the superficiality of our mental constructs to that place of the heart that is deeper in its reality than anything the mind can capture or express in words. In this wordless place the whole of our person turns itself toward God and waits to be addressed by God.”—Ruth Haley Barton

An Honest Heart Before God

Silence and solitude are not automatic formulas for transformation, but spaces where humility and honesty make renewal possible.

“What are you doing here, Elijah?”—1 Kings 19:9

The Discipline Of Slowness

Choosing slower, more attentive rhythms in ordinary life can prepare our hearts to hear from God.

Resources:

Practicing The Way’s Solitude Practice

Invitation to Silence & Solitude by Ruth Haley Barton

Small Practices That Form Us

Brief moments of quiet in everyday routines can become “micro-disciplines” that strengthen our capacity for deeper solitude with God.

• Turn ordinary routines into brief moments of silence, prayer, or reflection.

• Set aside intentional time to be alone with God in a quiet place.

• Begin with a few minutes of silence and use a simple prayer phrase to refocus.

• End your time with gratitude, not self-evaluation.

• As the desire grows, plan for longer times of retreat and rest with God.

Faith Makes Room for Anguish

Faith does not require pretending everything is fine; Scripture shows that honesty before God—including grief, anger, and confusion—is part of a faithful life.

“Lament is pain brought to speech.”—Walther Brueggemann

“I am beginning to see that much of praying is grieving.”—Henri Nouwen

Refuse Numbness

Faithfulness to God means staying awake to suffering—our own and the world’s—rather than numbing ourselves to pain or ignoring God’s call to repentance.

“They dress the wounds of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace.”—Jeremiah 6:14

“Pashhur the priest, the son of Immer and chief official in the temple of the Lord, heard Jeremiah prophesying these things. So Pashhur had the prophet Jeremiah beaten and put him in the stocks at the Upper Benjamin Gate in the Lord’s temple. The next day, when Pashhur released Jeremiah from the stocks, Jeremiah said to him, ‘The Lord does not call you Pashhur, but Terror Is on Every Side, for this is what the Lord says: “I am about to make you a terror to both yourself and those you love. They will fall by the sword of their enemies before your very eyes. I will hand Judah over to the king of Babylon, and he will deport them to Babylon and put them to the sword. I will give away all the wealth of this city, all its products and valuables. Indeed, I will hand all the treasures of the kings of Judah over to their enemies. They will plunder them, seize them, and carry them off to Babylon. As for you, Pashhur, and all who live in your house, you will go into captivity. You will go to Babylon. There you will die, and there you will be buried, you and all your friends to whom you prophesied lies.”’”—Jeremiah 20:1–6

Bring Pain to Speech

Lament teaches us to bring our suffering honestly before God, because pain that is spoken in prayer can lead to healing, truth, and transformation.

“Lord, you deceived me, and I was deceived… I have become a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.”—Jeremiah 20:7

“If I say, ‘I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,’…”—Jeremiah 20:9a

“…there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.”—Jeremiah 20:9b

Lament Helps Us Hope

Lament keeps faith alive in suffering by holding grief and trust together, believing that God hears and is still at work.

“But the Lord is with me like a violent warrior. Therefore, my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.”—Jeremiah 20:11

“Lament is when you assume God’s character and covenant attributes… you cannot lament and sin. The Biblical laments all assume that God can do something about this. Why else would you be lamenting? Never once does the Bible say just passively resign yourself to accept what happens. It never says that. Never.” —Pastor Mike Erre

“Sing to the Lord; praise the Lord! For he has delivered the life of the needy from the hands of evildoers.”—Jeremiah 20:13

“Prayer, at the deepest level, is… understood as God calling to God through the created and groaning world, God calling to God from within the redeemed and groaning Church, God the Spirit, dwelling in the hearts of her people as they dwell in the midst of the broken world, and calling God the Father, the transcendent one, and being certainly heard.”—N.T. Wright

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.”—Romans 8:22–23

The Invitation to Lament

God invites us to bring our wounds honestly before Him, trusting that lament opens the door for deeper relationship, healing, and hope.

Cultural Resistance To Confession
Many of us carry stories that make confession feel threatening or shameful, causing us to avoid the very practice that leads to healing and true vulnerability.

“Something the whole church participated in together. But overtime, because of cultural shifts, theological developments, and even abuses of public discipline, and living in a western culture that is highly individualistic, confession moved from something shared to something hidden.”—Mark Joseph Turner

Biblical Context
John writes to believers facing false teachings about Jesus, grounding their faith again in the truth that he personally encountered the real, incarnate Christ.

“What we are telling you about is that which was from the beginning, that which we heard, that which we saw with our eyes, that which we gazed upon, and which our hands touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it.”—1 John 1:1–4 

“Wherever his conversation began it cut straight across the country to Jesus Christ.”—Saint John Vianney

God Is Light
Because God’s nature is perfectly holy and truthful, following Him means learning to live honestly in the light rather than hiding in darkness.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” —1 John 1:5

“A man’s own character will necessarily be determined by the character of the god whom he worships; and, therefore, John begins by laying down the nature of the God and Father of Jesus Christ whom Christians worship.”—William Barclay

“I am the light of the world.”—John 8:12

The Reality Of Darkness And Self-Deception
John warns that denying sin—whether our nature, actions, or need for God—cuts us off from the truth and from the healing Christ came to bring.

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth….If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”—1 John 1:6, 8, 10

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”—Mark 2:17

“Each of these claims denies the fundamental reality of the Christian faith, which is that God has come to us in Christ to redeem us from sin’s darkness. Denial of sin makes a person incapable of participating in the faith.”—N.T. Wright

“Sin is any state in which we act in ways that fray or sever the bonds of love between us and others, and between us and God present to me through those creatures.”—Nancy Mairs

Confession Restores Fellowship And Cleansing
Walking in the light through confession leads to restored relationships with God and others and to the ongoing cleansing made possible through Jesus.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin….If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:7, 9

“The things which are done in secret are things that people are ashamed even to speak of; but anything exposed by the light will be illuminated and anything turns into light.”—Ephesians 5:12–13

Confession Aligns Our Voice With God’s Truth
To confess is to “say the same thing” as God about our sin and His mercy—rejecting self-condemnation while embracing His forgiveness.

Confession To One Another Brings Healing
Sharing our sins with trusted believers creates space for grace, freedom, and healing that secrecy can never produce.

“Confess your sins to one another and you will be healed.” —James 5:16

“There is nothing to gain… by pretending [not to confess our sins] since God already knows the truth. But there is much to be gained by honest and repentant confession.”—Constantine Campbell

Regularly naming our sins before God and trusted community allows confession to become a source of freedom, renewal, and deeper fellowship with Christ.

Temptation

Temptation is a flickering impulse that invites us to contribute to the chaos. 

Jesus’ wilderness experience teaches us that temptations can be resisted. 

The Wilderness 

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:17 (NIV)

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.” – Matthew 4:1 (NIV)

The Spirit is free to lead not only into good things, but bad things as well. 

“The central message of the NT is salvation: Christ saves us. What he saves us from is the power of the Devil. If the power of the Devil is dismissed, then Christ’s saving mission becomes meaningless”– Jeffery Burton Russell

“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ”  –John 8:44.

“…After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.” – Matthew 4:2

The prophet Moses spent forty day fasting on Mount Sinai before revealing the law of the Lord. 

Likewise, Jesus spends forty days fasting in the wilderness before revealing the Gospel. 

The Temptation to distrust God.

“The tempter came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”  Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” – Matthew 4:3-4 (NIV)

The Temptation to test God.

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels    concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’” – Matthew 4:5-7 (NIV)

“When one Scripture is used to encourage behavior that most Scripture, or the heart of Scripture, discourages, we can tell we are in enemy territory.” – Dale Bruner

The Temptation to work without God.

 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” 

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’” 

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him. –Matthew 4:8–11 (NIV)

A Theology of Fasting

Fasting helps us respond to life’s sacred moments. 

“Fasting is a person’s whole-body, natural response to life’s sacred moments.” –Scot McKnight

Fasting puts us in solidarity with the hungry. 

Fasting helps us resist the flesh. 

“Fasting trains our bodies to not get what they want. At least, not all the time. This is yet another reason why, in a culture so run by feelings and desire, fasting is a bizarre idea even to Christians. We assume that we must get what we want to be happy, and by want, we often mean what our flesh wants.” – John Mark Comer

Fasting helps us rely on the Spirit. 

 “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.” –John 4:31–34.

Fasting helps us express a unified hunger for God.

Naming Wrong Feels Wrong

Lent invites self-examination and repentance.

In an “Age of Authenticity,” calling something sin feels out of step. Rejecting sin language risks losing a key insight into the human condition.

The Wrongness

“It was because we rejected the doctrine of original sin that we on the Left were always being so disappointed; disappointed by the refusal of people to be reasonable . . . by the behavior of nations and politicians . . . above all, by the recurrent fact of war.” —C. E. M. Joad

The doctrine of sin explains both our capacity for good and for great evil.
Sin is not merely a judgment; it is a diagnosis.

A Great Cloud Of Sinners

We stand together as sinners in need of grace. No one is exempt; all share in brokenness.

A Thesis

We do not gather because we are virtuous, but because Jesus makes sinners into saints.

Lent invites renewed participation in Christ’s transforming work.

Romans And A New Humanity

Romans present the Gospel as God’s righteousness revealed, a new humanity created, promises fulfilled, and a unified people formed.

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—” —Romans 5:12 (NIV)
In Jesus, a new way of being human has begun.

Adam’s Inheritance

Sin is described as rebellion against God, a sickness of the soul, disordered desires, and corrupted culture.

Rebellion: failure to love God and neighbor.

“The most important one is this… Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’” —Mark 12:30–31

Sickness: a deep, inherited soul-level brokenness.

“Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” —Psalm 51:5

“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” —Jeremiah 17:9

Disordered desires: inner conflict and slavery to destructive impulses.

“I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” —Romans 7:18–19

“…I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me.” —Romans 7:22–23

Corrupted culture: sin normalized and institutionalized.

“[Sin is] the Human Propensity to [m]uck things Up” —Francis Spufford

Sin is both personal and systemic, subtle and pervasive.

This is Adam’s inheritance: brokenness that breaks everything it touches.

Christ’s Inheritance

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification.” —Romans 5:15–16

God does not leave humanity enslaved. Jesus, the new Adam, lives in full obedience, resists temptation, and reverses failure. On the cross, he absorbs sin and defeats it.

“For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!” –Romans 5:17

In Christ, the inheritance shifts from sin and death to grace and life.

“In Romans, righteousness is a transforming gift.”–Craig Keener

Lent And Spiritual Practice

"Sin wants to be alone with people. It takes them away from the community. The more lonely people become, the more destructive the power of sin over them. The more deeply the become entangled in it, the more unholy is their loneliness… Sin must be brought into the light. What is unspoken is said openly and confessed. All that is secret and hidden comes to light. It is a hard struggle until the sin crosses one’s lips in confession. But God breaks down gates of bronze and cuts through bars of iron."– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

The doctrine of sin produces humility and empathy, not weaponized judgment. Sin loses power in the light of confession and community.

We commit to being a forgiven and forgiving community. We go first in saying, “I’m sorry” or “I was wrong”. In the light of grace, brokenness is brought into the open and hope remains.

Prayers Of Contemplation

Constant noise, distraction, and digital saturation shape our attention and inner lives. If we cannot bear silence, we struggle to discern God’s voice.

Elijah’s story unfolds within Israel’s history of kings. After victory on Mount Carmel, Elijah flees in fear, overwhelmed and desiring death.

“But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.’” —1 Kings 19:4

Encounter At Horeb

“There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’ He said, ‘I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.’” —1 Kings 19:9–10

God invites Elijah into deeper awareness.

“And he said, ‘Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.’ And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah?’” —1 Kings 19:11–13

God is not found in spectacle, but in sheer silence. Elijah’s internal narrative overwhelms his ability to hear. Even after profound encounters, we can forget God’s voice.

Hearing God

“Our failure to hear His voice when we want to is due to the fact that we do not in general want to hear it, that we want it only when we think we need it.” —Dallas Willard

“I say I want to hear God, but I arrive with a script. I bring the world with me. Headlines, moral urgency, the language of the moment. Group identities. Categories of blame and virtue. I don’t wait to hear God name things. I name them first, then ask Him to affirm or adjust… But whispers require attention. Elijah learned that God wasn’t in the spectacle. Not in the wind, not in the earthquake, not in the fire. God came in a low voice. That voice assumes something of me, that I am willing to be quiet long enough to hear it.” —Michael Boswel

God speaks on His terms, in quiet intimacy.
The question is whether we are listening.

Spiritual Practice

God is constantly speaking; we must cultivate attention.

“The world is crowded with him. He walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labour is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake.” —C. S. Lewis

Begin with brief moments of stillness.
Ask God to speak.
Remain awake to His presence.

Prayers of Persistence

Persistent prayer is ongoing conversation with God about what matters most over time, leading to deeper intimacy and attunement to the Holy Spirit.

“Don’t be anxious about anything; rather, bring up all of your requests to God in your prayers and petitions, along with giving thanks. Then the peace of God that exceeds all understanding will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus”—Philippians 4:6-7

Persistent prayer is rooted in trust, not striving.

“God chose us in Christ to be holy and blameless in God’s presence before the creation of the world. God destined us to be his adopted children through Jesus Christ because of his love. This was according to his goodwill and plan and to honor his glorious grace that he has given to us freely through the Son whom he loves. We have been ransomed through his Son’s blood, and we have forgiveness for our failures based on his overflowing grace, which he poured over us with wisdom and understanding” —Ephesians 1:4-8

Jesus Teaches About Prayer

“Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.’

Jesus told them, ‘When you pray, say:
Father, uphold the holiness of your name.
Bring in your kingdom.
Give us the bread we need for today.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who has wronged us.
And don’t lead us into temptation.’

He also said to them, ‘Imagine that one of you has a friend and you go to that friend in the middle of the night. Imagine saying, “Friend, loan me three loaves of bread because a friend of mine on a journey has arrived and I have nothing to set before him.” Imagine further that he answers from within the house, “Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up to give you anything.” I assure you, even if he wouldn’t get up and help because of his friendship, he will get up and give his friend whatever he needs because of his friend’s brashness.

And I tell you: Ask and you will receive. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened.

Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?’” —Luke 11:1-13 (CEB) 

Praying “Father” affirms relationship and inclusion in God’s family. Daily bread invites dependence and surrender. Forgiveness invites inner examination and reconciliation. Protection invites continual trust and reliance.

Persistence In Asking, Seeking, And Knocking

“Everyone who asks, receives. Whoever seeks, finds. To everyone who knocks, the door is opened.” —Luke 11:10

“Which father among you would give a snake to your child if the child asked for a fish? If a child asked for an egg, what father would give the child a scorpion? If you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” —Luke 11:11

Abiding In God’s Presence

Persistent prayer is remaining with God, listening as well as speaking, and growing in intimacy through ongoing fellowship with him.

Scripture on the Immigrant

“Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. –Exodus 23:9  (NIV)

“When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God”. – Leviticus 19:33–34 (NIV)

“And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. Fear the Lord your God and serve him.” – Deuteronomy 10:19 (NIV).

‘Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.’ Then all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’– Deuteronomy 27:19 (NIV)

The Lord sets prisoners free,  the Lord gives sight to the blind, 
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down, the Lord loves the righteous. The Lord watches over the foreigner 
 and sustains the fatherless and the widow, 
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked. –Psalm 146:7–9 (NIV)

“I was eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. 
I was a father to the needy; 
I took up the case of the stranger. I broke the fangs of the wicked 
and snatched the victims from their teeth.” –Job 29:15–17 (NIV)

“​​If you really change your ways and your actions and deal with each other justly, if you do not oppress the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow and do not shed innocent blood in this place, and if you do not follow other gods to your own harm, then I will let you live in this place, in the land I gave your ancestors for ever and ever. But look, you are trusting in deceptive words that are worthless.” –Jeremiah 7:5–8 (NIV)

“You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe a foreigner resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.” –Ezekiel 47:22–23.

“And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: “This is what the Lord Almighty said: ‘Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other.’” –Zechariah 7:8–10.

““So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty.” – Malachi 3:5.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven.– Matthew 5:43–45 (NIV)

“For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’” –Matthew 25:35–36 (NIV)

“Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” –Matthew 25:45 (NIV)

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” –Mark 12:29–31. (See also Matthew 22:37-39 and Luke 10:27)

“​​Then Peter began to speak: “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. Acts 10:34–35 (NIV)

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” Romans 12:12–13. (NIV)

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. – Romans 13:8–10 (NIV)

“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” – Colossians 3:11 (NIV)

“...remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 

For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” Ephesians 2:12–18 (NIV)

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”– Hebrews 13:1–3 (NIV)

“Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers and sisters, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. Please send them on their way in a manner that honors God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such people so that we may work together for the truth.” –3 John 5–8 (NIV)

Imago Dei 

1. The doctrine asserts that all human beings are made in the image of God. See Genesis 1:27. 

Scripture's emphasis on the dignity of all humans and the treatment of immigrants provides a foundation for immigration policy but does not provide specifics. 

Stories of mistreatment in Minneapolis.

• tear-gassing of infants 

• arrest of peaceful clergy 

• smashing the windows of cars 

• spraying protesters in the face with pepper spray from four inches away. 

• And more.

The Christian & the State. 

Authority Is a Responsibility, Not an Excuse - Bonnie Kristian

Romans 13 is often a misquoted scripture used to justify government violence and civilian obedience.

“Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.” – Romans 13:1–2 (NIV)

“Romans 13 is most often invoked not when the state is acting justly but when Christians feel the urge to quiet their consciences ought to trouble us—not because this habit puts too much weight on biblical authority but because it attacks it.” –Russell Moore, Christians, Let’s Stop Abusing Romans 13

“[Paul] believes that Jesus is the true Lord of the world, that his followers should not pick unnecessary quarrels with the lesser lords.”–Tom Wright

“The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state. It must be the guide and the critic of the state, and never its tool. If the church does not recapture its prophetic zeal, it will become an irrelevant social club without moral or spiritual authority.”– Martin Luther King Jr. 

"I maintain, then, that we read Romans 13:1-2 as a statement about the sovereignty of God and the limits of human discernment. We are allowed to discern and even condemn evil like the prophets did. We are allowed to resist like the Hebrew midwives, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego… this does not place limits on our ability as Christians to call evil by its name, but it does obligate us to be willing to suffer the consequences of living in a fallen world.” –Esau McCaulley

Courage & Prayer

We must be a community of courage and action.

“To intercede for another means that in our prayer we stand between — or next to — them and God.” — Brian Taylor

If you have ideas on serving neighbors, please let us know: info@midtownkc.church.

Prayers of Confession

Confession is often avoided or misunderstood, yet it is a vital and life-giving practice for following Jesus.

“It was a communal practice – something the whole church participated in together. But overtime, because of cultural shifts, theological developments, and even abuses of public discipline, and living in a western culture that is highly individualistic, confession moved from something shared to something hidden.”—Mark Joseph Turner

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”—1 John 1:5-10

“Wherever his conversation began it cut straight across the country to Jesus Christ.”—Saint John Vianney

God is Light

God’s nature is revealed through Jesus as light: fully true, fully present, and wholly good.

“This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” —1 John 1:5

“A man's own character will necessarily be determined by the character of the god whom he worships; and, therefore, John begins by laying down the nature of the God and Father of Jesus Christ whom Christians worship.”—William Barclay

“What we are telling you about is that which was from the beginning, that which we heard, that which we saw with our eyes, that which we gazed upon, and which our hands touched.”—1 John 1:1

The Darkness

Self-deception about sin fractures fellowship and obscures the truth of the gospel.

“If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth…If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us…If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”—1 John 1:6-10

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”—Mark 2:17

“Each of these claims denies the fundamental reality of the Christian faith, which is that God has come to us in Christ to redeem us from sin’s darkness. Denial of sin makes a person incapable of participating in the faith.”—N.T. Wright

“Sin is any state in which we act in ways that fray or sever the bonds of love between us and others, and between us and God present to me through those creatures.”—Nancy Mairs

Confession is Communal

Confession restores fellowship with God and one another and brings cleansing and forgiveness.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin…. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”—1 John 1:7-9

“So that you too may have fellowship with us; indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ.”—1 John 1:3

Toxic Positivity

Gratitude can become harmful when it is forced or used to suppress real pain. Genuine gratitude does not deny suffering; forced gratitude silences it. God invites honesty, allowing thanksgiving and lament to coexist.

Prayers Of Thanksgiving

Prayers of thanksgiving do not erase pain but anchor us in God’s presence and faithfulness. Biblical thanksgiving names God’s goodness without denying hardship and trusts His guidance even when outcomes remain unclear.

“Christian thanksgiving is not a way of ignoring pain; it is a way of insisting that pain is not the final truth.”—Frederick Buechner

Jesus And The Ten Lepers

Jesus encounters ten men whose suffering is unresolved, yet thanksgiving becomes a pathway to wholeness.

“On the way to Jerusalem he, was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’”—Luke 17:11–13

“Those who have leprosy are treated as if they were dead.”—Josephus

 “When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.”—Luke 17:14

“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.”—Luke 17:15-16

Faith moves before outcomes are certain. Thanksgiving offered while walking in obedience reveals trust in God’s faithfulness. Gratitude is not merely acknowledgment of a gift but recognition of the Giver.

“I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”—Charles Spurgeon

“Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”—Luke 17:17-19

Thanksgiving expresses faith, returns to God, and leads to wholeness beyond physical healing.

Corrie’s Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving remains possible even in profound suffering.

“Thank you, God, for the fleas.”—Corrie ten Boom

Gratitude here does not celebrate suffering but acknowledges God’s presence and work within it. Thanksgiving becomes an act of faith that sustains and restores.

Spiritual Practice

“Is prayer your steering wheel or is it your spare tire?”—Corrie ten Boom

Thanksgiving offered before clarity, expressed rather than assumed, and rooted in salvation reveals the fullness of faith. Gratitude returns to God, names His faithfulness, and trusts that suffering does not have the final word.

Intercessory Prayer

Intercessory prayer is standing before God on behalf of others, rooted first in presence and proximity before it is expressed in words.

“To intercede for another means that in our prayer we stand between — or next to — them and God.” — Brian Taylor

Intercession In God’s Story

From the beginning, humanity was created to stand at the intersection of heaven and earth, representing God’s presence within creation.

“Turn away from your fierce anger. Change your mind about this terrible disaster you have threatened against your people.

Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You bound yourself with an oath to them, saying, ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars of heaven. And I will give them all of this land that I have promised to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.’

So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on his people. ” — Exodus 32:12-14

“Aristotle famously called God the ‘unmoved mover.’ The God Moses prayed to is more like the ‘moved mover.’ He’s moving heaven and earth, but he’s also movable. He hears us. He actually listens and actually cares. He responds. This idea of God may seem pretty radical, but that’s only because many of us have a concept of God formed more by Aristotle than by Moses.” — Tyler Staton

Intercession involves both prayer and nearness to suffering; it is not distant concern but embodied faithfulness.

Jesus, The Perfect Intercessor

All broken forms of mediation are fulfilled in Jesus, who perfectly represents God to humanity and humanity before God.

“It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. ” — Romans 8:34

Through Christ, humanity’s original vocation is restored.

The Spirit And The Church In Intercession

God’s people are called to share in the pain of the world while holding hope for its renewal.

“We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;

and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.

For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what is seen?
But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.

And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” — Romans 8:22-27

Christ intercedes for us.
The Spirit intercedes within us.
The church intercedes for the world.

“When Jesus breathed his spirit on his followers, he said, ‘As the father sent me, so I send you.’ And where had the father sent him? To the place where the world was in direst pain, so that he could take it upon himself. Our vocation, by the spirit, places us, right now, where the world is in pain, so that, as Paul is about to say, we can be in prayer right there.” — N. T. Wright

Intercession As Vocation

To intercede is to refuse separation between prayer and presence, standing faithfully in places of suffering with hope in God’s redemption.

“We are called to be people who stand at the place of pain — in the cancer ward, at the asylum-seeker’s court hearing, by the graveyard full of memorials to small children or to families whose homes have been bombed in war — so as to be those whose own painful perplexity the holy spirit will plead to the father on behalf of the whole creation. Indwelt by God’s spirit, we are to be right there in the chaos, so that God’s new creation may finally emerge…” — N. T. Wright

An Invitation To Begin

Prayer is never a solo act; God meets us in weakness and supplies what we lack.

“Pray as you can, not as you cannot.” — Jon Chapman

Teach Us to Pray

Prayer is learned, repeated, and practiced. The Church continues to ask, and Jesus continues to answer.

“Prayer is so difficult for me because it has been so bastardized or so simplified or so co-opted… we have followed the person with the loudest voice on the topic.”—Tim Stafford

“Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.”—Luke 11:1-4 MSG

Disappointment (Keep Us Alive With Three Square Meals)

 “Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce. Find wives for yourselves, and have sons and daughters. Find wives for your sons and give your daughters to men in marriage so that they may bear sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease… 

“When seventy years for Babylon are complete, I will attend to you and will confirm my promise concerning you to restore you to this place. For I know the plans I have for you”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“plans for your well-being, not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”—Jeremiah 29:4-10

“God answers the prayers of the Israelites with both liberation and patience.”—Tyler Staton

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.”—Luke 22:42

Prayer invites trust when answers are delayed and patience when liberation is slow.

Distraction (Keep Us Safe From Ourselves And The Devil)

“I don't know what the mantis is praying for,
but he probably just thanking the Lord
that he don't live in a home and he don't got a phone
and he don't sit around all angry and bored, he's just a bug.”—Jesse Welles

“They are trying to convince people they can’t do the things they’ve been doing easily for years – to write emails, to write a presentation. Your daughter wants you to make up a bedtime story about puppies – to write that for you. We will get to the point that you will essentially become just a skin bag of organs and bones, nothing else. You won’t know anything and you will be told repeatedly that you can’t do it, which is the opposite of what life has to offer. Capitulating all kinds of decisions like where to go on vacation, what to wear today, who to date, what to eat. People are already doing this. You won’t have to process grief, because you’ll have uploaded photos and voice messages from your mother who just died, and then she can talk to you via AI video call every day. One of the ways it’s going to destroy humans, long before there’s a nuclear disaster, is going to be the emotional hollowing-out of people.”—Justine Bateman

“Imagination is a powerful tool in the work of prayer.”—Richard Foster

Prayer requires attention, imagination, and safe spaces that guard communion with God.

Discipline (Set The World Right)

Prayer is both structured and flexible, habitual and responsive, disciplined and alive.

Prayer participates in God’s restoring work through faithful rhythm and open listening.

Conclusion

Prayer is not performance but relationship, not perfection but persistence.

“Father,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory
Forever and ever.
Amen.”—Luke 11 and Matthew 6

Prayer Books:

Prayer — Tim Keller

What If Jesus Was Serious About Prayer? — Skye Jethani

God on Mute — Pete Greig

Prayer in the Night — Tish Harrison Warren

The Book of Common Prayer (1979 OR 2019) — Anglican Liturgy press

Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools — Tyler Staton

Spiritual Disciplines & Christian Practice

Celebration of Discipline — Richard Foster

The Spirit of the Disciplines — Dallas Willard

Practicing the Presence of God — Brother Lawrence

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry — John Mark Comer

God Refuses Distance

When suffering becomes distant or overwhelming, our capacity to care shrinks. Love fades not because we are cruel, but because distance makes it easier to disengage.

“The more who die, the less we care”—Paul Slovic

“If I look at the mass, I will never act.”—Paul Slovic

In Jesus, God chooses nearness over safety and presence over abstraction. The incarnation reveals a love that crosses every distance to be with us.

Joseph’s Obedience

Joseph models a quiet, courageous love shaped by obedience rather than recognition. His faithfulness creates space for God’s redemptive work to unfold.

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly.”—Matthew 1:18-19

“But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us)”—Matthew 1:20-23

“Through Joseph’s obedience, the Savior was preserved.”—St. Augustine

Mary’s Faithfulness

God’s love doesn’t simply enter the world through protection alone, but also through reception.

“Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.”—Luke 1:30-32

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”—Luke 1:38

Mary shows us that love is faithful.  It trusts the promises of God instead of the fears of the consequences.  A love that surrenders control and believes that whatever God is doing is worth whatever that he requires of us.

Immanuel: God with Us

“Think of it! The Infinite an infant, the Ancient of days a child, the Ever‑Blessed a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief! The idea is original, astounding, and divine. Oh, that this blending of the two natures should ever have taken place”—Charles H. Spurgeon

“The central claim of Christianity is that God became human. And that Christ is God.  So crudely put, what is God doing on a cross?  Well one thing it certainly shows me is that God has not remained distant from human suffering but has become part of it.”—John Lennox

Conclusion: Love Made Flesh

Every person carries eternal weight and deserves our attention and care. Love begins by seeing and honoring the people placed directly in front of us.

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”—Romans 5:8

“There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilization…these are mortal, and their life is in the hands of men. But your neighbor, whom you meet every day, is immortal. And to be indifferent to him is the gravest injustice.”—C.S. Lewis

The incarnation calls us to live love, not just define it. As God has drawn near to us, we are invited to draw near to others with faithfulness and compassion.

The Age of Fear

Fear is increasingly shaping life, decisions, and community.

"Constant defense is not strength; it is a costly pattern that robs you of clarity and connection." — Caroline Leaf

Advent invites us to slow down, examine our hearts, and prepare for Christ’s arrival, where the theme of joy speaks directly into fear.

Biblical Theology

God announces Christ’s birth into a world marked by fear and political unrest.

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified." — Luke 2:8–9

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." — Luke 2:10–12

"Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." — Luke 2:13–14

God chooses humble shepherds as the first recipients of the good news, elevating the marginalized.

Angels—Messengers from God

Angels appear throughout Scripture as God’s messengers, pointing humanity back to Him.

Their message to the shepherds reflects the pattern seen in Hagar, Moses, Zechariah, Mary, and others: “Do not be afraid.”

God Enters the Real World

God meets humanity amid fear, unrest, and uncertainty.

"The Christmas story, like Isaiah’s prophecy, isn’t about an escape from the real world of politics and economics, of empires and taxes and bloodthirsty wars. It’s about God addressing these problems at last, from within, coming into our world – his world!...Christmas is about God acting in the real world." — N. T. Wright

The opposite of joy is fear, not sadness; joy is anchored in the eternal nature of God.

"To find joy in the midst of pain, we have to stop caring only about ourselves and to find our own purpose in the context of a large world…The good of someone else is our own good; the harm of someone else is our own harm. We are connected; we are one." — Anne Robertson

"Joy is the ultimate gift of God. We find this enduring joy when we commit our deepest fears, aches, and pains to God’s hands, trusting that every minute of it all can be used for God’s good." — Anne Robertson

Creative Proclamation

The shepherds respond with proclamation, worship, and praise.

"And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning the child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told to them." — Luke 2:16–20

Mary’s song, the angels’ praise, and the shepherds’ witness reveal joy expressed creatively in a fearful world.

Artists are Birth Givers

Humanity bears the image of God and carries a spark of divine creativity.

"For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." — Ephesians 2

"Beauty is God’s goodness manifested to the senses." — Dallas Willard

"An act of art is an incarnational activity." — Madeleine L’Engle

“If we want to make meaning, we need to make art. Cook, write, draw, doodle, paint, scrapbook, take pictures, collage, knit, rebuild an engine, sculpt, dance, decorate, act, sing - it doesn't matter. As long as we're creating, we're cultivating meaning.” - Brene Brown

“What other time or season can or will the church ever have but advent.” - Karl Barth

Those who create—write, sing, dance, act—participate in God’s ongoing work of bringing beauty into a fearful world.

A Weary World Rejoices

Make creation a priority as a practice of joy.

Cultivating creativity slows us down, opens us to God’s presence, and helps us anticipate Christ’s return.

Creating becomes a way of joining God in the continuation of His work on earth.

Peace

The peace of Christ is not sentimental nostalgia; it is revealing, discerning, and changing. Advent teaches us to remember Christ’s first coming so we may wait faithfully for his second.

The Nature of Christ’s Peace

Modern Christmas peace is shallow sentimentalism, but Scripture presents peace as wholeness, reconciliation, and the renewal of creation. Christ’s peace comes through truth-telling, justice, and transformation.

Preparing for Christ’s Peace

John the Baptist calls God’s people to repentance as the kingdom approaches.

“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:
  ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
  “Prepare the way for the Lord,
  make straight paths for him.” ’ ” —Matthew 3:1–3

His message disrupts sentimental expectations and prepares us for the true peace of Christ.

Revelation

Peace begins with truth coming to light.

“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” —Matthew 3:7–10

Judgment

Jesus comes as the righteous judge who restores what is broken.

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” —Matthew 3:11–12

His judgment is good news for the vulnerable.

“Endow the king with your justice, O God, the royal son with your righteousness. May he judge your people in righteousness, your afflicted ones with justice. May he defend the afflicted among the people and save the children of the needy; may he crush the oppressor…For he will deliver the needy who cry out, the afflicted who have no one to help. He will take pity on the weak and the needy and save the needy from death. He will rescue them from oppression and violence, for precious is their blood in his sight.” —Psalm 72:1–7, 12–14

“God’s disciplines [or judgements] turn humans away from their idolatries and sins and toward allegiance to the Lamb [or Christ].” —Scot McKnight

Transformation

Jesus continues John’s call to repentance as the response to God’s nearness.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” —Matthew 3:1–2

“From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’ ” —Matthew 4:17

Repentance is the willingness to change and surrender.

“Repentance… means to think about your thinking… to ask who is currently king or queen in our lives… If I am running my life, I’m not going to serve other people.” —Dallas Willard

God makes us new through repentance.

“I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” —Ezekiel 36:26–27

This transformation extends to the whole world.

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse… The wolf will live with the lamb… They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.” —Isaiah 11:1–9

The Peace of Christ

Christ reconciles all things by his self-giving love. We prepare for his peace by allowing our sin to be revealed, judged, and transformed.

Prayer of Examen.

Saint Ignatius’ prayer for reviewing a day with GOd.

1. Become aware of God’s presence.

2. Review the day with gratitude.

3. Pay attention to your emotions.

4. Choose one feature of the day and pray from it. (A simple reflection is: where did I see Christ, and where did I miss Christ?)

5. Look toward tomorrow.

The Human Longing for Hope

The deep ache for hope persists across every era.

  "whether the world is anchored anywhere." —Herman Melville

American life felt unmoored; political conflict, violence, and global panic stirred uncertainty.

The Promise of a Coming King

"The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.
You have multiplied the nation; you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest,
as they are glad when they divide the spoil.
For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder,
the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
and every garment rolled in blood
will be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this." —Isaiah 9:2–7

Israel longed for a ruler who could end oppression and restore peace.

The Failure of Human Kings

Israel’s leaders continually faltered, including Hezekiah, whose trust shifted from God to political alliances. The hope for a true King remained unmet.

The Servant Who Brings Justice

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a faintly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice.
He will not grow faint or be discouraged
till he has established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands wait for his law.
Thus says God, the Lord,
who created the heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk in it:
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness;
I will take you by the hand and keep you;
I will give you as a covenant for the people,
a light for the nations,
to open the eyes that are blind,
to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison those who sit in darkness.
I am the Lord; that is my name;
my glory I give to no other,
nor my praise to carved idols.
Behold, the former things have come to pass,
and new things I now declare;
before they spring forth I tell you of them." —Isaiah 42:1–9

God promises a Servant who brings justice with gentleness and divine power.

The Unexpected Messiah

"For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
and no beauty that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed." —Isaiah 52:2–5

Jesus comes not with majesty but with suffering love, carrying the world’s sorrows.

Biblical Hope

"Optimism is about choosing to see, in any situation, how circumstances could work out for the best. But biblical hope isn’t focused on circumstances. In fact, hopeful people in the Bible often recognize there’s no evidence things will get better, but you choose hope anyway." —Tim Mackie

Hope is patient, expectant waiting; a binding-together toward God’s future.

Hope as Trust in God’s Character

Biblical hope remembers God’s proven faithfulness and trusts Him beyond visible outcomes.

“Hoping does not mean doing nothing. It is not fatalistic resignation. It means going about our assigned tasks, confident that God will provide the meaning and the conclusions. It is not compelled to work away at keeping up appearances with a bogus spirituality. It is the opposite of desperate and panicky manipulations, of scurrying and worrying.
And hoping is not dreaming. It is not spinning an illusion or fantasy to protect us from our boredom or our pain. It means a confident, alert expectation that God will do what he said he will do. It is imagination put in the harness of faith. It is a willingness to let God do it his way and in his time. It is the opposite of making plans that we demand that God put into effect, telling him both how and when to do it. That is not hoping in God but bullying God. "I pray to GOD-my life a prayer-and wait for what he'll say and do. My life's on the line before God, my Lord, waiting and watching till morning, waiting and watching till morning.”—Eugene Peterson

Hope as Spiritual Practice

Hope remembers God’s unchanging character.
Hope trusts that the story is not yet finished.

God’s Unified Family

“Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” —Colossians 3:11

“The ancient world, just like the modern, was an elaborate network of prejudice, suspicion, and arrogance, so ingrained as to be thought natural and normal…” —NT Wright

“Participation in Christ, who is all and in all, means that social barriers and ethnic distinctions cannot be allowed to separate the followers of Jesus from each other.” —Dennis R. Edwards

Committed to One Another

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” —Colossians 3:12–14

“To love the Lord your God… and to love your neighbor as yourself.” —Mark 12:30–31

“[Family is] a group that possesses and implements an irrational commitment to the well-being of each other.” —Dr. Urie Bronfenbrenner

“The person who loves their dream of community will destroy community, but the person who loves those around them will create community.” —Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Participating in the Gospel

“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.” —Colossians 3:15

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” —Colossians 3:16–17 (NIV)

Generosity and the Heart

“Some of our ideas overlapped, but many of their suggestions were ones I had admittedly not entertained: passing out socks or hand-warmers, donating items like sleeping bags to local shelters, or giving office supplies and bus passes to nonprofits serving unhoused people.

The reporting left me uneasy. Why did I think only about structural change and disregard more immediate help? And why don’t I do more of those day-to-day charitable things, or know many people who do, either?”—Rachel Cohen Booth

Have we become so cynical that we have forsaken engaging in generosity entirely?

Are you hoarding resources from your neighbor out of fear, or simple apathy? Are your resources, like time, finances, or emotional energy only being spent on yourself?

As Jesus observes-where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”—Philippians 2:5-11

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.”—Philippians 3:7-11

Sharing in Need

“Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.”—Philippians 4:14

“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress.”—Philippians 4:11-14

“Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18Indeed I have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:17-19

When we engage in generosity we allow ourselves to be shaped and molded into the image of our selfless Christ.

“And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”—Philippians 4:19

Trust and Provision

And he said to his disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat, nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you, O you of little faith! And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. For all the nations of the world seek after these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, seek his kingdom, and these things will be added to you.”—Luke 12:22-31

“Some of us try desperately to hold on to ourselves, to live for ourselves. We look so bedraggled and pathetic doing it, hanging on to the dead branch of a bank account for dear life, afraid to risk ourselves on the untried wings of giving. We don’t think we can live generously because we have never tried. But the sooner we start the better, for we are going to have to give up our lives finally, and the longer we wait the less time we have for the soaring and swooping life of grace.”—Eugene Peterson

Spiritual Practice

1. Identify what area you may hold onto too tightly.

2. Choose one area to take a small, practical step of obedience in.

3. Commit to consistency.