Deus Misereatur

  (The picture of Jeremiah was done by Guy Rowe, 1949, Lithograph Print) This morning I was reading Jeremiah chapters 41-42, and then John 5:30-47. What I noticed was the way of the people in both places, their attitudes and actions, rationalizations and resistance. And the parallels caused me to pray. It is a responding prayer, responding to God's word. It is a prayer for myself, my family, my church, my friends, and my fellow ministers. Here is my responding prayer. The people that our Lord spoke to (John 5:30-47) are following the pattern of the people Jeremiah spoke to (Jeremiah 41-42). O God, they will not listen to your word!!!! In fact, (1) the love of God is not in them (John 5:42); (2) they do not seek the honor, praise, glory that come from you but only what will come from men (John 5:44); (3) your word they do not have abiding in them (John 5:38); and (4) in reading Scripture, they read without you and without believing in you (John 5:38-40, 46-47). O my dear God! O our ...

  Far as the Curse is Found: Ecclesiastes and the Man of Sorrows William Price ISBN: 9781098349967; ASIN : B08PZJTDYV; December 2020; Kindle: $9.99   I love working with wood. Whether it’s stripping down a limb to bare wood so I can make a cane, or refurbishing, repairing and repurposing older furniture pieces. Therefore, I was delighted when I opened up the brand new 170-page volume “Far as the Curse is Found: Ecclesiastes and the Man of Sorrows” and read, “Ecclesiastes is paint stripper for the soul” (xx and 99). William Price, a humble PhD and elder in the Presbyterian Church in America, has crafted a fine dossier on the feel, flow, and affect of the biblical book “Ecclesiastes”. It is written for young adults, seasoned disciples, and pastors to digest and relish. It’s a strong tonic, gently administered, that will leave readers reflecting on life, death, futility, and hope.   The volume is not a commentary. It is more an artful summarization of key th...

 [Martin Luther was once asked by his barber for a prayer guide. Luther wrote him a short manual that encouraged him to use the Lord's Prayer, and the Ten Commandments, but also the Apostles' Creed as outlines for prayer, and then he gave him examples. Today's congregational prayer uses the Apostles' Creed to shape our prayers] Since you are God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth , we pray for your creation and creatures whom you made, and whom you sustain. Please continue to supply the showers and rainfalls we need and thank you for what has been provided already. Replenish our resources and reserves. Preserve our continent from fires, floods, plagues and pestilence. Please continue your kindnesses to our country and shine the light of your mercy on all nations of this world. Relieve us from this pandemic and grant us to recover from its consequences. Bring all peoples to recognize that in you we live and move and have our being. Bring kindness and care to...