When Prayer Is Easy, When Prayer Is Hard…

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When Prayer Is Easy, When Prayer Is Hard…
1 Timothy 2: 1-7

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and dignity. 3 This is right and is acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. 5 For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, 6 who gave himself a ransom for all

—this was attested at the right time. 7 For this I was appointed a herald and an apostle (I am telling the truth,[a] I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

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What if we really prayed for everyone? While prayers for family, friends, and those we count as allies might come easily, that isn’t always the case for those whom we’ve never met, those with whom we disagree, and those we perhaps consider enemies. Yet, this segment of the pastoral letter of 1 Timothy notes that if we claim the authority of God, including the “one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus,” as followers of Christ, we are called to pray for all whom Christ came to save: all of humankind.

As 21st-century readers of this text, while we grapple with systems of oppression and injustice, it is worth noting and naming that those very systems have not afforded a “quiet and peaceable life” for all, as those “kings and all who are in high positions” have not sought a life of “godliness and dignity” for all. What do we do in the face of long-held structures that divide instead of unite, pulling us away from our shared salvation in Christ? Perhaps we do what we’ve always been called to do, and what we are reminded of here: we pray.

  • For whom or what is easy to pray in your life? For whom or what is it difficult? For whom do you think it is difficult to pray for you?
  • How might you begin to pray for those for whom it is difficult to offer prayers? How might that shift perspective, action, and relationship?
This Bible study, written by Andrew Gordon

Do You Think That God Has Given Up On Us?

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Do You Think That God Has Given Up On Us?
Luke 14:25-33
The Cost of Discipleship
11 At that time it will be said to this people and to Jerusalem: A hot wind comes from me out of the bare heights  in the desert toward my poor people, not to winnow or cleanse— 12 wind too strong for that. Now it is I who speak in judgment against them.22 “For my people are foolish, they do not know me; they are stupid children, they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but do not know how to do good.” 23 I looked on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light. 24 I looked on the mountains, and lo, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro. 25 I looked, and lo, there was no one at all, and all the birds of the air had fled. 26 I looked, and lo, the fruitful land was a desert, and all its cities were laid in ruins before the Lord, before his fierce anger. 27 For thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be a desolation; yet I will not make a full end. 28 Because of this the earth shall mourn, and the heavens above grow black; for I have spoken, I have purposed; I have not relented nor will I turn back.

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There is no way to read this passage from Jeremiah and not compare it in some way to all the news that we hear each day from around the globe. It does indeed seem that there is a hot wind blowing fiercely at us, the foolish people, the stupid children. From record-breaking heat, fire, and floods right in our backyards to Saharan dust clouds high in the atmosphere, it is not hard to imagine that our fruitful land will be a desert and that the cities will be laid in ruins. Yet verse 27 of Jeremiah’s lament reminds us that the Lord is not going to end it here; there is something on the other side of this desolation.

Jeremiah’s prophecy is not exactly hopeful, but it also does not allow us to simply give up and pack it in. Things are going to be bad, “the earth shall mourn,” but we remain God’s people, we have no choice but to remain steadfast in our faith as we move through what might be our own dark night of the soul.

  • Do you think that God has given up on us, or is there a chance for redemption?
  • What in this passage might give you insight into a way through these dark days?
This Bible study, written by The Rev. Amy Feins

St. Alban’s Member Releases Music

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St. Alban’s Member Releases Music 

Sam Bindschadler (Lisa Jackson & Duane Bindschadler son), has released his first single called, “Know You Better.” You can listen to his music on any streaming platform (Spotify, ITunes, Apple Music, You Tube etc.). Support ” Know You Better” by Sam James now.

Building In Time To Pause & Re-examine Your Attachments & Priorities

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Building In Time To Pause & Re-examine Your Attachments & Priorities
Luke 14:25-33

The Cost of Discipleship

25 Now large crowds were traveling with him; and he turned and said to them, 26 “Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. 27 Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? 29 Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, 30 saying, ‘This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.’ 31 Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace. 33 So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

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Crowds have gathered around Jesus, pushing past each other to hear what he has to say. Casting an eye over the crowd, Jesus sees that they surely don’t realize what a commitment following his path will be. After all, following Jesus requires letting go of things that previously seemed important or alluring and reorienting to a new way of living.

This requirement brings us back to Jeremiah’s words, “Turn now… amend your ways and your doings.” Jesus is reminding those listening that it isn’t possible to maintain the values of the dominant culture when making a commitment to God’s vision for the world. All the possessions and social standing that seemingly help one get ahead aren’t much help when following Jesus’ sacrificial way of living. One cannot merely give lip service to walking in the way of Jesus—it requires an examination of priorities, attachments, and patterns of living. The good news is that doing so lightens our load for the journey so that we are freed to pay attention to where God is moving and how we might join with others in God’s work in the world.

  • Do you build in time to pause and re-examine your attachments and priorities? The transition from summer to fall can be a fruitful time to re-evaluate habits and commitments and how we might live in a more Christ-shaped way.
This Bible study, written by Lucy Strandlund

Using Your Status To Uplift Others

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Using Your Status To Uplift Others
Luke 14:1, 7-14
1 On one occasion when Jesus was going to the house of a leader of the Pharisees to eat a meal on the sabbath, they were watching him closely.

Humility and Hospitality7 When he noticed how the guests chose the places of honor, he told them a parable. 8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet, do not sit down at the place of honor, in case someone more distinguished than you has been invited by your host; 9 and the host who invited both of you may come and say to you, ‘Give this person your place,’ and then in disgrace you would start to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down at the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher’; then you will be honored in the presence of all who sit at the table with you. 11 For all who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

12 He said also to the one who had invited him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. 13 But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. 14 And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

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In this passage, Jesus is eating dinner at the home of a religious leader. The text notes that those present were “watching him closely,” but Jesus is observing them carefully as well. Luke says that when Jesus noticed how the guests were choosing places of honor, he was moved to speak in a parable. Throughout the Gospel of Luke, Jesus’ parables serve to shift his hearers’ thinking by ending in unexpected ways and helping his audience to see in a new light.

We can gather from this scene that one’s place at the table is important, as are honor and status. It also seems that then, like today, it was tempting to think one could only achieve honor and status by moving to the head of the table and asserting one’s place. What Jesus encourages, however, is to flip the norm and sit at the other end of the table. While this goes against the expected, it is a powerful action. After all, when a person of status takes a lower seat at the table, they are opening up seats for those who would never dare take a higher seat. They are indicating through their actions, without speaking a word, that they value those who might be considered “lower”. Jesus is helping them to see that the true honor is in lifting up others and that those who draw all the eyes in the room have a unique opportunity to elevate those who go unnoticed.

  • Where might you use your status to make room for and lift up another?
This Bible study, written by Lucy Strandlund

5 Hard Truths for the Church About Millennials

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5 Hard Truths for the Church About Millennials
“Contrary to popular belief, we (millennials) can’t be won back with hipper worship bands, fancy coffee shops, or pastors who wear skinny jeans.” – Rachel Held Evans

In the world of organized Christianity, few topics are more hot button than the Millennial generation.
Who are they? How do you reach them? Why are they exiting the church in record numbers?

If the Church is going to find meaningful engagement with the Millennial generation that is leaving, we are going to have to accept some hard truths:

Millennials are finding meaningful community outside of church.

There’s a sentiment within the Church that Christianity has the market cornered in meaningful community. While I would certainly argue tooth and nail that Christ-centered love is the basis for the most profound and revolutionary community experience, to assume people can’t find love and belonging outside of the Church is simply ridiculous.

Millennials know it, because they are out building their own communities of specialized groups around their own interests and doing just fine. Just look at the vibrant communities centering around local craft beer or cycling. More and more people are gravitating to communities that tap into what they are already involved in and excited about. Plus, it is easier than ever to communicate and gather thanks to the mobile devices and the social networks. Millennials simply do not have to come to church to experience meaningful community.

While I understand that Christians need fellowship with one another (I am a small group pastor after all). The fact of the matter is that Millennials are able to have fellowship, without the church. Perhaps it’s because technology is connecting them more easily, but what once brought people together in community, is quite simply becoming irrelevant.

The Church is lame in areas of art, music and technology.

Over fifty years ago when we were going through the social revolution in America, the more conservative minded went after politics to effect change, and the more liberally minded went after the arts. Today the fruit of those decisions are plain for all to see. Politics seem to be helpless to do much of anything, while Hollywood and New York (centers of art and influence) have served as bookends that have shifted our national worldview. What does this have to with the Church? Well, as a whole, Christians and churches have been lumped in with the conservatives while secular worldviews have been lumped in with the liberals. The result—both perception and reality—is that the Church in America has vacated the arts, and it is acutely perceived by the Millennials. Currently, the Church simply does not produce the same level of quality and excellence in the areas that create the biggest influence in our country.

 

Millennials are Seeking Deeper Truths.

Millennials are still seeking ‘transcendence’. Because they are building meaningful communities and experiencing beauty outside of a traditional framework that provides deeper answers to life—Millennials are still seeking foundational truths and longing for transcendence. The Church should be ecstatic about this, having been established by the Transcendent One! Unfortunately, the perception of the Church is that it is anti-intellectual, anti-science, and a place that suppresses questions and doubts. The hard truth is, we know they will be seeking transcendence…that search just probably won’t happen in our churches.

Millennials are going to start something.

The Millennial generation has an insatiable entrepreneurial spirit. They’ve been told that they can do anything—and they believe it! What’s more, they see the endless possibilities and opportunities to a greater degree than any other generation before them. And they want to make a genuine difference! This post isn’t the place to comment on wisdom, respect and earning the right (all valid points), I’m simply stating the truth that 16-29 year olds are going to start something. They feel the need to create. What the Church should be doing is empowering them to do just that. Unfortunately the typical experience is the opposite. What Millennials feel within the church is a lid. Clear space and let them lead!

They also have confidence, when asked if they thought their age held them back in their job or speaking up to elders at work they said a resounding no. So why hold them back?

The Church is still being perceived as judgmental and hypocritical.

Like a broken record, I hear stories of leaving the church because of feeling judged. There is a repulsion of this idea of “Sunday Christians” that Millennials are still seeing.  It’s been ten years since Unchristian released and gave us a clear picture of how people outside the Church viewed Christians. It’s been 2,000 years since Jesus told us to remove the plank from our own eye and died on the cross so that we wouldn’t have to judge others salvation based on performance. It’s high time we eliminate this perception.

There are many more truths we need to accept as the Church, but these are the ones that jump out at me as I sat and listened to the Millennial panels at the Future of the Church Summit. What are some other hard truths you’ve observed?
by Austin Maxheimer