Today the Dow Jones dropped 376 points, partially because of the financial crisis in Greece. North Korea recently torpedoed and sank a South Korean ship and threatens war against any retaliation (they possess nuclear weapons). Thailand’s riots continue. Iran continues to develop nuclear weapons and threatens to destroy Israel and the United States. There was an attempted terrorist attack recently in NYC. We have all kinds of issues with the border with Mexico, and Arizona has sparked conflict over its intention to take control of its
border itself. The weather continues to bring news of disaster everywhere: NE SD tornados over the weekend, Nashville flooding, Oklahoma tornados, another earthquake (seems like there has been one monthly since this winter), and the volcano in Iceland threatens to be a problem in the future. A cleaver-weilding murder attacks and kills kindergarten children and their teacher in China. Our own church is in crisis. The national church located in Chicago, in financial crisis with shrinking benevolence, eliminated over 40 positions at national headquarters since late last summer. The South Dakota Synod’s offerings have dropped over $330,000 since last August. How to respond in such times when we feel things are changing and “coming apart at the seams”? As Christians who look to a God of power who is in control of the universe and all the details of our lives we have a clear mandate: BE IN THE WORD AND PRAY. No matter what we think about all these things we are called and commanded to pray. In John 17, Jesus prays for himself, the disciples and all believers before his crucifixion. Jesus commands us to pray and encouraged the disciples to use the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus commanded us to pray for our enemies. Jesus encouraged us to pray for protection against temptation and from the evil one. Jesus himself spenttime in prayer often and regularly, but especially in times of stress and upheaval. Before his arrest and suffering, we see Jesusdeep in prayer: “And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” (Luke 22:44) Jesus had gone to the garden with his disciples after the Last Supper. He knew that this was it! His mission was getting ready to be fulfilled. He would be betrayed and arrested in the garden. His disciples would run off and desert him. This was the
countdown to his excruciating death on the cross. Jesus example of responding to crisis with prayer is a perfect one for us, no matter where we find ourselves these days. As events unfold in our nation and our world that threaten to destroy us, we need to remember that God is in control and wants us to come to him in prayer. Especially in the days ahead, as we make decisions about our future life in or out of the ELCA, I invite you to read and study Scripture and pray that God will guide this congregation and the whole church in faithful witness. I invite you to join in serious and diligent prayer as we navigate these challenging and faith-testing times. Pray that God will find us faithful!
See you in church! |
