This is my imaginative first person account of Zechariah’s story found in the Luke 1 shared at our Advent Service this Sunday. I come from a very religious family and background. A family of priests in the order of Abijah to be exact (1 Chr 24; Neh 12). I then doubled down on religious piety … More Zechariah’s Silent Retreat
We sat in a sacred circle with a chair placed in the center. Myself and about a dozen other pastors were on retreat at St. Mary of the Lake north of Chicago back on October 8-13. We each took a turn sitting in the “hot seat” where we held a candle in our lap and … More God’s Healing Light
“What if all of my quiet times with God could be so electric and real? What if my prayers felt less like a floppy paper airplanes crashing into the carpet, and more like bright bolts of lightning flashing across the sky?” … More Christmas on Mt. Mystic 3: Dazzling Light
This ancient shipwreck story is a timely reminder that a ship divided against itself cannot stay afloat; we must come together if we are to make it through the night. … More Shipwrecked 4: Breaking Bread in the Political Storm
“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” – 2 Chronicles 7:14 This oft quoted scripture is a classic “if/then” conditional promise from God. … More God, Heal Our Land
In Exodus 17, Moses raised his arms (and staff) up high while Joshua fought on the front lines. As long as Moses’ arms were raised up, they had the advantage. Whenever he lowered his arms, the enemy gained ground. Likewise, people of faith today need to be raising our arms up in prayer for those … More Daily Spark: “Raise Up Arms” (Jeremy)
What if as long as we are lifting up these warriors in prayer, we are gaining ground and holding back the enemy; but whenever we drop our hands and cease praying, the virus gains more ground? … More Quarantine Letters: Raise Your Arms!
If I’m honest, I think the image of heads praying against a stonewall hits too close to home for pathetic pray-ers like me. Haven’t we all tried to draw nearer to God’s presence in prayer, but felt like our prayers were deflecting off of a glass ceiling or crashing into a thick stone wall? … More Stonewall Faith & Prayers
Do you struggle to pray? Does your mind drift and wander off? Let’s turn one of the most familiar Scriptures of the Christmas season into a prayer. … More A Christmas Prayer (Isaiah 9:6)
LECTIONARY REFLECTION| LUKE 11:1-13 NEWS FLASH! JESUS WAS NOT A CHRISTIAN! Most people, Christians and non-Christians alike, recognize that Jesus Christ is the center of the Christian faith. Even the name of our religion – CHRISTianity – reflects the importance of Jesus Christ to us. Christians, as a group, tend to forget that Jesus was a … More Jesus-Shaped Prayer (Mike Fox)
From Skye Jethani: Most of the characters in the Bible were scoundrels. King David, for example, possessed some noble qualities, but he was also a liar, adulterer, and murderer. Still, he was called “a man after God’s own heart.” The explanation may be found in David’s prayers. They run the spectrum from adoration to anger, … More Taking Off Prayer Masks
“Men invent means and methods of coming at God’s love, they learn rules and set up devices to remind them of that love, and it seems like a world of trouble to bring oneself into the consciousness of God’s presence. Yet it might be so simple. Is it not quicker and easier just to do … More QUOTABLES: Brother Lawrence on Prayer
by Skye Jethani The use of pre-written prayers carries many benefits, as we’ve been exploring over the last few days. They guide our often wandering minds to focus on God. They instruct us to think rightly about our Lord with a depth we often lack. They can also remind us that communion with God is … More Consumer Faith & Magic Spells (Skye Jethani)
“It may be that God has the eternal appetite of infancy.” -G.K. Chesterton I had a great conversation this week about the role of imagination in spiritual growth. We spoke a bit about how children tend to be more open to new things than adults. (I recently wrote about Abby’s 4-year old “StarryEyed” infatuation with unicorns.) … More The Role of Imagination in Faith
Are original, spontaneous prayers the only prayers that come “from the heart”? Why do many Christians look down upon recited or written prayers as inferior? In a recent sermon I mentioned this aversion to “recited prayers” and preference for so-called prayers that come “from the heart.” I think this phenomenon is very new and modern, … More Spontaneous vs. Recited Prayers
Repost from 2018. -JB “Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, TEACHING in the synagogues…and he HEALED every kind of disease and illness” (Matt 9:35). My sermon text for this Sunday is Mark 1:29-39 which displays Jesus’ powerful healing ministry, first with Simon’s mother-in-law, and then “the whole city was gathered … More Q&A: Why do prayers go unanswered?
Do you ever worry about things? Do you ever get frustrated? Do you have to interact with difficult people some days? Do you have to make decisions each day? If so, then you are only one small adjustment away from a rich prayer life! Despite the fact that I’m a “professional Christian,” i.e., a pastor, … More Prayer: Attentiveness to God in the Mundane
As we’re thinking about prayer this week, I’m reposting this scene from my “Father’s Cabin” series detailing my imaginative weekend retreat with Jesus. Enjoy!
This Sunday my sermon is on prayer. Here’s a repost. Our Father who is in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. … More Inhabiting the Lord’s Prayer
My pastoral counselor prescribed for me the daily practice of praying the famous Serenity Prayer for the next couple weeks. While this prayer is usually associated with recovery groups, it has much broader application for many other personal afflictions. I discovered two new things as I accepted this assignment. First, I was asked to look … More The FULL Serenity Prayer
A friend in ministry just texted me a light and fluffy Friday afternoon question: “I’m laying out a vision for Discipleship with my people on Monday. What are 3 awesome things about being a disciple? What are 3 awesome things about making disciples?” He might as well have asked me to sum up the mystery … More Aching & Yearning for the Kingdom
This week I’m introducing Menno Simons and the Anabaptist movement to our congregation in our final week of Reformation profiles. I struggle in my own prayer life as my mind so easily wanders off. I have found it helpful to pray through scriptures. I often suggest others experiment with this as well. If you want a … More Praying a Psalm with Menno Simons
During bedtime prayers this week, something incredibly silly and irreverent happened. Complete hilarity ensued before the throne of the Almighty as toddler humor took over our prayers. I didn’t know whether to scold and lecture my kids about making light of prayer, or burst out laughing along with my 4 and 6 year old. What … More Fowl Prayers: Silliness Before the Throne
Instead of giving up something for Lent this year, how about taking up a 28-Day Spiritual fitness challenge? Two amazing MainStreet friends — Jaimie Hanly and Melissa Noreen — created a wonderful tool for growing in one’s prayer life and relationship with God. It’s a great idea for this Lenten season. In invite you to check this out, and join … More 28-Day Spiritual Fitness Challenge
The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones … More Water in the Desert 3 – Ezekiel 37:1-14
Jeremy L. Berg 