Tag: Prayer

Today’s Word Is SERENITY

Fri-Jul-17-2020
It’s Humor Day!

I hope you have heard of the “Serenity Prayer,” which is something worth posting on your mirror, bulletin board, or refrigerator.

First, I will give you a humorous remake called the “Senility Prayer” (author unknown), which applies to the aging process and how to deal with people whom you like or do not like. This is helpful for people of my age … ha-ha-ha …

THE PRAYER OF SENILITY
God grant me the senility
to forget the people I never liked anyway,
the good fortune to run into the ones I do,
and the eyesight to tell the difference.

The original “Serenity Prayer” was written by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971), an American Reformed theologian, author of books on ethics and other topics, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. Many groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous, use the shortened version of his “Serenity Prayer,” (the first four lines) as a theme or tool of encouragement.  The full version goes like this …

THE PRAYER OF SERENITY

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.

Have a blessed weekend, including rest, family, and worship,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is WORRY

Wed-Feb-12-2020

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything…” – The Apostle Paul (Philippians 4:6a, The Living Bible)

Somewhere along the way I read that Wor-ry and Wor-ship have a common linguistic root, as if they are opposites. To worry is to forget for the moment that God is interested in you and capable of great, even impossible things. To worship is to declare that worry is not the answer, God is. Worship builds up our strength; worry drains it. Worship increases our joy; worry destroys it. Worship expresses our confidence in God; worry shows our fear of the future.

Looking at it in writing makes the choice look easy. But at the crisis moment, we often revert to the poor practices of our weaker days and begin to worry. It takes practice to recognize the influence of our old human nature and the power of bad habits. How do we train our minds to do that? After all, negative thoughts are a killer.

The late Nell Mohney was a great speaker and author of 13 books. Her husband Ralph was pastor of First-Centenary United Methodist Church, Chattanooga from 1965-1981. One of her credits was writing an inspirational column in the Chattanooga Times-Free Press for 38 years.

Nell once told my wife and me about a period where she was having negative thoughts frequently. So she devised a solution. She put a rubber band around her wrist and every time she caught herself being negative again, she would pull back and pop the rubber band. She said it didn’t take long to break that habit!

What if you could resolve today to make worship and prayer into your usual choice, rather than worry? For some of us, it might not be as easy as Nell Mohney’s rubber band! So first, let’s look at a substitute word for worry, and that would be “concern.” Whereas worry is an exercise in fear, being concerned involves trust.

I confess that I worry sometimes. But there is a difference between worrying occasionally and being a worrier as a “way of life.” This is what Jesus is teaching us to turn away from.

Jesus said: “… your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things…” (Matthew 6:31-34)

If you need a breakthrough, and you’re ready to take the leap, then you can declare for yourself, “I don’t want to be a worrier anymore.” I’m sure your family and friends will have to recover from shock and get used to the “new you,” if you decide to stop worrying. They may accuse you of not caring anymore. Or it may be that the reason they don’t worry is because you are the worrier for them. If they want an explanation for why you have stopped worrying, tell them, “Jesus said not to!” Then, stop saying, “I’m worried about…” but rather … “I am concerned about …” This may sound like a trivial distinction, but from God’s perspective, it is not.

Worry is a lack of faith; concern knows where to place its faith. Worry is generated by fear; concern is the result of love. Worry tears you down through despair; concern builds you up through hope. Worry believes that we can’t handle bad outcomes; concern knows that we can, because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)

It’s a choice … worry and fear … or … worship and concern. Choose well!

Have a blessed and “worry-free” day,

Chaplain Mark

Today’s Word Is TRANSPARENCY

Thu-Feb-6-2020

I say to God my Rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy? My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’” – King David (Psalm 42:9-10)

I had the great privilege during my seminary days at Emory University of attending a lecture by Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, author of the classic book, On Death and Dying. The book was based on her many years of working with patients who had terminal illnesses and introduced the concept of the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, Acceptance.

During her lecture she told us about an incident when she was in the hospital room of an elderly lady who was dying of cancer, and who was angry at God, expressing it quite openly. Dr. Ross listened patiently through all the complaints and emotions. When she left the woman’s room, she encountered a pastor who had been outside the door listening to what was going on.

(At this point, you need to know that Dr. Ross was born in Switzerland, was very short and thin in appearance, and spoke with a delightful European accent. But as I observed her during her lecture, I surmised that despite her small stature, she was probably pretty feisty.)

The pastor was waiting outside the door with a reprimand. “Why did you let that woman say awful things about God like that? I heard it all the way out here. She was insulting God! You should have stopped her from saying such irreverent things!”

Dr. Ross put her hands on her hips in a scolding manner, and looking up at the much taller pastor, said with a shake of her head, “I think He’s big enough to take it!” And off she marched, leaving the pastor to reconsider his theology.

What this cancer patient was being allowed to do was to practice transparency with God. Her feelings were strong. She was unhappy with her condition and ready to “let God have it!” This openness obviously helps us more than it helps him. He knows our situation and how we feel about it.

If you’re waiting for things to get better in your life before you spend some time or improve your relationship with the Lord, or if you’re afraid to talk to God because you wouldn’t have anything nice to say at the moment … well … It would probably be better just to let it out. God wants to hear all those things. It’s all part of staying on track with God. If this transparent approach to your relationship with him is a new thing for you, I understand. But if you need to shout and complain to God, I feel confident in saying that it won’t knock him off his throne!

Honesty with God helped King David to vent his feelings, as in the Scripture above. But one thing David does in many Psalms is to teach us how to come back around to God’s point of view. The next verse after the above Scripture says, “Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11)

I’ve heard my share of complaints from people who are suffering from trials and tribulations, including hospital patients. I want to imitate my heavenly Father and be “big enough to take it” and still care about the complainer.

Have a blessed day,

Chaplain Mark

BY THE WAY, the movie The Apostle, starring Robert Duvall as an evangelist, has some pretty good “transparency with God” scenes. (Warning, it’s a little rough in places.)