Daily Prayer for October 16

I always thank my God for you because of his grace given you in Christ Jesus. For in him you have been enriched in every way – with all kinds of speech and with all knowledge. 1 Corinthians 1:4–5, NIV Lord our God, we thank you that you are so near to us that we may feel and know we are your children, your children who are in your hands with all that belongs to our earthly life, all our needs and temptations, all our efforts and pain. We come together to thank you, and our thanksgiving wins a victory over everything that makes life difficult for us. In this thanksgiving the harshness, crookedness, and injustice on earth cannot harm us. Protect us with your light, which gives us wisdom for all situations and which lifts us above everything that is base and meaningless and must pass away. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Simone Weil and the Sacred Work of Doubt Stefani Ruper For Weil, doubt was not the opposite of faith. It was the most faithful posture she could imagine. Read now Lord, Teach Me to Pray Dorothy Day If you have to force yourself to pray, those prayers are of far more account with God than prayers which bring comfort. Read now Down There by the Train Brandon McNeice Tom Waits’s outlaw hymn reminds us that there will be a place at the wedding feast for some unlikely characters – and for each of us sinners. Read now Introducing Another Life Podcast Joy Marie Clarkson, Peter Mommsen and Maureen Swinger To live better we have to begin with the conviction that another life is possible. That is what this podcast aims to explore. Read now Mind Your Own Scapegoats Frank Mulder René Girard has influenced both conservative and liberal thinkers, yet few have been as sharp in dissecting the violent tendencies in each of us. Read now

Daily Prayer for October 3

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:18–19, NIV Lord our God, our Father in heaven, we come to you as your children. Bless us, we pray. Bless us especially in days when fear tries to take hold of us. Let your help come down to us as you have promised, the great help in Jesus Christ, who shall come to redeem the whole world. Bless us through your Word. Renew us again and again to stand firm and true to you, for you are our help for redemption and reconciliation through Jesus Christ. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Mothers of Srebrenica Hannah Rose Thomas and Rachel Miner Thirty years later, genocide survivors still unearth bones. Read now The Berry Family’s Founding Myth Jeffrey Bilbro Wendell Berry’s new novel, Marce Catlett, blurs the line between fiction and autobiography more than ever before. Read now Inwardness in a Distracted Age Eberhard Arnold What is Christianity’s answer when civilization is falling apart? The most effective way to resist evil starts with becoming quiet before God. But it doesn’t stop there. Read now The Marvel of Apple Trees Tara Couture Each apple tree in our orchard has its own character. Read now Daughters of Palestine Nicole Schrag A review of Leyla K. King’s Daughters of Palestine: A Memoir in Five Generations. Read now

Daily Prayer for September 29

A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. John 16:21–22, NIV Dear Father in heaven, grant us your Spirit so that here on earth we may be united with you in Jesus Christ the Savior. May truth dawn on us with its light, bringing joy no matter what happens to us. May all the pain in our lives be turned into birth pangs of a new life in which we can rejoice as people you have created, people prepared for the struggle on earth, who are called into battle and led to victory. Grant that we may not be blinded by the surrounding darkness. Shed a clear light on the new life that is coming. May we see what has already happened because Jesus Christ came to the earth and remains on earth, and may we see what is still to come through him, the Savior. O God of wonders, keep us aware of the wonders that increasingly surround us, until all the pain on earth is finally overcome and we men glorify your love and your great goodness. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Daughters of Palestine Nicole Schrag A review of Leyla K. King’s Daughters of Palestine: A Memoir in Five Generations. Read now Six Kids and Six Pets Lauren Pope A chaotic puppy taught me to embrace the beautiful messiness of life. Read now Readings: On Angels Alfred Delp and Bernard of Clairvaux The medieval saint Bernard of Clairvaux and the Jesuit martyr Alfred Delp remind us that our unseen guardians are always near. Read now Teaching Children About Injustice Cristiano Denanni When a schoolteacher relates to his pupils what he found traveling the world, their responses amaze him. Read now An Experiment in Common Living Jeffrey Wald My wife and I thought we wanted more community. We got more than we reckoned for. Read now

Daily Prayer for September 24

Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:24–25, NIV Dear Father in heaven, we long to be your children and to grow closer and closer to eternal life with all its goodness and truth. In your love to us your children, bless us as we walk on earth under great stress and temptation. Keep us from going astray, and let what you have placed in our hearts grow toward perfection, to your glory and your honor. May our hearts always know the joy that our struggle and suffering are not in vain, that if we are faithful, we may bring forth the fruit of righteousness. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough The Case of Gottliebin Dittus Charles E. Moore In a Black Forest village, a pastor battled demons and witnessed miracles. Read now André Trocmé in His Own Words André Trocmé In his newly published memoir, the French pastor tells how his village offered sanctuary to thousands of Jews facing deportation to concentration camps. Read now Your Friends Are Not in Your Phone Mary Townsend Like many educators, I dread another school year with AI. But a greater threat lurks close at hand. Read now Preaching with Power Fleming Rutledge When you set out to proclaim the gospel, spare us your personal anecdotes and opinions. Read now The Politics of Pagan Christianity James R. Wood Today’s nationalist Christians should heed the message of the anti-Nazi theologian Henri de Lubac. Read now

Daily Prayer for September 20

Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom. One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty – and I will meditate on your wonderful works. Psalm 145:3–5, NIV Lord God, our Helper, we thank you for walking among us and for letting many experience your protection. Even when we are dying, you protect and help us so that we need not pass into death but may enter into life. So may our hearts be lifted up to you. Grant that the light in us remains undimmed, and that we may come before you in sincerity. Lord God, create good out of evil. Let light dawn in the darkness. Fulfill your promise, for our hearts are not concerned with human desires but with your promise. You will carry it out, and we will be able to say, “Our faith was not in vain, our hope was not in vain. Lord our God, you have blest us a thousandfold.” Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Preaching with Power Fleming Rutledge When you set out to proclaim the gospel, spare us your personal anecdotes and opinions. Read now The Politics of Pagan Christianity James R. Wood Today’s nationalist Christians should heed the message of the anti-Nazi theologian Henri de Lubac. Read now Is Anything Supernatural? Andrew Davison What earthworms, humans, and angels have in common. Read now Meeting the Man in White Rachel Pieh Jones In the Horn of Africa, the world is alive with mischievous jinn, shining angels, and unexpected dreams of a good shepherd. Read now The Matter of Angels Alison Milbank How do angels fit into the Christian cosmos – and how do they relate to us? Read now

Daily Prayer for September 15

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways. This is the very word of the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8–9, NEB Lord our God, we thank you for allowing us to come to you and to stand before your face. We thank you for helping us throughout our life on earth, for strengthening our faith in you and our trust in all you do. Bless us and give us courage. May your light shine out among the peoples so that they recognize your will. May your light shine out so that your name may be praised and we can rejoice in the new time you give us. For you will be at work and you will accomplish it. Even when we do not know what will become of our time, you know what our time needs, and you will carry out your will. You will let your name be honored. You will bring your kingdom, and you will change everything for the good. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough We Are All Heirs Grace Hamman Thomas Traherne wants you to enjoy the world. Read now Miracles Are Not Magic Carlos Eire For saints who flew, miracles came as a byproduct of holiness. Read now Readings: On Divine Nature Herbert McCabe and Augustine of Hippo The church father Augustine of Hippo and Irish priest Herbert McCabe help us recognize the sacred all around us. Read now Against Re-Enchantment Joy Marie Clarkson Secularism has robbed the world of gods and goblins, we are told. Is that a bad thing? Read now Strange Gifts of the Spirit Sarah Killam Crosby What might other Christians learn from Pentecostalism? Read now

Daily Prayer for September 6

When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” Mark 10:14–15, NIV Dear Father in heaven, how shall we thank you for all you give to us, your children, for the great wisdom and power you hold in readiness for us if we are childlike? We want to be glad in your presence. We do not want to weep and complain, though tears often threaten to come. We simply want to ask you to protect us, your children. Protect all your children on earth. Let the pain that breaks over them be taken away, for the sake of the whole world. Even when we must follow a hard road, let all the suffering we endure become part of the fight that brings in the kingdom of heaven, bringing your purpose to the earth and great mercy to the peoples, bringing to all the world the wonderful forgiveness that enables men to be reborn, until at last all are called your children. Sustain us. Help us. Bless us. May the Savior always live among us, reviving and strengthening us in body and soul. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough The Gospel of Grace Brennan Manning We believe that we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps – until they are cut. Read now Poor Men West of Richmond Maureen Swinger What I found at an Oliver Anthony concert. Read now Superdoctors From Saint Roch to The Pitt Ellie Rose Mattoon Saint Roch forced me to grapple with how far I might be willing to go for the patients in my care. Read now Sandpile Parenting Johann Christoph Arnold As children we had a big sandpile where our imaginations could run wild. Read now The One Who Promises King-Ho Leung The making and keeping of promises and vows seems to be something close to Taylor Swift’s heart. What can we learn from her songs? Read now

No Longer Any Sea

The glorious future when the sea is no more! The images in today’s post are tough to see.* [See Note] Viewing them is tough because they are too true to our world right now. They are bitter reminders of the religious hatred, political instability, and the personal viciousness that lie in the hearts of fallen humanity. We live in the world with “the hurt” and it is a force we cannot manage. Our world is in bondage to decay, and it cries out for liberation (Romans 8:18-25). In the worst of times, the problems of our world’s brokenness overwhelm us. They not only overwhelm us individually, but they can overwhelm us as nations and as a world-wide community. Our impotence in dealing with this current hurt is a reminder that we can be overwhelmed at every human level with “the hurt” at almost any time! We don’t need theology to tell us something’s broken with our world. We see the results of this brokenness all around us. The picture of tiny Aidan, an innocent child, caught up in the rip tides of politics, economics, religion, hatred, ethnicity, and race, reminds us powerfully of the brokenness of our world. His lifeless body pushes us to see “the hurt” in human terms We know that “the hurt” is real. I know it personally. I was not allowed the immunity of childhood to protect me from “the hurt.” Daddy Gordon, my grandfather on my mother’s side, died without warning when I was 5. We had been fishing in the Gulf of Mexico the day before. The next night he was gone. I had to face “the hurt” with no tools through the emotional mist of a kid’s confusion. Gary, a friend with whom I had tried to share Jesus in ninth grade, was killed riding on a motorcycle going to buy drugs. The guy driving the motorcycle was supposed to be a Christian. I had to face “the hurt” again when I was 15, still in the angst of being a teenager. My father, Daddy Al, died when I was 25 after a lengthy illness. Once again, now in the earliest stages of marriage and fatherhood, I had to face “the hurt.” Only this time, I was more fully aware of the finality and all that is lost to “the hurt” even when that loss is framed by faith. The first three decades of my life were marked by life-shattering losses to “the hurt.” However, compared to what many in our world face, I lived a blessed life! The brokenness of our world – dealing with the overwhelming nature of “the hurt” – is our inescapable reality as mere mortals. We must have an answer for life’s biggest inescapable, “the hurt,” or all of our other answers pale in significance. When the surging waves of our mortality overwhelm us, we have to have an answer for “the hurt” or the surging seas will swallow us in death and the winds of hell will rip apart all that we hold dear. But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! I love that phrase from the apostle Paul (Romans 7:25). Only now it is my exclamation of anticipated joy as I look at our passage today from Jesus’ Revelation to John (Revelation 22:1). Notice what is said at the end of the first verse: …and there was no longer any sea! How is that good news? Why is this reason to rejoice? I love the sea. There is some primal connection with me to waters of our creation. Why is this good? In the book of Revelation and much of the Bible, the sea is the source of the monsters of hell (Revelation 13:1). In the Old Testament, the sea was symbolic of the monsters of chaos we cannot control: our primal fear of weather, oceans, fire, winds, and all the disasters of our fallen world (Isaiah 27:1-5). The time is coming when all the chaos and monsters from hell and all that sea symbolize are gone! But what does that mean for you and me? Jesus’ promise to us through John means that “the hurt” will be ended! John describes it in these ways. There will be a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 22:1). We will have connection with the best of God’s original creative intention, but we will now be able to enjoy it in perfection, forever. The apostle Paul illustrated this contrast by telling us that in this life we see the seed of God’s life for us, but then we will enjoy it in full bloom (1 Corinthians 15:35-49). Jesus’ promise to us through John means that God’s people will become the Son’s bride-the Church in all its imperfections, now perfected and beautified in the presence of her Savior (Revelation 22:2). All that is good and joyous and eternal about heaven’s hope will become present with God’s people as they participate in the greatest wedding celebration of all time. Jesus’ promise to us through John means that there will be no longer any separation between us and the Father (Revelation 21:3). The Father will be present with us face to face. We will be like and will be able to see him as he is (1 John 3:1-3). Jesus’ promise to us through John means God will wipe away every tear from our eyes. One of God’s first acts is to acknowledge our pain and then remove it forever (Revelation 21:4): Death is gone – so no mourning Pain is gone – so no more crying and hurting. Evil is gone. So what we can’t control, the impact of evil people and a broken world – Gone. These are gone… but not just gone, banished… not just banished, but completely removed with even the residue and reminders of them taken from us and absorbed in the grace, glory, and holiness of God’s presence with us. All things will be made new by their Creator (Revelation 1:5).

Daily Prayer for August 31

You should think of us as Christ’s servants, who have been put in charge of God’s secret truths. The one thing required of such a servant is that he be faithful to his master. 1 Corinthians 4:1–2, TEV Dear Father in heaven, open our hearts to see and feel how our lives have been blest. Open our hearts to your blessings so that we may look forward in thankfulness and joy to what lies ahead. Grant that we may be faithful to what we have received from you and never again lose ourselves in the passing moment. May we hold to all you have brought to our hearts from eternity, that your name may be honored and our lives shaped anew in Jesus Christ. Give us courage to overcome the evils in life and to look with joy and confident expectation to the future, when the powers of your kingdom will be ever more clearly revealed. Amen.   Recent articles on Plough Defeating the Noonday Devil Ladislaus Boros Sloth, or acedia, is not idleness or laziness. According to classical writers, it’s most likely to strike midlife. Read now Saint Galgano’s Sword Logan Messenger A knight, instead of drawing a sword from a stone, thrusts his in and leaves it there. Read now The Killer in Our Choir Daylan Woodall My hometown’s hidden history of violence has left wounds that only divine justice could heal. Read now Tights Narine Abgaryan If only I had grabbed warm tights for her. During a lull between explosions, she darted out to grab warm clothes, and her daughter chased after her. Read now Forgiving the Unforgivable? Hanna-Barbara Gerl-Falkovitz Did forgiveness die in the concentration camps? Read now

Unhinderedly!

God will get us where we need to be when we need to be there! I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6 ESV). While these may be easy words to say, they are much harder words to live. Yet the people who first heard these words knew that Paul shared them with conviction and passion. He wrote from prison.*note He was under house arrest awaiting trial before Caesar and was chained to a Roman soldier (Acts 28:20; Philippians 1:7; Ephesians 6:20; Colossians 4:12). When Paul had first set foot on the shores of Italy, he had been welcomed by believers from Rome. Even though he was a prisoner of Rome, they were not ashamed to be identified with him and accompanied him on his journey to Rome (Acts 28:11-16). While under house arrest, Paul had spoken to Jews and non-Jews about Jesus. Some had listened and became followers of the Lord (Acts 28:17-31). In fact, some who guarded Paul became his brothers in Christ (Philippians 1:17). Paul knew he could be executed because of his current imprisonment. Yet he was confident that he would be released. Through the prayers of believers and the power of the Holy Spirit, he was confident that he would again serve his brothers and sisters in Macedonia (Philippians 1:18-26). Paul was under a God-ordained calling to go to Rome. He had written to the believers in Rome that God was leading him to come to Rome (Romans 1:15). Even while enjoying a great victory over demons, sorcery, and witchcraft in Ephesus, he didn’t hesitate to move forward. Paul told the Ephesians that he had to move on to Rome (Acts 19:21). After Paul’s arrest, assassination plots were planned by his enemies. When everything and everyone seemed to be against him, God revealed that he would go to Rome (Acts 23:11). This was important to him, because Paul was compelled by the love of Christ. His call was to share the message of Jesus to those who had never heard it (Acts 20:24; Romans 15:20-29). He was also committed to encouraging the believers in Rome (Romans 1:11-13). Getting to Rome, however, was quite a challenge. Yet God was faithful and Paul could say: I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6 ESV). Paul passionate lived convinced that these words were true. His journey to Rome was filled with all sorts of twists and turns. Luke’s account of Paul’s journey by sea to Rome in chapters 27 and 28 of Acts are as exciting as any young adult adventure novel. Plots to assassinate him were followed by trials and intrigue – read Acts chapters 21-26. Then Paul boarded a ship under arrest headed to Rome where he would appeal to Caesar for his deliverance. Slow sailing in the early part of the trip meant that the owner of the ship and the captain had to decide whether to try to make it to Rome in the dangerous late October weather. Paul warned them to wait, but they set sail. Things went from boring in the early part of the trip, to bad winds, to worse winds, to terror filled storms, to plots to kill the prisoners including Paul to keep them from escaping, to schemes by some sailors to steal a lifeboat and get away, to tossing out all the tackle, to throwing overboard all the supplies, to holding the ship together with ropes, and finally to running aground in a storm. When the ship broke up in the crashing waves driven by the storm, all prisoners escaped to the island of Malta. On shore, this mixed group of sailors, prisoners, and soldiers was warmly greeted. As the nearly 300 men tried to warm themselves by fire, a viper came out of the burning wood and fastened itself to the hand of Paul. Paul shook it off and was unharmed by the venom. This incident opened the door for Paul to minister to the people there. When winter passed, the group sailed to Italy, and Paul was accompanied by believers as they walked him from the coast to the imperial city of Rome. I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6 ESV). Luke ends Paul’s story in the book of Acts a triumphant, yet ungrammatical ending. In the original language, Luke’s last word is an adverb often translated “without hindrance.” Literally, the word could be translated in its adverbial form as “unhinderedly”! Led by the Spirit, Luke wanted this last word of the book of Acts to ring in the ears of disciples of every generation until Jesus returned: “Unhinderedly”! Despite hardship, opposition, and near death experiences, God brought Paul to Rome as he had promised. Paul shared the message of Jesus to both Jews and non-Jews while under house arrest. He wrote several of his most powerful letters to churches – Ephesians, Colossians, Philemon, and Philippians. *note Paul’s story was the living example of the assurance he offered to his beloved brothers and sisters in Philippi. Today, in a world growing more hostile toward those who believe Scripture and who follow Jesus, we must remember these powerful words of Paul to the Philippians. Our struggles are not forgotten. Our cause is not going to fail. Our impact on the world will not pass into non-existence even under the assault of time and culture. The Holy Spirit will empower us to bring grace to the lost and encouragement to the fainting. The Lord Jesus will continue as head of his body, the church. The question is whether we – whether you and whether I – will be faithful to the Lord Jesus who has called us. Because… I