Franciscan Friday

May God bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. Amen

May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice and peace. Amen

May God bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain into joy. Amen

May God bless yo with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done. Amen

And the blessing of God, who creates, redeems, and sanctifies, be upon you and all you love and pray for this day, and forever more. Amen

The Next Step of Our Journey

We're going home. Arkansas that is.

In January of 2012 Michala, Mary Grace, Cliff, and I are moving back to Arkansas to partner with Michael Carpenter and his family to plant a church in the Argenta District of downtown North Little Rock. This is in many ways a dream-come-true for us. Cliff and I first began to dream of this day over three years ago as we laughed at the idea of starting a church together one day. Well the laughter soon gave way to hope and eventually calling.

We moved to Colorado with expectations of learning and stretching ourselves in a different culture. While here, we faced some rather difficult truths about ourselves, ministry, and life. But we also fell in love with our God all the more. As we prayed for vision and direction about possibly starting a new church here in Colorado, we felt our collective hearts being pulled home.

So when we were contacted by Michael Carpenter with this opportunity, we felt it an answered prayer. Since that initial talk, we have made the arrangements to leave Colorado and to accept this new call on our lives.

We do this humbly, knowing full well that we need much help for this to happen. First and foremost we have a renewed call to be with God in communion, prayer, and loving relationship. As we have contemplated this vocational calling, we realize that our primary calling is to simply be with God. This renewed sense of purpose has given us a new fire to pray and we ask for you to join us.

Your prayers are our most cherished asset as we move forward. While I will not pretend to understand the full mystery of what happens when we pray, it seems to us that while God is not limited to acting in accordance to our prayers he wants to do so. We ask for you to plead on our behalf.

We also need financial support. We have made this decision in good faith

but we have also counted the cost. There is great pain in leaving Colorado and the people we love here but the joy before us gives us strength to push forward. Likewise, there are several financial barriers before us but we press on in faith. If you are willing and able to help support us, we need help moving. Please email me at mchlgallup@gmail.com or Cliff at cliff.hutch@gmail.com and we will give more information in how to help us.

A little under six years ago, I was near death. A life of self-indulgence and addiction had taken its toll. As I prepared to take my life, love intervened. The love of Jesus spoken through the life of my mother saved me and gave me a new life and a new hope. From that day, I knew that my life would be about that one purpose: the love of Jesus. Pray with us that we could somehow share that life-altering, hope-giving love with our brothers and sisters in Argenta.

St. Patrick's Breastplate

As I arise today,

may the strength of God pilot me,

the power of God uphold me,

the wisdom of God guide me.

May the eye of God look before me,

the ear of God hear me,

the word of God speak for me.

May the hand of God protect me,

the way of God lie before me,

the shield of God defend me,

the host of God save me.

May Christ shield me today.

Christ with me, Christ before me,

Christ behind me,

Christ in me, Christ beneath me,

Christ above me,

Christ on my right, Christ on my left,

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,

Christ when I stand,

Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,

Christ in every eye that sees me,

Christ in every ear that hears me.

I arise today

Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,

Through belief in the threeness,

Through confession of the oneness,

Of the Creator of Creation.

Amen.

I am a Son of God.

A Prayer of Confession and Cleansing

Abba, on days like these when nothing particularly profound seems to stir within, I thank you that you are still near. The lack of insight is often the consequence of my sin: my ignorance, laziness, and often pure disobedience. Forgive me. Teach to to thirst for You and to hunger for Your words. I want to know the security of Your presence and fear Your absence. I want to run to You and not from You. You know my heart, my fears, and dreams; cleanse me and refine my passions. May I die so that You may live in me. Honor the words of this prayer, not just in me but in all those who read it. Thank You for Your immense grace and over-flowing mercy, O how I need it so. Amen

The Heavens Declare His Glory, a prayer

Abba,

The heavens declare Your glory.

But what am I?

Do You even think of me?

Why are You mindful of us at all?

And yet You say we matter. I look into the sky and see endless stars, its a joke to even try to count them and I'm reminded in the laughter that they represent your blessings. This sounds nice but even when my life seems so small in comparison with the heavens, my problems and the problems of those I love seem colossal. Why does this distortion of perspective thrive in our hearts?

Maybe, just maybe, it is no distortion. Maybe our fears and pain are as big as creation in Your eyes too. They shouldn't be but I am beginning to believe they are. You have said that Your thoughts and ways are higher than the heavens are from the earth, intrinsically different from all my expectations. And when I pull myself away from the isolated religious speak that says everything will be alright, I find a God big enough to handle my anger. A God so big and yet so intimate. 

Tonight, I have no clue how to pray. I just can't ask for this and that and go on my way, I need to know You care, that You are as close and as strong as You've promised to be. 

Do I dare be noble now?

I remember when all seemed lost not long ago, when every door slammed in my face except for the love I found in the Pierce women, my family. And in their love, their stories, their prayers, their cooking, I found a home and peace. Now life has led me away from that home and I am afraid that I will never again taste the sweetness of those days. And the truth is I never will, that is why it is so special and why it hurts to even consider losing any of it. But maybe You have another door waiting for me, and this time I know it will be more painful but it will lead me home.

So, lead me, lead us home. 

Amen

Common Prayers for Palm Sunday

Right at the crest, where Mount Olives begins its descent, the whole crowd of disciples burst into enthusiastic praise over all the mighty works they had witnessed: Blessed is he who comes, the king in God's name! All's well in heaven! Glory in the high places! Some Pharisees from the crowd told him, "Teacher, get your disciples under control!" But he said, "If they kept quiet, the stones would do it for them, shouting praise." Luke 19:37-40

It is right to praise you, Almighty God, for the acts of love by

which you have redeemed us through your Son Jesus Christ

our Lord. On this day he entered the holy city of Jerusalem in

triumph, and was proclaimed as King of kings by those who

spread their garments and branches of palm along his way.

Let these branches be for us signs of his victory, and grant that

we who bear them in his name may ever hail him as our King,

and follow him in the way that leads to eternal life; who lives

and reigns in glory with you and the Holy Spirit, now and for 

ever. Amen.

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but

first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he

was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way

of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and

peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the

human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ 

to take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon 

the cross, giving us the example of his great humility: 

Mercifully grant that we may walk in the way of his 

suffering, and also share in his resurrection; through 

Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you 

and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Big Shoulders

What does it mean to grow up? I often ask myself this question. As I probe my heart and mind, to this one word I keep returning: responsibility. As a child I had little responsibility outside of a few chores that I always undertook begrudgingly. Then, if I didn't finish unloading the dishwasher, the worse consequence would be a spanking; now, I don't have anything of which to eat off.  When I was a kid, I couldn't wait to grow up because I could do whatever I wanted. Little did I realize the freedom I experienced as a kid would never be matched again. This wasn't a freedom that allowed everything, but a freedom that because I was my parent's responsibility, I had no need to worry and could simply have fun. While I was limited in the available actions, I was limitless in freedom of spirit. Now that I am experimenting with this whole grown-up thing, I realize that while I have limitless options, my responsibilities limit me. I cannot stay up all night because I have to go to work in the morning. I cannot eat lobster everyday because I have to pay rent at the end of the month. Being a grown-up is not quite what I imagined. 

Responsibilities are great things, they give us passion, purpose, and direction. But they can also deliver worry and stress. All my life my actions only seemingly affected me, but now there are several people at least partially dependent upon me keeping it together and to be honest, I'm not so sure I'm capable. And yet, I find the courage to get out of bed each day and at least attempt to be productive, to put on a happy face that betrays the heavy-laden condition of my soul. I fear less that I will fail as that I will be found out. And with each day a new role or task or worry or fear adds to the mountain upon my shoulders. How can I hold it all, how can I, of all people, be that strong.

I can't.

What being a grown-up has taught me is that it is about responsibility but not just my own.  I share my load with you and you share yours with me. Each of us was meant to carry each other. And above all, I believe, God is there, not to heap more on us, things like shame and guilt, but to carry our burdens. This is perhaps the hardest thing to not only believe but to live. Somehow I make it up in my mind that I have to be perfect, not let God down. But I am reminded that I do not hold Him up but that He holds me up.

Jesus taught His disciples to pray as such: "Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil." This is not a prayer that assumes much at all on behalf of the one praying. We see a simple series of commands, not flowery requests but demands. We go bold before the maker of all things and demand that He make this world right, that He feed us, forgive us and protect us. We will settle for nothing less. But core to this is that we need Him at every level and at its most basic. Our lives as grown-ups are not about making sure we take care of our responsibilities, but rather coming to a point where we not only know but live by the truth that we are utterly incapable. It is in this moment of of emptiness that we are filled. It is in this confession that we find strength. When we release our responsibilities to the only one capable of shouldering them, we finally have that same freedom we knew as children, to be free in our souls. And it is in this freedom that we can truly live, that we can truly shoulder the days ahead.

Communion Prayer

We do not presume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to gather up the crumbs under thy Table. But thou art the same Lord whose property is always to have mercy. Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, so to eat the flesh of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and to drink his blood, that we may evermore dwell in him, and he in us. Amen. -The Common Book of Prayer

My Prayer Today

"By faith we understand, if we are to understand it at all, that the madness and lostness we see all around us and within us are not the last truth about the world but only the next to the last truth.  Madness and lostness are the results of terrible blindness and tragic willfulness, which whole nations are involved in no less than you and I are involved in them. Faith is the eye of the heart, and by faith we see deep down beneath the face of things - by faith we struggle against all odds to be able to see - that the world is God's creation even so. It is he who made us and not we ourselves, made us out of his peace to live in peace, out of his light to dwell in light, out of his love to be above all things loved and loving.  That is the last truth about the world." -Frederick Buechner

Amen.

St. Francis’ Peace Prayer

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. Where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life. Amen. 

A Community Prayer for Courage

Abba, forgive us for not listening to your voice.  We are yours, grant us the courage to live in that reality.  May we take bold risks in your name and have the strength of heart to hope in you.  Teach us to love each other in a manner we currently do not understand, to be foolish for you. 


Be our God and may we be your people.  


Guard us from ourselves and the false demands of others. Help us to know our inheritance as your sons and daughters. May we find our worth in you. May we find contentment in you and may we cease striving after these things everywhere else.  Give us eyes to see you in the least of these our brothers and sisters. Lord, have mercy on us. Amen.

Fat Tuesday

So, Michala and I have decided to continue to develop new traditions for our family.  This past December we ventured into the unfamiliar waters of Advent, only to find ourselves overwhelmed at the beauty of the season.  So as Ash Wednesday ushers in the season of Lent, we have decided to prepare our hearts and our family for Easter.

We're still very unfamiliar with all of this and although our current church doesn't really emphasize Lent, we are excited to experiment and see what the Lord does. We are both expectant and a bit nervous about all of this.  In the coming weeks, as we approach Easter, we will both be updating our blogs, reflecting upon what God is showing us in this new season.  We covet your input, prayers, and support.

I love this quote from Bob Hyatt about what the season of Lent means: "The reflection of Lent on our sin, our brokenness and all the ways we are tied to and contribute to the brokenness in the world should serve to increase our gratitude and wonder at the love of God."

If you are interested in what we are doing and would like to learn more about Lent (and some suggestions on how to participate) check out this prayer guide that I found via Michael Carpenter (check out his sweet blog here).

Thanks for reading and I hope you join us on this journey!

Michael, Michala, and Mary Grace.