Meeting God in Silence and Solitude

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Pax Pres, and to all people,

This week, I wonder how comfortable you are with silence, stillness, and solitude.

I personally enjoy quiet. But I’m the first to admit that once I actually sit still, it can take quite a while to actually get “quiet” in my mind, heart, body, and soul. 

If you follow this blog, you’ve seen how wordy my prayers can be! But God also calls us to “Be still, and know that I am [He is] God.” (Ps 46:10)

If sitting like a monk for hours on end in total silence sounds unbearable or logistically impossible for you, you can still pray and be with God in silence.

Two years ago, author Pete Scazzero challenged my silence-averse spiritual life to start small. 

    1) I find five minutes each day where I get away from people, noise, calendar, etc. I set a five minute timer. And I just sit. When the timer goes off, I might linger a little longer; or I say something simple like “Thank you, God” and go on with my day.

    2) When my mind begins to wander - as it always does - I “bring myself back to attention” by reciting a short verse silently in my mind. As soon as I wander again, I recite the verse again. Eventually I’ve built the habit of being able to get quiet more easily. Verses that help re-center include:

        “The Lord is my shepherd...” (Ps 23:1a)
        “The Lord is in His holy temple, let all the earth keep silence before Him.” (Hab. 2:20)
        “Be still and know that I am God.” (Ps. 46:10)

Scazzero says this:

“The goal of spending time in silence is not necessarily to hear from God but to be with God. When I spend time in silence, I am not looking for guidance, though it often comes. However, I do find that God says a lot when I am quiet!…Silence and stillness with God are a foundational practice by which we actually position ourselves for God to do His transformative work in us.” (Quoted here: https://battlefieldministries.org/be-still-and-know/) 

When’s the last time you truly had five minutes of quiet, not just on your own, but intentionally with God? It took me months to get comfortable with this habit, but now it’s an essential part of my life in Christ. Start small and join me. I’d love to hear from you if you try it - what you find; what’s good, what’s hard, other ideas for silence and solitude, etc.

Humbly in Christ,
Pastor Matt

Prayer for Humility

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Pax Pres, and to all people,

This week, I offer a prayer for humility to help us start the season of Lent well together.
Humbly in Christ,
Pastor Matt


Almighty God, try as we might to be your humble disciples, everything in culture and in our own hearts tugs at us to be self-assured and boastful.

God, as we begin the season of Lent approaching the remembrance of Jesus’ final days before His crucifixion and resurrection, we need to be humbled again. Whether we like admitting it or not, Ash Wednesday reminds us that you created us from the dust of the earth, and to the dust we will one day return. Although you offered us your Son Jesus to promise so much more beyond the grave, God, we are still humbled to remember that we are simply and totally human.

God, in the Lenten season of preparation for Easter, remind us of what true Christ-centered humility is. As others have said better than us, God, humility is certainly not thinking more of ourselves. But neither is it thinking less of ourselves. Rightly practiced, God, humility is us thinking of ourselves less. (C.S. Lewis; Tim Keller)

God, we pray for those among us who naturally tend toward self-loathing and despair. God, for those who need that broken, debilitating spin on humility restored in them, restore them with the loving, saving, healing words of Jesus: “Come to me, all you who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:28-30)  I see a self-pitying downward spiral in myself at times, God, and I pray for those who need your Holy Spirit to fill them with a more grace-filled humility.

God, we pray for those among us who naturally tend toward self-assurance, even cockiness and arrogance. Years’ worth of certain skills, experiences, wisdom, and more fill us with a desire to say, “Look at me, God!” “Look at me, everyone!” We may not shout it from the rooftops, God. But you, God, hear our inner voice all too clear, and you want to firmly but lovingly humble us. Whatever it is that tempts each of us to boast in ourselves, God, yank us back down to the foot of the cross of Christ, so that we boast in nothing but Him and Him crucified. 

God, our cultural and societal conversations encourage us to form a half-informed opinion and stand strong no matter what. Father, we give thanks that in Christ you renew our source of all wisdom and knowledge, and belief in Jesus Christ can indeed fill us with strong convictions about good ethics, justice, and more. But God, no matter our convictions and opinions, keep us humble in how we speak, post on social media, and more. God, you see my tendencies when I read a news story that causes indignation at the injustice, sin, or criminal behavior of others. God, you know I need even my “righteous” thoughts tempered with the righteous humility of Jesus, who though He is God, did not consider equality with God something to be considered. Fill me - fill all of us - with the humility of Christ, who became obedient to death, even death on a cross. (Phil. 2)  Likewise, God, when I get overly consumed with the sins of others, shine your rebuking but healing light on my unconfessed sin. Kindle in me, in us, godly repentance because we know the everlasting mercy of Christ stands ready to meet us.

As we walk each day toward your betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection, Jesus, show us how to treat ourselves and to treat others with that kind of Christ-like humility. (Col. 3:12-13) Clothe us with it everyday. Wrap us so fully in Christ’s humility that even our firm or corrective words to a child, a family member, a co-worker, or a friend are noticeably covered in Christ. Make us more ready to repent and seek forgiveness wherever it is needed. Make us more ready to offer forgiveness to those who’ve wronged us in small ways or in severe ways.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, make us more humble every single day - not only from Ash Wednesday to Easter, but every day until the day of Christ’s return. 

Amen.

Prayer for Sharing the Light of Jesus

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Pax Pres,

This week’s prayer is inspired by my daily experience of watching cars drive by the Pax Pres building on Route 4. Join me in prayer:

Gracious God, across this planet, in your providence you have established “outposts” of your kingdom here on earth: local churches like our beloved PaxPres. You call all who are disciples of Jesus to go and make disciples of all nations. Here at PaxPres, God, even the address of our church building is in your hands. You’ve put us in the state, county, and region you have because you have a mission for us to grow and make disciples of Jesus in Southern Maryland and across the world.

I give you special thanks, God, for the history of the people of PaxPres, who have literally moved addresses in our history as a church. From the years on Town Creek Drive to the couple years in a Wildewood storefront to our current location on Kingston Creek Road, God, you put us where we are for a reason. We give thanks for those who have gone before us who have sought to love neighbors and make disciples from one location to the next. 

We pray today for every person who drives by the building you’ve provided to the people of Pax Pres. I see car after car speed along Route 4 and know that each person in each car has needs that only you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, can meet. Though our building is by no means “who we are,” it represents us to our neighbors. Therefore we pray for all who cross paths with PaxPres. Through the power of Jesus and your Spirit, bring works of healing, salvation, and new life to all who drive by, that we might have the joy of joining them in bringing praise to Your name.

God, we give thanks for all who come through the doors of our PaxPres facilities. Even during the pandemic lockdown, many people still make use of the space you have gifted to us. Help us to be kind and compassionate in our welcome to children, teens, and adults alike who for any reason find their way into our building. Bring works of healing, salvation, and new life to each of them in the name of Jesus and through our efforts to minister to them and bless them.

God, though you put our building at this specific address, the fact is that “your church,” “PaxPres,” is dispersed six and a half days a week all across Southern Maryland and beyond. We pray for your church sent out on daily mission. Every one of us who calls PaxPres “home” will interact with someone, if not many people, today. We pray that each of us can be the light of Jesus for someone to see today: a neighbor, a co-worker, a store clerk, someone six feet behind us in line at the store or the doctor’s office, and more. Make us aware of how we can point them to Jesus somehow today through our words and our actions.

God, we pray for dear friends and fellow saints in Christ who have not set foot in the PaxPres building for so long now because of the pandemic. Wherever they each find themselves today, you have put them there for a reason. Spirit, meet them in their sense of isolation; show them how they can abide in you, Jesus, and be a blessing to others even while they are away from the church building they hold dear.

God, sometimes we admit we get antsy. Especially on pandemic lockdown, we get tired of “where we are.” Yet you have put us - individually and as a church - exactly where we are today because you have a mission for us. Wake us up to that mission; stir us out of complacency. Empower us to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus, right at the address where you’ve put us. We pray all this in His name and for His glory. Amen.

"End of Day" Prayer ... and more

Greetings Brothers and Sisters in Christ at Pax Pres, and to all people,

Do you ever get to the end of your day and need to get the day “off your chest”? Sometimes the words of another person’s prayer say something to God much better than we can. This week, I want to share an “end of day” prayer that has meant a lot to me. It is written by Barbara and R. Kent Hughes in “Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome.” It has helped me bring closure to many of my days.

PRAYER AT END OF WORKDAY:
“Lord, I release this day to you with all of its events. Thank you for the opportunity to minister to (fill in names of people you interacted with throughout day). His/her answer is not found in me but in you. I must decrease, and you must increase. May your spirit continue to pray through me, even beyond my consciousness. Enable me to rest in the fact that Christ is praying for the situation and the ultimate answer for this situation is Christ's healing love. May Christ's grace place closure on this day and cleanse away any residue that would leave an ugly stain on my mind and body. I enter into rest with the knowledge that my body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.”  - R. Kent and Barbara Hughes

Dr. Tim Keller has also written a series of prayers for other times of the day. Click here. 
They include prayers: 

1) for waking up

2) before workday

3) for midday

4) end of workday

5) before sleep

Perhaps some of these will help you abide in Christ in the chaos and routine of your day, and even see your day in a different light.

In Christ,
Pastor Matt