A Prayer from Rev. Matt Pooley, Pastor

Almighty God, You are the just, perfect, true, righteous, and eternal ruler over all nations. As one songwriter said it, Lord, “Though the nations rage, kingdoms rise and fall / There is still one King reigning over all / So I will not fear for this truth remains / That my God is, the Ancient of Days / None above Him, none before Him /All of time in His hands / For His throne it shall remain and ever stand / All the power, all the glory I will trust in His name / For my God is, the Ancient of Days.” Click here. 

Lord, this is our prayer, and this ought to be our prayer everyday. But today, following the most recent violence done in the city of Kabul, we cry out for your mercy. We mourn the loss of life of at least 13 U.S. service members and of at least 169 Afghani bearers of Your image, and the profound injuries to scores more. How long, O Lord?, we cry as the Psalmist cries (Ps. 13).

God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1), pour out Your comfort, mercy, and provision on the family members and friends of each of these men and women who have lost their lives in Kabul. As they process what for others is a “national headline” on a personal and private level, show them Your compassion every step of the way. Lord, pour out Your comfort, mercy, and provision especially on the fellow comrades of the service members - those who wake up today equipped and ready, but nonetheless shaken, in shock, and grieving, as they have to continue standing ready as soldiers. Lord, ultimately all grace, truth, strength, and comfort come through a saving knowledge of Your Son Jesus and His sending of Your abiding Spirit. We pray for these grieving family members, friends, and soldiers, that for any of them who do not know the abundant, saving grace of Jesus, kindle in their hearts a desire for repentance and faith in the good King Jesus. For those family members, friends, and soldiers who do call upon Jesus as Savior and Lord, grant them opportunity to sit beside the others who grieve - with a listening ear, compassion, and perfectly-timed words of hope.

Lord God, we confess and know that there is still more violence to come. In the free will You graciously granted us, we humans continue to fight for power, resources, and control; and we destroy one another’s lives, communities, and resources as a result. Father, in the mercy of Christ, let it be Your will that the violence would subside. No one wants peace more than the community members and soldiers who stand so vigilantly to defend and fight for peace. So Lord, let the peace of the good King Jesus come swiftly to the land of Afghanistan, as we long for His reigning peace to come to our own country and to all nations on earth. For those on the ground, grant them the calm and strength of Christ in the face of all fear. For those of us watching from a distance, and affected indirectly by military decisions, economic effects, and more, grant us the calm and strength of Christ in the face of all fear. For those of us watching from us a distance, Holy Spirit, inspire in us how we can sacrificially and best support our own service members as well as residents of Afghanistan who simply want their country restored and flourishing. Lord, watch over the chaotic fleeing of so many from Afghanistan in the days and weeks ahead, and bring your good order to a situation so rife with complexity at every edge.

Lord God, we also pray for the Church’s witness in Kabul and the surrounding regions. For foreign aid workers, for Christian missionaries, for local pastors, elders, and disciples of Jesus in Kabul and beyond, grant them all wisdom and knowledge of Christ so they can minister in the midst of devastation in the name of Christ. Praying to You from the U.S., Lord, show our churches in our own country how we best stand as witnesses to Christ to our service members and their families; how we best stand for the Gospel of Jesus without conflating it with any one particular political ideology. We confess, God, that all of our minds and hearts - no matter where we stand on the political spectrum - have been discipled for far too long by the machinations of an earthly government. And yet You call us to be witnesses not just to the hurt and the mourning, but also in the positions, decisions, and policies we vote for and support. We cannot wade through all this on our own - grant us wisdom, God; grant us courage. And grant your wisdom and courage to the leaders of Afghanistan, the U.S., and all countries involved, whose decisions have dire ripple effects on the citizens of Afghanistan and the service members who have sought to defend and support their self-governance for two decades. And for ISIS-K and for any other surreptitious parties and factions who will vie for power in the coming weeks, bring their hearts to Jesus through visions and dreams of Him in miraculous ways, so that perhaps more decades of violence in that region might be slowed by Your mighty hand.

God, your Psalmist declared: “Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;

    he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us;

    the God of Jacob is our fortress. He makes wars cease

    to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

    he burns the shields with fire.” 

Come again, Lord Jesus, that this vision may come to pass. Amen.

The Powerful Testimony of Victoria Godfrey

Good morning church, my name is Victoria Godfrey, and I am a senior at Patuxent High School.

I would like to start off by reading a poem I wrote:

There Was a Day

There was a day before you began
Before the wind could blow your hair,
Before you could scrape your knee on the sidewalk
The pavement was black- and without concern of your care
 
A time before the hospital took your heart beat
And recorded it to get lost in files
God knew you before your parents could
He hid you away my child
 
All before the world could bend you
And try to make you its own
God knew the number of breaths you would breathe
And to Him He knows alone
 
When the leaves fall without your consent
And the day turns to night with little warning,
Your Father up in Heaven loves you
And always knew you were coming
 
Though it is not about you
It is special to think
The freedom of living in peace,
Because you and I struggle with numbering our days-
But it is not our plan He keeps.

Over the past year and a half, I have had joys and sorrows, testing of my faith, and the gift of seeing God’s working hand. For all of us this past year was not what we were planning, but God knew it was coming and for the believer He does not let trials go to waste (Romans 8:28). We do not get to pick and choose all the events that will come our way in life, we do not get to return an upcoming week to God and say, “yeah I'm just not feeling that." God keeps His plan- not ours, and I praise God that He knows so much better than me and uses my trials for good.

During Covid-19 I have been blessed with making many more friends who have supported me in my faith and cared for me. I've been blessed by being invited to Bible study and hangouts with people God has put into my life. But along with those blessings this time has been filled with pain.

I'm sure you will be able to relate to some things on my list:
Loss of loved ones, as my grandma passed away
Feelings of rejection
Mental health
Stress about college and a way to pay for it
Fear of getting sick
 
Your list and my list could continue, but with our well-rehearsed list of stresses, and complications, disappointments, and discontentment, God is further equipping us for the work he has planned for us to do (Ephesians 2:10). Our understanding of pain can help other believers and nonbelievers. Though no one will ever fully understand another's pain, going through hard times can help us see how to help others better, and in turn, be a light and more like Jesus to those around us.

Another thing we should do is count our blessings:
Count your blessings name them one by one
count your blessings see what God has done
count your blessing name them one by one
count your many blessings see what God has done.
(Johnson Oatman Jr. music by Edwin O. Excell)
 
Isaiah 43:18-19 says “But the Lord says, “Do not cling to events of the past or dwell on what happened long ago. Watch for the new thing I am going to do. It is happening already - you can see it now! I will make a road through the wilderness and give you streams of water there.”

Let us make it a habit; every day to thank God for 5 blessings in our lives. And if we are having a hard time counting to 5 or are sad, make that list 10. It can be as simple as thanking God for money to pay the electricity bill, or as big as God sending His one and only son to die for each of us.

I would like to close with another poem I wrote:

The Things You Shouldn’t Forget

The ungrateful heart turns to bitter storage
Of draining, hopeless glee
Only wanting what you think is better,
But forgetting how to see
 
You forgot about the nighttime drives-
For peaceful silence they succumb,
The way the water sparkles
from the fossette as it runs,
The way your child's hand
still fits lovingly in yours,
The friend ready to go on a walk
Waiting at your door.
 
So, with grateful hearts in pain will show
A deeper love for God,
Because it is easy to be thankful when things are good
But just as important when things are not.
 
Praise God for blessings in difficult times!
Amen

The Powerful Testimony of Katie Mead

Hello, my name is Katie; I want to start this off by saying that I don’t think I would have ever imagined that such good could come from a pandemic--from a time where everything was locked down: I couldn't go to school, I couldn't hangout with my friends, I couldn't go to church, and no one could even visit each other, let alone shake hands or hug. Let’s face it: for a while, the world’s deafening heartbeat went silent. But that’s the thing about silence: in it, you can hear the breath of God--consistent and never ending. 

Even before everything was shut down, I went to youth group, I attended services here regularly, and thoroughly enjoyed both of those activities. But if I’m being honest, the world’s voice had slowly gotten louder and louder, its influence becoming stronger and getting a tighter grasp on my mind. Because of that, for so much of my life, I defined myself by grades and academic achievements, and, being a junior in high school when this all began, school work was pretty much my top priority. But apparently, when the entire world stops and school gets shut down, I have no school work to prioritize. What would fill that void in my life? Now I know, that answer is Jesus. 

It was a slow progression as I started to attend youth group meetings held over zoom and watched online sermons that fed me exactly what I needed. Looking back, it is so clear to me how God used those things as well as the youth leaders (Steve, Robbie, and Amanda) along
with my friends (specifically Ava, Victoria, and Kyle) to guide me along my journey in faith. Every conversation we had, and every moment was ordained by God and helped me not just to know Jesus but to love him with all that I have. 

A relatively recent conversation with a friend helped me to know what it means to love God with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. As a more logical thinker, it was easiest for me to love God with my mind, resting in the knowledge that God is real and loves me, but to know it with my heart? That’s a whole different story. For me, it came with the late night worship sessions alone in my room and developing a prayer life that was honest and true and devoted to Him and His kingdom. It came in reading my Bible in a way that would leave me different each time I read. It came in having a boldness about my faith. It came in humbling myself, submitting to His will, and putting all my efforts into bringing Him glory. It came in repentance. 

What I used to not understand was that if I loved Jesus, I would not be ashamed, nor would I want to do anything that would take away from His glory. For so long, I sought my own glory and prided myself in righteousness, and honestly, it’s still a struggle of mine that God is helping me work through, leaning on His strength as opposed to my own. But I thought that since I was “nice” to people, that I was good enough. But the truth is that none of us are good enough—for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But that’s the whole point of who Jesus is and what He did for each and every one of us. When I gave my life wholly over to Christ, my identity was no longer in my grades or anything else besides Him, and I am so
incredibly grateful that Christ died for me when I was still a sinner so that I could be redeemed through His blood and be reconciled to the Lord my God. And so I may boast in Him being my rock and my refuge.

I didn’t plan the immense amount of growth that has occurred this past year, to know what it truly means to love the almighty God, creator of the universe. I was just trying to get through
high school, I didn’t plan anything at all. But God did. Every word spoken was planned out to bring me closer to Him, because He chased after me. He pursued me. All this to say, that there is truth in my favorite verse, Romans 8:28. I know because I have witnessed it in my own life, through this pandemic. Through His prevailing purpose amidst a storm of isolation.

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

Praise be to God.

In Appreciation for the NEW Office Expansion!

 

We have the joy of celebrating the milestone of completing our recent office expansion project!

Our Interim Pastor, Rev. Robert Bayley was instrumental in getting the new office building project moving towards the construction phase. He joined Session as they voted for the project and supported their decision to move forward with the bids collected by the Building Committee. He listened to the staff who expressed their needs and advocated for them to get into workspaces more conducive to optimal productivity. He also supported the Building Committee by praying with them and staying updated on each phase. His dream was to have the project completed so a new pastor would have a fresh new office in which to work. We all thank Pastor Robert for his part in this project and wish him the best in his next interim position!

We gratefully highlight the many people involved - the building committee that oversaw this project: Kevin Smith, Grace Debbink, Jarod Grant, Leon Anderson, Robert Miller, and Brion Gallo.

In particular, we thank God for Kevin Smith and his tireless work as part of the building project. In addition to being our Lead Trustee, he also became the Liaison of the Building Expansion Project – working on every single detail imaginable and unimaginable with the architect, builder, and contractors and communicating with the building committee, finance ministry, and our church family.

Grace Debbink, our Office Administrator on staff, has been the driving force behind this project since she first heard of the concept from years prior to her arrival. She learned all the details about the previous research, designs, and pricing. She asked herself and others, “Why not now?” The idea got traction when Grace explained the long-term benefits of having an expanded office space to support the growing staff and designated work and meeting areas for church members, as well. Because of her tenacity, she pushed through many emails, meetings, and phone calls and the project picked up speed – all while her family made a major move across the country.

Geoffrey Engle may have been 'behind the scenes' (and in the ceiling), but his contributions have been and continue to be invaluable for all who use the new office space. He was able to provide much history and many suggestions regarding former operating systems to Kevin Smith. His work on the router has ensured successful internet access, which is obviously a significant need. He also attended the new phone system training and created an easy-to-understand guide for our church. 

We also thank God for finance elders Dave Smouse, Dean Farmer, and former finance elder Tony Guido, who combined their talents, time, and efforts to raise funds through the Capital Campaign and make payments for services rendered in a timely manner. They also came up with consistent communications – through the written word and video. We appreciate that they were dedicated to making fiscally responsible decisions every step of the way.

Administration elders Robert Miller, Jon Friedmeyer, and former admin elder John Martin put their heads together to review building plans and make accommodations suitable for the entire staff (and potential future employees). They thoughtfully persevered through countless reply all emails and meetings, while championing the staff.

Many thanks to Debbie Boyd for all of her efforts to plan, coordinate and purchase all of the new office furniture at an amazing discount given by her company, Boyd Furniture. We appreciate her endeavors to buy, store and deliver the furniture while coordinating with the project completion and ensuring the best possible price for our church. She assembled many pieces of furniture on her own time and continues to provide excellent customer service!

Our incredible staff was displaced for nine months and graciously made this work. They diligently worked to the best of their ability, granting grace when the going got tough, being prayerful at every turn, and remaining flexible during challenging times. Grace, CiCi, Laura, Rachel, Diane, Eileen, and Pastor Matt will stay thankful and embrace the space!

In addition to the people behind this project, there is the vision. The facility of Pax Pres is one of the many resources God has entrusted to us to steward well. Pax Pres exists to worship God, to nurture each other as disciples, and to minister in the world in Jesus’ name. Each room of our expanded office is a space in which Pax members, elders, deacons, staff, and trustees can be equipped and encouraged to fulfill the mission God has for us.

Picture in your mind the people of Pax, of all ages, appropriately using our expanded office space to prepare themselves as disciples and to prepare the material resources needed to go and make disciples in Southern Maryland and across the world.

Spaces such as the conference room will become available for use by groups like Session, classes, and other ministry meetings. We are still settling into the new routines of this space, including scheduling. As we iron out those details, you are welcome to contact the church office with questions about scheduling use of the space for a church group or ministry. We encourage grace and patience as we communicate and negotiate with each other about those details.

As we continue to work within COVID-19 guidelines, we request that you please make an appointment to visit the office. Temperature-taking, mask-wearing and social-distancing are still in place. We now have a new way to gain access during hours – an actual doorbell! It is located to the left of the east-facing entry doors. Ring it and Laura Landreth, our administrative assistant, will buzz you in during office hours of Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Also know that Pastor Matt’s office hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

We also thank God for the sacrificial investments and generous giving across this entire congregation, without which this expansion project would not have been possible. Many years ago, over the course of a number of years, nearly $250,000 was given by many saints in this church, including some who have since gone on to be with the Lord. Last year, a capital campaign was undertaken to further finance this project. Collectively, many of the Pax family contributed almost $100,000 funds - let's appreciate how big of an investment and sacrifice that is toward the vision of disciple-making.

Let’s pray for God’s gift of this space to our ministry.

Almighty God, across centuries, cultures, and contexts, you’ve called men and women to be disciples of Jesus who make disciples of Jesus. We thank you, God, that you generously equip us with the resources we need to fulfill that disciple-making mission. Thank you, God, for everyone and everything that went into building this new office space at Pax: we thank you for every single person and for the generosity and sacrifice of time, finances, and energy that so many have contributed to make this possible. Make us good stewards of the space you’ve given us, Lord – not just for keeping it tidy and in order, but give us a vision of how this space can launch us out into our community with the mission of Jesus Christ. We commit this space and all whose contributions have made it possible to your glory and to yours alone. In Christ, Amen. 

To view video guided tour, click here.

Prayer: Under Construction

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

As I write this, the staff of Pax - together with the help of so many - are finally moving back into our expanded office space that’s been under construction since last summer. More will be said to celebrate this milestone in worship soon ... for today, the Pax office move has me thinking more on a discipleship and prayer level.

Physical construction and move-ins are great images to remind us that, personally, we are each always “under construction” until Christ comes again to consummate a new heaven and new earth. I certainly need to pray toward this end; join me in prayer.

Humbly in Christ,
Pastor Matt

Almighty God, so often I pray because I’m looking for You to change something about my situation or circumstances. “Make this difficult person less difficult.” “Make this decision easier.” Or as I move back into my office, something as simple - yet frustrating! - as “Make this bolt loosen on this table leg!” God, so often “Argh - fix it” seems to be my prayer.

And yet, God, the apostle Paul is such a model of faithful prayer. Why, Lord, don’t my prayers sound more like this?

“And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.” (Phil. 1:10-11)

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.” (Col 1:10-12)

God, I give thanks that You’re such a loving Father that You incline Your ear to me and to us no matter how messy or mis-ordered our prayers are. But, Holy Spirit, only You can reshape my prayer to be more like those of Paul. Next time I have a difficult conversation, a seemingly unfixable problem, an inconvenient truth come my way, help me respond in ways that bear fruit in every good work. Grow me in my knowledge of You especially through the people, stuff, and situations that most challenge me. I confess, God, that so often I want more love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control in my life; but I don’t want the painful construction process it takes to get there. God, make me ready for the works of demolition and remodel You want to do in me in the middle of any given day.

Father, if You are indeed the one who saved me by your grace and began a good work in me in Christ Jesus, then I appeal to You to be the one who brings that good work to completion in the day of Christ Jesus - and every day until then! I pray this for myself and for everyone I interact with. Help us see our personal problems and collective problems less through the lens of “What are You doing to fix it, God?,” and more through the lens of “What are You doing to grow me, God?” You know me, God: on my own, this is not how I pray. So Spirit, change this in me. I am always Yours - always under the loving construction of Your Holy Spirit to be conformed more and more to the image of Christ. I pray all this in His name. Amen.

The Tomb

The Tomb

A collaborative poem by Rosemary Bailey and Eva Whittle

 

The Aramathean, rich man, secret

believer, he had a tomb carved out

of rock where no one had ever  

lain. But when the Rabbi

 

died and the day turned to night-

darkness and thunder, and death walked

among the dead wondering how some

he had held in his grip for so long

had opened their graves, Joseph

 

went to Pilate to ask for the body

and he carried that torn

and broken shell into his own

burial cave. There were enough

spices to mourn a king and here

the Son of Man finally

has a place to lay his head

 

the tomb. Rome

sealed it with a massive

boulder and guarded it night and day.

    

Sunday just before dawn

(the guards had been shaken into frightful

sleep) the angel broke the seal

of the place that death had visited

 

but death had been banished

and the still fragrant tomb

was once again only empty.

Easter Flower Dedications 2021

The Easter Azaleas and Lilies
are given to the Glory of Almighty God by:

Anonymous
In honor of Cindy Johnson, my secret sister.
 

Barbara Abell
In memory of Ed Abell, the love of my life.
 

Leon and Mary Anderson
In loving memory of our parents, Iris and Robert Fudge
and George and Leota Anderson.
 
Rosemary and David Bailey
In honor of all mothers who are spending Easter
with the risen Lord.
 
Cherie Crescini
Praising God for my first granddaughter,
Eliza Jean Crescini, born January 27, 2021.
 
Jim and Cici Donnelly
In memory of CiCi’s parents, Bill and Jane Carl.
 
Eschenbrenner Family
To celebrate our church family.
 
Dan and Rhonda Forsman
In memory of Alec Edwin Forsman.
In honor of Ed and Ann Forsman.
 
Chrystal Godfrey
In memory of Phyllis Wright.
 
Rev. Robert Hardin
In memory of Mr. and Mrs. RM Hardin, parents
and Mr. and Mrs. Mansel Hardin, grandparents.
They are in God’s Heaven and in my heart.
 
Carolyn and Dick Huff
In memory of loved ones.
 
Diane Kleinschmidt
In memory of my mother.
 
Laura and Jack Landreth
In memory of Laura’s parents and Jack’s dad.
In honor of Jack’s mom.
 
Lawrence Family
In memory Julie Lawrence and our loved ones.
 
Karla and Jim Light
To the glory of God.
 
Sarah and Edward Lorek
To celebrate the Lorek and Vence Family.
 
Glenda Lytle
In loving memory of my husband, Allen Lytle,
son-in-law, Ian Seely, and my parents.
 
Frank and Kathy Mazur
To celebrate our risen Lord!
 
Phil and Sue Menthe
In honor of Patuxent Presbyterian Church.
 
David and Laura Padula
In memory of David’s mother, Annamarie Padula
and Laura’s mother, Susan Van Till.
 
Donald Patterson
In memory of Barbara Lanning,
mother of Debbie Patterson.
In memory of Merle and Elsie Patterson,
parents of Don Patterson.
 
Scott and Debbie Patz
In memory of Mary Jean Fagan and Brenda Urik.
 
Bill and Genie Posnett
In memory of Margaret Russell.
 
Rachel and Bob Portillo
In memory of Bob and Pat Larimer, Rachel’s parents
and Bob Portillo, Bob’s father.
 
Rhodes Family
To celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!
 
Cindy Romano
In honor of my parents, Robert and Emma Ross.
 
Les and Shirley Schnake
In honor and memory of members of the Schnake/Byers families.
 
Patsy and Tom Schumacher
In honor Ken and Jean Reamy for their work in the Garden Club.
In honor of the Pooley family.
In honor of this great country.
 
David and LuAnn Smouse
In memory of our parents, Bill and Hazel Smouse
and David’s brother, Billy,
and Lou and Ann Lakes.
In celebration of the birth of our first grandson,
Cru David Smouse.
 
The Unangst Family
In loving memory of our departed
Hawes and Unangst family members.
 
Mac and Tina Watts
In memory of our parents and Tina’s sister, Betsy,
who await us in heaven.
 
Wicker Family
In praise and glory to God for our risen Savior.
In honor of our parents who have always modeled great faith.
 
The Wolfe Family
In loving memory of Grandpa Peter, Grandma Mimi,
and Aunt Megan who we miss very much.
In blessed celebration of our risen King! Alleluia!
 
Don and Beth Wright
To the glory of our risen Lord.
In memory of Don and Beth’s parents.

A Prayer for Holy Week

 

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

Please join me in prayer in this week known across the church as “Holy Week,” as we consider Jesus’ final week that culminated in the best news ever!

Humbly in Christ,
Pastor Matt

Almighty God, shape our lives around the many truths and events of Holy Week. As we remember Palm Sunday and your triumphal entry, humble us again under your kingly rule. Remind us that the “crown” belongs on your head, not on ours. Inspire in us the same kind of genuine praise that the crowds offered: we call out to you to “rescue us!” Hosanna! Lord, even for the quieter ones among us, stir up in us a joyous voice of praise - for if we don’t cry out, the rocks will!

Almighty God, as we consider the early part of Jesus’ week in Jerusalem, we’re reminded of his sobering words of judgment and woe to come on those who reject him. We confess how often that is us - both individually and as a community and society. As you cleared that Temple, Jesus, we remember that as disciples, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. Our gathered church community is a temple of the Holy Spirit as well. Clear out of us the specific habits, attitudes, and thoughts that are an offense to your love, grace, and holiness. Where we have treated the poor and oppressed with disdain and selfishness, forgive us and fill us with new habits of sacrificial love toward them. Teach us your definitions - not the world’s definitions - of justice, righteousness, and generosity. And then help us live those out with radical and fearless courage. We pray this for ourselves - our personal “temples” of Your Spirit - and for our gathered church. Too often we are just as bad as those moneychangers in Jerusalem: Lord, cleanse us and rebuild us as a house of prayer for all the nations.

Almighty God, as we approach your Last Supper and Maundy Thursday, shape our lives around the truths of that day as well. Who are we, God, that you would choose to dine with us even in our sin? Who are we, Lord of all creation, that you would stoop down and wash our feet? Who are we, Lord, that you would offer not just the bread and cup, but your very body and blood, to be given in our place and to establish a new, eternal covenant with us? Who are we, Lord, that you now call us “friends”? Father, reshape our hearts with the sheer grace of your words and deeds around that final meal. Fill us with equal parts humility and joy. That night, you called us to a greater love - a love that is willing to die for one another. We can only love like that because you first loved us like that. Reshape the way we love to look more like the way you love, Jesus.

Almighty God, as we consider your final night and day on earth, keep us aware and alert in prayer. Our spirits are willing, but our bodies are weak. When we see and hear others who wish to do harm or offense to your name, give us courage not to desert you but to humbly, confidently remain faithful to you. We are just like those first disciples, who, left to our own devices, cannot do this. Though we are faithless, you alone are faithful. So grant us the gifts of courage and faith to stand strong in the name of Christ no matter what may come.

Jesus, for the joy set before you, you suffered the cross in our place. Shape our minds, hearts, and actions around what you did in our place. You died a death only we deserved - to grant us, by faith in you - a life that only you can offer. The great reversal, God!! Amazing. We like to think we don’t mock or scorn you, God; but in ways big and small, we do. Forgive us, Father, for we know not what we do.

Almighty God, reshape us around the deep, heavy waiting of Holy Saturday. We confess that we hate waiting. We struggle with silence when we have no idea how long it might last. Spirit, help us sit in the waiting. Help us sit, trusting you, in the silence and in the unknown.

And lastly, triumphantly, joyfully, God: reshape our hearts around the great news of Easter! Where we are uncertain, anxious, depressed, fearful, unwell, discontent, and more, fill us with joy everlasting. Not with fleeting happiness or pleasure - in your common grace, we can get that pretty much anywhere we want. Lord, we need to be filled anew with your everlasting joy. This Easter season, restore to us the joy of your salvation and uphold us with a willing spirit. 

Lord, shape our daily obedience and trust in you around each and every profound truth and event of Holy Week. Surely that kind of transforming work takes a lifetime in each of us - so God, continue the good work you’ve begun in us and bring it to completion on the day of Christ Jesus. Amen.

(painting by Wayne Pascall)

PRAYER: Weight of Life, Weight of Glory

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

The sentiment of the prayer below has been on my heart and mind in recent days, both personally and in the daily news. Join me in prayer.

Humbly in Christ,
Pastor Matt

Gracious God,

You do not need reminding of what your own Word says. But I do. Lord, you have reminded me lately of these words you breathed out through the apostle Paul:

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." (2 Cor. 4:16-18, NIV)

Lord, you promise that, in Christ alone, you are preparing for us an eternal glory that far outweighs all our troubles. God, I admit my heart wants to say: Amen! Yes! What an amazing promise! But I have to ask, God, how can this be? We know all too fully the weight of this life:

Father, a memory of something poignant from this time last year bubbles to the surface, and we are weighed down with grief. 

Father, we have an aging parent or loved one that we have to care for long-distance. While our love for them does not end, we are weighed down with the exhaustion of long-distance caregiving and weighty decisions to make. 

Father, we hear of the murder of eight of your beloved image-bearers at spas in Atlanta, and we are weighed down with grief, let alone with anger at the racially charged motives of those attacks.

Father, we hear of the murder of ten of your beloved image-bearers at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, and we are weighed down with shock, grief, and the reminder of how precious and fleeting life is.

Father, we think about the fact that every day, so many instances of pain, suffering, and injustice strike your image-bearers across our world… and so much of it never “makes the news.” We are weighed down to remember just how broken and sinful our world still is.

Father, we who continue to remain isolated due to the pandemic are weighed down with loneliness and despair.

Father, we who have done “okay” through most of the pandemic nevertheless feel this nagging fatigue creeping in, and we’re weighed down by just how much has happened to us, our loved ones, and our world in a year’s time.

Father, those of us charged with leading others through the pandemic - business owners, ministry leaders, medical professionals, and more - we are grateful for the mantle of leading others through these times. But we are also weighed down with the daily need to maintain the kind of resilience, joy, and wisdom that others hope to see in us.

Father, every day you see each of us navigate interactions and conversations about masks, vaccines, and distancing, and we’re so aware of how unnecessarily emotional and weighty every single word, decision, and non-verbal reaction seems to be in our charged, divided social moment. We are weighed down with the toll of navigating those things at work, at home, with family, with neighbors, and more.

God, hear us clearly: this list - to which we could keep on adding! - is not merely our complaint. It is our lament and our admission that, yes, Lord, these troubles do indeed weigh us down. So now back to your promise, Lord: are you really saying that the eternal glory prepared for us in the victory of Christ “far outweighs” the sum total of everything up above? Lord God, if that is indeed true - which by faith in Christ we believe it is! - then we are moved to tears by such a profound promise. Because Jesus, we know how “heavy” life can feel. Yet you tell us that there’s a glory waiting for us that will make all of this feel like a milligram on a scale. Wow, Lord. Wow. And to think, Jesus, that this is just one of your promises offered through your victory over sin and death in the resurrection of Easter! Wow, Lord. Wow.

God, help us to hold onto that incredible promise every time our shoulders get hunched by the weight of this life. Help us to hold onto that incredible promise every time our headaches and migraines return because of the weight of this life. Help us to hold onto that incredible promise every time our souls feel crushed by the weight of yet another tragedy, big or small. As Paul says, Lord, fix our eyes on you in all situations. Holy Spirit, point us to someone within our reach who needs to hear that promise that your glory outweighs all the pain of this life; give us love and courage to offer that promise of Christ to someone today. All this we pray for His glory and the renown of His name in our lives and throughout the world.

Amen.