Get up and pray! Some thoughts about last night's prayer meeting

9 Then God said to Jonah, “What right do you have to get angry about this shade tree?”

Jonah said, “Plenty of right. It’s made me angry enough to die!”

10-11 God said, “What’s this? How is it that you can change your feelings from pleasure to anger overnight about a mere shade tree that you did nothing to get? You neither planted nor watered it. It grew up one night and died the next night. So, why can’t I likewise change what I feel about Nineveh from anger to pleasure, this big city of more than 120,000 childlike people who don’t yet know right from wrong, to say nothing of all the innocent animals?” Jonah 4:9-11, The Message

Once a month a handful of people from our fellowship gathers on a Sunday evening to wait upon the Lord for an hour. While anyone can come to these gatherings it's never more than a handful and why that is I couldn't say (although I have my opinions). The format is simple. We sit quietly by ourselves for the first half hour or so and seek to listen to his voice. Then during the second half hour we gather in “the couch corner” of the sanctuary and share what verse of Scripture, images, or impressions that have come to mind while we have quietly sat before the Lord. Often a certain theme emerges in the sharing and then we seek to pray “into” that theme together. It's not a perfect science but frequently we feel “led” by the Spirit to pray in a certain manner.

Last night as I knelt at the altar Jonah 4:9-11 came directly to mind. Jonah, of course, is the reluctant prophet. He's the guy who didn't want to go to Nineveh and warn them of the judgment that was coming. After some divine arm-twisting that occurs in the belly of a whale he grudgingly obeys God's command. Peeved at having to deliver God's warning to one of the enemies of his nation, he marches into the main square of Nineveh and like Luther nailing his 95 Theses upon the door of the Wittenburg Church declares: “In forty days Nineveh will be smashed” (3:4, Msg). That's it or at least all that Jonah said that he shared with these uncircumcised pagans. He then marches out of town and sits on a hill and waits for the fire to fall.

But these Ninevehites do something surprising. They don't scorn or mock Jonah. They listen to him. They get serious with God. They repent for their sins. They are, as we like to say now, all in.

“The people of Nineveh listened, and trusted God. They proclaimed a citywide fast and dressed in burlap to show their repentance. Everyone did it—rich and poor, famous and obscure, leaders and followers.” (3:5)

Well, this is awkward

Their response is so complete and so sincere that God changes his mind. “On second thought, I'm not going destroy their city” (3:10)

You would think that this kind of response is enough to summon a chorus of Hallelujahs from Jonah. Instead by the end of his short story he is sitting in a sulk mad at God for changing his mind. In fact, we learn why he's so peeved is that he anticipated such a response. He knows enough of God's heart to know that the only reason Yahweh would send him there was so that these people could get another chance.

4 1-2 Jonah was furious. He lost his temper. He yelled at God, “God! I knew it—when I was back home, I knew this was going to happen! That’s why I ran off to Tarshish! I knew you were sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness!”

"Dang."

When the story began God is angry with Nineveh for its practice and reputation for wickedness. Like Marvel's Thing Yahweh says to anyone who may be listening, “It's clobberin' time.” But at the end of the story, the people of Nineveh have repented in sackcloth and ashes and now God is angry with his prophet who should know better. If, as he said, he knew that God was “sheer grace and mercy, not easily angered, rich in love, and ready at the drop of a hat to turn your plans of punishment into a program of forgiveness” why should he be stewing over the salvation of 120,000 people who spiritually speaking don't know what they don't know?

After awhile another verse came to mind. Jesus used parables, hyperbole, dialogue, Scripture references to persuade his fellow Jewish countrymen to believe what he was telling them. He always seems in control of the conversation, engaged but not overly argumentative. But in Matthew 23 the water flows over the dam. Jesus' frustration with the obstinacy of the religious establishment leads him to pronounce seven “woes” upon them. I certainly don't believe he “lost it” with them but I'm sure he didn't say these things with a smile. At the end of his litany he says this,

“Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Murderer of prophets! Killer of the ones who brought you God’s news! How often I’ve ached to embrace your children, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you wouldn’t let me.” (23:37-38, Msg).

He should look angrier

In Jonah's story, an entire city of spiritually ignorant people humble themselves because of a one-sentence sermon delivered by a guy who didn't even want to be there. At this moment, Jesus speaks to the spiritual gatekeepers of his nation expressing God's great heart to draw them to himself as a hen gathers her chicks but they are tone-deaf to his plea. “Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Whatever. We're not listening. No thank you. We don't want any.” In his next breath he pronounces the judgment that will visit them within a generation for their hardheartedness (v. 39).

It occurred to me that both verses reveal that when it comes to spiritually dead or deaf people God's arms are wide open. He is, as Jonah testified to, “sheer grace and mercy”. He is that mother hen who wants nothing more to draw her chicks back under the protection of her wing. The people who don't know a thing – who “don't know right from wrong” (Jonah 4:11) – listen and respond. The people who know it all – who certainly cannot claim spiritual ignorance – act as if they are entitled to God's deliverance when, in fact, they are headed to a rendezvous with destiny.

Randy is one of our elders at Refuge and a very thoughtful man. He reads a lot and ponders the ways of God. His contribution to our discussion was this passage from Romans 13

“Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code—don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other “don’t” you can think of—finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add up everything in the law code, the sum total is love.”

“But make sure that you don’t get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can’t afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don’t loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about!” (Romans 3:8-14, The Message)

This text, in my mind, was the exclamation point that the Holy Spirit was placing upon our hearts last night. Pray! We must pray and intercede for our neighbors, the city we call home, the state and country we live in, the world we share with so many others. We can't tell ourselves that “God's gonna do whatever he's gonna do” when in fact he partners with us to stand before him (ala Abraham in Genesis 18) and plead for those we care about – and for those we don't care about but should. To not respond to the Holy Spirit's voice is to be guilty of wasting time and laying around when we should be dressing ourselves “in Christ and be up and about.”

And so we did pray together and will continue to do so because somehow or another our prayers matter to "the Judge of all the earth" (Gen 18) and he waits for us to call on him.

Let it shine: What I "saw" last night at "Wait & See"

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.' Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, 'Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.' But the wise answered, saying, 'Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.'

And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us.' But he answered and said, 'Verily I say unto you, I know you not.'"

“Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.” Matthew 25:1-13, KJV

The Second Sunday evening of every month since last year has been set aside for an hour of corporate prayer in the sanctuary of our fellowship. I started scheduling such an event after reading Joyce Huggett's book The Joy of Listening to God (Intervarsity Press © 1987). Speaking only for myself, I know how to talk to God; it's the listening part that is challenging to me. I call these gatherings “Wait & See” because my hope is that we will wait upon the Lord and then "see" and hear what he may be saying to us.

The format that we use for this gathering is fairly simple. I put on some quiet, instrumental worship and encourage those who attend to sit quietly anywhere in the sanctuary and be still before him. Most people bring their Bible with them. I bring my journal as well. We are quiet for the first half hour or so trying to allow him room to speak. After this we circle up and share among ourselves impressions, thoughts, pictures or Scripture that may have come to mind while we sat. The goal is try and discern any common themes or Scriptures that may come to light as we share.

Yesterday it snowed all day and while by evening the snow was tapering off the plows had only begun to clear the way. Honestly, these gatherings are not well attended – usually only between four and seven people – so I fully anticipated that I might be on my own for this gathering. But if the priest in the days of the Tabernacle was required to keep the lamp of the Presence burning daily how could I neglect the Lord because of four inches worth of snow? Besides I only live three blocks away.

But three showed up – Sandy, a senior citizen, Sara, a twenty-something and Randy, one of our elders who lives out of town – and more than quorum was met. Since beginning this routine of these gatherings I have gotten better at learning to still myself before the Lord. But last night I came to the gathering with a lot of interior noise and static. I was frustrated over a few fellowship matters, our internet at home wasn't working, and one sentence out of an otherwise positive letter from a couple in our congregation raised a bit of ire in me. So out of a need to quiet myself I turned to Philippians 4 and re-read the words of Paul to myself:

“Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! [Peterson's translation of “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, Rejoice] Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you’re on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!”

“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Philippians 4:6-7, Msg)

I had to do this first, purposefully rejoicing in God's goodness, the wonder that for over twenty-seven years a group of people still unflinchingly affirmed me as their pastor and that probably was okay to be off the 'net for an afternoon and evening. I won't say my spirit settled immediately but eventually it did.

And then in my mind's eye as I continued to kneel at the altar I saw Pastor Guy. Pastor Guy pastors Chetek Lutheran Church down the street from us. He's something of an artist and will just as eagerly quote Scripture as he will, say, John Lennon, as a part of his weekly message. He's also writes and plays folk music. So while I knelt at the altar disciplining myself to rejoice and not to worry I saw and heard Pastor Guy playing “This Little Light of Mine” as he had done at our annual ministerial Post-Epiphany Christmas Party a few weeks before.

Pastor Guy working his magic

Journal entry #1:

“We are probably the only Christians in Chetek tonight gathered together to pray. Four souls out on a snowy night to wait on God together. I can't help but hear refrains of “This Little Light of Mine” as we do. Our 'little light' burns tonight – may it light the darkness and encourage the faithful to keep their lamp trimmed.”

I then turned to Matthew 25 to re-read the Parable of the Ten Virgins. Five were wise and five were foolish. The wise ones remained alert while the foolish allowed themselves to become distracted, sleepy or both. And then suddenly, the bridegroom showed up and the wedding began in earnest to the joy of the wise virgins and the shock and disappointment of the foolish ones.

Journal entry #2:

“I want to be diligent to keep my lamp trimmed with a ready supply of oil. I want to stay on task, expecting inspection at any moment. May You lead our prayers so that we at Refuge and the faithful here in town will remain diligent, fervent, serving the Lord.”

I had entered the sanctuary thirty minutes before frustrated (among other things) that I couldn't get on-line at home and the tech support people had been less than professional in their dealings with me. (To be fair, I wasn't the best of customer to them.) A half hour later, however, I was in earnest that we here would be about the Master's business when he returns.

Journal entry #3:

“Yes, I'm on my way! I'll be there soon! I'm bringing my payroll with me. I'll pay all people in full for their life's work!” (Jesus in Revelation 22:12, The Message) Lord, may my life's work glorify You and bring glory to You.”

As we circled up and shared the Scriptures and impressions that we had individually felt a common theme did emerge that could be summed up this way: small things matter and cause significant change

Sandy:  “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.” (Mark 4:31-32, NIV) All God needs is a small mustard seed of hope and he can turn things around.

Sara: “...let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16, NIV) Even a little light can brighten the darkness. So may God help us to be his light wherever we go.

Randy: “Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.” (Philippians 2:14-16, NIV). We need to be light.

These weren't the only things that each of them shared. There were more. But I think we could sense at least one thing God was saying to us on a snowy night in Chetek: Don't give up gathering together and seeking me. Stay alert and awake. Stay on task and be diligent. Remember “even a little light” can brighten a dark room.

“So let it shine, let it shine, let it shine...”

Unscripted: A lesson in intercession

“Remember to pray for me in this jail.” Paul in Colossians 4:18

This past Sunday was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOPPC), an annual observance to remember those suffering for Christ around the world. It is an event our fellowship has participated in every year going back perhaps to the mid-90s when it began. Some years we have followed the curriculum that is provided by one of the several advocacy groups out there like Open Doors or Voice of the Martyrs. The first few times we observed it I remember creating massive prayer guides for people to take home with them. Now and again I have tried an additional follow-up prayer gathering involving Christians from other fellowships in town. But whatever the format we employed we spent time – sometimes longer than others – praying for those we probably will never meet this side of heaven who are experiencing hardship and trouble on account of their devotion to Christ.

Pastor Andrew and Norine Brunson

This year frankly I did not know what to do. I only had an idea that began to germinate when I caught a snippet of an interview American pastor Andrew Brunson, recently released from two years of captivity in Turkey a few weeks ago, gave on CBN. I found him very candid about how broken the first year of his captivity had left him and what came of it. Based on stories he had read of others who had been imprisoned for Christ he had expected to be buoyed by a grace that made him joyful despite the bars that separated him from his family, his church and the rest of the world. Instead he was desolate and alone and felt absolutely nothing leaving him struggling with disappointment in the very One to whom he professed his faith in.

So my plan became this: after some introductory comments, we would listen to the audio version of Colossians 4 from The Message (I prefer its real-world sound) and then watch a series of videos I found on YouTube including:

• The FOX News interview that Pastor Andrew & Noreen Brunson gave after he was released from house arrest in Turkey ("I will preach Jesus until the day I die"). (I personally like the images and timeline that track his story from prison to kneeling before President Trump and praying for him 24 hours after his release).
• A much more subdued and poignant interview that the Brunsons gave to CBN during which they each were candid about their experiences being incarcerated ("I was really broken"). (Noreen herself shared a cell with her husband for the first 13 days of his imprisonment).

• 

  Asia Bibi

  A CBN update and interview on the case of Asia [pronounced AH-ZIA] Bibi, a Christian mother of five recently acquitted of blasphemy in a Pakistani court but currently still incarcerated (Asia Bibi).
• A call to prayer for Christians in Pakistan who suffer because of Christ created by another advocacy group for the IDOP observance (IDOP 2018).

All of them concluded in the same way: a request to pray for them and how the knowledge of people praying for them across the globe sustained them in their darkest time. So even though these people are a “zillion miles away” from here somehow, someway our prayers matter.

It was a small group Sunday at Refuge which simply means that corporate prayer is done by people taking their chairs and circling up to pray with one another (something that we practice at least twice a month). Just as people were about to break into small groups to pray for the persecuted, this happened: Duane – one of our elders and about as introverted as they come – popped to his feet and asked to share something. But he couldn't speak. All he could do is look at all of us and try and restrain himself from weeping and failing at it. While we waited for him to regain his composure, Larry popped up and stood with Duane in solidarity. Our congregation was temporarily at the mercy of the emotional display of two introverts, one weeping and one standing with his friend.

Eventually Duane was able to share briefly about some of the persecuted he knows personally. Having served with Youth With A Mission for over 27 years, he shared just how he was overcome with sadness for former students of his who are presently serving in Bangladesh and China and experiencing hardship because of their commitment to Christ. In our small groups then we went into a time of intercession. The only instructions I gave was that before they prayed for each other they were to pray the best way they knew how for the persecuted around the world. I can only speak for the small group that I was a part of but it seemed that our prayers were heart-felt and direct. As I looked around the room, everyone seemed to be on point praying the best way they knew how as well.

Following prayer we returned to the large group and I led the gathering in worship from songs I deliberately had chosen that would affirm that God is God, that He is Lord and that he sees and knows and is present with us in times of loss and hardship. When the service was over it just felt like we had experienced some kind of serendipitous moment of grace that had helped us pray that morning. It was a moment that carried on to our monthly prayer gathering for the handful of us who gathered to wait upon the Lord that evening.

That afternoon as I reflected upon what had happened and pondered Duane's unusual display of emotion (unusual, that is, for him) this is what I now believe had happened. Knowing Duane like I do I know his intent wasn't to manipulate us into some kind of contrived sadness so that we would be in the right mood to pray. No, what I believe we witnessed when two introverts stood before us in an unscripted moment was a prophetic picture of how God feels when his servants suffer – and sometimes die – on account of the Name. It was only a few moments but I believe that picture of God's broken heart for his people “in chains” helped us to intercede in English and (later for those so endowed) in a language we do not know nor fathom.

And then this: Asia Bibi, the Christian Pakistani mother of five we had prayed for on Sunday was released on Tuesday and she and her family have since been moved to a secure location within Pakistan or are currently in exile beyond it (reports are conflicting). I realize that the forty or so saints gathered at 724 Leonard Street in Chetek this past Sunday were but one of probably thousands across the globe who had prayed for her that day and for many months before. But the reminder to me is simple: our prayers matter. Not because on that day we prayed in such a way that he was certain to hear us. Certainly not because we had found (accidentally) “the secret” of effective prayer. But because the Spirit helped us and taught us how to pray for her and for countless others like her on that day.

“When he ripped off the fifth seal, I saw the souls of those killed because they had held firm in their witness to the Word of God. They were gathered under the Altar, and cried out in loud prayers, “How long, Strong God, Holy and True? How long before you step in and avenge our murders?” Then each martyr was given a white robe and told to sit back and wait until the full number of martyrs was filled from among their servant companions and friends in the faith.” Revelation 6:9-11, The Message

Until he comes to set things right, may we be found faithful and may he help us to pray for those who suffer in the here and now as he leads us to pray.

Jesus was the 12th Man

It’s Saturday night in the town in which I pastor, and only 11 people have showed up for our quarterly prayer gathering. Of the eleven, five are pastors, one is wife of one of the pastors present, one is the guy who leads the local prayer initiative accompanied by his wife, and one is an elder of one of the fellowships represented who is also serving as our worship leader tonight. That leaves two people who make up “the congregation.” And given we are meeting in the Lutheran church sanctuary whose parallel rows of pews stand at attention like soldiers on parade ground stretching into the distance, it makes our already small group feel even smaller. Understandably, a pall of disappointment hangs in the air. Certainly it makes the worship leader’s gesture of plugging into the amp and all the testing of mics a bit superfluous.

But Kirk, our prayer leader, opens as if there were a whole company of intercessors assembled instead of a platoon and we follow the predetermined program as planned. Earl, our worship leader, leads in song and then as arranged, one by one we each carry out our assignment for the evening. I lead in prayers of adoration. Pastor Mike from a neighboring community leads in prayer of confession. Pastor Dan leads us in thanksgiving and finally Pastor Norm, the grand old man, leads us in intercession for our community. Interspersed in all of this are songs and opportunities to pray spontaneously. And pray we do – fervently, joyfully, and expectantly. There are moments of silence – pauses – but never a lag in the flow of the evening. Early on a prophetic word is shared affirming us of God’s pleasure in our gathering together. All of this took perhaps two hours but it was the last 40 minutes of the gathering that made my night.

We had adored the Lord, confessed our sins, gave thanks to God and interceded for our communities and His church and now it was time to pray for each other. A hot seat was pulled out and one of the pastor’s wives sat in it confessing her need for deliverance from demonic oppression. Pastor Guy, the host pastor, placed the oil in my hands and we all circled around this woman of God and began to pray – some in English, some quietly in tongues – all of us pronouncing Christ’s authority in her life and commanding those things that were afflicting her to go to the feet of Christ to be dealt with as he saw fit. We proceeded to pray for a few more of our friends – one wanting wisdom, one seeking healing, another seeking healing for a friend of his. There we were eleven individuals from various fellowships but all from the Body of Christ ministering to one another as God has called us to do. Afterwards, as we stood in a circle around the vacated hot seat, Pastor Guy began to lead us in a spontaneous chorus of intercession. “Let the glory of the Lord rise among us!” followed by similar verses for God’s healing, blessing and favor upon the Church of Jesus in our area. It seemed to me at that moment that the joy of the Lord filled that place. And then Guy led us in the singing of “The Lord’s Prayer” as a benediction.

It was only eleven people among how many hundred believers in this area. And yet, Jesus – our 12th Man – had brought us victory – and we exited the building feeling confident that “he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil 1:6).