Abundantly More: my prayer

Holy God, Father, Friend-- keeper of mercy and grace far beyond what we can imagine. We turn to you this day, this new year in our lives. We desire more than we know how to request. We yearn for a full realization of the Day of Your Kingdom, and pray that today we are but one step closer.

What we have learned this week is that more compassion is required of us...

This week millions of Americans witnessed what many thought was not possible.

...that even more effort is required of us...

Holy God, Father, Friend-- we pray today that we envision and live this compassion, that all our efforts are focused on the Kingdom, and not simply the nation.

For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every famil^*1617181920²¹y in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, for ever and ever. Amen.

Pondering Silence, Fear, and Political Leanings

Last night I had the privilege of pondering faith and politics with a dear friend. As I walked home through the unseasonably warm evening, a phrase - perhaps the title of a future article? - kept running through my mind:

The Things Young "Liberals" Are Afraid to Say

This comes out of a recognition that I am tired of specific issues being tied so closely to specific political parties. There are positions I take on issues, tied to my fundamental beliefs as a young, Evangelical Christian, that would not jive with the rest of the world which identifies itself as "liberal." But there are many attitudes, positions, and ideals tied to the "conservative" and "Christian right" that I don't ascribe to. Where is the middle ground where we are allowed to speak without feeling like we are violating either our faith or our public responsibilities?

So I ask you, my friends, what are you afraid to say, for fear of being cast out of your chosen allegiances? What issues do you find it difficult to choose a side on, because neither side fully reflects what you actually believe?

Election '08

I figured the season deserved one political post from me:Because I will be in Michigan next week, I exercised my civic right and responsibility this morning, just in the nick of time. While, of course, the national election is of great importance right now, I was also reminded of the many state and local responsibilities we hold here in Illinois: the majority of our ballot is for local officials, and also holds a two important state-wide questions.

Whatever your political affiliation or personal choice, if you're in the state of Illinois and are registered to vote, I hope you get to an early polling place today before 5 p.m., or your designated location next Tuesday.

Fodder for the Masses: Race Relations & Politics

"Americans are sharply divided by race heading into the first election in which an African-American will be a major-party presidential nominee, with blacks and whites holding vastly different views of Senator Barack Obama, the state of race relations and how black Americans are treated by society, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News poll."

This morning The New York Times ran this article, "Poll Finds Obama's Run Isn't Closing Divide on Race." It cites some interesting statistics from the poll:

• More than 80% of black voters have a favorable opinion of Obama; the number is about 30% for white voters
• About 60% of black respondents to the poll say that race relations in America were generally bad, compared to about 34% of white respondents
• Over 40% of blacks believe they have been stopped by the police because of race; about 7% of whites say the same thing
• Nearly the only question on which black and white respondents agreed on was that America is ready to elect a black president
  

For those of us entrenched in the Covenant Church, race relations have been a constant topic of conversation for the last 10 years - and necessarily. I am curious as to what others think of this article, and what it might say about how we, as Americans and as Christians, need to adjust our thinking and discussion to reflect the reality of the current situation in our nation.

To read the entire article click here. And then let me know what you think!

(And for another political view from the day, check out what Rolling Stone Magazine is saying today.)

Shabach Hallelujah, Barak Praise the Lord

The first time I heard the word "barak" I was dancing around a room crowded with sweaty campers in the summer of 2003 at Covenant Cedars Bible Camp in the middle of Nebraska. Our worship leader for that season, Alisa, taught us this great tune, complete with dance moves, that went something like this:

Shabach Hallelujah
Barak Praise the Lord

Shabach Hallelujah
Barak Praise the Lord

Yadah extend your hand
Todah Lift up your hands
Tehillah means to sing
Kara means to dance dance dance

Now, Barack means something totally different, and may mean our next President of the United States. That's right, Senator Barack Obama (D - Ill.), has announced he will begin the Presidential race. Check out the Chicago Tribune's story: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/custom/newsroom/chi-070116obama,1,1946725.story?coll=chi-news-hed