following and being led, day 5

Come to Stillness:
Take a few minutes to allow your mind and heart to be still before God.

Opening Prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus,

      I am still so divided. I truly want to follow you, but I also want to follow my own desires and lend an ear to the voices that speak about prestige, success, popularity, pleasure, power, and influence. Help me to become deaf to those voices and more attentive to your voice, which calls me to choose the narrow road to life. I know this will be a very hard road for me. The choice for your way has to be made every moment of my life. I have to choose thoughts that are your thoughts, words that are your words, and actions that are your actions. There are no times and places without choices. And I know how deeply I resist choosing you. Please, Lord, be with me at every moment and in every place. Give me the strength and courage to live my life faithfully, so that I will be able to taste with joy the new life which you have prepared for me. Amen. (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

Psalm for the Week: Psalm 77

Scripture for the Day: Luke 14:25-34

Reading for Reflection:

     The Gospel today reveals that Jesus not only had good, faithful friends willing to follow him wherever he went and fierce enemies who couldn’t wait to get rid of him, but also many sympathizers who were attracted, but afraid at the same time.

     The rich young man loved Jesus but couldn’t give up his wealth to follow him.  Nicodemus admired Jesus but was afraid to lose the respect of his own friends and colleagues.  I am becoming more and more aware of the importance of looking at these fearful sympathizers because that is the group I find myself mostly gravitating toward.

     I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own friends even when they do not lead me closer to Jesus.  I love Jesus but want to hold on to my own independence even when that independence brings me no real freedom.  I love Jesus but do not want to lose the respect of my professional colleagues, even though I know that their respect does not make me grow spiritually.  I love Jesus but do not want to give up my writing plans, travel plans, speaking plans, even when these plans are often more to my glory than to the glory of God.

     So I am like Nicodemus, who came by night, said safe things about Jesus to his colleagues, and expressed his guilt by bringing to the grave more myrrh and aloes than needed or desires.

     …Nicodemus deserves all my attention.  Can I stay a Pharisee and follow Jesus too?  Doesn’t that condemn me to bringing costly spices to the grave when it is too late?  (The Road to Daybreak by Henri J.M. Nouwen)

    

 

Reflection and Listening: silent and written

 

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

 

Song for the Week: He Leadth Me

He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

Refrain:
He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful foll’wer I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes ’mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, o’er troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

Closing Prayer:
Drive far from us all wrong desires and incline our hearts to keep Your ways: Grant that having cheerfully done Your will this day, we may, when night comes rejoice and give you thanks; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (The Book of Common Worship)