fear, day 7

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

Opening Prayer:
O Lord our God, help us to live our lives with the faith and courage necessary to live by love and not by fear. Forgive me when my seeing and my thinking get so distorted that I allow fear to control me and make me its slave—even when I don’t fully realize it. Seize my heart and soul with your perfect love in such a way that it drives out all fear and gives me the freedom to truly love, rather than manipulate, those in my life and world. In the name of Jesus. Amen. (JLB)


Psalm for the Week: Psalm 27

Scripture for the Day: Romans 8:12-17

Reading for Reflection:

And there is another important point about love, something we have heard often, maybe even know in our heads, but forget so easily once we close the Bible.  God’s love is so powerful and expansive that it leaves no place for its hurtful, destroying opposite: fear.  Fear is unholy; fear keeps us from God; fear itself can become a false and devouring god.

     I wonder how many of our sinful ways of being and doing can be traced back to our fear: our fear of failure, our fear of change, our fear of growth, our fear of all that is other.  The fruits of our fear are bitter: violence, spiritual deadness, and contempt toward all whom we would push to the margins.  I suspect that most of our sinful isms—racism, sexism, ageism—are the fruits of fear. (My Soul in Silence Waits by Margaret Guenther)

     “The light’s going uncommon quick,” said Rynelf.

     “Back to the ship,” muttered the men.

     “I really think,” said Edmund, “they’re right.  We can decide what to do with the three sleepers tomorrow.  We daren’t eat the food and there’s no point in staying here for the night.  The whole place smells of magic—and danger.”

     “I am entirely of King Edmund’s opinion,” said Reepicheep, “as far as concerns the ship’s company in general.  But I myself will sit at this table till sunrise.”

     “Why on earth?” said Eustace.

     “Because,” said the Mouse, “this is a very great adventure, and no danger seems to me so great as that of knowing when I get back to Narnia that I left a mystery behind me through fear.” (The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis)


Reflection and Listening: silent and written

Prayer: for the church, for others, for myself

Song for the Week: Isaiah 43

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you
And the waves shall not overcome you
Do not fear for I have redeemed you
I have called you by name, you are mine

For I am the Lord your God (Ladies repeat)

I am the Lord your God (Ladies repeat)
I am the Holy One of Israel—your Savior

Men                                    Ladies
I am the Lord                    Do not fear
I am the Lord                    Do not fear
I am the Lord                    Do not fear
I am the Lord                    Do not fear

When you walk through the fire, you’ll not be burned

And the flames, they shall not consume you

Do not fear for I have for I have redeemed you

I have called you by name, you are mine


Closing Prayer:
Lord Jesus,
Help me to hear your words, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” and to believe them in the deepest places of my heart. Help me to live my life by those words this day. For your sake and by your Spirit and in your name. Amen. (JLB)