| A few days ago, I was asked to sit on a panel with four other preachers and answer a couple of questions. The first question was, “How do you remain non-anxious in a season wrought with anxiety?” Each of the panelists described how they manage themselves through disciplines like prayer, meditation, and the keeping of the Sabbath (Boundaries). Regardless of one’s practice of spiritual disciplines, the goal is to manage yourself more than to manage the environment. One can only control how one will respond or react to the chaos around them. By controlling one’s own anxiety, he/she can change the environment—not the other way around. It is along those lines that I appreciate Eugene Peterson’s commentary on Jesus and prayer: “The prayers of Jesus can never be isolated from the life of Jesus. Prayer is not a subject on its own. Prayer is not a specialist activity. In a symphony orchestra, some play the clarinet, some play the oboe, some play the violin, and some play the trombone. But in the Christian life, it is not that way: we don’t have some who visit the sick, some who sing the hymns, some who read Scripture, some who give money, and some who pray. In the Christian life we do not choose aspects, get some instruction and training, and then specialize in what we like or feel we are good at…Prayer is not something we pull out of the web of revelation and incarnation and then sign on to be prayer warriors. It is more along the analogy of breathing: if we are to live, we all have to do it…we don’t single out individuals and say, ‘She (or he) is a great breather.’ Prayer is woven into the fabric of life. Prayer is woven into the fabric of Jesus’ life. The notices of Jesus at prayer are part of everything else he does. None of his praying and none of his prayers can be taken out of context and studied on its own.” I like the analogy of prayer and breathing. It is vital to life; it steadies the soul and grounds the person in the life of Christ. Pray for inward peace and allow the Spirit of God to flow over you creating a calm spirit and a quiet mind.  This Week’s Readings: *Monday – Mark 11, Mark 12 *Tuesday -Mark 13, Mark 14 *Wednesday – Mark 15, Mark 16 *Thursday – Galatians 1, Galatians 2 *Friday – Galatians 3, Galatians 4 Prayer Requests: *Heal those who are sick and protect those who are not. *Comfort those who are grieving and in distress. *Wisdom for our leaders as they navigate through uncertain times. *Guidance for those seeking to find their way. *Continued Growth Inside and Outside the Walls of St. Paul UMC. |
| “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need and thank him for all he has done.” – Philippians 4:6 |