Shambles

If YOU are feeling RIGHT NOW that YOUR world is falling apart and everything is in SHAMBLES, PLEASE hear this message from God in 2 Corinthians 4:16-5:9:

"We do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure, because we look not at what can be seen but at what cannot be seen; for what can be seen is temporary, but what cannot be seen is eternal. For we know that if the earthly tent we live is is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling--if indeed, when we have take it off we will not be found naked. For while are are still in this tent, we groan under our burden, because we wish not to be unclothed but to be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. So we are always confident; even though we know tha while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord--for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we do have confidence, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him."

Walter Brueggemann captures some of these feelings in this prayer:

You are the God who makes all things new.
We gladly raise our voices and move our lips
to acknowledge, celebrate and proclaim your staggering newness.
As we do so, we hold in our hearts
deep awareness of all the places where your newness
is not visible, and has not come.
Our hearts link to many places of wretcheness short of your newness.
We picture our folks at home, sick in pain, disabled, paralyzed
and yet no newness yet.
We know up close the deep wretchedness
of poverty, of homelessness, of hunger,
and yet no newness yet.
Move our hearts closer to the passion of our lips.
Move our lips closer to your own newness.
Work your newness in hidden, cunning ways among us.
Move us closer to your bodied newness in Jesus,
newness of strength come in weakness,
newness of wisdom come in foolishness.
Draw us from the wretchedness we know to his scarred, bloody wretchedness,
that is your odd entry of newness into our life.
We pray in the new of his suffering newness. Amen.

With shambles all around, I pray for God's Extraordinary Power to give you hope, courage, and a new day.

John Willis