BY THE FIRE
There are times in life
when a certain part of
theology takes center stage.
Recently I’ve been thinking
a lot about prayer. I guess
it’s because I have had some
very personal items on my
prayer list. First has been
the development and birth of
our newest granddaughter who
arrived on February 27th. I
have a brother who is
mentally handicapped, and a
niece with Down syndrome, so
I do not take it for granted
that every child will
develop with every
chromosome perfectly in
place. Second has been in
regard to the prostate
cancer in my body, and the
upcoming surgery, which will
take place tomorrow (at the
time of writing; please see
sidebar for update). I know
the words I want to hear
from the doctor as he
determines the extent to
which the cancer has or has
not spread.
Maybe you too are in a
season where prayer is on
the front burner. I’d like
to share with you these
words written by Vernon
Grounds, as quoted in Philip
Yancy’s book, Prayer:
Does it Make Any Difference?
“I would estimate that 80
percent of the prayer
requests I hear in church
center in physical healing.
I can understand
that—suffering tends to
chase away everything
else—but I wish I heard more
prayers about poverty and
persecution and injustice, a
different kind of pain.
“My wife watches some of
the television ministries
faithfully, and I don’t know
what to think about the
miracle stories I hear on
TV. Some question them, but
how could they be
manufacturing the
specificity of those
stories? I’m ninety years
old now, and it would do an
aged soul good to witness an
undeniable, certified
healing. I haven’t really
seen one, though I’ve prayed
for many.
“For some reason, God’s
failure to answer all my
prayers doesn’t shake my
faith. We’ve been together
too long, God and I. And
surely I’ve seen God work. I
prayed for a brother-in-law
for forty years when he
showed no spiritual interest
whatsoever. Then suddenly,
not to my surprise,
he began attending and
eventually joined an
evangelical church.
“For me, the controlling
principle in prayer comes
out of Jesus’ model in
Gethsemane: Remove this
cup…nevertheless, thy will
be done. I have
unquestioning confidence in
God’s ability to accomplish
whatever God wants—the
resurrection proves that—but
I also believe other
spiritual forces are trying
to frustrate the forces of
good. I accept mystery and
paradox. When you’ve been
around as long as I have,
you must.
“We shouldn’t expect a
relationship with God to
remain on a constant plane
all the time. Not long ago I
celebrated my sixty-fifth
wedding anniversary. Believe
me, when you’ve been married
that long, you don’t stay on
a plane of ecstasy all the
time. Romance starts as a
blazing bonfire—you know,
“You light up my life.”
After a few decades it
settles into something more
like a heap of burning
coals. Sure, some of the
heat dissipates, but coals
are good, too: you can roast
marshmallows, or warm your
feet. A different level of
companionship opens up.
“For as long as I can
remember I’ve spent at least
a half-hour daily in prayer.
There have been experiences
when, as the old hymn puts
it, ‘heaven came down and
glory filled my soul.’ Those
are rare. Most of the time I
persist because I value the
relationship with God, just
as I value my marriage
relationship. I gratefully
warm my feet by the fire.”
Thank you, Dr. Grounds,
for bringing me back to an
honest Biblical position on
prayer, as once again I have
felt the warmth of God’s
love and care in these
times. May it be so for you
in the situation you are
currently facing. -
Dave
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"Grant, O
Lord, that in your wounds
I may find my safety,
in your stripes my
cure, in your pain
my peace, in your
cross my victory,
in your resurrection
my triumph, and a
crown of righteousness in
the glories of your eternal
kingdom."
-Jeremy Taylor, in The
Westminster Collection of
Christian Prayers
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Culture Shift: Engaging
Current Issues with Timeless
Truth by R. Albert
Mohler Jr.
2008 Multnomah Books
Reviewed by Suzanne
Johnson
My grandfather recently
passed away at the age of
99. As my family and I
reflected, it was astounding
to think about all of the
changes and developments he
had seen in his long
life--socially, culturally,
politically,
technologically. While some
things do stay the same
(Grandpa never did get to
see his beloved Cubs win a
World Series) so much about
our world is changing,
rapidly and dramatically.
The back cover of this book
asks the question, "Are you
prepared to address the most
challenging cultural issues
of your time?" In 20 brief
chapters the author
discusses what he feels are
the issues in our world
today that most require a
thoughtful Christian
response. The issues Mohler
addresses in this small
volume include morality,
legislation, terrorism,
education, parenting, and
warfare. The book is a
series of essays, some of
which build on the previous
essay, others which stand
alone. As he writes Mohler
quotes many contemporary
secular sources to
illustrate the political,
social, and moral climate in
the U.S. today. From that
standpoint, I feel like the
author does well in
explaining and illustrating
the prevailing shift away
from--and often in
opposition to--a Christian
worldview. However, I feel
like the book falls short of
what it seems to promise on
the back cover, which is
preparing its readers to
engage and address the
cultural issues themselves.
This book might be for you
if you're interested in a
brief examination of
contemporary issues in the
United States and the world,
from a Christian
perspective.
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