Jim Pace not only is a clone of Scott Van Pelt from ESPN but he's also a pastor and lead navigator at [nlcf] in Blacksburg, VA and author of Should We Fire God? to be released April 8, 2010
# will be Ustreamed live from Hollywood, California, starting tonight at 7 p.m. PST:
Today’s prayer for Lent…
GOD, I am just too busy. Too many people, too many questions, too much to do. We confess we stay busy because we fear acknowledging our emptiness. How amid this busyness do we rest? How do we worship you? Please create space, which may be other people, to make time, our time, serve you. Force us to rest through the activity of prayer so that all our loves and fears might be made perfect in you. Help us see how such busy service, if it is service, may be just the rest we need — just the worship we need. Finally, and most importantly, save us from false ambition. AMEN.
– Stanley Hauerwas, from his book, .
As is our custom, take tomorrow to reflect on the week and to reflect on the teaching and worship of your church.
Peace, Jim
Happy birthday Tracy! As if there is the tiniest chance that you are actually reading my blog today! 
But either way, let me tell everyone reading this that I not only married WAY out of my league, but I realize that you are still every bit the gift from God to me that you were almost sixteen years ago when we got married. The only difference is that I love you more now as I know you so much more now. Happy birthday. Store-bought cake is on the way!
Today’s prayer…
FOR Christ’s sake, God, give us the strength to be your servants. We are ministers of your gospel, called to service, but we confess we fear the power you bestow on us to be able so to serve. Help us, therefore, be servants of your joy, as through joy are we freed from coercion and violence of the everyday. We thank you for making us representative of your kingdom. AMEN.
– Stanley Hauerwas, from his book, .
Peace, Jim
Wow, this is day thirty of Lent! I have to say, that really engaging it this year has made me so much more aware of the approach of Easter. Just the small thing of giving up coffee and caffeine has made me so much more aware of not just the sacrifice of Jesus (the most tiny part of it) but it has also reminded me of the value of denying myself.
For some reason, this process, likely because it isn’t just giving up something, but also taking up other things as well, has struck me pretty powerfully. I am praying that it continues to do the same for you!
Today’s prayer…
LORD of all wisdom, we thank you for your Word, Jesus Christ. Illumine our minds and bodies by that Word so that we might see every part of your creation as a reflection of your glory. In particular help us not miss the small and contingent rocks, plants and animals in which children so delight. Make us children, so that we might enjoy the sheer giftedness of your creation. AMEN.
– Stanley Hauerwas, from his book, .
Peace, Jim
Today’s prayer…
GREAT God, humble us so that we will be capable of hearing your Word. We thank you for the gift of yourself in the Scripture. We rejoice in its complexity. Give us the simplicity to be confounded by your Word. AMEN.
– Stanley Hauerwas, from his book, .
Peace, Jim
Today’s prayer for the season of Lent…
GRACIOUS God, forgive us our presumptions to confess our sin. Only your favor makes it possible for us to know and acknowledge our sins. But that same grace heals as it wounds, and for that we are grateful. Lead us beyond fascination with our sin into the wonder of friendship with you and one another. AMEN.
– Stanley Hauerwas, from his book, .
I hope your weekend went well and you are ready for another week.
Here is today’s prayer.
ORIGIN of all righteousness, confronted by you we confess our unworthiness, even our sin. It is a terrible thing to be so found by you. We want you to like us, and so we try to hide who we are. We play at being at being faithful. Alas, such play only becomes an occasion for more sin. Yet you forgive us in a way that does not destroy. You make us your own and in the process free us from our enjoyment of our sin. It is good to be forgiven by you. AMEN. – Stanley Hauerwas, from his book, .
Peace, Jim
As is our custom, at least our custom over the past three weeks, take today to reflect on one of the more meaningful prayers and on the teaching of church you attend.
Peace,
Jim
As we continue with our process of reflection, scripture reading, prayer and looking for opportunities to demonstrate generosity, we have been using prayers from a book, , that were written by Stanley Hauerwas. I have received several questions about my take on some issues with Hauerwas’ theological views. These questions make sense as I am allowing his prayers to be a central guide to us as we go through the season of Lent.
My response at this time would be to not give a specific answer at this time. That might be a good issue to hop into later, but the purpose of this is just to take a prayer to reflect on throughout the day. My general line that I use with any book I read or any person that I listen to is that I can agree with some things while I almost always disagree with some things as well. What I try to do is read with a critical eye but a heart that is willing to to shown how to love God and others better.
What I love about these prayers is that they are in very simple language, and all the ones I am including can draw me into conversation with God. Sometimes his wording is surprising, but I love the draw to my heart.
Here is today’s prayer.
OUR Father, you who have mothered us by giving us good forebears, we thank you for those who have preceded us. Without them, faithful and unfaithful, we would not be. Often we little understand what they must have been like, yet they passed on to us a sense of how wonderful it is to be your people. May we be capable of producing yet new generations born of your hope. AMEN.
From his book, .
Peace, Jim
So, the Lent season continues! Good to see you are still with us.
Here is today’s prayer.
FUNNY Lord, Jester King, you are surely a strange God. You must have an extrordinary sese of humor to trust your kingdom to a people like us. That you have done so, however, makes us happy — giddy with the confidence that comes from being brought together to share in the adventure of your kingdom. Make us as lively and entertaining as your Spirit so that others may be attracted to the wonder of your creation. AMEN — Stanley Hauerwas
From his book, .
Peace, Jim
Anyone that knows me knows I cannot tell a joke. Just can’t do it.
And I rarely think they are funny enough to make me actually laugh. The Most Interesting Man in the World, and Chuck Norris jokes notwithstanding.
But ever since I found the site , I have been laughing every time I go to it.
My favorite so far.
Three blind mice walk into a pub. They are all unaware of their surroundings, so to derive humor from it would be exploitative.
Like I said, no purpose. But it made me laugh on a cold and dreary day.
Peace, Jim
