by Barry Howard

Through the years I have utilized a lot of different resources for my daily devotional time.  Most of the time my devotional life has involved Bible reading plans or devotional books with daily readings that include scripture, inspirational stories and prayers.

During the past year, however, I have intentionally shifted toward a more paperless lifestyle. In the process, I have discovered several online devotional sites that I found helpful.

While I still have an affinity for systematic Bible reading plans and well-written devotional books, there are at least three advantages to online devotional sites.

First, they can be accessed on any computer or smart device where an Internet connection is available. Therefore, you don’t need to keep up with an extra book, which makes online sites especially helpful when traveling.

Second, most online devotional sites provide complimentary access, and the costs are covered through donations or advertising revenue.

A third and perhaps most important benefit, is that online devotional sites are environmentally friendly. Like any electronic communication, e-devotionals save trees by saving paper.

If you do an Internet search for “online devotional resources” you will discover hundreds of options. Some are published by denominational entities, others by churches, and still others are blogged by private individuals.

A few devotional sites invite you to register your email address and they will send a daily devotional directly to your inbox. Other sites have corresponding “apps” that you can download to your smart device, another way of making access easier.

All of these online sites can be bookmarked or added to your favorites list, so that the site is one click away.

Here are a few of the online devotional sites I have found helpful:

• D365.org is produced by Passport Camps and provides a daily devotional that is appropriate for students or adults.

• ExploreFaith.org offers a lectionary based devotional experience in the tradition of The Divine Hours (also known as, The Liturgy of the Hours)—a set of daily prayers that has been used in public and private settings for centuries.

• Devotional.upperroom.org is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and links to an online version of the popular “Upper Room” booklet, which provides a daily devotional with a theme scripture, a brief illustrative story, and closes with a sentence prayer.

• Northumbriacommunity.org, a site connected to The Northumbria Community in Ireland, provides a link to The Daily Office, a Celtic tradition of readings and prayers that are appropriate for groups or individuals. Similar to The Divine Hours, the Celtic daily prayer provides options for morning, midday and evening prayers.

• BibleGateway.com is one of many sites offering an assortment of online Bible reading plans for those wishing to read through the entire Bible in a specific period of time.

• Sacredspace.ie is a prayer site facilitated by Irish Jesuits and based in Dublin, Ireland. This site is available in multiple languages and helps a Christian practitioner to feel a part of both the ecumenical and international family of faith.

As e-resources continue to multiply, we can expect that online devotional options will continue to increase.

If you enjoy having a cup of coffee in one hand and a hard copy of your Bible or devotional book in the other, then an e-devotional may not be for you.

But if you find that there are advantages in going paperless, be assured that there are good online options that are Bible-based, encouraging and inspirational.

(Barry Howard serves as the senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Fla. He blogs at Barry’s Notes, and you can follow him on Twitter @BarrysNotes.)

By Barry Howard

For 34 years now, I have had the privilege of serving as a pastor. Even after all of these years I consider myself to be a student of ministry, not an expert. I have been privileged to serve remarkable congregations who have challenged me, frustrated me, and taught me more than I have taught them.

Although I have been blessed with wonderful mentors across my ministry, in recent years my perspectives on being a pastor have been heavily influenced by writers such as Eugene Peterson. One of Peterson’s latest books, The Pastor: A Memoir, is an inspiring autobiographical account of what it means to be called to pastoral ministry and to live out that vocation in a unique community.

While Peterson is known to many primarily for his popular Bible translation called The Message, for me his greatest contribution has been his writings about pastoral work. Years ago I read three of Peterson’s books about pastoral ministry: Five Smooth Stones of Pastoral Work, The Contemplative Pastor, and Under the Unpredictable Plant. In a church world that looks to the pastor to be the CEO, a chaplain-on-demand, or an ecclesial entrepreneur, Peterson reminds ministers and churches that a pastor is more like a spiritual director, a “soul friend” who walks alongside others pointing out what God is doing in their life.

In a fast paced world, where a competitive consumerist culture has invaded the church, pastors are often expected to be an idealistic combination of captivating motivational speaker, savvy executive/administrator, and extraordinary counselor. But the call to be a pastor is unique. There is no other vocation like it.

The call to be a pastor is unique because the nature and purpose of the church is unique. Veteran pastor Hardy Clemons reminds us that the church is to be “more family than corporation.” Clemons reminds pastors and churches of their peculiar mission:

“Our goal is to minister: it is not to show a profit, amass a larger financial corpus or grow bigger for our own security. The ultimate goals are to accept God’s grace, share the good news, invite and equip disciples, and foster liberty and justice for all.”

While serving as a pastor involves skills and responsibilities that are similar to other career paths, being a pastor is a vocation like no other. Although ministers and laity alike will be tempted to compare the role of the pastor to executive roles in the marketplace, the call to be a pastor is distinctive. Peterson stresses that a call to pastoral ministry is a call to spiritual discernment and caring within a particular local congregation and community. It is not a “one size fits all” occupation that functions uniformly in cookie cutter churches.

In his Memoir, Peterson summarizes his understanding of the biblical role of a pastor:

The pastor is “not someone who ‘gets things done’ but rather the person placed in the community to pay attention and call attention to ‘what is going on right now’ between men and women, with one another and with God—this kingdom of God that is primarily local, relentlessly personal, and prayerful ‘without ceasing.’

Each one of us is responsible to God for fulfilling our calling in life. Thirty-eight years ago I confirmed my calling to be a pastor, and I am still learning and growing and understanding more of what it means to provide spiritual direction to a congregation.

While the call to be a pastor is neither a superior calling nor an elite calling, it is an important calling. For me, being a pastor is more than what I do. It is who I am called to be. It is more than a job. Being a pastor is the life I am called to live, a life that connects with all kinds of people in all kinds of circumstances at the most crucial junctures between birth and death. And that is a calling unlike any other.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

As a boy growing up in Alabama during the heat of the Civil Rights Movement, I was familiar with the name of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but only as a name in a news headline or a textbook. With grandparents who were avid Wallace democrats, I knew a lot about the governor from Clio, but very little about the man who marched in Selma. That is, until 1982.

During my senior year at Jacksonville State University, I participated in a field trip to Atlanta with the Sociology Club. We visited several sites of social and cultural significance including the Atlanta Federal Corrections Facility, the Grady Hospital, the Ebenezer Baptist Church and the King Center.

While touring the sanctuary of the Ebenezer Baptist Church, another student and I ventured into the pulpit and stood briefly where Dr. King had stood to preach. The hostess immediately reprimanded us, informing us that in their church tradition, only ministers of the gospel were allowed to “stand behind the sacred desk.”

I relieved her sense of alarm by informing her that I was a “licensed” Baptist minister and that my friend was preparing to be an Episcopal priest, a claim which our faculty sponsor confirmed for the hostess.

Upon learning of our ministerial affiliation, the hostess asked the two of us a few specific questions about our knowledge of Dr. King and then invited us to follow her to the King Center adjacent to the historic church. She led us through the Archives Area, and then through a door that was labeled “Authorized Personnel Only.”

Once inside, we discovered we were in an expansive storage facility with row after row of shelves containing hundreds of boxes. She took a couple of boxes from the shelves, opened them, and allowed us to view at the contents. We quickly realized that the hostess was giving us the privilege of examining some of Dr. King’s personal sermon notes, speeches, and correspondence. This information was being stored in the warehouse prior to being processed for the archives.

We observed notes that were mostly handwritten on hotel stationary, restaurant napkins, used mailing envelopes, and on the backside of “incoming” personal letters. While many respected orators labor intensively over manuscripts, revising multiple drafts in order to arrive at just the right script, it was obvious that Dr. King had a rhetorical gift for rendering a speech extemporaneously from a few scribbled thoughts.

After a half an hour or so, our time was up and we rejoined the others in our group. Only years later have I come to realize the distinct privilege given to me that day in Atlanta. Since that time, I have read most of Dr. King’s published writings as well as many commentaries and editorials about Dr. King’s life.

Dr. King courageously pursued his dream of equal opportunity for all persons, and he employed and encouraged non-violent means to advance a course toward civil rights. The voice and vision of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. helped shape a movement that began transforming our nation and our world, a movement that continues to this day.

(Dr. Barry Howard serves as senior minister of First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.)

 

 “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie.  Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, the silent stars go by.”

In recent years, in addition to trees, lights, candles, and angels, Christmas villages have become a trendy feature in Christmas décor. In our home we have a few Christmas village scenes featured in our holiday display.  These Dickenesque houses are lighted models of wintry landscape and architecture.

However, the original Christmas village, the one in the biblical Christmas story, was nothing like our English village scenes. The original Christmas village was rustic and somewhat rural.  The original Christmas village was Bethlehem of Judea.

Interestingly, a headline in The Washington Post this morning reads, “Little Palestinian town of Bethlehem wants its tourists, Christian residents to come back.”  Although the security barrier and a stagnant economy, including an unemployment rate of 23%, are significant challenges for local residents and tourists, the tourism industry is making a comeback this year, as 1.6 million people from around the world came to visit the village where Jesus was born.

Bethlehem is located on the West Bank, approximately 5.5 miles from Jerusalem.  The historical significance of this small town is rich in story and legend. It is near the place where Jacob buried Rachel, it was the home of Naomi and Ruth, it was the site where Samuel anointed David, and it later became known, prophetically, as the city of David. 

Bethlehem literally means “house of bread.” Bethlehem probably derived its name because it is located in one of the most fertile areas of Palestine.  The area abounded in wheat and barley and rye, the ingredients of bread, the stuff of life.  Biblically speaking, bread is a staple of life that poetically represents nurture, health, and provision.  It is no wonder that Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem, was called the “Bread of Life.”

In this small but strategic village, “Christ, the Savior” was born.  As you celebrate the birth of the one who taught us to break bread and share bread, may your festivities be characterized by a growing faith, good health, and a generous sharing of your abundance with those who are lacking.

 “Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light.  The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

(Barry Howard serves as Senior Minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

In the 1970’s when Interstate 20 opened between Atlanta and Birmingham, many local residents were looking forward to faster travel on the new freeway.  For years, my family had traveled to Birmingham from Anniston on old highway 78, a two-lane road that would take us past Lake Logan Martin near Pell City and over the mountains near Chula Vista.

After I-20 opened, I was excited to accompany my grandparents on our annual trip to the Eastwood Mall to see “the real Santa,” to ride the escalator in Pizitz Department Store, and to do a little Christmas shopping.  I was surprised, however, to find that my grandfather preferred to drive the old two lane highway rather than the new expressway.  He would often say something like, “The freeway is for people who are in a rush.  The scenic route is for people who want to enjoy the trip.”

I didn’t know anything about Advent back then, but now I understand that, in a sense, Advent really is the scenic route to Christmas.  There seems to be a subtle force in the ethos of our economy that pushes us to travel toward Christmas in the fast lane, implying that the season is all about shopping and spending, and acquiring and accumulating.  Advent encourages us to go slow and breathe in the scenery en route to Bethlehem.

As a young pastor, I was introduced to the colors and candles of Advent and my journey toward Christmas changed drastically.  Today, I am convinced more than ever that as mission-driven Christians who live in a market-driven culture, we need the reflective disciplines of Advent to keep us alert to stealth influences like materialism, busyness, and greed, illusive forces that aim to cloak the real message of the season and replace it with superficial slogans and commercial clichés. 

Advent is a time to listen for a truth that is bigger than words and to long for a gift that is other than stuff.  By helping us reconnect with the heart of the Christmas story, Advent challenges us to reject cultural notions of a Jesus who promises prosperity, success, and self-fulfillment, and calls us to follow the biblical Jesus who offers forgiveness, exemplifies simplicity, and teaches self-denial.

For the Christian, the season of Advent is like a scenic tour that begins with the promises of the prophets and concludes with the nativity narrative.  Advent is a journey of emerging expectation that culminates when the Christ candle is lighted and the Christmas Star shines over the manger in Bethlehem.

Somehow when we revisit the prophets and we re-read the gospels, we are better equipped to empathize with the anxiety of Mary and Joseph and to feel the labor pains of God. By observing Advent, when we celebrate the birth of the most renowned newborn in history, we can hear both the joyful sounds of angels singing and the repercussive sobs of Rachel weeping.

If we dare to avoid the expressway and we take the scenic route to Christmas, we may discover that we are willing to follow Jesus from the cradle to the cross and beyond.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)

 

As a kid growing up in rural Alabama, I never dreamed I would have the opportunity to travel broadly. For us, making the journey from Anniston to Eastwood Mall in Birmingham was like a mini-vacation.

Going to an exotic location, like Hawaii, seemed out of the question. However, in 1995 I made my first trip to Hawaii, and of course, Pearl Harbor was high on my list of sites to visit.

I was raised near Pelham Range and Fort McClellan in Calhoun County. Seeing military convoys traveling the highways and hearing artillery fire from the range was a routine part of life. Later, when I served as an associate minister at the First Baptist Church of Weaver, near the army base, and even later, as I taught on the adjunct faculty at the college on the base, I developed significant friendships with military personnel. As long as I can remember, I have had a deep sense of gratitude for veterans and profound sense of gratitude for all of our military personnel.

I think anyone who visits Pearl Harbor is overwhelmed with emotion. As I watched tourists and veterans alike walk around the monument reading the list of names with reverent silence and then gaze in the water at the rusted vessel, I thought about the families who never saw their young men and women return home.

Mostly due to a missions partnership we had developed through our church, I made subsequent visits to Hawaii in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000. My most memorable visit occurred in 1999. That year I had the privilege of taking my friend, Mack Jones of Corbin, Kentucky, on his first trip to Hawaii. Mack’s brother, Edward, died January 5, 1944 in the aftermath of the attacks on Pearl Harbor and is buried at the National Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as “Punchbowl.”

On a prior trip, a group of us, including Mack’s wife, Wylene, had visited Punchbowl, located the headstone for Edward W. Jones, taken a few photos, and then did a pencil tracing of the gravemarker to take home to Mack.

The next year, we were privileged to return, and this time Mack went with us. First we traveled up the hill to Punchbowl and visited Edward’s grave. Then we traveled to Pearl Harbor to visit the memorial. As a group of us stood alongside our friend, whose brother never returned home to Kentucky, we were even more aware of the sobering reality of war, and even more appreciative of the sacrifices of those paid the price of our freedom with their own blood.

Since I have moved to Pensacola, I have conducted over 125 services at Barrancas National Cemetery located at the Naval Air Station here. As a minister, I am honored to share words in memoriam for veterans of all ages.

And today, as I think about that memorable visit to Pearl Harbor and Punchbowl, and my many other visits to Barrancas, Eisenhower, and Arlington National Cemeteries, I am also praying that the Christmas “peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind” will become our global reality.

(Barry Howard serves as the senior minister at the First Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida.)
reposted from December 2012

As a child growing up in the rural church, I remember singing the old hymn “Count Your Blessings,” written by Johnson Oatman Jr. in 1897. The words of the song urged us to “Count your blessings, name them one by one; And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”

At the Mt. View Baptist Church where I was raised, we sang that song all throughout the year, and not just at Thanksgiving.  Inadvertently, this taught me that giving thanks is an ongoing daily discipline, not limited to a holiday season.  In fact, I Thessalonians 5:18 encourages us to “Give thanks in all circumstances.” Thanksgiving is a time of the year set aside for us to re-charge our gratitude by literally counting our blessings, a time to take an inventory of our resources, relationships, and opportunities.

I have discovered that thankfulness is not necessarily a default disposition, but a perspective on life that must be cultivated. In my college days, Grady Nutt encouraged us to develop “an attitude of gratitude.” William Faulkner describes such gratitude as “a quality similar to electricity: it must be produced and discharged and used up in order to exist at all.”  So this week, in a deeper sort of way, as a spiritual exercise, I will count and name my blessings.

The practice of counting our blessings has many benefits.  First, counting our blessings enables us to treasure our blessings. Sometimes we take blessings for granted and we overlook them.  Taking a personal inventory of your blessings brings your blessings into your conscious awareness, sort of like discovering a forgotten garment hidden in the closet, and returning it to the active rotation of your wardrobe.

Second, counting our blessings reminds us to use our blessings wisely.  Our blessings are our real earthly treasures, and we are called to be good stewards or managers of these assets, carefully investing them in ways that help us to fulfill our God-given mission.

Third, counting our blessings encourages us to share our blessings generously.  Most blessings were not intended to flow into our lives, but to flow through our lives into the lives of others. We are not human reservoirs created to preserve our blessings; we are designed to be human conduits, channels through which God’s blessings flow into the lives of others, especially those in need.

Thanksgiving is time to take a count of your blessings, and then let that inventory inspire you toward sensible stewardship, cheerful generosity, and faithful living.

May our feasts and our festivities remind us of our blessings and encourage us to live our days serving, sharing, and growing.  Let the counting begin!

(Barry Howard serves as Senior Pastor at the First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.)

by Barry Howard

As the holiday season approaches, my inbox and our mailbox seems to fill quickly with Christmas greetings and with requests for money.  We love getting Christmas cards and letters. After reading them, my wife displays them around the living room with other decorations to remind us of the friendships we share around our community and around the globe.

Request letters are different, because with each request, we have a choice to make. Do we discard or delete those letters as junk mail, or do we consider the request and decide whether that particular organization is going to make the cut in this year’s holiday giving?  I believe it is possible to make both wise and generous decisions about charitable holiday giving.

Most non-profit organizations struggle for funding, even in good years.  In this season of gradual economic recovery, non-profits are in a heated competition for charitable dollars.  Therefore, this year you might want to be prepared for more numerous appeals vying for your holiday or end-of-year giving.

Many businesses and foundations have pre-determined guidelines for determining the charitable causes to which they will make contributions.  At our house, we employ the following guidelines to help us filter through the requests and determine which charities, missions, and ministries will go on our Christmas list;

1. Our first gift goes to the mission offering of our church.  Throughout the year, our tithe (the first 10% of our income) goes to support the ministries of our church.  Primarily, this is an act of obedience in response to what we believe the Bible teaches. Through the years, however, we have observed that the cumulative projects of a local church make a significant impact on improving individual lives.  So at Christmas we give an additional gift to the missions offering to support the work of missionaries around the globe.

2. We tend to give to organizations that are faith-based and focused on assisting the “least of these,” those who are disconnected, disadvantaged, or disenfranchised.

3. We aim to give to organizations that have low overhead and administrative costs.  We don’t want to give to an organization that exists to sustain itself. We want to give to organizations that provide a monumental service to people in need or that serve as conduits to get funds and resources to people in need.

4. We give to organizations that have demonstrated accountability, those who have a reputable board of advisers and a reporting mechanism to let us know where previous gifts have been used.

5. We determine not to do “guilt giving” or to respond to “arm-twisting requests.” We are motivated more by the missional pulse of a group or project than by the emotional plea of the one making the request.

6. We do not give directly to persons on the street, at intersections, or interstate ramps.  Our experience is that people are most effectively helped through missional organizations and relationships.  (We do offer to help get persons on the street to our mission center for assistance, or we offer to buy them a meal, but we do not give money, simply because of the high rate of manipulation and addiction among regular panhandlers.)

7. We recognize that some good organizations will be left out of our giving plan. There are thousands of organizations, ministries, and causes that are trustworthy, accountable, and effective, but we cannot support all of them.  There are hundreds we would like to support, but our resources are limited.  So we choose a few of those organizations or projects that fit our criteria and we give to them cheerfully.

8. We give ourselves a matching challenge that helps us to give generously and according to how we have been blessed.  We try to give an amount equal to the total of what we spend on gifts for family and friends. For example, if we spend $1200 on gifts, we will also give a matching $1200 to missions or charitable causes. Other friends of ours gift an amount equal to their season tickets for college football or an amount equivalent to their annual dues at the country club.

9. We have transitioned to electronic giving, as long as the organization provides or links to a secure web site. E-giving transfers our gift to the organization more quickly and it gives us an immediate receipt of the contribution.

10. We re-evaluate who we are giving to each year and do not automatically give this year to the same groups as last year.

As we grow and learn better stewardship practices, we realize that we are not liable for supporting every worthy cause.  However, we are accountable to God for the resources placed within our care.  We have the privilege, especially during the holidays, of generously discerning from among many worthwhile causes those projects and organizations we will support.  Then we hope and pray that other organizations receive contributions from discerning donors as well.

As you plot and plan your holiday giving, don’t be overwhelmed with guilt for not supporting every single cause. Be generous and wise.  Give to those causes that have a proven track record of ministering to spiritual, physical, and emotional needs.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister of the First Baptist Church of Pensacola.)

by Barry Howard

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
² How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Psalm 13:1-2 NIV

Where is God when bad things happen?  Across the ages, this question has perplexed and frustrated those afflicted with suffering, grief, and pain.  Theologians and philosophers have wrestled with scriptural texts and rational thought striving to make sense of the enigma. Pastors and counselors continually search for explanations that provide encouragement and hope for those scarred by raw human experience.

Chaos comes in a variety of shapes and sizes. Changing weather patterns generate dangerous storms that often wreak havoc on population centers by taking lives and destroying property.  Is this an act of nature or an act of God?  A fault line in the earth shifts and suddenly the earth trembles, causing structures to collapse and lives to be lost. Where is God in calamity?  Cells in the body begin rapidly and abnormally growing and multiplying and gradually a mass or tumor appears. Is this some sort of divine test of one’s faith and spirituality?  A drunk driver gets behind the wheel and later strikes a teenager on her way home from a ballgame. The driver survives but the teenager does not. Why doesn’t God intervene to keep such an atrocity from occurring? Where is God when bad things happen?

In one sense, the question is too big to have a simple singular answer.   Religious clichés and slogans give momentary comfort to a novice, but to the person who is hurting, such trite answers seem hollow, shallow, and often insulting. In another sense, to attempt to respond to such a challenging question can seem arrogant or presumptuous.

For me, I can only share how I am processing the question in hopes that my small insight might provide a little light for those dealing with the question from a dark place.  So, here we go…

First, life is not fair.  I wish someone had taught me this hardcore truth when I was much younger.   My early faith was predicated on some naïve assumptions:  God is good. Life is fair. If I go to church, read my Bible, say my prayers, and try to keep the commandments, I will prosper and God will protect me.  If I don’t, bad things will happen.

At this point in my life I would be inclined to say something like this: God really is good. But God never promised that life is fair. Life is tough. Go to church, read your Bible, say your prayers, and follow the ways of Jesus, because you are going to need all of the strength and courage that spiritual faith and spiritual community can offer. You are not exempt from pain, from suffering, or from a tragedy.

Second, I understand that no one is exempt from pain or suffering.  Suffering is no respecter of persons. Disease, depression, accidents, tragedies and death do not care whether I am an atheist, agnostic, or devout believer. In a world broken and scarred by human sin, chaos persists. Accidents happen, disease invades, storms blow, and wars erupt.  When a tornado touches down, it is presumptuous to think that the storm will bypass my house because I have been more spiritual than my neighbor. Faith does not exempt us from the bad stuff. Faith equips us for the journey.

Third, God is present with me at all times. If life is not fair and I am not exempt from the pain and suffering caused by the chaos, where is God when bad things happen?  I believe that God is present with me, not as the perpetrator of the chaos, but as my redeemer in the chaos. God does not necessarily rescue me from the chaos, but God is present helping me navigate the chaos.

Fourth, there is no formula or spiritual incantation to predict or mandate that God will directly intervene the way I prefer. In the Bible there are times that God seems to directly intervene in the chaos, and other times God does not. Why did Jesus raise Lazarus from the dead, but leave others in the grave?  Why did Jesus heal a select few, while others in his presence remained afflicted?  Was it because of their quantity of faith, or because Jesus deemed them to be less offensive sinners?

What if Jesus chose a select few to demonstrate that disease does not have the final word and will be eliminated in the eternal realm?  What if Jesus raised Lazarus as “exhibit A” in the power of resurrection, or precursor to his own unfolding story?  Interestingly, every person that Jesus healed got sick again and died.  How do we know this? They are not still around, are they?  And Lazarus is the only person in the Bible who had to endure death twice.  That’s right. Lazarus died again.

I believe in prayer and I believe that the healing process is enhanced by a multitude of contributing factors including hope, faith, medicine, exercise, diet, and a positive attitude.  But there are no guarantees, only a challenge to walk by faith with courage and perseverance.  A false premise of a “name it, claim it” approach to religion is that it makes a promise based on isolated scriptures taken out of context, mostly disregarding the suffering of people of faith throughout the Bible.  Job, despite his remarkable faith, was not exempt from compounded tragedy. There is no evidence that Moses was healed from his speech impediment. Samson did not have his eyesight restored. And Paul was not delivered from his “thorn in the flesh.”

Finally, the Bible suggests that God is present and proactive in all of our circumstances. Although God is not the perpetrator who initiates our suffering, Romans 8:28 reminds us that God “works in all things to bring about good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose.”

In what way is God present?  First, I believe the presence and personality of God, referred to in the Bible as the Holy Spirit, resides within me, not because I merited a holy status, but as one of many gifts of God.  The Spirit convicts, comforts and coaches me according to the conscience and character of Jesus.  It is sort of like having a spiritual mentor living inside of me. Second, I believe that God is present in the corporate Body of Christ.  When Jesus departed the earth, he said to his followers, you are now my body.

Last week, we observed the Lord’s Supper in our church. We partook of the bread and cup as a vivid reminder of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.  Among other things, we believe that these elements remind us that, as believers, we are now the body of Christ in the world. We are his hands, his feet, his voice, and his passion.   Therefore, God is not only at work to bring about good, but we are the human conduit through which God is at work to share love, comfort, healing, and encouragement.  And if we are distracted by other things, we have essentially tied the hands and feet of God.  But if we are on task, ministry occurs, especially in the face of chaos.

As I wrestle with the question, “Where is God when bad things happen?,” I readily admit that “now I see through a glass darkly,” but to affirm that God is present in my suffering, grief, or pain, even when I cannot fully explain the chaos, brings a little light to the dark places in my life.  And this little bit of light causes me to long for more.

(Barry Howard serves as senior minister at the First Baptist Church of Pensacola, Florida.)

O God of grace and eternal justice,
On this anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
We remember that horrific day as a day we wish we could forget.

O God we confess our ongoing need of your transformative and emerging grace
For we are all too mindful that this date still haunts us
With memories that provoke our anger
With emotions that are tinged with grief
With thoughts that trend toward vengeance.

As we attempt to apply your words to life,
And to live by faith as we hold to your promise of a better future
We confess that our anger and grief from that fretful day are not nearly resolved.
And that residual impulses of retaliation and hate incubate deep within.

And yet we acknowledge that our lingering hurt does not compare to the pain
of those who were touched more directly
through the unexpected and unfair loss
of family members, friends, and co-workers.

We tremble at the memory of atrocious images of death and destruction,
We worry over the ongoing armed conflict that seems to be unending,
We grieve over the deaths of the sons and daughters of our nation,
As well as the subsequent casualties among our allies and our adversaries.
And we long for a civilized and lasting resolution
So that our sons and daughters may live in peace
And that those who have longed for liberation from tyranny
Might govern and be governed with dignity and integrity.

Rather than being consumed by our grief,
And controlled by our fears
And constrained by our anxieties,
Let us set our minds to addressing the injustices that precipitate hostility,
Let us direct our souls to living out our moral conviction,
Let us turn our hearts to loving the poor,
and the disadvantaged,
and the disenfranchised.
And let us determine to fight terror,
Not with our own terroristic threats,
But with a responsible and courageous exercise of freedom,
And with a proactive and authentic faith.

And though it swims against the tide of our carnal instincts,
You continue to teach us to love our enemies,
so that we do not become like them.

Today we are grateful for first responders:
For emergency medical professionals, for law enforcement officers, for fire fighters, volunteers, and all who serve to save, protect, and preserve life.

Today, especially today, we pray for the leaders of our nation and our world
For the leaders of our state and our community
To act and react with wisdom and discernment,
And to maintain a disposition that will defuse conflict
And advance the cause of peace.
And we pray for the leaders of our churches and synagogues
And for people of diverse faiths
To act and react with transformative grace and enduring hope,
And to maintain a disposition that will dispel propaganda
And advance the cause of truth and compassion.

We offer our prayer with abiding faith and emerging hope in the One who came to bring peace on earth and goodwill to all humankind. Amen