Apprentice 2 Jesus

Prayer

  • Prayer — Who Are You Talking To?

    Several years ago the pastors in our city were asked to put together a rotation for each of us to come in and give an invocation at the city council meetings. It has been a privilege to do so. In one two year stretch we had a different mayor who came to our clergy group… Read more

  • Why Keep on Asking?

    What is it with prayer and Jesus’ teaching to be persistent? Why not just barely ask once and leave it? Sometimes it’s because we’re not ready for the answer needed. We need to be better prepared and when we keep on asking we also begin thinking more. The Spirit can then prepare us for what… Read more

  • Choosing the Good Part

    The stories of Luke 10 give me pictures of ministry priorities. In the sending of the 72, it is remembering the call of God. Jesus asks the 72 to go and do what they had watched him do. Teach what he had taught them. Know your call. The parable of the good Samaritan is a… Read more

  • Living in the Power of Prayer

    If there is one thing Luke shows us in his gospel, it’s the tie-in of Jesus’ ministry with prayer. When Jesus would give himself to prayer (and Luke points it out early and often) something happened. It’s no wonder that the disciples finally get it in Luke 11. They see Jesus praying yet again and… Read more

  • Translation Battles and the Advantage of One Main Bible

    I try to read broadly on issues of English translations, though I know I miss a lot. Over the past several years I have wanted to settle in on a translation that is useful for me in personal study and in public reading. As I have settled on one main translation (and still using a… Read more

  • The Lesson of the Controlled Burn

    Last week when I arrived at the retreat center for my silent prayer retreat the staff let me know they would be doing a controlled burn in the meadow near my cabin. It saved me from panicking when I saw the smoke a few hours later. Being a guy, I had to walk over to… Read more

  • The Gift of Silence

    The discipline of silence and solitude is God’s gift to us. It is not our time to come in with our agendas. It is his time to allow us to gear down. To put it bluntly for pastors, it is a time that is needed. We talk too much. There are times we need the… Read more

  • Embracing the Silence

    As I am away on a silent retreat, I wanted to leave some thoughts on silence and solitude. These are from Thomas Merton. “In order to find God in ourselves, we must stop looking at ourselves, stop checking and verifying ourselves in the mirror of our own futility, and be content to be in Him… Read more

  • Setting the Pilgrim’s Heart

    I will be away at a silent retreat this weekend. It is time to come away and listen. My Bible and journal will be the only items to join me. No study materials. It is time to HEAR. My heart is longing for refreshing, as is my body. The silence is wonderful. These are times… Read more

  • Making Jesus “Routine”

    Is my worship routine? Is my devotion routine? As I read Luke 7:36ff, I ask some tough questions of myself. Do I just expect Jesus to be “in my house?” “Well, of course Jesus is in my house! I’m his ‘choice servant’!” So, I just sit down with Jesus and get into a conversation. Maybe… Read more