July 2020

I could hear it in their voices. As I listened to five pastors from some of our largest churches, there was an unsettling combination of fatigue and distress. The common thread running through the conversation was sheer frustration. No one was trained for a time like this. It is volatile, unpredictable, and exhausting. It is also not going away. We have come to a new point in the pandemic—the ongoing phase.
 
For months, pastors and church leaders have made Herculean efforts to adapt to ever-changing circumstances. But the adrenaline rush has worn off while the initial crisis has morphed into a three: global health, economic survival, and racial inequality. Since the needs are so urgent, the temptation is to continue pounding away. But it is taking more and more energy to accomplish fewer and fewer results. Creativity has taken a nosedive. Most leaders desperately need a break before something within them breaks. What is the best way to recharge? Stillness.

                                                    Be…

It is a characteristic woven into the fabric of creation. In a simple sunset or a glassy lake, we see what we already know deep inside—the majestic stillness of God. As we enroll in the school of prayer, the Lord teaches us how it works.
                                                                                                                                                                            Be still…

Stillness is safeness. In the frenetic blur we call normal human life (let alone our current crises), our sheer volume of activity does damage to our souls. Stillness stands in stark contrast to the cultural wisdom that says the busier a person is, the greater that person’s importance. In my experience, the busier the person, the deader the person. Non-stop activity shrivels our soul. Stillness provides us a safe place to be restored.
 
                                              Be still and know…
 
Stillness is restoring. Our selfish choices of sin efface the original gleam of God in us. Like the ravages of wind and weather on an old building, sin beats us down to the point of being barely recognizable. But when we go where the waters run deep and still, God can restore our souls. The Master Crafter knows the original design of the building as well as its true purpose. If we will only cease our self-improvement projects and be still before the Lord, God will do a holy work.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Be still and know that I am…

Stillness is also strength. We cannot “do” stillness. Stillness is a being activity. As such, there is a lot of surrendering involved. In stillness, we let go of our need to run the world. In place of our doing, we relax like a child cradled in its mother’s arms. As our ear is pressed to the heartbeat of God, we revel in the tender relationship we were meant to enjoy. In this still embrace is strength—strength to face the world unafraid.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Be still and know that I am God.
                                                   Psalm 46:10

Much of God’s best soul work is done in stillness. It is the epicenter of the spiritual life. Perhaps this is why Jesus often withdrew to a lonely place to pray (Luke 5:16). Stillness is how we access the power. Over the month of July, I invite you to join me in finding time each day to take in a sunset, walk through the woods, steal away to a lonely spot on your lunch hour, or sit alone in your room. You might slowly repeat the phrases from Psalm 46:10 as listed above. Let them sink in deep. Give God a chance to speak to you in stillness. It will renew your soul.
 
Roger Ross
P.S. For encouragement, you can receive a weekly Prayer Text by texting KINGDOM to 573-227-6557.
 
  
As our country and world continue to battle COVID-19, we are painfully aware of the racial and ethnic injustices that plague our national character. We have much to bring before God. Feel free to pray for a different area each day. Thanks for praying!
 

•  SUNDAY:  REPENTANCE & SALVATION- Pray that as we humble ourselves and seek God’s face and turn from our wicked ways, God will release healing, salvation, and justice across our nation and world (2 Chron 7:14). By faith, see the people of God, the church, standing in the gap for the sick, the oppressed, the hurting, the lost, and the lonely. Lord, multiply your Kingdom through us. 

•  MONDAY:  PEACE- Pray for God’s perfect love to cast out all spirits of division, suspicion, anxiety, panic, and fear that threaten our communities.

•  TUESDAY:  LEADERSHIP- Pray for wisdom, truth, direction, compassion, and strength for all leaders (political, medical, economic, religious, judicial) facing tough decisions. In particular, pray for Bishop Farr, the leaders of the Missouri Conference, and all our pastors and church leaders to seek God’s wisdom to guide their steps to best care for those in physical & spiritual need.

•  WEDNESDAY:  JUSTICE- Pray for justice to roll down like waters and right living like an ever-flowing stream (Amos 5:24), so we may repent of racism and overcome the evil powers of this world with good. 

•  THURSDAY:  RESOURCES- Pray for sufficient human & medical resources for our healthcare systems as well as necessary resources for all other sectors (i.e. financial) and institutions (i.e. schools, churches, local government).

•  FRIDAY:  PROTECTION- Claim the blood of Jesus as a shield and healing over people, institutions, systems, and policies as well as all first responders and medical personnel in the battle against COVID-19.

•  SATURDAY:  RESEARCH- Pray for all types of researchers to develop an effective, affordable, and safe COVID-19 treatment and vaccine.

 (Some prayers adapted from Rev. Dr. Peter Bellini, a United Methodist Pastor and Professor at United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, https://davidfwatson.me/2020/03/14/10-guidelines-for-prayer-in-these-covid-19-times-by-dr-peter-bellini/)