Miracles ~ teach me to pray: Matthew 14 talks about Jesus Walking on the Water

Ah Man! I’m gonna make this short…

uh…

y e a h.

Again…

How many times did Jesus confront individuals and crowds of people because they
...we...
need signs and miracles to trust his Word?  
I don’t have that answer simply because the answer requires too much work.  

For Jesus to say it ONCE is enough for me to ask the Prayer Question, 
“Do I need a sign or miracle to hear God’s Word...
to trust the Word Incarnate...
to live with the desire to love God...
to believe Jesus is God?”

That ONCE is Mark 8: 11 & 12.  
I break everytime I hear, 
“(Jesus) sighed from the depth of his spirit.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote a bible.  He deleted all signs and miracles from his text so he would concentrate only on Jesus’ message.  Find a copy.  What do you think?  What do you feel about Jefferson’s efforts?

Yet, I love the miracles!

If it IS NOT about the miracle…

Find, read and pray with Matthew 14: 22-27.

Immediately

Jesus made the disciples get into the boat 

and go on ahead of him to the other side,

 while he dismissed the crowd. 

After he had dismissed them, 

he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. 

When evening came, 

he was there alone, 

but the boat was already 

a considerable distance from land, 

buffeted by the waves 

because the wind was against it.

 During the fourth watch of the night

 Jesus went out to them, 

walking on the lake. 

When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, 

they were terrified. 

"It's a ghost," they said, 

and cried out in fear.

 But Jesus immediately said to them:

 "Take courage! 

It is I. 

Don't be afraid."

Matthew 14: 22-27

Jesus was alone.

Jesus missed his friends.  
Jesus wanted to be with his friends.

I can see Jesus seeing his friends 
in the boat so far away 
buffeted by waves.

I can see Jesus wanting to be with them so badly he just starts running toward them  
I believe Jesus didn’t even notice he was walking on the water until his friends told him.  

Jesus wanted to be with them...
    with me...
    with you...
    with us...
so badly nothing got in the way; not even the shoreline!  

No obstacles to being with them...
    with me...
    with you...
    with us!

Emmanuel!

Pray with me...

Miracles ~ teach me to pray: Mark 8 talks about The Man in Bethsaida

How many times did Jesus confront individuals and crowds of people because they...we...need signs and miracle to trust his Word?  I don’t have that answer simply because the answer requires too much work.  For Jesus to say it ONCE is enough for me to ask the Prayer Question, “Do I need a sign or miracle to hear God’s Word...to trust the Word Incarnate...to live with the desire to love God...to believe Jesus is God?”

That ONCE is Mark 8: 11 & 12.  I break everytime I hear, “(Jesus) sighed from the depth of his spirit.”

Thomas Jefferson wrote a bible.  He deleted all signs and miracles from his text so he would concentrate only on Jesus’ message.  Find a copy.  What do you think?  What do you feel about Jefferson’s efforts?

Yet, I love the miracles!

If it IS NOT about the miracle...

Find, read and pray with Mark 8: 22 -26

When they arrived at Bethsaida, 

they brought to him a blind man 

and begged him to touch him.  

He took the blind man 

by the hand and led him 

outside the village. 

Putting spittle on his eyes 

he laid his hands on him 

and asked, 

"Do you see anything?"

Looking up he replied, 

"I see people looking like trees and walking."

Then he laid hands on his eyes 

a second time 

and he saw clearly; 

his sight was restored 

and he could see everything distinctly.

Then he sent him home 

and said, 

"Do not even go into the village."

Where are you in your heart reading this again?  

How high does the 

    ‘infant in (my) womb leap for joy upon hearing (this)?’

                                                                Luke 1: 39.

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. 

Wow!  Jesus calls me to spend time with him...

just the two of us...

away from everyone, 

“This is between you and me.”

Putting spittle on his eyes 

he laid his hands on him 

I use this line so many times when praying about Trinitarian Apologetics.

Jeremiah 18

Lamentations 4

Isaiah 64

Romans 9

What?  God is the potter and I am the clay…

A potter repairs a crack, if you will, in the vessel 

with spittle...

with mud (John’s Gospel, Luke’s Gospel)...

with slip.  

Jesus is God for me here!

"Do you see anything?"

I cry.  What a beautiful Prayer Question!  Even healing me, God makes no assumptions...God asks me how things are working out...God wants me to be involved.

Looking up he replied, 

"I see people looking like trees and walking."

This cracks me up!  “well, it’s not exactly what I was expecting.”

I hear I can tell God what its really like for me…

Talk about freedom, huh?

Jesus didn’t walk away.  Jesus didn’t blame, “Well, your faith isn’t strong enough.”

God doesn’t walk away.  God doesn’t blame.

Then he laid hands on his eyes 

a second time 

I cry.  I can see Jesus scrambling.

I cry.  I can hear Jesus saying, “Wait!  Let me try something else!”

I cry.  I can feel Jesus’ exasperation.

Pray with me, huh?

The Road to Emmaus ~ Teach me to pray

Christ is risen!  Emmanuel...

Again, what is the Good News through

"(all) of the things that have taken place (in Jerusalem) in these days?”

Luke 24: 18

Jesus asks us, 

“What sort of things?”

Luke 24: 19 

Remember what Jesus asked
 the scripture scholar in 
Luke 10?

Bring that Prayer Question 
to our hearts 
while responding to 

Jesus' question 
"What sort of things?".  

Remember what Jesus asked
the scribes and pharisees in
Luke 5?

Bring that Prayer Question
to our hearts
while responding to

Jesus' question
"What sort of things?.

It is interesting to me
how quickly I tend to respond
with the timeline in those
     "sort of things."

Jesus ate dinner with his friends.

Jesus talked to Judas
about what Judas was about to do.

Jesus talked to Peter
about what Peter was about to do.

Jesus prayed in the Garden
while his friends slept
despite
asking them to stay with him.

whoa...there's a prayer question for ya!
"Will no one stay awake with me?"

Jesus before Pilate.

Jesus before Herod.

Jesus before Pilate, again.

Jesus is scourged.

Crowned.

wow...how readily i can type this outline!

What happens, then,
when I bring the "sort of things" home...

to my heart 

with the Prayer Questions in Luke 10 and 5?

  

What does that outline look like?  How does that feel...

How readily can I type that outline?  How does that feel...

Praise God and Amen...

Emmanuel...despite everything we do to God...

Praise God and Amen!

Peace

Lent: Exodus

With God is Love, 

I just can’t grasp 

the last plague to hit Pharaoh’s Egypt

at face value as a lesson 

about God.  

With the Good News in my heart,

I just can’t grasp 

the last plague to hit Pharaoh’s Egypt 

at face value as a lesson 

about God.

They shall take some of its blood

and apply it to the two doorposts and the lintel 

of every house in which they partake

of the lamb.

     Exodus 12: 7

Perhaps 

if I hear the Good News as 

“I am chosen” 

this Exodus Story will mean more to me

at face value.

For on this same night 

I will go through Egypt, 

striking down every first--born of the land, 

both man and beast

Exodus 12: 12

Wow...This is why I love God…

I suggest God doesn’t distinguish between people.

I suggest God Loves every one.

...ouch…

With God is Love as the Good News I hear,

~ With God Manifested and walking with me ~

How many times do I hear Jesus say,

“offer the other cheek…”

“offer your cloak…”

“walk two miles…”

“love one another…”

With God is Love 

as the Good News I hear, 

this Exodus Story today is more about me…

     ...how I judge…

             ...how I justify my judgement…

     ...how I choose...

            ...how I justify my choices…

     ...how I blame…

            ...how I justify the blame I place...

     ...how far i will go to

            ...offer the other cheek...

            ...offer my cloak...

            ...walk two miles...

            ...love another.

WE choose by painting

the Blood of the Lamb

"to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house"

     ~ and perhaps continue to choose ~ 

who is God’s most loved and, 

subsequently, 

more deserving to live.  

We had to identify

 ~ perhaps continue to identify ~ 

for God who is better than

…After all, God is Love. 

Warning:  TANGENT

   OK…

I invite another to join me for the most spectacular part of my day…

Mass.

I say,

 “Come pray with me in my tradition although you traditionally celebrate differently than me.  Hear God’s Word with me throughout God’s history with me:  

The Word before The Word was made Flesh, 

David’s cry of joy, sorrow, fear, anger, 

The apostles’ attempts to live like Jesus,

 The Word Manifest.  

BUT...

stay seated while I join

 others like me 

at the alter to receive Jesus…

My strength.

My courage.

My hope.

My joy.

My love.

The Eucharist.

What could happen...

what would happen...

for my invited guest if I were to 

“apply the 

Blood of THIS Lamb

to the two doorposts and the lintel” 

of my invited guest’s house?

I wonder if I were one of the decision makers in Moses’ company if I would have the strength...the courage...the hope...the joy...the love...to suggest to my fellow Oppressed, “Maybe the oppressors would ‘see the light’ ~ if you will ~ of our God if we apply the lamb’s blood to their doorposts and their lintel.”

In my heart, I hold an image of Jesus hanging from the tree as the “New Fruit” of Knowledge.  

I thank God that we are invited to ingest…digest…“New” Knowledge through the Eucharist daily ~ invited being the operative word!  I pray that I use my “New” Knowledge to better worship God, to better love God, to better be with God…I hope that I never use my “New” Knowledge to blame another, to protest another, to discriminate against another.  The fear of committing the same pattern of sin today as the First Couple in the Garden is unbearable.

In my heart, I hold an image of God Manifested hanging from the tree as the “New Fruit” of Knowledge.

The Word Made Flesh is mocked, humiliated, nailed to a tree...killed...by us.

Yet, three days later Our Triune God waits for us in the same spot were we buried him away.

Yet, three days later Our Triune God calls out our names when we still don't recognize Our Triune God.

Exodus 12 ~ Pray with me ~ today

Imagine if Moses and the oppressed
painted the blood of the lamb
"to the two doorposts and the lintel of every house"
of the oppressors.

No one would've died....

Let's sit with this a minute.
Let's feel our hearts beat.
Let's notice our breathing.

Let's talk in a few days, huh?

Exodus 12 ~ Pray with me ~ still...

In earlier Prayer Posts I asked 

you to bring another to the table.  

Please bring another today, too.

Let’s pray together.  

Explore together.  

Hear Jesus’ Gospel Prayer Questions together...

“How do you read it?"

~ Luke 10: 26

"What are you thinking in your heart?"

~ Luke 5:  22

Sit next to each other…and with me.

Be aware 

our shoulders are touching

our folded knees are touching

Invite God to sit with the two of you...and with me.

Be aware 

our shoulders are touching

our folded knees are touching

Be still our souls with this a while…

The three of you...with me... read the Lord’s Prayer 

from the Aramaic together…

hear the others’ hearts sing this prayer

hear your heart sing this prayer

"Oh Thou, 

from whom 

the breath of life comes,

who fills all realms 

of sound, 

light 

and vibration.

May 

Your light be experienced 

in my utmost holiest.

Your 

Heavenly Domain 

approaches.

Let Your will come true - 

In the universe

 (all that vibrates)

just as on earth 

(that is material and dense).

Give us wisdom 

(understanding, 

assistance) 

for our daily need,

detach 

the fetters of faults 

that bind us, 

like we let go 

the guilt of others.

Let us not be lost 

in superficial things

(materialism, 

common temptations),

but let us be freed 

from that what keeps us off 

from our true purpose.

From You 

comes the all-working will, 

the lively strength to act,

the song that beautifies all 

and renews itself from age to age.

Sealed in trust, 

faith 

and truth.

(I confirm 

with my entire being)

~ The Prayer To Our Father

(from the original Aramaic)

Be still our souls with this a while…

Read Exodus 12: 7 from your Bible.

Again, sit a minute with just that line…

Read Exodus 12: 12 from your Bible.

Again, sit a minute with just that line...

while our eyes are closed

while aware of our hearts’ beat

while our breathing is smooth and deep

Hear, again, Jesus ask, 

"How do you read it?"

~ Luke 10: 26

"What are you thinking in your heart?"

~ Luke 5:  22

What questions are surfacing for you?

Ask your prayer partner, 
"What questions are surfacing for you?"

Ask me, "What questions are surfacing for you?"

Ask God,

"What do I do with these questions?"

while imagining 

what could have happened if 

the First Two People

had asked the question, 

"What do I do 

with all these new questions 

I have now, God?"

rather than Hiding in the Trees?

Ask God,

"What do I do with these question?"

while visualizing Mary Magdalene  

at the tomb asking

 'the gardener',

"Where is my Master?"

rather than Hiding in the Trees.

Peace.