The Church Triumphant, the unseen counterpart of the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church visible here on earth – composed of our friends, all saints and martyrs – is a gift from God.

Comprising one Church, visible and invisible, tangible and mystical, we look to these our triumphant friends, our Fathers of the faith, our cloud of witnesses (Heb 12:1) , to pray for us to the Lord our God as we journey through the rough terrains of life.

Lord, have mercy;
Christ have mercy;
Lord, have mercy;
Christ, hear us.

Saint Michael, pray for us;
Saint Timothy, pray for us;
Saint Elisabeth, pray for us;
Holy Mary, pray for us;
Ora pro nobis, ora pro nobis.

Juan Diego, pray for us;
Catherine Drexel, pray for us;
Saint Francis, pray for us;
Saint Lucy, pray for us;
Ora pro nobis, ora pro nobis.

Saint Nicholas, pray for us;
Saint Cecilia, pray for us;
Saint Joseph, pray for us;
Saint Gabriel, pray for us;
Ora pro nobis, ora pro nobis.

Posted by SK at 12:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

We - together with the Blessed Mary and all the saints - pray for you and all the shepherds whom God has in His loving grace given to His Church, that through you and them, the Spirit of God may continue to guide His people in all truth.

Posted by SK at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With Christ...

Raised to life...

Received home...

Where I should have been years ago.

Lord, I am not worthy to receive You, but only say the word and I shall be healed.

Posted by SK at 3:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have often heard it being said that when You close the door, You open the window so that we can see Your work.

You've closed the door to me. But You've closed the door that the gates of the Kingdom might be opened wide for me.

My Lord and my God.

Posted by SK at 3:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Receive, O Lord, all my liberty.

Take my memory, my understanding, and my entire will.

Whatsoever I have or hold, Thou hast given me; I give it all back to Thee and commit it wholly to be governed by Thy will.

Thy love and Thy grace give unto me, and I am rich enough and ask for nothing more.

Posted by SK at 12:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Sometimes I forget, we do not live in a world of justice. Justice belongs to another kingdom, an unseen kingdom. In our pursuit of justice in this kingdom, we sometimes get crushed by the greater power of injustice.

Injustice is often bred by those in power, those who preach righteousness and mercy and love. But power and these virtues don't sit very well with each other. So in the final analysis, when they're made to choose between power and these virtues, the self gets in the way. Power wins.

At times like these, it is a challenge to remember the words of friends like these:

Justice often fails in our world and even in the church, but our God is just. Let us plod on; you have friends and loved ones who are journeying with you.

And it is a challenge to keep believing in righteousness and justice, mercy and love. Even if these virtues remain unseen for now.

Lord, I want to belief. Help my unbelief.

Posted by SK at 12:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

A prayer for the new year...

For hopes, for dreams, for decisions, for choices.

For faith.

Bapa kami yang di syurga, dikuduskanlah namaMu.

Datanglah KerajaanMu,
jadilah kehendakMu di bumi seperti di syurga.

Berikanlah kami pada hari ini makanan kami yang secukupnya.

Dan ampunilah kami akan kesalahan kami,
seperti kami juga mengampuni orang yang bersalah kepada kami;

Janganlah biarkan kami kehilangan iman ketika dicubai,
tetapi selamatkanlah kami daripada kuasa si jahat.

Kerana engkaulah yang empunya Kerajaan dan kuasa dan kemuliaan sampai selama-lamanya.

Amin.

Maka langkahlah kami ke dalam tahun baru ini dalam anugerah Tuhan ALLAH.

Dalam nama ALLAH Bapa, Anak, dan Roh Kudus.

Posted by SK at 11:46 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Mary the Mother of God; the theotokos, the God-bearer.

She becomes a model for all believers because she dared to believe that which the world would say is impossible: "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said."

O Theotokos and Virgin, rejoice, Mary, Full of Grace, the Lord is with You; Blessed are You among Women, and Blessed is the Fruit of Your Womb, for You Have Borne the Saviour of Our Souls.

Posted by SK at 2:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Surely this statement may invoke some fury, but I really do think that people generally don’t know how to write melodies and poetic lyrics that speak anymore.

I remember how in the very early 1990s, when my schoolmates were consuming the works of Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul, Guns ‘N Roses, Taylor Dayne, Mariah Carey, and Whitney Houston, among many others, I was into folk. That was rather strange for a kid my age.

I recall how every single day, after returning from school, I would sit down and listen to James Taylor, Paul Simon, and Don McLean sing for hours upon hours.

Don McLean, he’s a prophet, if you know what I mean. I could just listen to him for hours without getting bored. He sang so much about life. His songs made me sad, angry, excited, loved, these and a whole plethora of other emotions… he sang about real stuff. I’ve hardly met a singer-songwriter who’s so connected with life.

There’s this one particular song of Don’s I used to listen to every single day: Crossroads. Over time, listening to it over and over again became like a prayer. Here it is, and it’s making me pray all over again:

Listen to this:

Who ever writes lyrics like that anymore?

Posted by SK at 3:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

That’s a bed. It consists of an old wooden platform and a really black and badly torn mattress, covered by piece of mat with holes all over it.

If this was your bed, and you were 55 years old, and you were working eleven hours a day, and your legs were frequently swelling and turning black and you didn’t know why, and you were earning RM 270 a month (USD 80), and you were supporting four stick-thin undernourished kids who weren’t even your children, and you had just been evacuated from your squatters by the government, the worries you had on your mind right now would have been entirely different.

If this was your bed, you wouldn’t have been worrying about how you’re now less respected and liked by others, or how you’ve been backstabbed by your colleagues, or how you’ve been betrayed by your friends, or how your reputation has been damaged, or how bleak your future is because you’ve just lost your somewhat lucrative job. If this was your bed, you might not even have known where to start worrying.

I met her tonight, this elderly lady. Her daughter had borne her four children (each one most probably belonging to a different father - the latest one now behind prison bars) and then taken off, leaving the four children behind.

After all the years I’ve spent in the seminary theologising about life and its purpose and meaning, I had nothing much to say to this lady except to ask, “Aunty, what will you and the children be eating tomorrow?” Now we have to bring them some food, find a home for her, and find a home for these children. So much for the glorious abstraction of theology and the intricate science of biblical exegesis.

They’re hardly 2 kilometres from where I live. Within this radius, there are a number of churches and even a theological training institute (the very people whose primary concern are supposed to be the widows and the orphans), but it’s somewhat strange how the plight of these nameless faces remains unnoticed. If you’re living somewhere in my vicinity and want to do something for them, tell me; there is quite a number of families with such a similar plight. If we made it known that our hearts and hands were open, they’d come lining up to receive any help they could get.

When we philosophise our concepts of the Christian faith and try to work it out within the church and seminary walls, it’s called “theology”. When we work these out beyond the church and seminary walls, it’s called “charity”. When both are so integrated that they are expressed as a way of life, it’s called spirituality.

Tonight, I'll go to sleep with the words of the aunty echoing in my mind: "I've been suffering since I was 12 years old". You see, I've always thought that I was a sufferer. But today, I met aunty. And her story has taught me a new bedtime prayer:

Forgive me, Lord; during my moments with you, I've said too much. Those were all words. Just words.

Posted by SK at 1:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

O Jesus! Meek and humble of heart, hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honoured ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

[Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930), Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X]

Posted by SK at 12:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“What Lord, after this phase of physical and intellectual growth and raging hormones? What? An intolerable stability in life? A calm of stagnation?

I’ve noticed that for most grown-ups, life is a mundane necessity. They thrive on 'little happinesses' that keep them going daily; 'little happinesses' that are tangible, to keep them sane and aware that their existence is somehow tolerable, somewhat.

Far be it from me! May my life be an adventure of ever-increasing growth into you. Start me on an adventure that will propel me into ever-increasing divinisation, that I may be one with you, in you, and through you. That I may be unceasingly Christified and be like you.

Whatever the cost, whatever the cause. Now.”

This was a prayer I whispered with such utter indignation some years ago. Foolishly so. And now, here I stand in the middle of an adventure, realising that adventures aren’t always what Enid Blyton made them to be.

In the midst of the wildness of this adventure, I doubt I can bring myself to say that prayer. I perhaps over-estimated my capacity to enjoy an adventure. The older me today realises that adventures can be excruciating, horrifying, suffocating, and unsettling; anything but thrilling.

But inasfar as these adventures have been divinising and Christifying, yes, certainly so.

Yet my prayer today, as one going through an adventure, is “Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy.”

Posted by SK at 1:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The motivations of the heart mean everything.

One can perform an absolutely righteous act, but with a self-congratulatory and self-righteous spirit, and yet remain condemned as having fallen short of the standard.

Another can have made mistakes, and yet know he has tried his best to do that which was right, and who says "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner", and find himself absolved, cherished, accepted, acknowledged.

In trying times, it's more than just about survival or doing something just because we have to. It's equally about the motivations of the heart.

Many have sought justice as an excuse for vengeance. Let that not be me, Lord.

May I seek justice that represents who you are, and not justice that represents the vengeful human spirit. That my hands may be clean and my heart may be pure.

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner.

Posted by SK at 3:50 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Hear me, O Lord, in the stillness of my anguish. Hear the cry of my spirit as the darkness of the night besets my soul.

Hear me, O Lord, and do not turn your face away from one who seeks you to his final breath.

Hear me, and have mercy upon me. I will cry out to you from the farthest wilderness, and my soul will keep thirsting for a glimpse of your light.

Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.

May your presence – unseen, unfelt, untouched – remain with me through the valley of the shadow of death, through the darkness of the night. And your Spirit be my light.

Posted by SK at 8:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Eternal Father,

Remind my heart. Remind my heart that in my moments of grief I may not forget the gifts which you have given me.

May I not, in sadness and sorrow, see only darkness. Grant me the grace to see light and hope coming to me in the form of love.

Most deeply, remind my heart that you are love; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, united in the bond of eternal love.

Posted by SK at 10:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

For a friend whom I've known from a time long ago, for whom even daylight feels like night. I'm remembering you in my ever-continual whispers. I feel deeply for what you're going through. And so I pray:

Be present, O merciful God,
and protect us through the silent hours of this night;
So that we, who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world,
may repose upon your eternal changelessness;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Leonine Sacramentary, 6th century

Posted by SK at 1:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lord of the traveller, you are indeed a divine companion to those who cruise on the highway of life. All throughout the journey, you provide facilities better than those I pay for on the North-South Highway.

In the midst of hours of driving, you provide water to quench my thirst. And unlike the overpriced water I pay for at the Restoran Jejantas, your water is fresh and springs up from the fountain of life. Unlike the water sold there which merely causes me to need one more drink later on at another kawasan perhentian, I drink your water and I thirst no more.

Unlike those authorities who build me a highway promising a comfortable travel, and yet make me feel absolutely cheated when I get caught in several traffic congestions on the highway and when I find potholes and uneven patches all over at almost every stage of my journey, you build me a smooth highway made of gold that shows the abundant generosity of your being.

Unlike those guys who hide behind bushes and wait to pounce on me when I speed just so they can offer mercy in exchange for some duit kopi, your mercy is like an honest traffic policeman who, in all kindness, says “Go and speed no more”.

Unlike the public toilets at the stopovers that offer me relief at the pungent detriment of my nasal sense, the relief you offer is total and has no pungent side effects.

Right before me, amidst the potholes and stinking toilets and traffic policemen squatting behind bushes, I see an astounding backdrop of hills placed there by your very hand. I lift up my eyes to the hills, where does my toll fare come from? My toll fare comes from the Lord, maker of heaven and earth.

Surely, your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life on the highway. I and my fellow travellers shall worship you on the highway in one Accord.

Posted by SK at 10:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I don't usually say much about my workload in my posts, primarily because I have a schedule page that's frequently updated. Funnily, since I don't have a sort of permanent office to sit in and I don't work based on prescribed office hours, many people think I don't work. Some secretly wonder but don't dare to ask. The bolder ones never fail to ask.

So here's the official press statement: I work more than 8 hours a day, honest to God. It's just that most of the time, I work from home (room-office, office-room, what's the difference). Sometimes I work so hard I forget I'm at home.

The middle of the year (May, June, and July) is usually the season which drains me out tremendously. It's when my gravest weaknesses usually threaten to show up most furiously, and my stress level shoots beyond an alarming limit. So if my blog posts don't seem quite frequent enough and I don't seem to be saying quite enough things, please just take a moment to pray for me.

One major "shift" in my recent ministerial direction is that of the scope of my work. It seems very much like there's an invisible "force" shifting me towards a concern for Christian unity among the various streams of the Christian faith. I've always held this concern very close to my heart, but never realised that I'd one day be a part of a generation that participates in this concern so radically and forcefully. I don't know how far this endeavour will take me, but for now, it's just beginning.

I'm listing here a portion of my schedule for the next couple of months so you'll know what I'm up to (I know not everyone frequently visits my schedule page).

MAY 2007
Preparation for Lectures in Asian Theologies
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

Preparation for the Fourth Seminar of the Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU IV)
Christian Conference of Asia, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

04 (Friday)
Inaugural Meeting, Revolution of Hope (R.O.H)
Seremban, Malaysia

06 (Sunday)
Preaching at Sunday Worship Service
Taman Ujong Methodist Church, Seremban - Malaysia

10 (Thursday)
Speaking at Holy Communion Service
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

18 (Friday)
Academic Research & Personal Consultation
Singapore

22 - 26 (Tuesday - Saturday)
Speaking at Camp Cameron
Fellowship of Evangelical Students
Cameron Highlands - Malaysia

30 - [02 Jun] (Wednesday - Saturday)
Lectures in Christian Theology I
Theological Education by Extension
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

JUNE 2007
Writing of article for publication
Asian Beacon (Christian Magazine), August 2007 issue

Preparation for Lectures in Ecclesiology & Eschatology
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

(30 May) - 02 (Wednesday - Saturday)
Lectures in Christian Theology I
Theological Education by Extension
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

07 - 10 (Thursday - Sunday)
TUMC Church Camp
Port Dickson - Malaysia

11 - 14 (Monday - Thursday)
Fourth Seminar of the Asian Movement for Christian Unity (AMCU IV)
Christian Conference of Asia, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia

20 (Wednesday)
Commencement of Lectures in Asian Theologies
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

22 (Friday)
Commencement of Lectures in Ecclesiology & Eschatology
Seminari Theoloji Malaysia, Seremban

24 (Sunday)
Preaching at Sunday Worship Service
Grace Presbyterian Church Batu Pahat, Johor - Malaysia

30 (Saturday)
Academic Research & Personal Consultation
Singapore

And after that, in July, five consecutive Sundays of speaking in different congregations.

Posted by SK at 7:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBacks (0)

Lord, I love your church. My church.

At times when I'm critical of her, it's only because she's worth being critical about.

And at such times, remind me always that everything I say about her, I say about myself. For I am a part of her. For eternity.

Posted by SK at 4:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

An entry from my friend:

I am a quiet person, not that I am quiet, rather I would prefer my surrounding to be quiet, especially after a long trying day at work.

And yesterday was such a day. I had a stress filled day at work followed by an equally stressful drive home in torrential rain feeling tired, smelly and hungry.

We settled down to have dinner and my daughter started playing the piano, banging mercilessly on the keys, making any conversation over the dinner table virtually impossible. I endured it for a while, hoping that she would be done with her routine before I finished dinner so I can have some time to chat with my wife, but she went on and on and on.

Finally I asked my wife (or rather shouted above the din) “Hadn’t she practised this afternoon on her piano?”

To which she replied “She isn’t practising, she is PLAYING FOR YOU!!”

And suddenly, as if by magic, noise became music, and the merciless thumping of amateur fingers on Ebony and Ivory became a labour of love and my tiredness left me. :-)

At the end of my dinner, and her repertoire, my girl turned to me and asked “Did you enjoy your dinner?”

Yes I did, very much indeed.

Thank you Darlene.

Simplicities long gone. May our hearts grow into an appreciation of life so deep we do not let the complications of life's music cloud out the intricacies of life's simple tunes.

Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayer.

Posted by SK at 7:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

We stand before the cross to gaze at what has been watered by the generous shedding of blood so murderous it has become a tree of life for we who were once dead.

And we keep standing and gazing, for what is there left to say...

Posted by SK at 11:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It has been some years now, Lord, since the dream began. The only thing that compels me to move forward in embracing this dream is my inability to find any reason not to.

You remember the little conversation we had some years back which changed my life, don’t you? I told you that I wouldn’t turn back, no matter what. I was foolish. And at times, it seems quite difficult to continue living in such folly even though I mean never to go back on my word.

The truth is, sometimes I live out the ideals of this dream whilst consciously knowing that they’re impractical and that there’s no guarantee it’ll all work out the way I hope it will. But I guess I didn’t embrace the dream because of its practicality. I embraced it because I know it’s your dream.

But then there are times, like now, when I place that dream in front of me once again and find a reason to keep walking in such foolishness. It gets harder, Lord. Especially at times when the fulfilment of this dream seems to be getting nowhere and few seem to understand the reason for this madness.

On the one hand, I hear your voice saying, “You must believe. It’s my dream you’re sharing in, and what I say shall come to pass”. On the other hand, the accomplishment of the dream often seems madly impossible.

At this moment, I’m the personification of a plethora of contradictions.

I need to know that this dream is more than just a wishful thought, that it is a reflection of a reality that is yet unseen.

Posted by SK at 1:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Lindungilah aku di waktu-waktu dugaan.
Biarlah karuniaMu menjadi kekuatanku.

Jadilah petunjukku supaya aku dapat mengharungi
ombak-ombak yang liar di semudera kehidupan.

Meskipun dunia ini menyebabkanku terumbang-ambing,
aku tidak takut,
sebab kehadiranMu bersertaku.

Misteri kehadiranMu sentiasa menjadi punca harapanku.

Shield me in moments of trial.
Let your grace be my strength.

The mystery of your presence will always be the source of my hope.

Posted by SK at 12:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lord, you have given me much trouble...

You have obligated me to decide if the Kingdom of God is what I truly desire, or if it's just the Christian religion I really want after all.

Thank you.

Good night Lord. Amen.

Posted by SK at 1:21 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Prayer is my conversation with you,
but sometimes my words dry up.

And yet it doesn't mean that my heart is hollow.
It simply means that my heart is so full to the brim,
that it overflows in a language that can't be expressed with words.

So I'll let my words be few,
and simply enjoy you for you.

Posted by SK at 11:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lord, teach me to pray "Your Kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" with a genuinely intense desire for the things of your Kingdom.

Help me never to sell myself out to the superficialities of modern religiosity such that my lips boast so blatantly about my devotion towards you, and yet my life demonstrates a profound absence of your Kingdomic dream.

It's hard, Lord - and I know many have lost their homes, their families, their wealth, and their lives for this dream. Grant me strength that I may keep living out the dream, desiring the dream.

If I'm a fool for desiring this dream, grant me the godly dignity of a fool who would dance his way towards you, oblivious of the mocking laughter resounding around him.

Posted by SK at 10:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

This Kingdom thing is getting a bit too hard.

Lord help me,
and all of us who still desire a glimpse of it in this life.

Posted by SK at 1:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

Exhausted...
Satisfied...
Edified...
Relieved...
Spent...
Offering...
Mutuality...
Community...
Presence...
Friendship...
Passing...
Memory...
Remembered...

Now Lord, grant that I may retire in your arms to experience the only thing that matters in my hours of conversations - you.

Posted by SK at 1:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“Christ beside me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ within me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me.”

- Saint Patrick -

Posted by SK at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours now and forever. AMEN.
I say this prayer not for my own sake, but for yours. Or at least, I hope so. May every prayer I say not be for my own wellbeing and secret interest, but rather, born out of love for you and for my neighbour. But yet, let this prayer not be devoid of personal intention and commitment.

I offer this prayer to the sovereign God – so powerful, so personal, so loving – to whom belong all perfection, love, devotion, authority, and adoration. Unto whom all creation exists and breathes and lives.

I do not say this prayer alone and of my own accord. Together with all the saints, past and present, within my own local community and around the world, among humankind and all creation, I say "Yes! Let it be so!"

Posted by SK at 9:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
I am inherently inclined to things you do not desire. But grant me the strength to remain steadfast towards you and towards the cause of the Kingdom when such trials and temptations come my way. Keep my heart ever fixated on things that are pleasant, right, pleasing, and glorifying to your cause.

Evil is all around me daily. It is not a mere phenomenon, for evil is a real entity in itself. And yet, preserve me from falling into despair in the face of such evil, for you are sovereign over all creaturely entities. No evil can befall me except that which you have allowed in your eternal wisdom.

When misfortunes seem to bewilder me and cloud my vision of your Kingdom, keep my hands tightly clenched in yours. Grant that I may not fall from the grace you have freely given. When all my concerns and queries lead me nowhere, lead my heart and mind that I may arrive at a place of peace, knowing that you are sovereign despite the pain and suffering I see in your world. Keep me knowing that the perfection of your Kingdom will ultimately prevail.

Posted by SK at 9:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.
Thank you for the daily consciousness that I live in a broken world and among broken people who are trying to reach you in the best way they know how. Thank you for the spiritual understanding that I cannot reach you in my own feeble strength, and that it takes the humble greatness of a God who would reach me instead.

Help me not to judge the actions of others, especially those who are sincerely trying. Keep me reminded that sin is not so much a physical action, but rather, a condition of existence in which humanity finds itself. In all my religiosity, I remain a sinner – redeemed by him who became sin for my sake.

I am and will always be in need of forgiveness from you and others towards whom I might have caused grievous harm – intentionally or otherwise. Forgive me, Lord, and keep forgiving me. And grant that I may also – in contemplation of your merciful grace – offer the same measure of forgiveness to my neighbour. When forgiving my neighbour hurts me inside, sensitise me to the reality that forgiving me was a most hurtful thing you had to do.

Posted by SK at 8:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Give us this day our daily bread.
Teach me to find comfort in the simplicity of life and to be content with that which you have, in your infinite wisdom and loving grace, given me. Help me to see all my possessions as not belonging to me, but to you and for the establishment of your Kingdom. Teach me the virtue of offering, so that I may unreservedly offer all that I have and all that I am for the love of my neighbour.

Help me to trust you for just enough each day. Not for more, and not for less. Grant me the wisdom and peace to not hoard or thrive on a life of abounding excesses. In a world where many find confidence in material security – including countless Christians – grant me the peace to be reliant on you for a measure of sufficiency which ensures my survival, and yet necessitates my daily dependence on you.

Help me to be equally concerned for the nourishment of the soul inasmuch as I am concerned for my physical sustenance. May I not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from your mouth and which is carved in the deepest depths of my heart.

Posted by SK at 1:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Your Kingdom come,
Your Kingdom has come. Your Son has come in the flesh as the Inaugurator of this Kingdom. Just as you are perfect in love, this kingdom is based on your perfection in love. You have inaugurated a Kingdom in which all humankind is reconciled to you, among itself, and with all creation.

Your Kingdom is not about power and lofty self-congratulatory institutional achievements; it is about the embodiment of a self-giving love utterly reflective of your nature in all eternity. In the life, death and resurrection of the Son, the fullness of the Kingdom is embodied. In him, your Kingdom has come.

your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
You have a dream. You dream that humankind shall be brought into this reconciled relationship of perfect love with you, among one another, and with all creation. It is a dream born in eternity, in heaven, and which will be realised on earth.

In all eternity, you have existed as a community in perfect love. Your Spirit has been the bond of love between the Father and the Son. And this Spirit has been given to us that we too may be brought into like relationship with one another and with you. The Spirit is given that your Kingdom may be established in and through our lives.

In participation in your dream, make me an agent of the Kingdom. Help me to embody the Kingdom in all its perfect love, like Christ. Use me not so much as a lofty proclaimer, but rather, a humble incarnational agent of the Kingdom.

Posted by SK at 2:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Our Father in heaven,
As I say this prayer, may I remember that you are more than a mere cosmic concierge existent for the gratification of my deepest personal desires. You are the Father of all creation.

Our Father, you are the universal Father of all – Maker of heaven and earth – who rules over those who love you and those who resist you.

You reign in heaven and on earth, and are the legitimate Originator and Owner of everything found within the realm of creation. There is nothing I can give you that is not already yours; only of your own can I give to you.

holy is your name.
Perfection is your ultimate attribute. It is not a perfection which seeks flawlessness in religiosity and ritualistic obligations. It is a perfection in love. You are holy because you are perfect in love. The measure to which you love perfectly is the measure to which you are holy and desire holiness from those who follow you.

The command to love you and to love my neighbour is the very same command to be holy. The diligent fulfillment of all religious obligations devoid of the rule to love does not constitute holiness. I cannot serve a holy God if I do not love him and his creation. To be holy is to love perfectly.

Posted by SK at 8:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What do you do when you feel like you're holding a vision alone, when people who matter seem only to oblige occasionally (and that's only when they remember)? What do you do when you seem to observe that the sense of self-priority and personal comfort incapacitate the missional sensibilities of a people?

To press on or to take the easier route out... the right choice is obvious, but emotional survival is bleak.

My goodness, so this is what I've been doing to you all these years, Lord? Give me the strength, that I may be as foolish as you.

Posted by SK at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

You have known me from within the innermost core of my being. No motivation has been left unexamined, no desire left unyielded. Everything I've held dear has been turned towards you, and my life has been but an extension of your being.

And yet, they desire to devour me, to shred me, to ensure that I become no more. In seeking to be your defenders, they have become your enemies. You, O Lord, have been my strength and my shield. You have been my staff when my feet failed to withstand the weight on my back.

They who judge me and who condemn my failures will themselves drink the cup of judgement. For in trying to kill sin, they martyred a redeemed sinner; your precious servant. But you have been my shield, and you will be my defender.

You have given me life, and only you have the power to take it away. To God the Almighty, the King of creation, to whom all must bow, be the glory now and forever.

Posted by SK at 9:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Faithful One...

Merciful One...

Gracious One...

Unchanging One...

Let everything you are that I'm not blow away everything I am that you're not. Then will I ever be truly in you and you in me.

Posted by SK at 3:45 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I am a grave sinner. My original sin finds me inevitably unable to save myself from the state of fallenness in which I have been born. My total depravity finds no part of me that I can claim in the face of God in my appeal for justification and redemption. I am a grave sinner.

Posted by SK at 9:09 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by SK at 6:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Posted by SK at 11:10 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)