Prayer to receive this Mody comfort on Thursday
Kyle Norman
Bible Reading:
“The Lord Jesus said, when he was betrayed, took the bread and gave thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, it is for you. Do this in memory of me.” Similarly, after dinner he took the cup and said, “This cup is a new contract in my blood.
Read or listen to the following:
I came from a liturgical denomination, celebrating the innards details on Thursday, on the night of my last up. We read the stories of our last evening up, washed each other’s feet, stripped of the altar of all the decorations. It’s a dramatic and inspiring service. However, this service hit me even more powerfully in 2015.
The fact that we sat weeping in the exam room when our church gathered for the annual Agape Feast proves how spiritually distant I felt at the moment. The news of my wife’s diagnosis made me feel sad and confused. I was praying with my wife when she turned over in pain. The prayers I prayed seemed abandoned. At that moment, my faith felt very faint.
This is not a comfortable experience for an ordained priest, but since I was a priest and was a Maudie on Thursday, after I dropped my wife home, I went to church and led our service.
During that service I felt overwhelmed by disappointment and amputation. The prayer was said as if I was in an autopilot. My sermon felt empty. During this time I began to feel a wave of guilt and shame coming to me.
But then we received communion. That night, when I celebrated the Eucharist, I met Jesus in a new way. “This is my body, this is my blood,” the words seemed to echo over me as I spoke a very familiar phrase. It was as if Jesus whispered these words into my heart from within the marginal space of the church.
I felt addressed, heard and known. Above all, I was comforted. It was as if Jesus was telling my wife and me that all the confusion, disappointment and disappointment we were experiencing were the reasons for his incarnation. It was as if Jesus had told us. “My body is given for you, my longing for what comes next, my longing for pain, my fear of fighting illness, my struggle for prayer, and my longing for peace. My blood will shed for you.
Thursday will be rehearsing our last evening up rehearsals, Jesus’ prayer at Gethsemane, and rehearsals of Judas’ betrayal, reminding us that it is in a world of lost chaos. In His sacrifice, Jesus enters into the darkness within and outside of us. As we reach out to receive him we can feel the warmth of his comforting presence.
Fighting, confusion, sadness, and disappointment should not trust our faith or exclude us from who we are. At the time, we met that nature came and lived with us. Christ surrounds us, and the power of His resurrection is provided to us for the paths we must walk.
God’s strength means our disappointment will never beat us. God’s love means that the Lord’s comfort can be filled in the darkest places. When faced with such a situation today, be bold and pour your heart into Jesus. You insist on the Lord’s promise that you are heard, accepted, and lovingly received.
Let’s pray:
All Caring Lord Mound Thursday reminds us that your presence is not reserved for the people of the Relaxing Palace. You are not a savior standing alone, you are excluded from the difficulty of life. You come to us and you embrace the very things in life we accept. When we deal with rejection from friends, we walk the path of rejection. You threw yourself into the garden of Gethsemane, just as we sometimes struggle to pray through our anguish. And you do all this so that we can join us when we face such things.
Elegant Savior, I pray that as I walk the road, you will give me the ability to feel close to me. If I am disappointed, please tell me the signs of your joy. May your moans carry me as I struggle with prayer. May your presence calm my heart and soul when I am overwhelmed by chaos. I open my heart to accept you, not as an escape from everything I face, but as your embrace that will join me, cry with me, this time leading me. Graceful Lord, I thank you, and I pray all this is in your holy name. Amen.
Photo Credit: Photo Credit: ©istock/getty images plus/rudall30
Pastor Kyle Norman is the president of St. Paul’s Cathedral in Kamloops, Canada. He holds a PhD in Spiritual Formation and is a popular author, speaker and retreat leader. His writings can be found at Christianity.com, Crosswalk.com, Ibelieve.com, Renovare Canada and more. He also maintains his own blog revkylenorman.ca. He has 20 years of idyllic experience and his ministry focuses on helping people overcome times of mental disappointment.
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