Afraid of the Wrong Power

 

Readings 070126

 

Jesus heals the those possessed by demons— 

and the town doesn’t rejoice. 

They don’t welcome the miracle. 

Scripture says they were seized with fear. 

Not fear of the ones— 

sitting, clothed, and restored. 

They were afraid of Jesus Himself— 

afraid of a power they didn’t understand, 

afraid of a love they had never known.

And it feels the same today. 

Many face the demons of our culture— 

noise, division, pride, and despair— 

yet they fear the truth found in Jesus Christ 

more than the darkness that binds them. 

They fear surrender, 

because surrender means being healed.

Even believers wrestle with this. 

Many carry an image of Jesus shaped 

by our wounds and prejudice. 

And when that distorted image is shown to the world, 

it frightens those who long for mercy.

But Jesus does not retreat from fear. 

He stays. 

He heals. 

He reveals the mercy of God. 

And He sends the restored man to tell what God has done.

So today, may we be that witness— 

not showing a Jesus shaped by fear, 

but the Jesus who casts out fear, 

who restores dignity, 

who makes the unknown safe, 

because He Himself is Love

Prayer

Lord Jesus,

Open our eyes to see You 

as You truly are.

Calm the fears that rise

from what we do not understand.

Heal the places in us shaped 

by bias or wounded memory.

Make our witness gentle, truthful, 

and full of Your mercy.

Let others meet You 

through the way we love and live.

Lead us into the freedom of Your peace.

Amen

A Holy Pause

 

Readings 063026 

On this last day of June,

the middle of the year.

Scripture invites us to a holy pause—

a moment to breathe, 

and remember:

God sees it all.

He sees the heavy burdens we carried,

the hidden moments we stayed faithful,

and the fragile places where we fell short.

Yet the God who brought Israel out of Egypt

is the same Lord who carried us through these thirty days.

Jesus whispers, “Follow me.”

He calls us when the path is uncertain,

and when tomorrow feels heavy or unclear.

So we make this day a sanctuary of holy trust—

handing over the pieces we cannot fix,

the storms we tried to outrun,

and the prayers we whispered in the dark.

In the moments of our life, 

When the winds rise,

the waves threaten,

and we cry out, “Lord, save us!”

He speaks to the chaos, 

and there is a great calm.

The month behind us had its storms,

but the One whom the seas obey

has been in our boat the whole time.

So we give thanks, and we offer praise—

not because the road was easy,

but because He was present in every step.

In our prayers,

we give this month back to Him:

the victories, 

the wounds, 

the unfinished pieces.

We bless what has been.

We release what we cannot carry.

And we step into the new month with uncluttered hearts.

The Lion has roared.

The Lord has spoken.

And Christ—steady, present, and faithful—

leads us forward into His perfect calm.

Amen.

Prayer

Lord, 

Speak into the last day of this month 

and steady my heart.

Teach me to trust Your word 

more than my fears.

Calm every storm 

that still echoes within me.

Draw me back when I drift 

lift me when I stumble.

Prepare my steps in Your peace.

Hold me close 

as I follow You into tomorrow.

Amen