Worry, worry, worry.

Yesterday I read Matthew 6, and came across a phrase I wish I remembered more often:

Can any of you, by worrying, add a single moment to your life-span?

Jesus asks His followers this on the Mount, but we should be reminding ourselves of this every day.

Let's face it - we humans are a worrisome people.  We worry about our loved ones, our jobs, our finances.  We worry about terrorism and nuclear war.  We worry about our health, illnesses, aches and pains.   And we Worry (with a capital W) about death.

But Jesus reminds us that all this worrying is for naught.   God knows what we need.  And He has a plan.

So really, the only thing we should be "worrying" about, is whether we are following God's commandments and loving Him to our fullest.

And here I was worried I wouldn't know what to blog about this week! 

God Bless.

Modes of Prayer

Did you ever hear or read something about our Faith and say to yourself, "that sounds like something I should have known in first grade"? 

If you do, welcome to the club - because it happens to me all the time.

This week, for example, I read that every prayer should have the following modes:

• Adoration
• Contrition
• Thanksgiving
• Supplication

In other words, we should start our prayers by praising God, and telling Him how much we love him.  Then we should spend time reflecting on our sins and asking God for forgiveness. Next, we should thank God for everything He has given for us.  

Then we can ask God for that favor we need, or the blessings we want.  

Such a simple formula, and yet, it has eluded me for (mumble mumble) years.  Don't get me wrong, I know we are supposed to do each of those.  I just never saw it laid out so perfectly like that.  

I'm sure it was taught to me.  I'm sure one of my Pastors tried to tell it to me.  I'm sure I skimmed across it in many a book.  It just never hit me over the head like it did this week.

Probably because I was too busy asking God for favors ....

God Bless.

A Simple Letter

There is so much to write about today's readings, but the one thing that keeps jumping out at me is Paul's epistle to the Corinthians.

I remember when I found out that this letter was likely the first written document to mention the events of the Last Supper.  At the time, I would have bet $50 it was Mark.  Or Matthew.  Or the infamous Q.  But many scholars believe 1 Corinthians was written around 55 AD, which is about 10 years earlier than the first Gospel and a mere 25 years or so after Jesus' death.

One simple letter carries such immense historical significance.  

I can't stop thinking about that.  

God Bless.

P.S. Did you know 1 Corinthians is the only place the phrase "Lord's Supper" is used in the entire Bible?