The Needs of the Unnamed

Mark 7
[7.24-26] From there Jesus set out for the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house there where he didn't think he would be found, but he couldn't escape notice. He was barely inside when a woman who had a disturbed daughter heard where he was. She came and knelt at his feet, begging for help. The woman was Greek, Syro-Phoenician by birth. She asked him to cure her daughter.

Lord Jesus--You were looking for a time of rest and of decompression with the disciples a time to teach, a time to deconstruct for them the events of the work that they were engaged in.  It was not just the work at hand that you were interested in, but also building their understanding of the kingdom.  Since the feeding of the five thousand that had been the goal.  A mountain hide away by the sea would have suited your needs...but it was not to be.

Yet the needs evidenced everywhere that you moved...from the misunderstandings of the pharisees,  to the fear of the disciples,  to this women and her daughter...need surrounded you.  They still surround you in the prayers of your people.  So often I come to you with a check list of needs in hand.  Forgive me that my lists leaves out the most important elements of prayer too often...adoration and praise for who you are.  Right now I praise you and lift your name high...you are a mighty God engaged at the point of our needs.

[7.27] He said, “Stand in line and take your turn. The children get fed first. If there’s any left over, the dogs get it.” [7.28] She said, “Of course, Master. But don’t dogs under the table get scraps dropped by the children?” [7.29-30] Jesus was impressed. “You’re right! On your way! Your daughter is no longer disturbed. The demonic affliction is gone.” She went home and found her daughter relaxed on the bed, the torment gone for good.


Lord Jesus--You are still meeting our needs.  We may not see you this side of the pearly gates but you are intimately engaged in our lives.  You continue to heal your people.  You continue to engage in the our lives with grace and understanding of our weakness and need. 

Interesting that this is a healing that is long distance...the girl afflicted by the demonic never even saw you. She received healing at your word.  The same word that had spoken into existence the created order was now active in the life of this little one chased by demons.  We never even learn the name of this little one. But you cared about this little one who was not a part of the covenant community.  Yet...

In this day with the needs that will confront me,  help me to be a person of peace and grace. Give me eyes to see the needs that surround me as you see them.  May I be your workman in this day concerned about the "least of these."  Don't let me get tripped up with silly tags and code words that obscure the person for whom you died. 

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Location 30784). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Clean Inside and Out

007 [7.1-4] The Pharisees, along with some religion scholars who had come from Jerusalem, gathered around him. They noticed that some of his disciples weren’t being careful with ritual washings before meals. The Pharisees—Jews in general, in fact—would never eat a meal without going through the motions of a ritual hand-washing, with an especially vigorous scrubbing if they had just come from the market (to say nothing of the scourings they’d give jugs and pots and pans).

Lord Jesus--There is nothing wrong with being clean. Part of the point here is the heart can not get clean from the outside in...the action has to be internal, dynamic and ongoing.  The Pharisees wanted to make it external, static, and achievable with great effort that they could control and manage.

 [7.5] The Pharisees and religion scholars asked, “Why do your disciples flout the rules, showing up at meals without washing their hands?” [7.6-8] Jesus answered, “Isaiah was right about frauds like you, hit the bull’s-eye in fact: These people make a big show of saying the right thing, but their heart isn’t in it. They act like they are worshiping me, but they don’t mean it. They just use me as a cover for teaching whatever suits their fancy, Ditching God’s command and taking up the latest fads.”

Lord Jesus--Worship needs to something beyond a show, a procedure or a performance...something deeper on the heart level. It can become so driven by outside forces...something that is expected, something that is planned for, and something that has no power in it. Worship can become a part of  "Church Light" or "church lite." The choice is made in the heart of each person present.

Somehow worship needs to become something deeper than just saying the right things and going through the motions.  It needs to be something deeper.  A place where action meets intention.

So today Lord, as we gather for worship wed action with intention in a way that transforms your people.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30756-30764). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Miracles and The Everyday

 Mark 6

[6.53-56] They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. 

Lord Jesus-Healing was an everyday event in your ministry. This is one of the most confusing and difficult areas in the church today.  I absolutely believe that you work in the everyday situations of my life. Miracles happen but they are not so often the sick being healed.  Why not?  Is it because we don't bring our sick to you?  We keep them home.  We stay home when we are ill.  Now, some of that is good public health...don't get the healthy sick.  But I wonder how much of that is not thinking... not believing that you can act.  

Prayer should be my default position...it should be where I reflexively run to at the first sign of trouble or need. I have to face it that prayer is a growing edge in my life.  You have been engaging me and continue to engage me in an ongoing dialogue.  This prayer journal is an example of that ongoing conversation. NEEDTOBREATHE lyrics come to mind...

In your ocean I'm ankle deep,

I feel the waves crashing on my feet;

It's like I know where I need to be

But I can't figure out,

I can't figure out

Just how much air I will need to breathe

When your wave washes over me,

There's only one way to figure out

Will you let me drown?

Will you let me drown?

The answer to that question is NO! You are not going to let me drown. You intervene in ways that I just don't even have a clue about.

But do I bring all of the hurts to you first?  All of the questions? All of the growing edges?  Most of the time,  I have to go through my wash cycle first.  I have to cycle through fear, anxiety, desperation and then finally acceptance of the fact that you are the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Why do I do that?  When acceptance is where I end up anyway? I can almost hear you saying yet again..."Silly Man..."

Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat—that’s all. And whoever touched him became well.

So this early morning as I write this I realize that really I am not looking for big things...no gigantic revelations of mystical dimensions.  That would be great if you choose to send it my way. But really it is a simple thing that I am looking for...just the edge of your coat. 

A touch of your hand in grace and love extended...that is more than enough for a Tuesday morning.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30752-30755). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition. 

A Walk In the Wind

Mark 6

[6.47-49] Late at night, the boat was far out at sea; Jesus was still by himself on land. He could see his men struggling with the oars, the wind having come up against them.

Lord Jesus--There is comfort in the fact that the struggle of these men was something that you were aware of and interested in.

I have to admit there are times that your awareness of and interest in my struggles is a statement of faith.  It doesn't always feel like you are aware.  But what do I know?  I know that you were mindful of 12 men in a boat with the wind blowing against them.  That is not exactly a world shattering event except if you are one of the 12 guys in the boat. I am reminded again of the smallness of my faith and the places where you meet me.  Thank you that this little bit of faith which you have given me remains intact and is affirmed again and again.  You see me at my place in the boat struggling with my oar heading into the wind.

Pasting thought?  It is interesting to me that if the wind was against them and they were travelling across the lake away from where You were praying, then the wind was blowing them back to you.  That is a keeper...I wonder how many times when I am struggling with a headwind,  it is really just a Jesus wind blowing me back toward you?

At about four o’clock in the morning, Jesus came toward them, walking on the sea. He intended to go right by them. But when they saw him walking on the sea, they thought it was a ghost and screamed, scared out of their wits. 

Lord Jesus--Your walk on the water towards these struggling men speaks to me today. You walk toward your people in the middle of all that is blowing against them.  You walk towards the point of struggle.  In the middle of the long nights and the dark days...you walk toward not way from me.

[6.50-52] Jesus was quick to comfort them: “Courage! It’s me. Don’t be afraid.” As soon as he climbed into the boat, the wind died down. They were stunned, shaking their heads, wondering what was going on. They didn’t understand what he had done at the supper. None of this had yet penetrated their hearts.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30747-30752). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Praying Through The Hinge Points

Mark 6

[6.45-46] As soon as the meal was finished, Jesus insisted that the disciples get in the boat and go on ahead across to Bethsaida while he dismissed the congregation. After sending them off, he climbed a mountain to pray.

Lord Jesus-- Was it dark when the crowds finally left? The last person leaving...with a touch on the shoulder and a last word to them as they walked away in the dark.  The stars just coming out with a clarity that only a night sky can have far from the city.

It has been a long day  filled with words and work. You are the only one on that lonely stretch of beach just beside the sea of Galilee. You start the climb up the mountain.  Was there a breeze off the lake as you climbed? Was it a hot night?  What were your thoughts as your footfalls touched on barely seen rocks.

You climbed the mountain in the dark to spend time with the Father...time for reflection, mediation and connection.  Night was the time to seek out the Father...it was a time when others were sleep. Night was not to be feared but embraced as a time to seek out hope, help, communion with the heart of the Father.

Why it is that I skip over this time you spent with the Father?  I don't usually linger on the reality of time spent with the Father.  I have seen these interludes as filler sentences... in-between times to the main event. When actually they may have been the main event.  This incident when the masses had their needs met and knew where the bread came from was a turning point in your work.  You sought out time with the Father to sort out the onward rush of events?  Or, was it a dull ache in your heart for just a bit of home as you looked out in the night sky so far from the Father's side? Did the stars look the same to you as they had when you were with the Father? Could you pick out the constellations of home?

Lord Jesus--Prayer is not an in-between activity.  It is not filler to the main events of life. Prayer brings meaning to the whole.  It is from the time spent in connection with you that the the rest of life's events makes any sense at all.. That mountain may have been dark with the stars above but it was there that the Father met you.

Who are the people that need the focus of prayer right now?  What situations do you call me to pray about today?  Lord Jesus--Train my heart to the real  work of prayer.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30745-30752). NAVPress

Expectations and So Much More

Mark 6

[6.35-36] When his disciples thought this had gone on long enough—it was now quite late in the day—they interrupted: “We are a long way out in the country, and it’s very late. Pronounce a benediction and send these folks off so they can get some supper.”

Lord Jesus-It is right in the middle of the unexpected that so many times my faith is grown and matured.  I would like things to always go according to my plans and expectations.  The disciples expectations had been  challenged yet again even after You aimed them in the direction of rest.  But if they had received what they had planned on...a rest time with you...they would have missed seeing you feed the five thousand.  I wonder which they would have picked if they had the choice.

[6.37] Jesus said, “You do it. Fix supper for them.” They replied, “Are you serious? You want us to go spend a fortune on food for their supper?” [6.38] But he was quite serious. “How many loaves of bread do you have? Take an inventory.” That didn’t take long. “Five,” they said, “plus two fish.” [6.39-44] Jesus got them all to sit down in groups of fifty or a hundred—they looked like a patchwork quilt of wildflowers spread out on the green grass! He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples, and the disciples in turn gave it to the people. He did the same with the fish. They all ate their fill. The disciples gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. More than five thousand were at the supper.

Lord Jesus--In the middle of need, you met and exceeded the need.  You took what was available and made it work.

Lord Jesus--How long will it take until I can rest in your direction and realize that you will not put in front of me what is not possible with you help?  Faith is always faith in a person...a relationship that has been lived out over time. A place where connection is not so much depended on but is a part of the atmosphere that surround and envelopes me.

I remain in your grip and enfolded in your arms even when my expectations are not met.  Amazing things happen that are not a part of my expectation.

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30735-30744). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.

Plans Change Sometimes...Dig in and Rejoice

Mark 6

[6.30-31] The apostles then rendezvoused with Jesus and reported on all that they had done and taught. Jesus said, “Come off by yourselves; let’s take a break and get a little rest.” For there was constant coming and going. They didn’t even have time to eat.

Lord Jesus-The disciples had just come back from this vision expanding experience of being used by God.  I am sure that there were questions by the hundreds and debriefing that just needed to be done.  "What holds back the work of God that flows so free sometimes and then sometimes seem so held back, stilted, and somehow restricted.  What did it mean when we can't heal?...How can we be more effective?" 


The sending requires times when we can come back to the place of teaching.  But really it isn't a place at all that we come back to...is it? It is a relationship...that needs time to clarify, to reconnect to the real meaning...a time to refocus on what really matters.

How many times do I miss the times of rest because I am on to the next thing? Lord Jesus, help me to sense your call to come off and spend some time in the quiet when the push of the next right thing to do isn't at my elbow.  Timing is in your hands not mine...

 [6.32-34] So they got in the boat and went off to a remote place by themselves. Someone saw them going and the word got around. From the surrounding towns people went out on foot, running, and got there ahead of them. When Jesus arrived, he saw this huge crowd. At the sight of them, his heart broke—like sheep with no shepherd they were. He went right to work teaching them.

Plans are made for changing.  I am sure that the presence of this crowd did not surprise you. Tired and spent you saw them for who they were...sheep without a shepherd running after what they thought might actually meet their need.


Does your heart still break Lord Jesus when you see me running after you?  Sometimes I am just like this crowd running after the newest movement of the Spirit of God when really all I have to do is open up to what you have been whispering in my ear the whole time.

So what is your word for me today, Lord Jesus?  "Plans change, Kurt.  It is a fluid world not static and unchanging...set sail today to the wind of the Spirit.  Listen with ears wide open to my call.  I am speaking.  There is work to do...be open! Dig in and rejoice at the opportunities for today."

Peterson, Eugene H. (2006-06-15). The Message Remix 2.0: The Bible In contemporary Language (Kindle Locations 30730-30735). NAVPress - A. Kindle Edition.