Integrating Missionally

A prayer for today from the heart of Job.  Job 10 from the Message.

1 “I can’t stand my life—I hate it! I’m putting it all out on the table, all the bitterness of my life—I’m holding back nothing.”

2-7 Job prayed:

“Here’s what I want to say:
Don’t, God, bring in a verdict of guilty
without letting me know the charges you’re bringing.
How does this fit into what you once called ‘good’—
giving me a hard time, spurning me,
a life you shaped by your very own hands,
and then blessing the plots of the wicked?
You don’t look at things the way we mortals do.
You’re not taken in by appearances, are you?
Unlike us, you’re not working against a deadline.
You have all eternity to work things out.
So what’s this all about, anyway—this compulsion
to dig up some dirt, to find some skeleton in my closet?
You know good and well I’m not guilty.
You also know no one can help me.

8-12 “You made me like a handcrafted piece of pottery—
and now are you going to smash me to pieces?
Don’t you remember how beautifully you worked my clay?
Will you reduce me now to a mud pie?
Oh, that marvel of conception as you stirred together
semen and ovum—
What a miracle of skin and bone,
muscle and brain!
You gave me life itself, and incredible love.
You watched and guarded every breath I took.

13-17 “But you never told me about this part.
I should have known that there was more to it—
That if I so much as missed a step, you’d notice and pounce,
wouldn’t let me get by with a thing.
If I’m truly guilty, I’m doomed.
But if I’m innocent, it’s no better—I’m still doomed.
My belly is full of bitterness.
I’m up to my ears in a swamp of affliction.
I try to make the best of it, try to brave it out,
but you’re too much for me,
relentless, like a lion on the prowl.
You line up fresh witnesses against me.
You compound your anger
and pile on the grief and pain!

18-22 “So why did you have me born?
I wish no one had ever laid eyes on me!
I wish I’d never lived—a stillborn,
buried without ever having breathed.
Isn’t it time to call it quits on my life?
Can’t you let up, and let me smile just once
Before I die and am buried,
before I’m nailed into my coffin, sealed in the ground,
And banished for good to the land of the dead,
blind in the final dark?”

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I wish I could go into more detail right now, but there is a great need to pray for those helping to rebuild this country.

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Tomorrow, Dec. 1, is World AIDS Day. World AIDS Day is observed every year on December 1st. The World Health Organization established World AIDS Day in 1988. World AIDS Day provides governments, national AIDS programs, faith organizations, community organizations, and individuals with an opportunity to raise awareness and focus attention on the global AIDS epidemic.

Here are some facts about AIDS internationally:

People living with HIV:

• 33.2 million people living with HIV worldwide
• 30.8 million adults
• 15.4 million women
• 2.5 million children under 15

New HIV cases in 2007:

• 2.5 million total new cases
• 2.1 million adults
• 420,000 children under 15

HIV-related deaths in 2007:

• 2.1 million total deaths
• 1.7 million adult deaths
• 330,000 deaths among children under 15

All figures from UNAIDS AIDS Epidemic Update 2007.

World Vision has a site devoted to the AIDS Experience in Africa. This is a fascinating journey.

World Vision is doing some tremendous work with AIDS. World Vision has been combating global AIDSfor nearly two decades. The organization started its first AIDS programs among orphaned children in Uganda, HIV-infected children in Romania and young women caught in the sex trade in Thailand.

Today, World Vision has AIDS programs in more than 60 nations. World Vision is working to reduce the impact of HIV and AIDS through innovative and compassionate care, prevention efforts and effective advocacy so that gains in agricultural development, education, health care and other areas are not lost by the ravages of AIDS.

Set aside some time to spend praying for this horrific disease that has impacted over 25 million people worldwide in the past 25 years.

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Phos Hilaron (??? ??????) is an ancient Christian hymn originally written in New Testament Greek. The hymn is known in English as ‘Hail Gladdening Light’ or ‘O Respledent Light’. It is the earliest known Christian hymn recorded outside of the Bible that is still being used today.

John Keble Version as on the album “Hymns Ancient & Modern”

Hail, gladdening Light, of His pure glory poured
Who is th’immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
Holiest of Holies–Jesus Christ our Lord!

Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung
With undefiled tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life, alone:
Therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, thy own. Amen.

And the lyrics “Joyous Light” from the Hymns CD

Hail Gladdening Light, sun so bright
Jesus Christ, end of night, alleluia
Hail Gladdening Light, Eternal Bright
In evening time, ’round us shine, alleluia, alleluia

Chorus:
We hymn the Father, we hymn the Son
We hymn the Spirit, wholly Divine
No one more worthy of songs to be sung
To the Giver of Life, all glory is Thine

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Dan is the author of 5 books including Emerging Churches, Emerging Worship, and They Like Jesus but not the Church. Dan is also a classmate of mine in my D.Min. program. He was also my roomie the is past summer for our cohort in Oregon.

We got a notice that Dan’s dad had some very traumatic injuries and reports last week that he was in his final days. This afternoon, his dad died. Here’s an update from his blog:

Update – Sunday, October 21: My dad died this morning. He was at rest and my mom kept repeating the promise of 2 Corinthians 5:8 while we stood there beside him, about how Dad is now in the presence of Jesus – (as complex and mysterious as some of the afterlife sequencing is). But he is now gone. It is Sunday. Resurrection Day. It is extremely sunny in New Jersey right now as I sit in my backyard and type this. Very surreal. Jesus. Jesus.

I can’t tell you how I appreciate Dan and his words in our class. He is one of the deepest thinkers I have met. He is wonderfully conservative in theology. He is funny and creative. And he is one of the few that can pull off the Pompadour haircut.

If you can take a moment and life Dan and his family up in prayer, that would be great.

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