The songwriter said, "Stand up, Stand up for Jesus, ... And in His strength alone, ... Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there." It is time for us to be found in His service. And we must not accept any injustice. It must be met with His love. And we must begin to lay our lives on the line, to make the difference.
And a place to start is for our leaders to begin to proclaim the love, to speak out against injustice. Let every Christian hear the message, we stand for the love of God being wrought in lives. Let everyone hear the message, we are against violence. Let us hear the message till we begin to make it such a part of us that we never forget it for a minute. Let us hear the message till we begin to live it that love reigns in our hearts for each other and for every member of a lost and dying world.
Several months ago I began writing a novel about our country. In it I found myself writing a prayer for a man who was to open a meeting to bring things together when everything seemed to be coming apart. Somehow the prayer I wrote for that pastor to pray seems appropriate at this time. If you like, you can pray it with me. In the novel the pastor asked the participants in a meeting to pray with him.
"From Paul's first letter to the Church at Corinth, the Thirteenth chapter I will read and comment:"
"(1) If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal."
"Lord there are many here to whom you have given the voice to speak with the tongues of men and angels. We have been charged to speak your word. But we recognize that there were times that we have spoken without having love, and in doing so we became a ridiculous noise, of no value to anyone. For this failure to do your will I personally repent and turn from that ungodly act."
"(2) If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing."
"Oh Lord, no matter how smart I am, or how popular I am, or how much I know, I am nothing and of no value to anyone if I do not have love. My Lord there are times I have acted on my own, relied on my self, and forgot your love, for this I repent."
"(3) If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing."
"I can give every minute of my time, every material possession I have or even my own body but it is of no value if I do not love. Lord I repent of not loving, of trying to replace love by doing other things to soothe my conscience."
"(4) Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."
"Lord, I have been impatient, I have envied others who have had success, I have boasted in my own achievements, I have been haughty and Lord, I have harbored pride, while deceitfully feigning humility. For that I repent. "
"(5) It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."
"Lord I have been offensive at times, sought my own way, not yours, have become angry without cause, and have kept a tab on my brothers and sisters. For this I repent."
"(6) Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."
"Lord there are times I have been happy to see someone get what they deserved, when I should have been helping them. For that I repent."
"(7) It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."
"Lord, I have run from situations when I should have stayed, I have at times lost or given up hope, I have at times lost trust in people and I have at times just plain given up on someone because I didn't feel they were worth my time. For this I repent."
"(8) Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."
Lord, I have put my confidence in many things, all of them are good but none of them will stand. I repent and will from this day put my trust in You and the love You place in me. And I will stand firm, shoulder to shoulder with my brothers and sisters, and I will fight with them against all evil."
"(9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
(10) but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.
(11) When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.
(12) Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
(13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."
"Father, there are many things I do not know, many I do not understand, I want everything perfect, but as I grow older I must put away old ideas and immature acts and learn what you would have me to do. Father, forgive me, help me to grow and most of all, help me to love."
He raised his eyes to the group, "God gave me a scripture to finish with, it is 2 Chronicles Chapter seven Verse 14 and 15. As I stand here now I believe it is His response to the repentance that is here and is a confirmation that God is pleased with our coming today. I pray that he will also be pleased with what we do with the rest of our time in this place and on this earth."
(14) if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
(15) Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
I pray that each of us will examine our lives and see if there is somewhere we have left our first love and we will be motivated to return to it with great haste.
Copyright Ralph Brandt 2001, 2007. Not to be used without permission.
