Hostile Culture + Pray! + Trust

A Post-Christian Society

"As Christians face the increasingly hostile environment of a post-Christian society, it's all too easy to fall back on our animal instincts--to run, fight or hide, blend in or--worse yet--compromise, forming dangerous & unstable alliances with the world around us.
       "Think, though, about Jesus' prayer for His disciples in John 17: 'I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.' (John 17:14-15)
       "In Christ, we, like the apostles who came before us, don't belong to this world anymore. Yet here we are--& here we will stay, until He calls us to Himself. Far from running away or hiding (as if we could!), we stand out. We can't help it. Wherever we are, whatever we do, we know who we are--& Whose.
       "It's not easy, but we don't go it alone. By the Holy Spirit, Christ gathers us into His Church, where we find ample love, companionship & encouragement along the way.
       "This is life together, set apart. May you be blessed as you reflect on what it means for you . . . " [Rachel Bomberger, The Lutheran Witness, March 2019]

Prayer

"Are prayers a substitute for action? I think prayers are very important--& can make a huge difference. The Bible, such as the Gospels, is filled with all kinds of amazing things that happened in answer to prayer. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, & tomorrow. This may be a cliche', but this motto applies here. 'Pray like it all depends on God & act like it all depends on you.'" ["What's This Mantra Against 'Thoughts & Prayers'?, Jerry Newcombe, Townhall 3/21]

TRUST

"But I trust in You, O Lord; I say, 'You are my God." Psalms 31:14

"God in Jesus has done what we could not--defeat our ultimate enemies of sin, death & the devil. We can trust every challenge to Him." [Psalms for Lent, Jane Wilke, Creative Communications for the Parish, 2018]