Prayer

Habakkuk complains, and God answers. Do we really believe God will answer the cries of our heart?

Hannah comes before God brokenhearted, openly weeping for the unfulfilled desires of her heart. In this intimate, emotional moment, God meets Hannah right where she is and gives her exactly what she needs. Even before giving her the child she prays for, God restores Hannah through the transformative power of his loving presence. God invites us to come before Him as Hannah did, and receive his tender mercy.

Job is one of the most enduring stories ever told about suffering, revered across Jewish, Christian, and Muslim traditions. Faced with devastating loss, unanswered questions, and unhelpful friends, Job’s story teaches us invaluable lessons on how to deal with persisting pain in life and find a pathway through it.

Encountering Christ Jesus as our lasting “Prince of Peace” gives us a place to take our grief, anxiety, and fear, so that we, in turn, can become people who exude the generosity and gentleness of God.

Data shows that wonder is powerful. It can improve our sense of self, make us more kind and wise, and infuse us with purpose. Where do we find it? Curiously, wonder is one of the refreshing characteristics of the church in its earliest days. Reflecting on an encounter early followers of Jesus had with a disabled man, we’ll consider where wonder can be found and how we cultivate it in our daily life.

It’s understandable that today many have jaded views of the church. As we imagine the future of our church, what can we learn from the earliest days of the church? It was refreshingly dynamic, characterized by personal transformation, vital community, authentic spirituality, radical generosity, and contagious hospitality.