World Day of Prayer
Joe Albright

World Day of Prayer

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In the Talmud it is written, “A person’s words should always be few when speaking to God.”

Jesus said in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 6, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others… And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words…”

Also in chapter 6, in the Message version of the Bible, Jesus says, “Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you possibly can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.”

Let us pray: God of Grace, we trust that you know what we need before we even ask, but we want to stay connected to you. On this World Day of Prayer and beyond, help us to find those quiet secluded moments – to draw near with deep honesty – to sense your grace, and hear your voice. Amen.

Staying Open
Joe Albright

Staying Open

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There is a great story in the book of 2 Kings (chapter 5) in which Naaman, a commander of an enemy army gets leprosy. He hears that there is a prophet named Elisha in Israel who may be able to heal him. In all humility, Naaman seeks out the prophet and asks for help. I just have to imagine it would not have been easy for this “military brass” to show any sign of weakness much less to ask for help from the enemy. He clearly must have been out of options.

Of all things, the prophet Elisha won’t even see the commander, but instead, he sends Naaman to bathe in the Jordan River. There would be no great show of power, no lavish attention, no special prayers, just a swim in a muddy river. Not exactly what Naaman was expecting. He becomes indignant, angry. However, he was also desperate for healing. So once again, he humbles himself. He follows Elisha’s orders, and he is healed.

This story just reminds me that on the journey of life, things don’t always go according to our expectations. Our plans and our dreams don’t always work out as we’d hoped. There are unexpected detours all along the way. But if we are open and humble, we find that God does provide.

Let us pray: Loving God, we recognize that you do not always work in concert with our expectations. Your healing and redemption often come in unexpected ways through unexpected means. Keep us open to new possibilities and to your leading. The next time our plans fall apart; or, the next time life throws us a curveball, remind us again of Naaman’s humility and your healing grace. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.

If We Are Keeping Score…
Joe Albright

If We Are Keeping Score…

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There is an old Hi and Luis comic strip that shows the little girl Trixie, looking out her window. She is waving to an elderly gentleman and thinks to herself, “There’s old Mr. Wavering. He always waves and smiles!” Then, in the next frame, she thinks, “I guess by the time you get to be that old, you have a lot of things to be happy about!”

That’s so true. However, it is also true that as we grow older, we might also have more things to complain and feel sad about. But I like Trixie’s take on it better. If we’re going to keep a record, I want to keep score of the good – remember more of the moments of grace. That’s exactly why I like the idea of keeping a gratitude journal. Many people I know benefit greatly from making a daily list. If you take this endeavor on, try to think of just a few new things each day. Be specific, and watch your countenance and perspective on life change.

Let us pray: Today, loving God, I am grateful for the birds singing outside my window. I thank you for a supportive, loving family; for the sunshine streaming through my window, and for fresh flowers sitting on our dining room table. I am thankful for the opportunity to share in the Dial Hope mission, and I pray for each person engaged in this ministry today. Continue to give us grateful hearts. Amen.

God Will Sustain You
Joe Albright

God Will Sustain You

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Psalm 55 begins, “Give ear to my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my supplication. Attend to me and answer me. I am troubled in my complaint.”

Then, in verse 17 the song continues, “But I call upon God and the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice.”

These are moving and powerful words that must have come from someone who was experiencing great difficulty in his or her life. I can only imagine the kind of heartbreak or tragedy or need that would prompt this kind of prayer. Yet in the midst of it all, there seems to be an unshakable faith that God will respond. God will hear. God will save.

My prayer for you is that you would approach God with the same unshakable confidence. While God may not answer when and how you would like, you can trust that God will hear your heartbreak, your need, your complaint, and God will respond.

The Psalm leaves us with this promise in verse 22, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you…”

May it be so.

Let us pray: Loving God, today we hand you our burdens. And we trust that in your own time, in your own way, you will redeem us, heal us and empower us to live and serve anew. Amen.

Redemption
Joe Albright

Redemption

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Dr. Keith Wagner once wrote about the devastation caused by the eruption of Mount Saint Helen in 1980. The forests were destroyed by fire, and the rivers were choked with debris. Fish and other wildlife died. Toxic fumes filled the air, and the future for the area seemed bleak.

However, less than a year after the eruption, scientists discovered that despite the fact that the rivers had been clogged with hot mud, volcanic ash, and floating debris, some of the salmon and steelhead had managed to survive. By using alternate streams and waterways, some of which were less than six inches deep, the fish returned home to spawn. Within a few short years, the fields, lakes, and rivers surrounding Mount Saint Helen once again teemed with life. Even the mountain itself began to show signs of new vegetation.

Dr. Wagner’s point was that sometimes in life what appears to be a hopeless situation, really is not. Pain and suffering ultimately do not get to have the last word. Devastation and heartache do not get to have the last word. God does. And, out of the ashes, there is always the potential for a new beginning.

Let us pray: God of all new life, help us to trust that you are at work even now in the broken places in our lives and in this world. Give us glimpses of redemption, healing, restoration, and renewal, that we would have courage and hope; for we pray in the name of Jesus who said, “Behold, I make all things new.” Amen.

Arm in Arm (He Cares for You)
Roger Kunkel

Arm in Arm (He Cares for You)

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Friend of Dial Hope, do you sometimes feel like your problems are so overwhelming that you can barely keep your head above water? In the Bible, God tells you to cast “all your care upon him,” knowing he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:7)

One of the most dramatic examples in the Bible of casting yourself upon God is Peter’s attempt to walk on water. It was liquid pavement beneath his feet. When Jesus bid Peter to come to him, Peter quickly stepped out of the boat and, with his eyes on the Lord, he began to walk. But then he looked around at the heavy seas. Terrified, he began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Immediately, Jesus was beside Peter. And, arm in arm, they walked on the water to the boat. Like Peter, if you get your eyes off your source and onto your impossible situation, you’re sunk. But, if you keep your eyes on Jesus and walk arm in arm with him, you’ll be safe…because Jesus specializes in meeting human needs. Whatever is over your head in the way of problems is already under his feet. It’s in his control! Remember: “Cast all your anxiety, your care on him, because he cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

Let us pray: God of love, who came into the world clothed in our garment of flesh and who willingly gave yourself to the cross, clothe us in your Spirit that persons will recognize you in us and receive your great gift of unconditional love and amazing grace. We remember today and this week the men and women serving our country in Afghanistan and Iraq. Surround them with your presence and give them Christ-confidence. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 46
Joe Albright

Psalm 46

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One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 46. This Psalm has been read for centuries by people during times of great need or crisis. We read this Psalm in our church on the night of 9/11/2001. Today, I invite you to hear the Psalm again as a simple message of hope and trust. Psalm 46 will serve as both our message and prayer.

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Come, behold the works of the Lord… He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.

Amen.

The Simple Power of Naming
Joe Albright

The Simple Power of Naming

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Psalm 32 reads a little like a before and after commercial. You know the kind, “Before I got the Ginsu super cutter knife, my culinary life was a virtual disaster, but now…!” Only the genuineness of this Psalm is undeniable. It is attributed to King David and it deals with the power of confession and forgiveness. If anyone would know about missing the mark and the need for confession and forgiveness, it would be David.

In verse three, the Psalm claims, “When I kept silent, my bones wasted away… my strength was sapped…” But, then in verse 5, it continues, “Then, I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, ‘I will confess my transgression to the Lord.’ And you forgave…”

The Psalm ends with rejoicing.

The truth is, when we hold on to our sins when we fail to acknowledge where we have missed the mark, our mistakes only eat us up inside. There is no way to heal. On the other hand, naming our sin breaks the power of it. Without a doubt, it is the first step toward healing.

Today, find a place to sit quietly before God and make your confession. And, remember that in Jesus Christ your sins are forgiven. Later in the Psalm, we are given this promise, “the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds those who trust in him.”

Let us pray: God we’ve messed up, we’re human, we’re flesh and blood, and we’ve made mistakes – sometimes over and over. We need you to wash over us with your grace, cleanse us, and help us move on, leave behind the old, and to start over differently. Help us today to name our brokenness, so the healing can begin. We ask in Jesus name. Amen.

The Right Note
Roger Kunkel

The Right Note

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“Today’s message was written by my friend, Rev. Roger Kunkel, founder of Dial Hope.” -Joe

I love the short story with this unusual title: “The Man Whose Wife’s Hair Was too Long but Whose Understanding of Music Was too Short.” In the story, the husband is playing a cello. He plays the same note over and over again. His wife, who is slowly going crazy listening to this one note asks, “Why do you play the same note over and over? Other cellists play different notes. Why don’t you?” The husband responds, “Other cellists play different notes because they are trying to find the right one. I’ve found mine.”

The husband’s musical ability may be questionable, but his point accurately applies to a lot of other things. Many people spend their entire lives looking for the right note. They move up and down the scale forever – without playing anything that makes a positive contribution to other people and the world. If you are fortunate enough to find your note, don’t lose it. Play it! The Apostle Paul wrote, “I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).

Let us pray: Awesome God, life is so beautiful. Why do we often live in dread of the day ahead, or anesthetized to the magic of the present moment? Show us how to find you in other persons – in the children who skip past us on the sidewalk, in the old man pushing a grocery basket, in the patients waiting in the doctor’s office. Restore us to a sense of passion and caring until we find the right note. Bless us now that we may be a blessing to others as we seek to make this day a masterpiece. In Jesus name. Amen.

Uncontainable
Joe Albright

Uncontainable

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A pastor was trying to explain to a Sunday school class that God is all around us. “God is everywhere!” said the pastor. “Everywhere?” asked one little boy. “Everywhere!” answered the pastor.

The boy went home and told his mother, “God is everywhere! The pastor said so.” “Yes, I know,” replied the mother. The little boy continued, ”You mean he is even in the cupboard?” “Yes,” said the mother. “In the refrigerator, even when we close the door and the light goes out?” “Yes,” said the mother. “Even in the sugar bowl?” the boy asked as he took the lid off. “Yes,” said the mother, “even in the sugar bowl.” The boy slammed the lid down and said, “Now I’ve got him.”

The story is funny, but the truth is God is bigger than even we can ever imagine.

In the book of 1 Kings at the dedication of the first temple, we read that the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord so that the priests could not stand to minister… At that time, Solomon prayed, “Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you – much less this house that I have built!”

There is a recognition very early on in our faith that God is at work beyond the walls of the sanctuary – beyond our denominations – beyond our understanding, beyond our grasp. You cannot contain the Lord we worship. God is bigger than we can even begin to imagine.

Sometimes I want to have all the answers. I want to know why people see the world differently than I do. I want to know why there are poverty and violence. I want to know why people I love suffer. I want to know how and when God will answer my prayers.

Being human, we have to ask the questions. We have to seek to understand. But, being human also means that there may be things that we will never understand – at least not on this side of heaven.

And so here and now, with great humility, we have to trust. We have to trust that God is as good as Jesus told us that he is – merciful, forgiving, loving – with grace extending far beyond what we ever could imagine.

Let us pray: Almighty God, you are holy and majestic. We thank you for your unstoppable, uncontainable love – that reaches out and embraces even us. With all of our strength, in all of our weaknesses, with all of our faith and in all of our doubts, help us to respond to you. Amen.