Our guilt has reached the heavens...

"O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens."  Ezra 9:6

FBC of The Colony is going through 40 Days of Prayer, to humble ourselves before God.  Today is day 6.  I read the above passage from Ezra, along with today's prayer:  "Pray that God's people would assume responsibility for the moral and spiritual erosion of our nation and our world."  I have been meditating on this today, and it has troubled me.  At first, it was hard to pray this on a personal level.  It's like saying that I caused marriages to end in divorce, babies to be aborted, children to be abused, and on and on.  That's hard stuff.  The more I thought about it, though, the more convinced I was of the righteousness of this prayer.

Essentially, it's admitting that as a people and as a nation, we are sinful.  Our guilt has reached the heavens, as Ezra says.  I came to view this prayer as an admission that, though I did not cause the sins of the nation, I recognize the sins of the nation and confess them on behalf of my people.  It is a prayer of confession and acceptance of responsibility.  It is acknowledging our corporate sin, my personal acceptance of that sin, and my repentance of it.  Though the sin did not originate with me, I want it to end with me.  I want to renounce the curse for the generations that follow.  

Humbly,

Jennifer

Fall Retreat update

Whew!  Only 5 more weeks until the retreat!  I spent today working on writing my retreat lessons.  This portion of the retreat is very stressful for me--writing the words that are swirling around in my head, and getting prepared for speaking them!  I have to say, though, that I feel much lighter since lesson 1 is down on the page, and the learner's guide is done! 

Now, only two more lessons to go! 

Blessings and peace,

Jennifer

Though the Mountains Be Shaken

I just got back from the mountains of Northern California/Nevada.  My husband and I, along with friends from church, went to Lake Tahoe for a few days.  We enjoyed the time away from the daily routine, and enjoyed seeing the sights of the area.  In my lifetime thus far, I have had very few opportunities to visit the mountainous regions of the great country in which we live.  I'll admit that driving up into the mountains was intimidating, but I enjoyed my time there nonetheless.

I couldn't help but think of words of the Lord in Isaiah 54:10: 

" 'Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you."

Though those beautiful, mighty mountains could fall into dust, God's love will never fail and He will never remove His covenant of peace from me.  I am so glad.

Praise His Holy and Precious Name,

Jennifer