Author: Tim Ehrhardt

I'm just a common ordinary pastor, chaplain, father, grandfather, and dog owner who loves the smell of a genuine leather Bible and the aroma of its message. I'm on a quest to track down the best Bibles, how to best read and use them, and to discover the encouragement inside.

Prayer is the Heartbeat of the Church

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Exploring Church Ministry BlogLeave a comment
 
 
Imagine not having to purchase what you need the most today.
 
            Maybe you are in a real pinch.  Your budget won’t budge this month.  Perhaps you’re wondering what items you need to do without for a while.  It could be that the bills aren’t all getting paid.  Or maybe you’re concerned with how in the world you’re going to pay off that credit card, after buying Christmas presents for the family.
Imagine having all the love you need today without working to earn it.
 
            Maybe you have a strained relationship.  It might be that you’re hurt from a marriage or a love that has gone sour.  Perhaps a friendship is on the rocks, or a family member won’t talk to you.  You’re wondering if it will ever be better, if love will find you again.
Imagine having the experience this week and every week of your church full of the grace of Jesus, the love of God the Father, and the power of the Holy Spirit.
 
            Maybe your church has a legalistic bent.  Perhaps the church is withdrawn into cliques and special interest groups.  It could be that the Spirit hasn’t shown up since 1959.  You’re tired, weary of the chronic sameness and status quo of a stagnant place.
            There is good news… really good news!
 
Prayer is the currency to what you need most, the means of receiving love, and the path to a gracious and powerful church.
 
Jesus Christ himself said, “My Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” (John 15:16).  Prayer is the heartbeat of the church.  The promise of prayer still stands.  God gives.  We receive.  But we must ask!
 
Sometimes God just gives without us asking.  That’s great.  But God wants so much more for you and me and our churches.  He longs for us to be vitally connected to him, and that connection happens through prayer.  We can bank on the answers to our prayers when we:
·         Stay joined to Jesus (John 15:4)
·         Let Christ’s teachings become part of you (John 15:7)
·         Remain faithful to Christ’s love for you (John 15:9)
·         Obey Jesus (John 15:10)
Imagine having your will align with the perfect will of God.
 
Then, “you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered.” (John 15:7)
            Perhaps you are skeptical.  You’ve prayed a long time with nothing happening.  You are discouraged and feel like prayer doesn’t work, or that something is wrong with you.  There is a mysterious and mystical aspect to prayer that we will never quite understand.  But I do know that Jesus didn’t put a timetable on the answers – they will come when they come.  They will, however, come.  And maybe we will discover that what we want and need the most is to let God’s will and way be done in us, no matter what it is.  Perhaps the point is to change us, and not always to change our circumstances.
            We have an incredible privilege.  We simply get to ask.  We don’t buy answers to prayer.  We don’t have to do backflips to get God’s attention.  We ask.  We don’t have to try and work to earn God’s favor.  We don’t have to draw up detailed plans like some sort of architectural design to see a fruitful, loving, and powerful church.  We simply ask, and remain closely connected to Jesus.
            So, pray… about everything.  Some of the best prayers you will ever pray are the psalms.  Great prayers can be found in the church fathers from the ancient church.  Beautiful soaring prayers exist from the medieval mystics in church history.  There are also your spontaneous, specific, and special prayers offered to God.  Whatever prayers you pray, in whatever form or shape they come in, the thing to do today is to pray.  I conclude with an ancient one which I pray each week for your use now:

 

“O Lord, grant me to greet the coming of this day in peace.  Help me in all things to rely upon Your holy will.  In every hour of the day, reveal Your will to me.  Bless my dealings with all who surround me.  Teach me to treat all that comes to me throughout the day with peace of soul and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all.  In all my deeds and words, guide my thoughts and feelings.  In unforeseen events, let me not forget that all are sent by You.  Teach me to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.  Give me the strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day with all that it shall bring.  Direct my will; teach me to pray; pray You Yourself in me.  Amen.” –St. Philaret of Moscow 

Matthew 8:28-9:1

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            At some point all people, including you and me, must deal with Jesus.  Why? Because he is a force to be reckoned with.
            Eventually, we know that a storm will come.  It may be sunny today, and the forecast might predict more sun or partly sunny for a while.  But we know the weather will change.  Here in Wisconsin we’ve had an unusually dry winter so far.  Not very much snow.  It’s coming, though.  There will be a snow storm.  It won’t be here today or tomorrow.  But it will come.
            Jesus will come.  A person might not have to contend with him today, maybe not tomorrow.  But, eventually, there will be a whopper of a storm and you will have to deal with it.  In today’s Gospel lesson, two men described as being severely influenced by demons approached Jesus.  Inside of them was such a terrible inner storm that they shouted at Jesus.
            Jesus, however, has authority over storms.  He commands them as he wills.  As fierce as the men were (the demons were so many that they were exorcised into a herd of pigs), Jesus had the authority to deal with the situation.  The storm within the men subsided.
            Yet, the storm picked up with the townsfolk.  It seems they had been living their merry lives with no thought to Jesus.  But he showed up.  They had to contend with the authority right there in front of them.  They chose poorly.  We are meant to see a connection in the story between the demons who begged Jesus, and the people of the town who begged Jesus.  They didn’t humbly beg to follow him; they begged him to get away from him, to leave them alone.
            Jesus is an authoritative force to be reckoned with… and he’s coming to your town.  Maybe not today, perhaps not tomorrow.  But things will not always be the way they are right now.  People will have to face Jesus.

 

Jesus Christ, Son of God, you are Lord over the wind, the waves, and the weather.  You also command the unseen, and they obey.  You are God with us.  Oh, that all people would beg to follow you and not beg you to leave!  I am grateful for your power and authority over all things.  Amen.

On the Need for Metaphysicians

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Christian Spirituality BlogLeave a comment

metaphysician

Hospitals and health clinics are probably not on your A-list of fun places to hang out.  But you go.  Maybe begrudgingly, and perhaps because your spouse or significant other insisted or even made threats.  You and I go because we recognize the need.  When there is a change in our health, or an emergency arises, or even because we understand its good to get an annual physical, we take the time out of our lives to go.  What’s more, we in the U.S. are blessed with some of the best healthcare in the world.  You know the importance and the need for competent physicians who have a good bedside manner.

All of that is for our bodies.  Yet, we are not one-dimensional blobs of protoplasm who walk around needing our cells fixed once-in-awhile.  We are living breathing human beings with as much need for doctors of the soul as we need doctors for the body.  To ignore that we need competent “metaphysicians” [more than just the physical] with a good bedside manner is to not recognize the high value of the unseen inner person.

In some ways I feel like the old country doctor you see in Westerns – patching up people who got shot in the street in a gunfight – and getting paid with a bushel of apples or a basket of eggs.  I admit I would much rather operate (pun intended) more like the modern-day family physician who insists on annual physicals, med checks, and makes good referrals to other competent professionals.

Imagine with me if you saw as much importance to go to your local pastor to get an adjustment for your soul as you did going to your local chiropractor for a back adjustment; if you believed there was value in scheduling an annual “metaphysical” on your calendar; and, if you were faithful to take some needed biblical medicine every day and come in every so often to your soul doctor for a check to see how it was all going.

I can hear some of your objections.  Yes, I know that there are a great many metaphysical quack pastors out there who only give unhelpful panaceas and have questionable educational credentials.  But that doesn’t take away from your need to find a good metaphysician and stick with him/her.  They are out there, and there are a lot of good ones.

Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body…” (Matthew 10:28).  It’s important and necessary to care for your body; to address disease; to do the things necessary to restore your health through medication, surgery, and/or therapy.  It is equally important to care for your soul; to address the sickness of your heart; and to do the things necessary to restore your spiritual health through metaphysical therapy.

You need to schedule an appointment – maybe with your physician – but also, and just as necessary with your metaphysician.  Even if you’re feeling fine.  Get that annual metaphysical and catch any warning signs of danger in the future of your spiritual health and well-being….  What are you waiting for?

Psalm 111

On By Tim EhrhardtIn Daily Bible Reading Blog, Year BLeave a comment
            One of the great things about the psalms is that they enlighten us about God.  To read and pray the psalter is to have a crash course in Theology 101.
We pray because we believe we will be heard.
We believe we will be heard because we believe there is a God who listens.
We believe there is a God who listens because we believe that the One who listens is always merciful, kind, and good.
The basis of all prayer is our view of God.  Nobody sustains a prayer life to a fickle distant God who is only attentive when he feels like it.  But if God is really God – fair, just, committed, and full of good deeds – then, prayer is an effortless interaction and we are eager to do so.
            Notice the descriptions of God in the psalm:
·         “Everything the LORD does is glorious and majestic”
·         “His power to bring justice will never end”
·         “He is kind and merciful”
·         “He always keeps His agreements”
·         “God is always honest and fair”
·         “He will never break his agreement”
The psalm concludes with the sage observation that the first step to wisdom and good sense is to respect and obey the LORD.  Because God is the very definition of gracious and tenacious loyalty, respect and obedience to Him is willing and joyful.  Entrusting oneself to a benevolent God who makes and keeps promises to His people is easy.  You don’t need to be coerced to have allegiance to such a God.; and, you don’t have to convince other people who God is – all you’ve got to do is declare the good things God has done for you.

 

Loyal and gracious God, you always keep your promises, and there is never a time when you renege on them.  Thank you for promising deliverance from sin, death, and hell through your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ who with you and the Holy Spirit benevolently reign forever and ever.  Amen.