May's Prayer

love

love

love

love

I've always been perplexed, intrigued, even enchanted by the promise found in Matthew 18:19-20. It reads, plain as day, "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."

The promise, coupled with my feelings about prayer on a bad day, makes me wonder sometimes if the promise was made because Jesus didn't think two of us on earth would ever agree about anything, come together to ask, or ask in the God's name. Still, I believe that Jesus' words are faithful, true, non-manipulative. So, I'm counting on the presence of Christ when I get together with my girlfriends to pray; and I count on his promise to do what we ask in his name.

Perhaps Chrysostom had the same duality wrestling within his saintly heart when he wrote May's Prayer:

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom

Almighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen.

love

Thanks to the women from Appleton, Wisconsin's Evangelical Free Church for posing for the picture on this post; and for sharing in a glorious weekend of retreat with me! Grace and peace and more gatherings of hearts & minds to all of you!