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The Practice of It is Written Prayer
The crescendo of the Cross was composed in the wilderness. Jesus settled it long before the sound of the nails fixing His hands to a wooden cross, the cleansing last breath as He committed His spirit to the Father, or the quiet authority of the angelic herald’s words to Mary, He is not here, He has risen! Before Jesus’ earthly ministry began, Satan tempted Him in the wilderness. Each confrontation was both a challenge to… Read More
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In Between
I came forth from the Father, and have come into the world; I am leaving the world again, and going to the Father (John 16:28). As joyful shouts filled the air and palm branches blanketed the road into Jerusalem, no one seemed to realize that Jesus was in transition. Like the seismic shift of tectonic plates in the earth during an earthquake, the landscape of human history was tilting and changing. And Jerusalem was the… Read More
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Lent for the Stressed
This is the revised edition of a popular post originally published on audreyfrank.org March 31, 2019. Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28). “I want to be an astronaut,… Read More
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In the Company of Outcasts
Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. (John 9:35-38) Jesus was comfortable in the company of outcasts. For so long I… Read More
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Light in the Darkness
Walking in the dark night of Africa is risky. The black mamba, one of the world’s deadliest snakes, can completely camouflage himself within the inky darkness. He is one of the few snakes which are active at night and particularly loves wood or metal that has absorbed the heat of the day. We encountered the black mamba only once, coiled around the grating on our screen door. After a long night of good conversation and… Read More
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A Letter to my Muslim Friend at Lent
After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him (John 13:5). niptō: (Greek) to wash; to cleanse; to perform ablution. Dear Fatima, I can’t stop thinking about our conversation yesterday. The question you asked me. Why don’t you Christians have to make yourselves clean before you pray? We are women. We are told we cannot approach God… Read More
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Lent: Flinging My Cloak Before the King
And as he rode along, they spread their cloaks on the road. As he approached the road leading down from the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen: “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” Luke 19:36-38, NET I’ve always been a… Read More
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Strange Gift Wrap
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 It came in strange gift wrap, not at all what I expected. But the gift was right there inside. I turned it over in my hands, joyously held it to my heart, and wondered at the mad methods of my Lover. The gift was exactly what I asked for, really. The wishing began slow like a tingling thrill… Read More
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How We Gain New Strength
He gives strength to the weary, and to the one who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, and vigorous young men stumble badly, yet those who wait for the LORD will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary (Isaiah 40:29-31). Listen to Me in silence, you coastlands, And let the peoples gain new strength…(Isaiah… Read More
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The Table-Setter
Thou preparest a shulchan before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with shemen (olive oil); my kos (cup) runneth over. Surely tov (goodness) and chesed (lovingkindness) shall follow me kol y’mei chaiyyai (all the days of my life)... --Psalm 23:4-6, Orthodox Jewish Bible Shulchan: (Hebrew) a king’s table, private use, sacred use (Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon; keyed to the "Theological Word Book of the Old Testament"). My table-setter was very… Read More