A sermon by Rod Benson Luke 18:1-8 Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat. He had an important meeting to attend, and he was running late, and he was having great difficulty finding a parking spot. Looking up to heaven, he said, “Lord, take pity on me. If you find me a parking …
Praying when evil is near
A sermon by Rod Benson Ephesians 6:10-17 Satan and his demon sidekick were walking down the street, watching a man 20 yards ahead who was on the verge of realizing the supreme truth of the universe. The demon grew worried, and began to nudge Satan, but Satan looked calm. Sure enough, the man suddenly realized …
Praying when God is silent
A sermon by Rod Benson Mark 15:21-39 Christians are people who pray. We love prayer. We love answers to prayer. We believe it is vital to our identity as Christians. And yet we are not immune to the malady of unanswered prayer. Is God indifferent to our cries for help, our desperate pleas, our intercession …
Ethics and prayer (part 2 of 2)
Together, the seven petitions in the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) express our restless discontent with the way things are in the world, in our communities, and in our hearts. They offer a daily rhythm, challenging us to refocus on what matters most, calling us to remember the unfailing goodness and mercy of God. As German …
Ethics and prayer (part 1 of 2)
If we are faithful in the way we follow Jesus, then our deepest and truest desires will find their expression in godly, counter-cultural, justice-shaped prayers passionately aligned to the kingdom and mission of God. Our best prayers will be ethical prayers. In this and my next column, I want to explore the relation of ethics …