"This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name... Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors.' For if your forgive [humans] when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive [them] their sins, your heavenly Father will not forgive you." ~ Matthew 6:9, 12, 14-15
Have you ever been wounded by someone who you deeply care for? A friend? Family member? When we feel rejected, abandoned, abused, manipulated, or violated, it is mostly by people very close to us: our parents, our friends, our spouses, our lovers, our children, our neighbors, our teachers, our pastors. Those who love us wound us too. If we were to look at these events, for me, I would list these as tragic events. This is what makes forgiveness from the heart so difficult. It is precisely our hearts that are wounded. I can remember asking someone, "How can I forgive you for that?" when I was caught off-guard by a close friend who shared something she had done. There are those moments when forgiveness seems impossible, but nothing is impossible for God. The God who lives within us will give us the grace to go beyond our wounded selves and say, "In the Name of God you are forgiven." Let's pray for that grace while seeking to remain in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." ~ Ephesians 3:20-21 Choice is something that makes us human. We can't escape this fact. While we hope that we are making choices that will not only benefit our lives, but the lives of others, each day we must look to find what truly is important. Years ago I struggled through a period of depression. It became almost paralyzing when it came to daily decisions, and physically restrained me as I struggled to even get out of bed. A dear friend and therapist asked me to take a photo of something that brought me "joy." "Joy?" I asked. He went on to say that each of us encounter many things in our lives, but ultimately if we are seeking joy, then we have to be able to identify what brings us joy. With camera in hand, and the dog leash in the other, my aging Schnauzer, Sully, and I headed out to walk the block around the complex I was living in. The first thing I saw was a bumper sticker, "Save the Ta-tas" (for those persons effected by breast cancer). It made me snicker, and I thought, "I'll just take a picture of this, and see how Tony will react." I have to admit, the very first picture was filled with a joy of knowing I might shock my friend. My next photo was of a lizard hiding among the leaves in a shrub next to the condo. Suddenly I realized I was discovering things that brought me joy all around! I became excited, looking at the world through a lens, then coming back to my computer, uploading the picture, and then reflecting on what it was that brought me joy. Joy is really what makes life worth living. Strange as it may sound, we can choose joy. What's also interesting is that two people can experience the same event, or look at the same photo, and feel completely different. What might bring joy to one, may produce despair to another. Our ability to identify joy, and share in the experience can be life-changing, and hopefully, encouragement to others. Since that September day six years ago, I continue the practice each day of seeking out something that brings me joy. It is actually something I look forward to each day, and I can't wait to write and share with others. Psalm 28:7 shares, "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him." I pray that we all may find joy this day that provides encouragement. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him and said to him, "Don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" ~ Mark 4: 37-40
That moment when you want God to notice you're struggling and you cry out, "Can't you see I'm struggling here!?!" "Yes... now be calm." Oh the lessons we learn when we struggle, and to think that God is not aware! I often cringe when I hear someone say, "It's God's plan." I tell you, God must have planning meetings all the time. Our nature is to want to not only give God credit, but sometimes also blame, when things don't turn out as we had expected or hoped. Be still and know that I am God is the part of scripture that we seem to overlook when we are busy crying out for God's help. When we struggle with life, circumstances, or even making up our mind, the first thing we should be attempting to do is to be calm and allow God to be present. It's funny, in the boat that day the storm arose, Jesus was resting, and the Disciples were fretting! They didn't even hardly wait for God to have a chance, instead they demanded results now! The presence of God exists always. Our presence of mind and God's power seems to disconnect when we forget to be still. Praying that peace be present so that God's presence may be a real priority. God, You hear what I am saying; You see what I dream. My only hope is for You to keep listening; You're the only One whom I can trust. At dawn I begin to search my soul for words of warmth; when I rise I want to praise You. You are pained by my mistakes, for nothing unloving can reside in You. Ignorance cannot measure up to You. Those who oppress others shall bear Your displeasure. My role shall be that of a worshiper celebrating Your love; in gratitude I will turn my face to the cross and altar. God, lead me in Your steps of goodness; may the road lead me in straight paths. Embark, all who bear witness to the love of God, celebrate with me. Hosanna! Hosanna! You embrace us all; may we all find complete happiness in You. To all those who embrace love, You give happiness. Your love is stronger than tempered steel. Stay in God's Grip! The poem written by G. Todd Williams, from the book, "Let Us Pray: Reformed Prayers fro Christian Worship", Martha S. Gilliss, Editor, Geneva Press, Copyright 2002 G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 John answered, "Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same." ~ Luke 3:11
What a lot of folks don't realize is that prior to my illness seven years ago, my life was VERY different! Not only was I serving as a Chaplain in the Medical Center made famous by such people as Dr. Red Duke, who's Texas twang, and closing comments on morning network programs, "From the Texas Medical Center, Houston, Texas, I'm Dr. Red Duke," but I was also serving New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). The new church start, that reminded everyone that we need "A place where doubts are welcomed and wounds are embraced," was the witness for many who lived under bridges, had a past, and seeked to find a place to belong. It wasn't unusual for me to show up to a meeting either with no shoes, or a very sad looking pair of shoes on, because I had given my shoes away to someone who needed a pair more than I did. So often I remember faces, voices that were then and now silent, and makes me realize that there is still a need for social justice, and ministry. As the city prepares for the Super Bowl next week, it also brought back memories of searching for people I knew from the street that suddenly disappeared. What many people fail to realize is that when a major sporting event such as the Super Bowl, or World Series comes to Houston, the city does "sweeps" to move the homeless out of view. Afterall, what sports fan wants to be reminded that the poor are with us always? While a lot has been done over the years to relieve some of the issues of homelessness in our community, there are still those who remain, even when it rains.... I wonder when it rains... Sometimes when it rains I find that I smile and think of boyhood days when I would sit and play. Sometimes when it rains I think of the time when I would run out into the rain among the sycamores and proclaim "I'll grow up tomorrow!" Sometimes when it rains I remember the time when I watched our calves dance among the spring grass, running so fast. Sometimes when it rains I think of the times that we would shed our shoes and walk barefoot as we crossed the creek after school. Sometimes when it rains I remember the times when it would rain for hours and fill several buckets that we would use to bathe when summer's spell had dried up our well. Sometimes when it rains, rains for hours without break I now think of people who have no where to go no home of their own no food to eat and only rain water to drink. Sometimes when it rains rains for days without break I think of parents who live under overpasses in plastic bag shelters suffering at the mercy of angry winds. Sometimes when it rains rains so hard that hail joins in I think of broken people in search of new beginnings and wonder if they still see God's promise in the rainbow when the rain stops.. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 (I took this photo in 2003 while visiting a member of the church I was the pastor of at the time. The person had lived here for almost 5 months. I sat with him, shared a sandwich, and listened to what brought him to this place. About two weeks after this, he simply disappeared, as so many people do who live in the shadows under bridges.) Creator, like the breeze of wind in spring's march
You blow across the plains; all the earth grows with each breath. Gathering the dawn, and collecting the body of Your kingdom, molding the global community that will be. Your entrance, like the warmth of sun poured out on the morning mist of predawn, fills the shadows of darkness and gives new light for illumination. Like the aroma of the tallest of sycamore trees that line the dancing brook, You are carried on the breeze. You clothe our senses, carpet our hopes with shades of purple of gold, the adornment of the One, ushered in as the King, who is Christ. You sweep in, bringing relief to parched soils, and loosen the grip of winter in the tundra. You dissipate the smog, encouraging us to breathe You in, you sweet ruach, "breath of God." The gulf hears Your roar as You destroy sandy foundations, forfeiting materialistic ideas, quickening us to the center of our soul. Like the lover's breath, You whisper hope, promising forgiveness, and seal us to You with grace from Your Spirit. Some days, the salty tears, which created our oceans in Your own loneliness, fall from Your face still, leaving us to wonder what possibilities are availing. But like the first cosmic light of dusk, You are there to greet us. So You visit us in the evening of our life when we sense our work is complete, delivering to us Your complete peace. I believe in Your Holy Spirit, which gives each of us life poured out on all flesh. Who, with the Father and the Son, is worshiped and glorified. Amen. Celebrate the day and Stay in God's grip! Written by G. Todd Williams, from the book, "Let Us Pray: Reformed Prayers for Christian Worship", Martha Gilliss, Editor, Geneva Press, copyright 2002 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." ~ Matthew 7:24-25
I grew up in the country. When I say country, I mean "Kuntry," as they pronounce it back home. Two communities shaped my life as a young person. The first, Rattlesnake Holler, which is located in Morgan County, Indiana, just outside of Martinsville. The other being just south of Carp, Indiana, in Owen County, just outside of Spencer. Both of these communities taught me a lot about common sense. I have to laugh, these "common sense" lessons were really life-application, and kept a person from getting hurt, or damaging farm equipment that you used to make your living. Oh, there was that time that I tried to pull a piece of equipment literally "through a concrete bridge." The equipment was just a little too wide to navigate across an old concrete bridge. The last time I visited the area, the two, scratches (okay, so they are lines cut about a quarter inch into each side where I pulled the piece through the bridge with the tractor) still exist. Since we heated our home with a wood stove in both communities, we spent nearly every weekend during the summer when we weren't "busy," cutting wood that would keep us warm during the long winter. Watching for nails, old pieces of fence, and various other objects, when cutting the trees with a chain saw became habit. Both areas that we lived had been settled previously, and old fence rows had been created, and sometimes you would simply find an object that someone had tacked onto the tree years ago, and the tree absorbed the object into it's trunk. The reason you watched for these things is because you didn't want the chainsaw to "kick back" and cause injury, get caught in the object which would waste time trying to free from the situation, or simply dull the blades. It became "common sense" practices. I don't always know why some people insist on doing things the way they do. A hurricane on the Gulf comes and strips an entire community off the map, and the next thing you know, new homes built on higher columns appear. After wildfires rage through a community, multiple times, log cabins are built back. Common sense. Christianity is full of moments when we have to stop and ask ourselves, "What was he or she thinking?" I guess it's human nature. It is the reason why God is God. Talk about common sense. God knows the hidden dangers, like a nail in a tree that you are about to cut for wood. There are often signs that are provided. Sometimes it's that small voice that whispers in your ear, "I have another plan." The question is do we listen? Do we stop and look truly at the situation? Whatever it is that you are doing this day, may the sense of the Lord be present with you always! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." - Colossians 3:13, 15
Years ago I was struggling to forgive someone who had really broke my heart with something that the person did. We were coworkers, and the issue really hurt our work relationship. An issue came up at work that required us to come together and work to meet the deadline given to our team. As we began to outline our goals and began to make priorities my coworker got extremely quiet. I looked up from the notes I was making to discover my coworker had tears in his eyes. I realized that he was crying. He then broke the silence, "You know, I purposely hurt you." Words began to flow, as he explained that he had heard something that now he knew wasn't true, and had reacted in a way that had really hurt our working relationship. He told me what had transpired, and that afterwards he realized what he had done. He didn't know how to "fix" what had happened, and then asked for my forgiveness. In the gospel of Matthew we are reminded to forgive one another "seventy-seven times" (Matthew 18:22) Forgiveness is a choice. For many of us, it is the missing pieces for a healthy life. Forgiveness holds us together through good and bad times, and it allows us to find a common place where we can begin to move forward from a situation. For each of us, our ability to forgive, and to seek forgiveness can sometimes be difficult. The image I try to remember is that of Christ hanging on the cross, asking, "Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing." (Luke 23:24) The perfect love of Christ is the same love that we long for. We must learn in order to discover that perfect love in our daily life, we need to find ways to practice forgiveness. Our many needs constantly interfere with our desire to be there for the other unconditionally. Our love is always limited by spoken or unspoken conditions. Praying that the missing pieces of our lives, including the grace of understanding the importance of forgiveness, are both realized and practiced in our daily lives. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "Love your neighbor as yourself" ~ Matthew 22:38
Today it seems more than ever the question of "who" my neighbor is tends to be questionable. Our ability to pick and choose those who we claim to be like ourselves can sometimes leave us segregated and at odds. When Jesus tells the story of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:29 - 37) to answer the question "Who is my neighbor?" he ends by asking: "Which ... do you think, proved himself a neighbor to the man who fell into the bandits' hands?" The neighbor, Jesus makes clear, is not the poor man laying on the side of the street, stripped, beaten, and half dead, but the Samaritan who crossed the road, "bandaged his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them ... lifted him onto his own mount and took him to an inn and looked after him." No, his neighbor was the man who crossed the road! Years ago Thomas Merton when getting off a bus in Louisville, Kentucky looked around and realized he loved every person that he saw. He realized that they were not strangers on the street, but yet, were his brothers and sisters, AND, he loved each and every one! How different would our lives be if we recognized that relationship in every person we met? I have to admit, some people I know would be challenging! (Including myself!) However, I must remind myself that God loves each person as much as God loves me. YOU are MY neighbor, I am YOURS, and YOU are LOVED! Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others." ~ Philippians 2: 1-5 A friend and colleague in ministry shared that he feels the need to move beyond the community that he helped to create. Having, "been there, done that," I can remember the feelings that I experienced when I realized that God was leading me and a community I was serving, into two different directions. Why is it that when something we have put our entire life into doesn't turn out as had hoped? And why do we see the situation immediately as failure? That's how I felt. If I'm being totally honest, that's where I found myself. I spent the good portion of two years totally trashing myself, all because something different happened with a project I had poured my life into. Even after several years I can trap myself into the "should haves." We have all experienced this. When we tell ourselves, "I should have done this like..." The word community has many connotations, some positive, some negative. Community can make us think of a safe togetherness, shared meals, common goals, and joyful celebrations. It also can call forth images of sectarian exclusivity, in-group language, self-satisfied isolation, and romantic naiveté. However, community is first of all a quality of the heart. It grows from the spiritual knowledge that we are alive not for ourselves but for one another. Community is the fruit of our capacity to make the interests of others more important than our own. The question, therefore, is not "How can we make community?" but "How can we develop and nurture giving hearts?" The idea that it was a failure, is strictly a human understanding. Being Ecclesiastical people reminds each of us that there are significant roles and chapters we all must live in order to be signs of God's presence in the world. The idea of success is confusing. In the eyes of God just having taken the chance to create community where we become less than so God may become great, is by far the most important thing to take from such experiences. Having the courage to say "yes" to something God had placed in your heart, is by far the most amazing experience any human being can encounter. People change. Visions develop and grow. The challenge when faced with both, especially in the community we have been a part of, is allowing God, and not us, to have the glory. "My good and faithful servant," are words we all hope to hear one day. No where does this say "failure." It is a blessing... and what is expected. Praying for the changes we all encounter and the beginning blessing awaiting by following the heart of God in our lives. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." ~ I Thessalonians 4:11-12 I wish I could say that I understood the world a little better. The dance between doing what's right and the right thing to do can take many turns. Big picture moments, even just a corner or even a brief encounter, can have a lasting impact on not just decisions, but outcomes that can have lasting effects. Today I'm grateful for having been blessed with moments of clarity and for friends who have provided support when the big picture became all-consuming. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord." ~ Psalm 27: 13,14 "I come to the garden alone," are opening words to one of my favorite hymns. The garden has been a place for many years where I find great satisfaction of life, while serving as a place where my mind can work through problems. For Christ the garden served as a place where he would go to pray. Solitude is the garden for our hearts, which yearn for love. It is the place where our aloneness can bear fruit. It is the home for our restless bodies and anxious minds. Solitude, whether it is connected with a physical space or not, is essential for our spiritual lives. Finding our way to the place where solitude can be found isn't necessarily an easy journey for some of us. For some solitude is an uneasy, insecure and fearful place. Distractions and over-thinking problems can make the garden an uncomfortable place. The preparation that goes into a garden, including the plans, does not make the situation immediately satisfying. Growing up on a farm in Southern Indiana, I knew the hillsides very well. As I would mow I knew where the land dropped and where large rocks were located, just under the surface. Like those hillsides, the garden can also be a place where we meet our demons. But if we do not run away, we will meet there also the One who says, "Do not be afraid. I am with you, and I will guide you through the valley of darkness." May we all find ourselves walking in the garden in peace. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 In this strange but wonderful union of people
that we call America. Black, gold, white and red are closely woven tapestries that cannot be separated by pain nor undone by joy. Diverse people, each seeking their own truth, pour out division in our daily lives, and beckons sweetness, but leaves barely at times the bitter remnant of peace. Not so is it with my Jesus, who embraces all with strong bleeding arms. Affirming both the creation and Creator. As all loving – And salvation as natural to both the shed blood and his broken body, and He continues to unite Himself with us. In this energy of spirituality of my Jesus I spend my days. In the unfolding of his purposes I find my Lord giving to me the breath of life. While always His tears washing me, His joy uplifting and His love completely filling all. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 “Where have you laid him?” He asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they answered. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” ~ John 11:34 - 36
Probably one of the best known verses, and the shortest in scripture. "Jesus wept." There are volumes of commentaries centered around this day in the life of Christ. The raising of Lazarus, a dear friend who had died, and was in the tomb long enough that the people around Jesus warn that he "would have begun to smell." Let's face it, there are some things that happen in our lives where there are no words. The reaction of Christ, for me, is a stark reminder that sometimes the only thing a person can do is to cry. As a chaplain, I was often responding to trauma and tragedy in the hospital. The thought of calling a chaplain is surrounded by times when no words are available, and often, tears are the only interpretation. I have laughed and cried with strangers as they stand at the door to the tomb of life situations. Calling forth Lazarus that day, Jesus raised his friend from the dead. Each day we stand, calling forth for the answers to the questions in our lives, and somehow we wait, and watch for answers to come forth. May we all, in the moments when tears are the only expression, know that we do not stand alone. That there is a God who stands with us, and cries as well. Stay in God's grip! G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 "Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone." ~ Matthew 14:22-23
One thing that we often forget is that even Jesus needed solitude. The time for self-care was important. It was a time when he simply went off to be alone and pray. So often our lives can get so wrapped up in the events of the world, or a "to do" list, that we forget to simply breathe! Did you know that technically each of us are alone? There is not a single other person on this planet that is exactly like us? There is no one that acts like us, talks like us, thinks like us... Years ago I was asked if I allow the aloneness I was feeling to become loneliness or solitude? For me, loneliness is something I avoid. It somehow makes me feel desperate, or not secure. It invites an unhealthy woundedness to enter my life that somehow makes me feel weak, or vulnerable. Solitude on the other hand, is more about building a relationship with myself, and with God. In many ways it is peaceful and enriching. It is a time when I can consider many things that I am experiencing and feeling and find the words to share with God and others what is going on with my life. In many ways solitude allows us to create community. Letting our aloneness grow into solitude and not into loneliness is a lifelong struggle. It requires choices about the community we will belong to. It helps us to decide how to pray, what to pray for, and when we need to reach out to others for advice. Mostly it is solitude that helps us to respond to things in our lives and grow in love. Hoping that you find a place of solitude this day in your life. Stay in God's grip! Todd G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 For each of us, there is not a day that goes by that we don't want for something. Our need for water and food are two basics that sustain our body. Then of course this is love, community, hope, family, and on and on.... Over a decade ago, I spent a year on the streets of Houston talking to homeless youth. I knew that God had a desire to start a new faith community, but I wanted to find out from those living on the streets what it was that they envisioned a faith community would look like. I can't begin to share how many hamburgers I purchased that year, and the hours that were spent discussing the stories that each person held. "If you were to start a church, what would it look like?" Time and time again, I would hear how some "church" had wounded the person, but yet, the person still longed for community, and ultimately the need to belong. Through these conversations a faith community, New Covenant Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) came into existence. For six years, this faith community would work with these youth, helping to reach out, and to make a difference. Reaching In and Out Together (R.I.O.T.) would feed over 200 people each week, while Hope Street, a non-profit, would help 18 young people get off the street and gain some kind of technical training, or college degree. While this community worshiped and helped to change the landscape for many people, we continued to remember that each of us, hungered and thirst. For each of us, God has a plan, knows our hearts, and everything about us. What an amazing plan there is for each of us! Stay in God's grip! Todd To Hunger and Thirst To my God, whom words cannot begin to describe, You have given to me hunger – And at the table You have given sweet bread to satisfy me, When my parched body thirsts – You pour yourself out to quench my soul. Can it be that I actually hunger and thirst for you? Can it be that in each moment of my life You can give to me complete satisfaction? Living water and Bread of life, Give us determination in our seeking, Persistence in walk, Honesty in our questioning, So that when we kneel before You And utter our words to You Do not allow cloned images to serve as symbols Of substitute for that which You Truly have for us. Help us each day to reflect on Every word inspired in Scripture – The cruelty found in the world And the misery of death, The marvel of divine love And the life found in Christ – Until our very center spirit that inspires our life Expands and we begin to understand. O benevolent God, The beyond who is among us, You have given to me hunger – And at the table You have given sweet bread to satisfy my pain, When my parched body thirsts – You pour yourself out to quench my soul. Help us to live out our lives through our prayers, Learning to trust You more conscientiously, And abide with more faithfully. Then will I discover that my thirsting spirit Will give way to new growth; In the times of wondering in life’s wilderness You will once again provide manna; In my seeking I shall find You. In this time of great revelation You will possess all of me and reveal Yourself completely, And at that moment, I shall truly rest, hunger and thirsting no more. G. Todd Williams (c) 2017 |
AuthorRev. G. Todd Williams is the author of the book, "Remember Me When..." and is a former hospice chaplain and pastor. Archives
February 2024
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