ἐπικαλέω – epikaleōLiterally this word means to “call upon.” On the human side, it means the name I “call upon” for you. Various people in the Bible were called upon by surnames: Lebbaeus was surnamed Thaddaeus (A man of heart – surnamed the one who confesses; Mt 10:13); Judas – Iscariot (From the town of…
שָׁאַל – sha’al Sha’al is the prayer asking. This prayer is not the prayer of begging God in desperation. It is not the prayer of asking God to judge in my favor (and against someone else). This is a prayer of requests. Through prayer we ask God for small favors; we can ask God for…
זָעַק – zaaq There are many things in life we cannot do alone. We all need help in times of desperation, or when things get too big to handle. The word zaaq means to call to one’s aid. Za`aq can be a call to assembly, a call to join together, a shriek; a call out…
תְּפִלָּה – tĕphillahThere are at least a dozen Hebrew words for pray and prayer. But easily the most common word for “prayer” is tepillâ and the related verb, pâlal. This word can mean just “pray” or it can mean “intervene” or judge. 1KI 8:27 “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the…
שִׂיחַ śîaḥ and הָגָה – hagahMeditation is prayer of the mind. The American Negro College fund used to have an advertisement – “a mind is a terrible thing to waste.” Meditation is a prayer that calls us to use on our minds, to reach out beyond where we have been and grasp the truths that…
Paga – פָּגַע—An Encounter with God Paga – It is a Divine encounter, it is not just a chance meeting. It is a meeting with God Himself … Face to Face … Eye to Eye … Time spent with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, time that has meaning and involves both the prayer…
This season of the year is about Sharing. Our faith is actually about Sharing. We are not meant to keep it private. We are not meant to keep it to ourselves. Consider the following two examples:Passover – This is the re-telling (yes, telling means sharing) of the story of how the Hebrew People left Egypt…
One of my favorite psalms this time of year is:PS 8:1 O LORD, our Lord,how majestic is your name in all the earth!You have set your glory above the heavens.PS 8:2 From the lips of children and infantsyou have ordained praise because of your enemies,to silence the foe and the avenger.PS 8:3 When I consider…
Who is St. Patrick?A. A brawny man who can drink more than his share of green beerB. The folk hero who chased the snakes out of IrelandC. A Celtic Druid Priest who is the Patron Saint of IrelandD. None of the above… We live in a world where many people choose to believe folk tales…
The church is to be “community.” We call this many things: Koinonia, Fellowship, Connecting, Care, Friendship, Love.Community is something that everyone speaks about. We say our churches are great at community, but often we are lacking. Consider the following scenario: As you are walking down the hallway of church someone passes and says, “Hi, How…
