“Do Not Let Your Hands Be Idle”

Meditation on Ecclesiastes 11:1-6   

Nov. 10, 2013

***

“Send out your bread upon the waters,
   for after many days you will get it back.
Divide your means seven ways, or even eight,
   for you do not know what disaster may happen on earth.
When clouds are full, they empty rain on the earth;
whether a tree falls to the south or to the north,
   in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie.
Whoever observes the wind will not sow;
   and whoever regards the clouds will not reap.

      Just as you do not know how the breath comes to the bones in the mother’s womb, so you do not know the work of God, who makes everything. In the morning sow your seed, and at evening do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

***

    A friend passed onto me the November issue of Guideposts magazine this week. I hadn’t seen Guideposts in a long time, but I used to read every inspiring issue, cover to cover, years ago.

     Turning to the editor’s note at the front, I was reminded what I liked best about reading the magazine—the personal stories, submitted by ordinary people, like you and me.  Edward Grinnan, now editor in chief, writes about the very first devotional he wrote for the annual edition of Daily Guideposts.  He didn’t want to write it! He didn’t feel confident writing about his faith. He said he wasn’t “that kind of a writer.”

     But his editor at the time kept bugging him to do it, saying that he didn’t have to write about his faith.  He just had to write about his life.

     “Just write about something that happened to you yesterday,” he said, “no matter how small and seemingly inconsequential.  I bet you’ll find a spiritual lesson in it.”

     So Edward wrote about a ridiculous argument he had with his wife over a guacamole recipe and how they resolved their differences.  The story really wasn’t about guacamole; it was about being newlyweds and learning God’s grace.

     Edward was hoping that his editor would read it and come to agree with him that he wasn’t suited for writing devotionals. To his dismay, his editor loved it!  And told him to write another one.

      Edward has written hundreds of devotionals in the last 20 years.  He always follows his editor’s advice—to write about something that happened to him, a personal story, however small.  “In nearly every case,” he says, “I discover how God reaches into the most ordinary moments of my life and turns them into quiet examples of his love and care, his everyday grace.”

      I felt a strong connection with Edward’s story—about God reaching out to us with his love and care in the ordinary moments of our lives.  Those simple “aha!” moments we suddenly experience when we go about what we think are just routine activities. If our hearts and minds are open to hearing His voice and seeing His reconciling work in the world, what may seem on the surface to be an ordinary encounter or conversation with a stranger, friend or family member will have a deeper meaning to us.  These encounters and conversations will teach us what the Lord wants us to know, lead us to do God’s will, and help us build His Kingdom.

    Being a faithful Christian doesn’t mean that all of us should become full-time evangelists like Billy Graham or missionaries in a foreign country.  God has given each one of us different gifts and abilities to use for ministry—right here and now. Right where we are! Being faithful to His call means that we intentionally listen for His voice each day and seek to obey.  The faithful are able to sense His guiding hand, comforting presence, and empowering Spirit while we are engaged in the daily, even routine activities and responsibilities of our lives.

***

     The writer of Ecclesiastes, one of the Old Testament Wisdom books, understands this. That the hand of God can be seen and His wisdom may be gleaned while we are engaged in our every day activities, struggles, pleasures, and pursuits. This ancient author is “The Preacher”—Qohelet in Hebrew.  

    Qohelet seeks to find meaning in a world where so much is unfair, absurd, and doesn’t make sense. “The righteous should be rewarded, the wicked punished; the one who toils should get to enjoy the full fruits of his work; the wise should have a life that is better than the fool’s” (Michael Fox, xxx). But the righteous suffer. The wicked prosper. And the one who works hard, makes sacrifices, and puts off pleasurable pursuits doesn’t always get to enjoy the full fruits of his or her work. Yet, with the wisdom and trust that are God’s gifts to him, Qohelet sees God’s hand in his life and “maintains a faith in (His) rule and fundamental justness.” 

       Qohelet often repeats the phrase, “Havel havalim.” This is literally “vapor of vapors” but may be understood as utter vanity, futility, senseless, absurd.  Many things in this world are, to Qohelet, havel havalim. A chasing after the wind.

       Qohelet speaks of his own pursuit of riches and the accumulation of great wealth. In chapter 2, he describes how he worked hard building houses and planting vineyards and fruit trees for himself, making gardens and parks, and amassing great flocks and herds.  At first, his heart finds pleasure in all his toil—and all the wealth and possessions that are his reward. The key idea is that he works hard for himself.

       But then he considers all that his hands have done and the toil he has spent doing it, and he comes to realize that it was all havel havalim— utter futility, senseless, absurd.  “A chasing after the wind and there was nothing to be gained under the sun.”

      He begins to hate his toil, seeing that he will have to leave his land and possessions to those who come after him, and who knows if they will be wise or foolish?  And for what do human beings really benefit for all their toil?  “All their days are full of pain and their work is a vexation; even at night their minds do not rest,” he says.   He falls into despair.

         But then, through his faith he has an “aha!” moment. He realizes that his selfish motivation has been the problem.  He sees the hand of God in his life and begins to acknowledge the Lord, who cares for him and gives good gifts to those who seek to serve and please Him. “Apart from God,” Qohelet asks, “who can eat or have enjoyment in their toil? For to the one who pleases the Lord, He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy.”

      We read today’s passage, the first 6 verses of chapter 11, in the context of Qohelet’s “aha!” moment of faith—how he has learned that loving and finding motivation for work because of the material rewards is utter futility, senseless, absurd.  A chasing after the wind.

      The call to be a hardworking farmer is the ancient Preacher’s way of calling God’s people to diligent service to the Lord, the One who makes everything, and “whose work we do not know.” Jesus uses a similar agricultural metaphor for reaching the lost and laboring for His Kingdom when he tells his disciples in Matthew 9:37 and Luke 10:2, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

      Qohelet’s “Send out your bread upon the waters…” refers to an ancient agricultural practice of planting seeds in flooded fields.  When the water receded, the rich soil underneath produced abundant crops.  Thus, “after many days, you will get it back,” is a promise of reaping a good harvest—God’s harvest, in His time.  But just standing around, looking at the clouds or considering a tree that has fallen in the forest is a waste of precious time, when you can be actively working for Him!

      “In the morning, sow your seed,” says Qoheleth, “and at evening, do not let your hands be idle; for you do not know which will prosper, this or that, or whether both alike will be good.”

***

      

       This afternoon at 3:30 will be the first practice for our Christmas hand bell choir.  I have been planning and preparing for this group for weeks. It may seem like such an ordinary activity, even routine for a church.  Get a few kids and adults together, give them some bells, and teach them to play some hymns for worship.

       But with my faith, what may seem to others like such an ordinary or routine church activity is really something extraordinary to me.  I believe that God is doing His Kingdom work whenever the faithful gather to give Him praise. With every new group of hand bell ringers, new relationships blossom and old relationships deepen and grow.  While we are learning musical concepts and how to play bells, we are also learning about God’s love for us, and how to love Him and one another.  We are learning patience. We are learning grace.

     We didn’t have advance registration, so I don’t know for sure who will come and join our Joyful Jinglers. I trust the Lord will bring the right people together as we learn to play songs that celebrate our Savior’s birth. Lord willing, we will play during worship here on Dec. 15 and for the nursing home worship service on Dec. 29.

    I do know for sure that those who come to serve and honor Him will be blessed! “For to the one who pleases the Lord,” assures the ancient Preacher, Qohelet, “He gives wisdom and knowledge and joy.”

    None of our hands will be idle as we work to build His kingdom. 

    With every ring of a bell.  Every song of praise.  And every relationship that blossoms, deepens and grows.

Let us pray.

Holy One, we thank you for your word to us today and for the assurance that you are always with us and will speak to us through the every day moments of our lives.  Open our hearts and minds and help us to stop and listen for your voice.  Give us courage to obey and to seek to please you with all that we do.  Stir us to share your grace and the gospel through our seemingly ordinary encounters and conversations with strangers, friends, and family. We surrender ourselves and our lives to you and ask that you will continue to use each of us for your Kingdom building purposes—right here, right now, right where we are! And we pray for our Christmas bell choir, Lord—that the children and adults will come! That relationships will blossom, deepen, and grow. And that we will be pleasing to you with our joyful songs of praise! In Christ we pray.  Amen. 

“Come, Lord Jesus, Be our Guest”

Meditation on Luke 19:1-10

Nov. 3, 2013

***

     “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through it.  A man named Zacchaeus was there; he was a chief tax-collector and was rich. He was trying to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was short in stature. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to see him, because he was going to pass that way. When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. 

     And all who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’  Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I pay back four times as much.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Today salvation has come to this house, because he too is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek out and to save the lost.’”

***

       I was at Meadows on Main on Thursday talking to my friend Erma about two of her great grandchildren. Will and Kate arrived near the end of a stream of 80 or so trick-or-treaters who visited the senior housing center on Halloween night. Senior citizens waited eagerly in the lobby to hand out Snickers, suckers, Tootsie rolls and peanut butter cups to Ninja Turtles, Power Rangers, Buzz Lightyears, Davy Crockets, ghosts and fairy princesses.

      Will and Kate go to a Christian school. And they have learned the habit of saying grace before meals.  So now, even when the family is eating out in a restaurant, Will, the youngest, in particular, will insist that they pray. 

      I thought about Will and Kate later that night and remembered how my three kids, when they were little and we homeschooled, were much the same. We sang our grace before meals to the tune of “London Bridge Is Falling Down.”

     “Thank you, Jesus, for our food, for our food, for our food!  Thank you, Jesus, for our food!  Thank you, Jesus. Amen!”

      The boys didn’t forget to sing their thanks to the Lord—no matter where we ate, even when went to McDonalds. The restaurant fell silent and people stared as the little boys, too young to be self-conscious, sang loud and proud. Their gratitude came straight from the heart. I am sure they were especially thankful for their Happy Meals, complete with collectible toys! And free kid-sized vanilla cones for dessert!  Yum!

     My conversation with Erma made me think about how important a simple prayer before meals can be to the faith development of a child. Saying grace teaches your children and grandchildren to give thanks to the Lord every day. For He is the one who provides for all our needs, including food for our bodies and nourishment for our souls.

       Like many other Christians, I grew up saying grace before meals.  We usually said the same prayer—passed down from my maternal grandparents.

    “God is great.  God is good.  And we thank Him for our food. By His hand we must be fed.  Give us, Lord, our daily bread.  Amen.”

     I can still hear my grandfather’s deep, booming voice belting out the “Amen!”  Pop Pop Springer, who lived to be 98, didn’t talk much in his older years, maybe because he was so hard of hearing.  But he knew all the words to “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” and always said grace before eating.

      As an adult, I have come to enjoy learning new mealtime prayers. One that fits this harvest season is the “Johnny Appleseed Prayer.” We sang this recently in Golden Heirs. 

“O, the Lord is good to me
and so I thank the Lord
for giving me the things I need
the sun and the rain and the apple seed.
The Lord is good to me.

Johnny Appleseed. Amen.”

    I have even begun to collect some lighthearted mealtime prayers, such as: “Lord, bless this bunch as they munch their lunch. Amen.” And this one…“Good food, Good meat, Good Lord, Let's eat. Amen.” 

   The grace that has become a tradition for Ebenezer is sung to the tune of the “Doxology” before potlucks and Presbyterian Women lunches. “Be present at our table, Lord. Be here and everywhere adored. These mercies bless and grant that we, may strengthened for thy service be.  Amen.”

    But the prayer that has intrigued me the most since I arrived here two years ago is the one that begins, “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.”  Doing some research this week, I learned there are many versions of this prayer that was originally spoken in German. Some say Martin Luther wrote it. Others say the author is unknown.  The Moravians may have been the first to publish it; the prayer appears in their 1753 hymnal. The title was Tisch-Gebetgen (Table Prayer): “Komm, Herr Jesu; sei du unser Gast; und segne, was du uns bescheret hast.” In English,“Come, Lord Jesus, be you our Guest; and bless what you have bestowed.” 

     Variations to this prayer today include:  “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.  Let these gifts to us be blessed. Blessed be God who is our bread; may all the world be clothed and fed. Bless our loved ones everywhere and keep them in Thy loving care.”

        Sometimes Psalm 136:1 is added at the end: “O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good: for His mercy endureth forever.”   

***

    The “Come, Lord Jesus” prayer came to mind as I read the story of Zacchaeus this week. Especially the part when the people grumble,  ‘He (Jesus) has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’

      Zacchaeus is wealthy, making his living collecting taxes from his Jewish neighbors to give to the Roman Empire.  Tax collectors, back then, were on approximately the same rung of the social ladder as prostitutes and lepers.  Jewish people considered them traitors. Many were corrupt and dishonest; collecting more than they should and keeping the money for themselves. 

    But there is nothing in this passage that reveals corruption or dishonesty in Zacchaeus.  The man of short stature and low social status does a very undignified thing in his eagerness to get beyond the crowd and “see Jesus.”  This “seeing” in Luke’s gospel is more than just eyesight; it is “knowing,” having spiritual understanding.  Zacchaeus climbs to the top of a sycamore fig tree—a species that grows to be as tall as 66 feet and 19 feet wide. He waits in hope for the Lord.

     Jesus arrives and doesn’t wait for an invitation from the tax collector he has never met, yet already knows intimately. He knows his name and has a plan for Zacchaeus’ life—and is eagerly seeking him, too!     

      “Zacchaeus,” Jesus says. “Hurry and come down; for I must stay at your house today.’”

      When the people grumble, Zacchaeus speaks up in his defense. ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I pay back four times as much.’

     Some translations of this passage use future tense verbs, “I will give to the poor…. I will pay back four times as much.” But biblical scholar Joel Green says the verbs are more accurately translated in the present tense.  “I give to the poor… I pay back four times as much…”  This means he is already practicing the righteousness of his faith when he meets the Lord.         

     But “Salvation” has come to Zacchaeus and his household not because of his good works, but because the Savior has come, and Zacchaeus has happily welcomed Him into his home. Jesus declares Zacchaeus to be “a son of Abraham”—a true child of the faith.  The tax collector, though he lives on the margins of the community, demonstrates life in the Kingdom of God, where earthly status means nothing and the kindness of the Lord is revealed through us when we are kind, merciful and generous to people in need.

      Just as Zacchaeus’ story is about so much more than a little man happy to have Jesus over for dinner, the prayer, “Come Lord Jesus,” is about more than giving thanks for our food. The story of Zacchaeus and the prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus,” declare our present and future hope.  Salvation through Jesus Christ begins right now with the decision to be His faithful disciples. As we pray, “Come, Lord Jesus,” we speak of our longing for the Lord Jesus, who has promised to come again for His Church!

      Friends, today, Salvation has come to us through Jesus Christ!

      But we must separate ourselves from the crowd, the noise and the busy-ness of our lives, to seek the Lord eagerly and wait in hope on Him.

      Christ will make His presence known to us.

      And we will discover, like Zacchaeus, that the Lord already knows us intimately. He knows our names, has a plan for our lives, and has been eagerly seeking us, too!

Let us pray.

    Holy One, we thank you for your Salvation which has come to us through your precious, One and Only Son. Thank you for providing for all our needs, for nourishing us mind, body, and soul every day.  Thank you for the blessing of family, for our children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. Thank you for your Word that declares our present and future hope in Your Kingdom, in our forgiveness through Christ’s sacrifice, and new lives that begin today, in this world.  May your Spirit continue to work in and through us, leading us to love and serve You by loving one another and showing kindness, mercy and generosity to people in need. Help us to nurture our families and the young people of this community in the faith and be good examples of Your Son’s loyal disciples, waiting in hope, longing for Our Savior’s return for His Church.  When we will finally see Him face to face. And all our tears and fears will be wiped away. In Christ we pray.  Amen.

     

    

“No Longer Jacob, but Israel”

Meditation on Genesis 32:22-31

Oct. 20, 2013

***

      The same night Jacob got up and took his two wives, his two maids, and his eleven children, and crossed the ford of the Jabbok. He took them and sent them across the stream, and likewise everything that he had. Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he struck him on the hip socket; and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, ‘Let me go, for the day is breaking.’ But Jacob said, ‘I will not let you go, unless you bless me.’ So he said to him, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Jacob.’ 

      Then the man said, ‘You shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with beings divine and human, and have prevailed.’  Then Jacob asked him, ‘Please tell me your name.’ But he said, ‘Why is it that you ask my name?’ And there he blessed him. So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, ‘For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved.’  The sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, limping because of his hip.

***

     This past week I received an anxious call from one of my sons away in college.  Jacob is tired of school and living in a dorm, wanting to be working, and worried about the future. He feels, I am sure, like many other seniors halfway through the first semester of his final year.

       So Jim and I decided to take a ride out to Mankato on Tuesday to see our sons and encourage them in person.  How precious is that hug, smile, and meal off campus with your parents when school anxiety sets in! 

       Friends, how precious are the moments when someone who cares listens as we share our worries—and reminds us just how far we have come!

      Reading the Jacob story in Genesis this week, I remembered when my son Jacob, my second child, was a baby. A friend from church asked me why we named him Jacob. What she really meant was, “How could you name him Jacob, knowing the story of Jacob and the meaning of his name?” Jacob or Ya’akov is Hebrew for “heel” or “leg puller.”    

      But that’s only the beginning of Jacob’s story, I told her. Jacob doesn’t remain Jacob. God will intervene and transform him, through his struggles and in the midst of them. Jacob will become someone new—someone God will use for His purposes. 

        The Jacob of Genesis is a twin. His mother, Rebekah, is greatly distressed by her babies’ constant movement in her womb. The two are struggling against one another. Sibling rivalry had begun.

       Rebekah becomes so disturbed that she asks the Lord the reason for her suffering. The Lord tells her, “Two nations are in your womb.  Two separate people shall issue from your body.  One people shall be mightier than the other. And the older shall serve the younger.”

    Now this wasn’t the way of ancient societies.  The firstborn male inherited the family’s property and the younger children were subservient to him. This way the land would remain in the family intact from generation to generation.

    But God had a plan for Rebekah and Isaac’s second born, who emerges from the womb holding on to the heel of his brother.  Thus his name, Ya’akov—“Heel.”

    Esau, whose name means “red,” is bigger and stronger than Jacob. He becomes a mighty hunter and his father’s favorite. Jacob is Rebekah’s favorite, knowing the Lord has chosen her second born for His purposes. Jacob’s people will be a mighty nation. The line of the Old Testament patriarchs will continue through Jacob—not Esau. Yet Jacob is not a warrior. He is a mild man, preferring to stay close to home. 

      Jacob’s life is full of struggles. Many of his problems begin when he and his mother deceive his father into giving Jacob the blessing of the firstborn that Isaac, elderly and blind, meant for Esau. When Esau finds out, he threatens to kill Jacob. For his own protection, Rebekah sends Jacob off to her kin in Haran on a ruse to find a wife. Rebekah will never see Jacob again.

      But God will be with him. On the first night of his journey to Haran, Jacob dreams of a ladder with angels going up and down. He says with awe, “Surely the Lord is present in this place.”

     ***

       In today’s reading, Jacob is on his way home to Canaan. Twenty years or more have passed since Jacob left. He has persevered through many difficulties, tending the flocks of his uncle Laban, who repeatedly deceives and mistreats him.  Jacob falls in love with Laban’s daughter, Rachel, and works for her father for 7 years before Laban permits them to marry.  Only, Laban goes back on his promise by giving him Rachel’s older sister Leah in marriage, instead.  Jacob must agree to work for Laban another 7 years so he can finally marry the love of his life.    

        And then, after they are married, Rachel fails to conceive. She is humiliated when her older sister and their handmaids give birth to numerous children with Jacob. All the while Laban is still treating his son-in-law like a slave, though the flocks are flourishing under Jacob’s care —making Laban a wealthy man. 

      Finally, Rachel gives birth to a son—Joseph.  Jacob decides it’s time to go back to Canaan.  But Laban refuses to let him go. He knows that God has been blessing him because of Jacob. So Jacob leaves with his wives, children, and all his belongings when Laban is off sheering sheep. Laban eventually catches up with his nephew/son-in-law. There is a confrontation, and a pact is made. Freed from his anxiety about Laban, Jacob continues his journey home with his wives and kids.  But he is haunted by memories of what happened between him and Esau. Fearing Esau’s wrath and retribution, Jacob prays to the Lord. He confesses that he is unworthy of all the kindnesses that God has steadfastly shown him. And he asks God to deliver him and his wives and children from Esau’s hand.

      Then, hoping to gain his brother’s goodwill, Jacob sends ahead messengers with presents for Esau—some of his choice livestock and slaves.  The messengers return with news that frightens Jacob even more; Esau is approaching with 400 men! Jacob is so scared he can’t sleep that night when he rises and takes his wives and children across the Jabbok.  He is alone when a mysterious assailant wrestles with him until dawn—and Jacob figures out that the man isn’t human. The assailant is ’elohim –Hebrew for “divine being” or “God.”

      Jacob, the one named “heel” because he clung to his brother’s foot at birth, refuses to let the divine being go, though ‘elohim wrenches his hip at the socket.  Jacob stubbornly holds on, insisting that he tell him his name and give him a blessing.

     The being refuses to reveal his identity; instead, he gives Jacob a new one.

   “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but Israel,” says ‘elohim, “for you have struggled with beings divine and human—and prevailed.”

     Israel is Hebrew for “God strives” or “God struggles.”

     “God perseveres.”

    

***

     I have to tell you that this is one of my favorite scenes in Jacob’s life—this wrestling in the night. For me, it symbolizes our struggle with God and being obedient to His Will. Just holding onto our faith can be a struggle when we, like Jacob, are tempted by our fear or anxiety. Jacob prevailing over the Lord is a demonstration of God’s mercy. Of course the Lord let Jacob win! But only after he put up a good fight to make Jacob feel stronger, so that he could more confidently face his brother. The Lord revealing Himself to Jacob in the form of a man demonstrates God’s love—so Jacob would know the Lord was still with him.  And that he would prevail—because God was with him!  The resulting limp from his injury would forever be a reminder to Jacob of his intimate encounter with the Lord, when he saw ‘elohim face to face, yet his life was preserved!     

     Soon after Jacob wrestles with God, Jacob and Esau meet and are reconciled. The 400 men with Esau are not an army coming to attack. They are Esau’s household welcoming Jacob home!

      The message today, brothers and sisters, is about persevering—holding onto the Lord through our struggles as stubbornly as Jacob clung to the one who wrestled with him until dawn. We are no longer what or who we used to be. Clothed in Christ, we have new God-given identities. We are being transformed so the Lord can use us for His purposes. And we can look forward to our Lord’s welcome to us in our heavenly home.

     But while serving Him in this world, may we be stirred to reach out and encourage others who are anxious, remembering how precious are the moments when someone who cares listens as we share our worries—and reminds us just how far we’ve come!

      And that we will prevail—because God is with us!

   

  Let us pray.

Merciful God, thank you for giving us your Word and Spirit to teach us how to live. Thank you for your sacrifice of Your Son, so that we may be transformed into new creatures, with new lives and God-given identities. Thank you for being our refuge and beckoning us to come boldly to you with our needs and to seek your face. We pray that you would remove all fear and anxiety from our hearts and minds and help us to be more obedient to your will. And we ask that you be with our young people who are not with us today. Watch over and protect those who are away from us for work, school or military service.  Draw them closer to you. Encourage them through the kindness of people around them. Remind them just how far they have come and their hope in You. Give us all courage to face every struggle with confidence, trusting in your unfailing love and everlasting presence so that we, like Jacob, will prevail!  In Christ we pray.  Amen.