Worshiping Weakness

A Good Friday communal meditation and prayer

The message about the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God (1 Corinthians 1.18)

Jesus demonstrated the power of God in the foolishness of his suffering and dying.[1] Thus, to an anguished Apostle, Jesus offered words of comfort: “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness,” cheering him to “boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me!”[2]

Why, O Lord Jesus, with the wondrous witness of your long-suffering and hard-dying, does this world continue to follow its own will and way, thus, suffering long and dying hard in the belief that power is only demonstrated through bellicose words and weapons of bullets and bombs?

O Lord Jesus, I pray you in the words of the hymn:

Heal Thy children’s warring madness, bend our pride to Thy control.

Shame our wanton, selfish gladness, rich in things and poor in soul.

Grant us wisdom, grant us courage lest we miss Thy kingdom’s goal.[3]

Amen.

© 2023 PRA

Illustration: Crucifixion, Doménikos Theotokópoulos (El Greco) (1541-1615)

#powerinweakness #powerofselfsacrifice

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[1] 1 Corinthians 1.18-25

[2] 2 Corinthians 12.9

[3] Words (1930) by Harry Emerson Fosdick (1878-1969)