Pastor Brad's Devotional

Deuteronomy 23, Romans 2

SCRIPTURE:

¹You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. ²Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. ³So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? ⁴Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?  Romans 2

OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:

Paul sets his readers up so well in chapters 1 and 2. In chapter 1 readers of Romans are quickly propped up: "Oh, I'm not a sinner like that..." But then in Romans 2 Paul turns the tables on the reader and declares the reader guilty as well. The ground at the foot of the cross is level here. Jew and Gentile stand condemned. 

I find it interesting later in the same chapter Paul speaks of the importance of obedience. He condemns disobedience, of course, but calls the readers once again toward obedience. With so many verses in one book about the sufficiency of God's grace, we must remember we were created anew in Christ Jesus for good works God planned for us long ago (Eph. 2.10). 

It should be also noted Paul highlights God's kindness as the impetus for our repentance. We in the church must remember God's kindness to us as we call our neighbors to repent. Is it the church's kindness that draws others to repentance? Too often we/I look for a repentance out of fear. Paul, however, notes God's kindness as the locus of our turning.

PRAYER:

Meal Group tonight. I will reserve my prayer time for that time.

Deuteronomy 22, Romans 1

Note: Apologies to anyone who follows this devotional regularly. I have recent purchased an Amazon Kindle and have been doing a lot of my Bible reading on the Kindle. Sorry...new toy. Very cool! But I will try to enter my devotional thoughts more regularly here.

SCRIPTURE:

¹Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God— ²the gospel he promised beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures ³regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, ⁴and who through the Spirit^[a] of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God^[b] by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. ⁵Through him and for his name's sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith. Romans 1

OBSERVATION:

Fascinating introduction to Paul's magnum opus. Paul, a good Jew, echoes the call of holiness read in Deuteronomy today. Paul has been "set apart" for the good news, the grace of God revealed in Jesus Christ. Paul is specific about his Christology here. Jesus is a human (descendant of David) and the Son of God, thus proven by His resurrection. Through Jesus and for the glory of His name, Paul and the apostles have received grace for a mission--to call Gentiles to an "obedience an obedience that comes from faith." This obedience is the faith lived out in love. Because God loved us, we also love God and others. Paul very specifically is calling the Romans to a new community with a new King. As He continues forward, he will speak to the Romans of a new citizenship and a new ruler. 

APPLICATION:

I take very seriously the call Paul mentions here. I too have been set apart for apostleship to declare the gospel of Jesus, the Christ, the Messiah, the King. The good news is an invitation to an eternal, loving communion with God and others in the kingdom of God. This new communion made possible by God's promise through the cross of Christ to no longer keep track of our sins (2 Cor. 5.17-20). Paul calls the Romans to reject the peace of Rome (the Pax Romana) and the son of god (Caesar) and to embrace Jesus through a life of loving obedience to the King of kings. I am called to do the same. Paul specifically mentions the degraded lives of the Romans who have been turned over to the natural consequences of their faith. I must do the same. However, it should be noted in the very next chapter Paul will count the believers as guilty of the same sins. I too must recognize we all stand guilty and in need of God's grace. 

For me the most significant counsel here springs from the context. Paul writes to Christian residents of the most powerful nation in the first century world and calls them to a better news of their empire. I must do the same.

PRAYER: 

Abba, help me be a part of what You are doing today. May my day be marked by Your passion for this day. You are at work today loving this world, may I do the same. 

I pray for a sensitivity to Your Spirit. Give me the counsel I need today to see the workings of Your hand. I pray for my two meetings. May they be anointed by You and may these be times of greater love and devotion to these good brothers in Christ. 

I pray for the greater Gallery community. I pray Your Spirit will knit them together in love for You and each other. Mobilize our gifts for loving service to You in St. Paul.

I pray for wisdom for planning this summer and fall. Help me see what You see. 

I pray for wisdom in hiring. Give my team and me discernment.

I pray for wisdom for Lisa and me as we financially plan for Emma's fall. 

Amen.

Deuteronomy 19, John 19

SCRIPTURE:

Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.    Deut. 19

 ⁶As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, "Crucify! Crucify!" 
      But Pilate answered, "You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him."

 ⁷The Jews insisted, "We have a law, and according to that law he must die, because he claimed to be the Son of God."

OBSERVATION:

The Torah, the law of God is very specific. When there is a breaking of the law, blood must be shed. Sometimes the law calls for sacrifice, but as above, sometimes it calls for the death of the offender. It is to this law the Jews make appeal. Yet, Jesus, who knew no sin, was the one they wanted killed. 

Yet, of course, it was their guilt for which Jesus died. Their guilt and ours is profound. But might it be summed up in the phrase: "We have no king but Caesar." Jesus came as a king, the King, but our allegiances lie elsewhere. This is blasphemy against God. Yet the one whom we offend is the one who dies so we might live. In His death as in His life, Jesus completes the Law because we could not.

APPLICATION:

What do we do with this? What do I do with the One who died in my place? My relationship with Him is not based on any goodness of my own, but His goodness alone. I stand empty handed, but this I can give--my love. It was for love He came and died. Our King gives so love might grow. Lord, may it grow in me.

PRAYER:

Abba, You have defeated Satan, sin, and death, so we might never be separated. I love You. May Your love grow in me, so others might see the abundant life that has no end in You.

I thank You for Your faithfulness. Your giving to The Gallery continues to pour out upon us. We are blessed. It's a joy to behold.

Thank You for the harvest hands You have sent so we might thrive. You have provided people passionate about spiritual formation, people passionate about giving, people passionate about setting up and taking down...money people, and people passionate about social justice,  financial givers, people to manage those finances, leaders and servers. We are blessed, and it is all Your provision.

You ask us to continue asking, so hear my requests today:

I pray You would continue to grow our relationship with Dan Stirrat who leads the Intervarsity groups at Hamline and Macalester. Give us wisdom on how we might support him.

I pray for wisdom and clarity as we continue to consider a part-time worship pastor hire.

I pray for those who have signed on to be a part of The Gallery but who have yet to join our Sunday night gatherings. Please give them clarity in their callings.

I pray for continued blessings in our finances. You know better than I the expenses to come, please prepare us for that future.

I pray for the Compassion, Mercy and Justice team as they prepare for our service projects in the fall.

I pray for a continued anointing of our Sunday night gatherings. It is Your presence that makes our worship times sacred. Please continue to shower us with Your Spirit. We want to know You more.

I pray for Marketing Team as they continue to put the nuts and bolts together of our future website. Give them and the designers the skill they need to glorify You through this endeavor.

I pray for the building of all our other teams, so we might be prepared for the fall and future.

I pray most of all today that You would bind our community together toward a common mission. Knit Your body together for Your purposes and glory. We cannot do this without You.

And finally, Abba, I pray for these personal requests today:

Please give Emma what she needs these next few months to emotionally prepare for her new life in college away from home. I pray You would prepare deep, deep friendships for her this fall. I pray also You would guide her toward a church home in Connecticut.

Please give Sam continued endurance and joy in his summer job. I also pray for You would prepare his workers and teachers at Crosswinds School for a fall where Sam's learning differences are understood well. 

I pray for a continued development of Julia's leadership gifts. Give her a passion for leading others in the path of You.

And I pray for Lisa and me that we would trust in You more deeply and that our love for You and others would grow and conform to the love of Your Son. Give the Kindalls faith...deep, deep faith. Amen.

Deuteronomy 10, John 10

SCRIPTURE:

¹"I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. ²The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. ³The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. ⁴When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.⁵But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger's voice." ⁶Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them.

 ⁷Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. ⁹I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

 ¹¹"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. ¹²The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. ¹³The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

 ¹⁴"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— ¹⁵just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. ¹⁶I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. ¹⁷The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. ¹⁸No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father."  John 10

OBSERVATION:

Jesus is the Gate and the Shepherd. He is one with the Father, God's Son. No wonder His listeners' computers were crashing! This is heavy stuff, but it is also unlike anything in religious writings anywhere...I would guess. I say that because this God/Man is so real. What the gospels present is a man who does the things of a god, but He does so with great...I don't know...humanity.

Here we see such a new and amazing theology in Judaism. The Messiah is God's Son with the authority to guide people from death to life. Indeed, He lays down His own life and has the authority to take it up again. This is a bullet between the eyes of those who say Jesus never thought of Himself as God. Who but God has the authority to resurrect anything. 

The metaphors here are interesting too. 

Gate=passage

Shepherd=guide, protector, provider

Oneness=unity

Sonship=familial unity, authority from the Father

It is these broad and far-reaching metaphors that had to have led Paul to write that all things were made by, through, and for Jesus. John has made His point. Jesus is not just a good teacher. He is God in the flesh.

APPLICATION:

This is kinda Christianity 101, but we should not skim over the profundity of what John is saying.

The passage of death to life is Jesus.

The one who guides from death to life is Jesus.

If you want to see God, look at Jesus.

It's Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. It's all about Jesus.

Those who will be guided by the Son from death to life are those who find life even though they die. This passage gives an exclusivity to Christianity. There is no way around it. As much as it would be nice and kind to say all roads lead to God. I can't. The Gospels won't allow me.

PRAYER:

Abba, Spirit, Jesus, thank You for Your word. What a gift!!! True beauty. Where would we be without it? Thank You for giving us Your story and thank You for writing me into Your story. 

Now, give us the faith to make The Gallery about nothing else but You. May we be a community of the Spirit of Christ. 

I pray for these two weddings this weekend and my teaching tomorrow. I pray You would anoint my leadership and make my words and actions a reflection of who you are. May You be glorified in all I do. Keep Lisa safe as she travels this weekend and give her rest. I pray You will provide all we need to be all You are calling us to be. Amen.

Deuteronomy 5, John 5

SCRIPTURE:

³⁷And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, ³⁸nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. ³⁹You diligently study^[c] the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰yet you refuse to come to me to have life. John 5

OBSERVATION:

This section of John 5 is probably the longest (I'm guessing) treatise on the relationship between the Father and the Son. It's really fascinating and seems to be so far beyond any exposition on the relationship between the Messiah and the Father. John clearly is making a point that Jesus was not just the Messiah, but the Son of God, a relationship deeper than any of the scriptures had yet imagined. Everything the Father does the Son does. Authority has been given by the Father to the Son. Life comes from the Father and the Son. This is not two Gods but one God, and theologians would argue it is the Spirit that it is their unity. 

APPLICATION:

Why is this important? Take away the trinity and you take away the whole basis for shalom. It is the loving unity of the godhead that compels creation, redemption, and the eternal life in shalom made possible by the cross. The unity of the Trinity I have come to believe is the most beautiful thing in the scriptures. I have wrestled with it for years, wishing it would go away and be easier to understand, but it cannot. The godhead is love and it is this love that compels its oneness. It is its love that compels our salvation, and it is this oneness that invites us to participate even now in the drawing of others through love into participation with this eternal unifying love. And I would argue it is this loving oneness that is indestructible and perhaps the best explanation for a life everlasting.

PRAYER:

(I will send this prayer out to my prayer team today.)

Deuteronomy 2, John 2

SCRIPTURE:

²⁵ He did not need human testimony about them, for he knew what was in them.  John 2

OBSERVATION:

In jesus we see a man completely divorced from the need of "human testimony." How else would a man be able to walk into the most important religious building in his community and drive out the merchants there? Jesus had no need for the religious leaders. Did He love them? Of course. But He did not need their praise or positive opinions about Himself. It was this laser-like focus on living in the will of His Father that allowed Him to rebuke the religious leaders, call Peter "Satan" and stand against those who wanted to kill Him. 

APPLICATION:

I confess. I want "human testimony." I want people to like me and what I do. I want them to be impressed by who I am and what I do, but this is a road to ruin for a Christian leader. Paul, too, lived in this state of over-achieving for the sake of those around him, but Paul through His encounter with the risen Christ and His Spirit learned to die the "great death." So Paul was able to write, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live..." (Gal. 2.20). This verse has long been my favorite for I know this is where true joy lies and it is the point of freedom for us all. There is no freedom when we live tethered to the quest for "human testimony." 

But how do we let go enough to not be bound to human testimony? First it is accomplished through the Spirit who longs to draw us to this state. But it is also accomplished in a faith in God rather than a faith in human testimony. As long as I trust human testimony rather than God, I will act in ways in line with human testimony rather than God. 

PRAYER:

Abba, all praise and glory belong to You for everything is made through You and for You. Therefore, I will seek You and You alone. But I cannot die the great death daily without the power of Your Spirit. I invite Your Spirit to guide me toward a daily crucifixion of myself. May I do only what I see You doing. Give me all I need to trust You.

Thank You for last night's first gathering of The Gallery. You made it beautiful. Your presence in us is light in this world. I pray You will continue to bind our people closer to You and Your word. Help us care for the infant Gallery as we would our own child. 

I pray You will open doors for me this week while I'm in St. Paul. Help me be attentive to Your Spirit and respond when and where You call. Amen. 

Deuteronomy 1, John 1

SCRIPTURE:

³⁰ The LORD your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, ³¹ and in the desert. There you saw how the LORD your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."  Deut. 1

OBSERVATION: 

The retelling here of the 40 years in the desert recount the Lord's faithfulness and Israel's stubbornness. After all God had done for the people in Egypt, after the way He provided for their food, water and care in the desert, they continued to struggle with their faith. Yet, God's promise would be fulfilled. They would take the land of Canaan, but only a couple of the faithful and the next generation of Israelites. Caleb would cross the Jordan. Why? He trusted. 

APPLICATON/PRAYER:

ABBA, give me the faith of Caleb. I know it is Your will the Gallery be planted in St. Paul, but I am a weak man with a stubborn nature. I cannot get to the other side of this journey without You, and I cannot even trust You without You. You are the source of my life, breath, faith. Everything is dependent upon You. So give me deep, deep faith. Give me a trust that translates into courage and wisdom. 

I pray Your anointing on our gathering tonight. Bring all the details together so our unity in You and each other is bound with Your Spirit's power. Anoint our worship, my words, and our fellowship. All we need is You. Amen.

Exodus 39, 2 Thessalonians 3

SCRIPTURE:

 ³² So all the work on the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, was completed. The Israelites did everything just as the LORD commanded Moses. ³³ Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, frames, crossbars, posts and bases; ³⁴ the covering of ram skins dyed red, the covering of hides of sea cows ^[f]and the shielding curtain;

 ³⁵ the ark of the Testimony with its poles and the atonement cover; ³⁶ the table with all its articles and the bread of the Presence; ³⁷ the pure gold lampstand with its row of lamps and all its accessories, and the oil for the light;³⁸ the gold altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; ³⁹ the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles and all its utensils; the basin with its stand; ⁴⁰ the curtains of the courtyard with its posts and bases, and the curtain for the entrance to the courtyard; the ropes and tent pegs for the courtyard; all the furnishings for the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting; ⁴¹ and the woven garments worn for ministering in the sanctuary, both the sacred garments for Aaron the priest and the garments for his sons when serving as priests.  Exodus 39

OBSERVATION:

It's hard to imagine but interesting to try the presenting of all these items to Moses. The making of these items would have molded and shaped the thinking and theology of the people. YHWH deserves our best. YHWH is holy. We are YHWH's people. I again think of this time in the desert with YHWH as their boot camp...a long boot camp at that, but a training ground for a nation. What does it mean to live in communion with YHWH? It means we do not treat YHWH as just any king. YHWH is the King of kings. He alone made us and He is our protector and He is holy.

APPLICATION:

Why the transition to the YHWH on the mountain and in the Tabernacle to the Emmanuel? There seems to be a progression. We must first understand God is holy before we can understand God is our friend. What might we do with Jesus if we did not have the picture of God as the mighty One on the mountain. We would make a very small god indeed. Of course, the picture of Jesus moving from eating fish with the disciples to ruling and reigning is the picture we get in Revelation. We have a triptych almost to help us understand a more fully orbed picture of Jesus. How do I apply this thinking? I don't have to think about it. The story of God rewires my brain and changes my actions. Our faith in something colors our actions without us trying. 

PRAYER:

Abba, there is no one like You, and therefore, our lives in You and for You must be different. You are holy. We are called to be holy. I praise Your holiness and the life of love that calls us to a loving holiness. 

I pray You would mold and shape The Gallery community. Use this summer to guide us toward a deeper faith and love. Make of us a community that shines forth the light of Your Spirit. 

I pray You would give me the wisdom and peace of mind to lead with laser-like focus on Your purposes. 

I pray You would anoint our gathering this Sunday night with the love and power of Your Spirit. 

I pray You would give wisdom and counsel to Jane as she prepares the Spiritual formation team. 

I pray You would give wisdom to Shannon and her team as they prepare a vision to serve people in St. Paul.

I pray for the finances of The Gallery. Give us giving hearts.

I pray You would give us a passion for loving those who are running away from You. 

I pray You would build deep relationships in our community by the power of Your Spirit. 

I pray an anointing on those coming together to lead us in worship over the summer.

I pray for Rita as she moves into her new role. Give her the wisdom and power she needs to move toward Your will for her life in this job.

I pray You would prepare the hearts and minds of future Gallery community members. Raise up more harvest hands in St. Paul to join us. 

I pray above all You would give us deep, deep faith.

I pray for my family. I pray You would give Sam the discipline he needs to work hard in his job this summer. I pray You would help Emma find a roommate and housing for this fall. I pray You would shine through Julia among her cast and friends. I pray You would give Lisa perseverance as she ends her school year. I pray above all You would give my family deep, deep faith.

All praise and glory belong to You, Abba. I love You. Amen.

Exodus 37, 2 Thessalonians 1

SCRIPTURE:

⁸He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power...   2 Thess. 1

OBSERVATION:

Hmmmm....The "He" here is Jesus. The gracious and compassionate Jesus will "punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel..." The previous verses indicate persecution upon the believers in Thessalonica. Paul promises they will be avenged by Jesus and comforted by Jesus upon His return. 

It's interesting those punished are those "who do not know God" and are not obedient to His good news. So a relationship, a "knowing" is important (faith) and an obedience to the good news is required. What is the good news. The good news is the news of the kingdom of God. This is what Jesus said as He began His ministry: "Repent and believe the good news. The kingdom of God is at hand" (Mark 1.14). So the God of love will reject those who reject His grace of relationship and reject the Kingship of His Son. 

How can love reject? Love is manifest in relationship. Those who reject that relationship cannot receive that love and, therefore, cannot live in the manifestation of that love which is eternal union with the Father, Son, and Spirit.

APPLICATION:

These words remind me of the importance of the proclamation of God's good news! The God of love seeks loving communion with the created. This good news must be proclaimed. It will be rejected by some, and we must not sugarcoat a very real hell where people "will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power..." Is this God's desire? No, God desires all be saved, but those who reject His love cannot live in the manifestation of that love now or eternally. This, of course, reinforces again the importance of the missional church seeking to share this good news. People matter to God and they must matter to us. 

These thoughts compel me to share my faith with some very key people with whom i have relationship. We must not put off this proclamation.

PRAYER:

Abba, all praise and glory to You, the God of love, who desires all live in love with You. I thank You for the Jesus who has created a way so I might live in this love forever. I pray, Abba, that Your love may be made more complete in me through my love for others. I pray You would give me the thirst of Paul to share Your good news so those destined for an eternity away from You would receive the grace of life in You. 

I pray Your Spirit would empower the people of The Gallery so they would be bearers of this good news. Mold and shape our minds and hearts to conform to Your loving will. Give us surrendered hearts to the direction of Your Spirit. Give us listening ears to hear what You would have us know. 

I pray for our gathering this Sunday night. We need Your anointing. May Your living water be the well from which we drink. Give us deep, deep faith. Amen.

Exodus 34, 1 Thessalonians 5

SCRIPTURE:

⁶ And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, ⁷maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation." Exodus 34

OBSERVATION:

I find this passage interesting because I wonder whether we have record anywhere in our history books of a god who speaks in the manner of our God. I would bet money YHWH's pronouncement here is shines as a beacon of light among all the other pronouncements of the gods of history. It is important to remember the Israelites were a people group among other people groups and each of these groups had gods. Israel's God, though, was one, was compassionate, slow to anger, but holy. I have a feeling, and I may be wrong, but I have a feeling the gods of the other people groups were not gods of compassion or slow to anger. Therefore, YHWH here with Moses in the covenant makes a bold pronouncement: I am not like other gods.

APPLICATION: 

Why is this important? I believe this pronouncement first gives credence to the biblical story as unique and, of course, true. Furthermore, it reminds me that my God is unique among all the gods of this world. Money, sex, pride, ambition, these gods are unforgiving and provide no compassion or care for those who worship them. Therefore, I should put no faith in them. Also, when seen in the context of the creation of the Tent of Meeting, I am reminded this God deserves our best. Great care was given in the worshiping of YHWH. I, too, must give YHWH my best gifts. 

PRAYER:

Abba, all praise to You my gracious, compassionate and holy, Abba. You are greater than all gods and deserving of all praise from Your creation. 

Thank you, Abba, for every atom, breath, minute, year, and supernova of this life. All is moving toward Your eternal glory. 

I confess to You that I am a work in progress, completely dependent upon your grace for every breath of life. I humbly thank You for this breath and the breath eternal.

Abba, today begins a special journey. Your calling on me is sure. I am a weak man incapable of leading Your church The Gallery, but in my weakness You are strong. So I submit to You today, raise the sail and pray Your Spirit would fill it for Your glory. Give me peace and faith...deep, deep faith. I pray the same for all in The Gallery. Give us faith. Give us Your thoughts and passion about Your Church. May we see her as the Bride she is. So many requests, but most of all we need Your Spirit. Please send Your Spirit upon The Gallery. Amen.