Did you know that April 12th is the Feast Day of Adoniram Judson? Have you
ever heard of Adoniram Judson? I hadn’t either until I looked at the Lectionary
for inspiration on what to write about for today. Adoniram Judson was a
Missionary! Now, just by knowing that you should be able to infer that this
dude is olllddddd. Being a missionary isn’t really a job that people have anymore.
So yes. He was old. In fact, he died more than 100 years ago in the year
1850. He was a missionary to Burma, which is a place that isn’t called Burma
anymore. It’s called Myanmar. He left a pretty profound legacy in Myanmar.
His Burmese-English dictionary is still in use today and at the time of his
death he left roughly 100 churches and 8,000 Christians in Burma.
Pretty impressive.
ever heard of Adoniram Judson? I hadn’t either until I looked at the Lectionary
for inspiration on what to write about for today. Adoniram Judson was a
Missionary! Now, just by knowing that you should be able to infer that this
dude is olllddddd. Being a missionary isn’t really a job that people have anymore.
So yes. He was old. In fact, he died more than 100 years ago in the year
1850. He was a missionary to Burma, which is a place that isn’t called Burma
anymore. It’s called Myanmar. He left a pretty profound legacy in Myanmar.
His Burmese-English dictionary is still in use today and at the time of his
death he left roughly 100 churches and 8,000 Christians in Burma.
Pretty impressive.
The epistle that’s designated for the feast day of Adoniram Judson is a
very interesting one.
It’s from Paul’s first letters to the Corinthians.
“If I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive.
What should I do then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also;
I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also.”
What should I do then? I will pray with the spirit, but I will pray with the mind also;
I will sing praise with the spirit, but I will sing praise with the mind also.”
I love the message Paul gives us here. How often do we just go through the motions,
as they say, when we’re praying? I often find my mind wandering when praying.
Especially during the more routine prayers during a church service. The Nicene
Creed, the Confession of Sin, even the Lord’s Prayer. Over years and years
of saying those same words every week, perhaps they’ve lost their power a little bit.
Words only have as much power as you give them, so if I’m not focused on what
I’m saying I may as well not be saying anything. I have to make a conscious effort
to give those words power again. To appreciate their beauty. To let them make an
impact on me the same as when I first really heard them for the first time.
as they say, when we’re praying? I often find my mind wandering when praying.
Especially during the more routine prayers during a church service. The Nicene
Creed, the Confession of Sin, even the Lord’s Prayer. Over years and years
of saying those same words every week, perhaps they’ve lost their power a little bit.
Words only have as much power as you give them, so if I’m not focused on what
I’m saying I may as well not be saying anything. I have to make a conscious effort
to give those words power again. To appreciate their beauty. To let them make an
impact on me the same as when I first really heard them for the first time.
So. I invite you to pray as Paul invites us. Pray with your tongue so that the people
may hear. Pray with your spirit so that God may hear. And pray with your mind
so that you may hear.
may hear. Pray with your spirit so that God may hear. And pray with your mind
so that you may hear.
