House of Prayer for All Nations

On the following day, when they came from Bethany, Jesus was hungry. Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see whether perhaps he would find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard it.
Then they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling and those who were buying in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves; and he would not allow anyone to carry anything through the temple. He was teaching and saying, “Is it not written,
‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations’?
But you have made it a den of robbers.”
And when the chief priests and the scribes heard it, they kept looking for a way to kill him; for they were afraid of him, because the whole crowd was spellbound by his teaching. And when evening came, Jesus and his disciples went out of the city.
In the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree withered away to its roots. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.” Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. Truly I tell you, if you say to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and if you do not doubt in your heart, but believe that what you say will come to pass, it will be done for you. So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
“Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone; so that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses.” Mark 11:12-26 

House of Prayer for All Nations

When seated in the comfortable pews
observing all the rites and rituals
do we look around and see ourselves only
or do we see the richness our neighborhood?

Can we truly bend in prayer without others
from the rich and colorful tapestry of God?
Can love be known except when shared and
can prayer be honest behind walls and locked doors?

The love of God is not bound by our fears
nor regulated by what makes us feel safe
it breaks through all our preconceived notions
and tears at the fibers of our false security.

This house of prayer is a house of welcome
where we might not understand the language
yet we share a common hope and love
for the children yet to come to thrive together.

Come and pray then with your neighbors
work side by side with enemies and friends
make love visible in our bending abd serving
restore this brokenness by truly living.