…the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God.
-James 2:23
March 3, 2022
Friend of God
My father was a deacon at the church my family attended. Traditionally, deacons pray at the start of service and invite the Spirit to show up in a mighty way. Always, my father’s prayer would solicit the God of Abraham. I wondered what it was about Abraham that was so appealing to him. Weren’t we New Testament people, and wasn’t Abraham a figure of the Old? Then I stumbled upon this scripture, and it became clear to me—Abraham believed God.
My father was, no doubt, drawn to Abraham’s faithfulness and knowing that Abraham was called a “friend of God.” Not only did Abraham call God “friend;” God called Abraham “friend,” too (Isaiah 41:8).
We all have friends with whom we value being in community. With one of my friends, our relationship can be characterized as an extended, ongoing conversation where we pick up right where we left off each time. I plan to use this Lenten season to catch up with an old friend (God) and to deepen our relationship. Unbridled conversations with God enable intimacy and revelation—our meeting God and God meets us everywhere and anywhere we are.
Prayer
God, help us, during this season and beyond, to experience that aspect of friendship with You where our conversations have no beginning, middle, or end—where Jesus stands in the gap between any distance between us and You.
Dana Williams
Bethel 21 Historical Society
Sunday Morning Meditations
Lent 2022
We invite you to join us on a 40-day journey of prayer, financial sacrifice, physical activity, and spiritual connection.
Each day a new reflection with a scripture and prayer will be posted on the Metropolitan AME Church website and social media to encourage you as we prepare for Resurrection join us as we are reminded, awakened to the great power of God within us, and connect to our role in building with God a world of justice.
Read along with us each day or download the book to read and write along with us offline.