A Prayer for our Words

I remember watching the Muppet Show with my children in the 70's. One of our favorite characters was the Swedish Chef. His dancing about with lobsters, banditos and singing broccoli was accentuated by his mish-mash of the English language combined it with some strange form of Swedish. I laughed myself silly over his mis-spoken cooking instructions as he tried to boil escaping lobsters.
Maybe the Swedish Chef is a comic mirror of how you and I are misunderstood. Our words may have good intentions, yet they can easily be taken the wrong way. It seems ironic that Christians who speak of the Lord Jesus who is "the Word become flesh," use words that that are divisive and hurtful. In a world where diversity or disagreement are the starting point, perhaps we should be more thoughtful of the words we use.
Take care when you speak, especially when you are speaking to someone whose culture is not your own or may hold a different perspective than you. Don't let your words be a mish-mash of English and Swedish that brandishes authority the way the Swedish Chef brandished his cleaver! Instead, let your words be filled with compassion and understanding. Seek to understand others and let them understand you, in their own time.
The Epistle of James tells us that the tongue is a raging fire; to tame it requires care and thought. Do not take your words for granted.
Let us pray...
Lord Jesus, Word of God, you sent the sign of Pentecost to the church so long ago, burning tongues of fire that rested on the disciples heads. You gave the precious gift of the Holy Spirit to your disciples as they awaited in that upper room. Filled with power, wisdom and compassion, the disciples went out and changed the world with the word of the Gospel. By the power of the holy Spirit, their words brought healing, courage and hope to those in need.
Let that fire of the Spirit replace the fire that creates anger and spite, Lord. Let your Spirit teach us how to control our tongues so we do not take them for granted. Teach us to use them in ways that bring your Kingdom to this world filled with words of war and despair. Remind us, O Holy Spirit, that the Word that became flesh, even Jesus Christ, is the Word that we bring every time we open our mouth.

A video Prayer Blog

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Thanks, and God Bless!