Strangely Dim: Jesus & the Garden

Tobi Grunick teaches from Luke 21:37 on Jesus’ intentional rhythm of spending time in the Garden of Gethsemane and the invitation for us to have environments for deeper rest and connection.

At the end of this teaching, Tobi reads a prayer by Dietrich Bonhoeffer in German; find the English version below:

“O God, early in the morning I cry to you.
Help me to pray and to concentrate my thoughts on you;
I can’t do this alone. In me there’s darkness,
But with you there’s light; I’m lonely, but you don’t leave me;
I’m feeble in heart, but with you there’s help;
I’m restless, but with you there’s peace.
In me there’s bitterness, but with you there’s patience;
I don’t understand your ways, but you know the way for me.
O Heavenly Father, I praise and thank you for rest in the night;
I praise and thank you for this new day;
I praise and thank you for all your goodness
and faithfulness throughout my life.
You have granted me many blessings;
Now let me also accept what’s hard from your hand.
You will lay on me no more than I can bear.
You make all things work together for good for your children.
Lord Jesus Christ, You were poor and in distress,
a captive and forsaken as I am.
You know all man’s troubles;
You abide with me when all men fail me;
You remember and seek me;
It’s your will that I should know you and turn to you.
Lord, I hear your call and follow; help me.
O Holy Spirit, give me faith that will protect me.
From despair, from passions, and from vice;
Give me such love for God and men
as will blot out all hatred and bitterness;
Give me the hope that will deliver me
from fear and faint-heartedness. 
Teach me to see Jesus and to do his will.
Amen.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Teaching slides available at https://bit.ly/2CQJGiw

Video version of this teaching at https://vimeo.com/450283990

This teaching is part of our series "Strangely Dim." As the old hymn goes, we “turn our eyes upon Jesus” and “look full in His wonderful face.” And in doing so, we hope to become less overwhelmed by all the brokenness around us and more energized to carry out Christ’s work of renewal in the world.