Prayer - Teresa of Avila

This prayer by Teresa of Avila was shared with me as I finish out my second week of vacation, retreat and caring for myself.  Often when we think about being the hands and feet of Christ we immediately think of doing, moving and serving.  But as I read this prayer I was reminded again that being the hands and feet of Christ also involves caring for yourself, resting and at times stepping away from things even if it is something you love and have passion for.  Your body will not do much for Christ if it is tired, worn out and lacks rest.  With renewed energy I look forward to returning to service for Christ on Monday.  I can’t wait to see what He has in store for me next.  

  

Teresa of Avila (1515–1582)

Christ Has No Body

Christ has no body but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
Compassion on this world,
Yours are the feet with which he walks to do good,
Yours are the hands, with which he blesses all the world.
Yours are the hands, yours are the feet,
Yours are the eyes, you are his body.
Christ has no body now but yours,
No hands, no feet on earth but yours,
Yours are the eyes with which he looks
compassion on this world.
Christ has no body now on earth but yours.

Seeking feedback for January 30 Sermon

Martha Grace Reece posed the following questions in her book "Unbinding Your Heart" and I presented them to my congregation  on January 16 requesting they ask someone these questions.  Now I am asking others to do the same as I prepare for my January 30th sermon on listening.  Are we hearing what the people say?  Are we listening? 

1. ¨ What pops into your mind when you hear the word church?"

2. ¨ Has anyone ever invited you to their church?  What did you think when they asked you?  Did you go?  How did it feel?  If you didn’t go, why not?" 

3. ¨ Have you ever had a sense of God or Jesus communicating with you?  What was it like?"

4.  ¨ If you had one question you could ask God and knew you would get an answer, what would it be?"

see more Hacked IRL - Truth in Sarcasm

I pray often for those who preach that God hates gays.  I have seen them in person and on the Internet and will confess I get angry when I see them but in the end I pray for them.  What greater tools of loving my neighbors do I have except my prayers and faith in God.  I do not see confronting them as a solution. 

I do see this billboard as a way to counteract thier expressions of hate and let others know there are Christians who do not agree with their point of view.  A friend shared with me once that when they heard a hate group was going to be protesting a military funeral in their community they went in beforehand and using sidewalk chalk wrote out scriptures about love and loving each other at the location they knew the protestors would be located.  That is a way of expressing my love for someone I do not agree with, without getting confrontational which in their case would not work anyway. 

We need to continue counteracting this talk of God hating anyone in ways that do not give the haters more power.  We just have to be creative and seek guidance from God who will lead us.     

Seeing Jesus in others

This is an update from a Youth Specialties blog that caught my attention recently. It made me think about how I would have reacted to the same situation. I am guessing that I would have been in the same shoes of the guy watching this story unfold before him. My prayer for myself and all who read this is that Christ can be seen in you in such a simple way as is demonstrated in this story.

David

"Yesterday, just after the 3rd general session, my wife and I were walking around the exhibit hall checking out some of the vendors tables. After sometime we decided to head back up to the room and hang out for a bit before we went out for the afternoon. As we were walking out of the exhibit hall there was a man with a case on his back and no shoes on his feet! I had remembered seeing him on the street the day before… I’m pretty sure he was homeless! As I walked by him I noticed that he was trying to get into the food area that is just outside the exhibit hall… the thought had crossed my mind to offer to buy him a meal, but I chickened out! Actually, I felt pretty much like a “coward”! As he walked into the food area a security guard stopped him and started to escort him out, even before he could even get close enough to look at the food! My heart began to ache for this man! Tears started to swell up in my eyes… not sure if that was because I felt bad for him or because

I have become extremely convicted this weekend to have a passion and a burden for the lost! Nevertheless, I still did not muster up the courage to offer this man ANYTHING! I intentionally slowed down so as to let the man and the security guard walk by me, just so I could see what happened! I’m glad I did, because I saw something that convicted yet blessed me all together! As they got to the stairs a young man, probably in his early 20’s, came RUNNING by me and stopped the man! The security guard was obviously annoyed… I’m not sure what he said to the man, but after about 30 seconds he took off his shoes and laid them at this mans feet!! remember… this man was barefoot! After he took off his shoes and gave them to this man he simply walked away! The homeless man just stood there, with the security guard poking him and telling him to move on, and slowly put this young mans shoes on his feet and then left. I want this young man to know how much he ministered to me and that I saw Jesus in him!! What he did for that man and for the Kingdom of Christ was SERIOUS RIDICULOUS!"

Spontaneous Song for Those Facing Impossible Situations

In his Blog post Spontaneous Song for Those Facing Impossible Situations Bob Kauflin shares a wonderful song that he "spontaneously wrote" during a worship service at the Soverign Grace Pastors Conference. At a time when we are celebrating the Christmas season many people find themselves feeling lonely and or depressed for a number of reasons. When I find myself in this mood I often pray from Psalm 62:1-2 to remind myself that God is present and he is my security. But I found the lyrics from this song to be meaningful and would work well as a prayer in itself during this Christmas season and beyond. So here is Bob Kauflin's lyrics, I share them with you as a gift for Christmas and hope you experience God's presence through the gifts this gentleman shares. Merry Christmas.

I am the God of the impossible
I make rivers flow through deserts of sand
I am working in your situation
In ways you would not understand

I am the God of the immeasurable
The riches of my grace you can’t conceive
I’ve poured them on you through Jesus, my Son
They’re yours if you only believe

‘Cause there is nothing
There is nothing
That’s too hard for me

I am the God of the unsearchable
You cannot know the mystery of my ways
But with perfect wisdom and perfect mercy
I work them out for my praise

I am the God of the impossible
And although you can’t see a way through
I’m using your circumstances
To do my work in you

For there is nothing
There is nothing
Too hard for me to do
‘Cause I’m working in you
And I will have my way
For the glory of my name
‘Cause there is nothing,
There is nothing that’s too hard for me to do

And you will see one day
That I did this for you
So that you might know
I am the God of the impossible
So that you might know I amThe God of the immeasurable
What you cannot conceive now
What you can’t believe now
I’ve assured you
Through the giving of my Son
For you, for youIs there nothing good that I wouldn’t do
For you?

I am the God of the impossible
Just look at where you are tonightI brought you near to myself
And I will always do,I will always do
What’s right.

Visio Divina

Lectio Divina has for some time been an act of prayer that I have used in my quiet time with God and in my ministry with youth and adults.  The link below is for Visio Divina and a practice I had not heard of until recently.

I am anxious to have my congregation try it sometime in the future.  Any creative ideas on how to use this visual tool in worship? 

http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Praying-with-Art-Visio-Divina.html

Living in this moment...

One of the joys of the technological age is the ability to view a multitude of thoughts and ideas from a  vast collection of people who like to share what they are thinking.  Occasionally I read what someone has written and I think yes, that is something I can learn from and challenge myself with in life.  So with this blog post from “Sunday Papers” at http://www.sundaypapers.org.uk/ I share some thoughts contributed by James Hawes and challenge you to learn from this man who lives quite far away from our little town of Louisiana. 

Children naturally live in the now
They are generally impatient and find it hard to wait
They want it now – they live in the present moment
But, parents like to teach them the importance of waiting
To practice delayed gratification
Not to be so emotional
And to calm down

Parents however, often live in the future
Trying to be mature, sensible and responsible
We must insure ourselves and save
Build your pension funds
Make sure you have security in the future

And Jesus, well he tells us to become like children!

Many of us either live in the past or the future and few of us risk being in the present.
Are you living in the past? Still longing for the good ole days,
Are you living for the future? And hoping ‘Things can only get better’

Or, are you able to be like the child and be right here, right now…
And risk the joy, sadness, anger, gladness, anxiety, love, pain, contentment, discontentment, happiness, embarrassment, frustration or some other feeling that arises in each moment.
Dare you risk being fully present in this moment….
and this moment…
this moment….
this moment…!

The best present you can give others this Christmas and beyond is to be fully present.