Legacy

¹Open your ears to my teachings, my people.
Turn your ears to the words from my mouth.
²I will open my mouth to illustrate points.
I will explain what has been hidden long ago,
³things that we have heard and known about,
things that our parents have told us.
⁴We will not hide them from our children.
We will tell the next generation
about the Lord’s power and great deeds
and the miraculous things he has done.

⁵He established written instructions for Jacob’s people.
He gave his teachings to Israel.
He commanded our ancestors to make them known to their children
⁶so that the next generation would know them.
Children yet to be born would learn them.
They will grow up and tell their children
⁷to trust God, to remember what he has done,
and to obey his commands. (Ps. 78 GW)

I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy*

Several months ago a man from our church had seen the movie "Bucket List" and was talking about his "bucket list" - the things he wanted to do before his time on Earth was over. I've never actually written such a list, but could make a list of the people I hope to influence for Christ's Kingdom. Recently I was thinking about how we as Christians build into others. Who are the people we are encouraging in the faith? How are we praying for the unsaved? How are we demonstrating God's mercy and grace to the lost and downtrodden? Are we (am I) loving and leaving a legacy that people will remember - not for me but for God's glory? As I ponder these things and think about the Psalm 78 scripture and Nicole Nordeman's song "Legacy," I must turn again to prayer....

God of mercy and grace, we pray you would open our ears to your teachings and turn our ears to your Word. Help us to know you and to tell others about your power, great deeds, and your miracles. Give us knowledge and courage to share your story, salvation, and grace with all those around us. We want our peers, our children, and our children's children so that all will hear the Good News of your love. We want to leave legacies of love, mercy, and grace so that people see YOU within us. May your Kingdom come and our lives be lived for your Glory. In Jesus' name, Amen.

"LEGACY" by Nicole Nordeman

I don't mind if you've got something nice to say about me
And I enjoy an accolade like the rest
You could take my picture and hang it in a gallery
Of all the who's who and so-n-so's that used to be the best
At such 'n such...it wouldn't matter much

I won't lie, it feels alright to see your name in lights
We all need an "Atta boy" or "Atta girl"
But in the end I'd like to hang my hat on more besides
the temporary trappings of this world

Chorus:
I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?
Did I choose to love?
Did I point to you enough to make a mark on things?
I want to leave an offering
A child of mercy and grace who blessed Your name unapologetically
And leave that kind of legacy

I don't have to look too far or too long awhile
To make a lengthy list of all that I enjoy
It's an accumulating trinket and a treasure pile
Where moth and rust, thieves and such will soon destroy

Chorus

Not well traveled, not well read, not well-to-do or well bred
Just want to hear instead, "Well done" good and faithful one

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbi4nSrhRxo

Mysterious

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

You are the GOD who does wonders; You have made known Your strength among the peoples. (Ps. 77:14)

Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." (John 13:7 NIV)

When I was in seminary in the mid-1990's the large mainline denominational church of which I was a part was (collectively) bemoaning how it had shrunk since the 1950's - that children weren't coming back to the church, evangelism efforts were spotty at best, and the great buildings that had been built during that era had a mostly older fraction of the former population.

There are many factors that have contributed to this "decline" - some obvious ones being the demographic impact of the Baby Boomers, the rise of anti-religious rhetoric in the popular culture, and the resistance of people to established institutions. Yet, while many of the statistics mainline churches (and others) see as negative, I see as God the Holy Spirit continuing to move in different churches, missions, ministries - in different ways - to continue the work of the Kingdom and spreading of the Gospel. Perhaps I am right (or partly right or wrong or partly wrong...) but, at any rate, what we see and understand is not necessarily how God sees things.

Tonight I talked to a close friend of mine whose early-30-something daughter is in the hospital, possibly with a small stroke or even undiagnosed multiple sclerosis. The mother is tired and trying not to "borrow trouble," but you can hear the worry in her heart. This family has been through five or six years of medical problems and are wondering if they are now back on that roller coaster. Why her? Why again? we wonder.

We probably each have examples of things we don't understand. For as much as the Bible tells us about God, it still leaves a great deal of space for the mystery of God. Perhaps this 200 year old hymn will help us find some resolution:

God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain. (William Cowper)

So, God, we pray that we would seek your face when we are trapped in mysterious places. When we are seemingly lost, please find us. When we are struggling with what seems like a breaking down of sacred or secure things, help us trust you in that process. When we are discouraged or despairing help us to look to you for our help - that you would be our shield, watching over us and protecting us. When we are tasting something bitter, help us to look to you for the sweet flower. God, continue to reassure us of our security in you, even as we watch you move in mysterious ways. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.

On the move

¹He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek.

⁴As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey.

⁶Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.

¹¹From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day on to Neapolis. ¹²From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. (Acts 16 NIV)

My evening bible reading right now is somewhere in the middle of the book of Acts, a book that is largely about the apostles being on the move and spreading the Gospel. The Holy Spirit directed these early disciples to teach, preach, and travel telling everyone they could about the Good News of salvation through Jesus Christ. And scripture records huge numbers of people being saved - 2000 here, 3000 there - and tells stories of specific people like Timothy or Lydia.

Our whole church staff is 'on the move' this week. The four ministry staff persons are traveling to a church conference 13 hours away and our administrative assistant and her husband are preparing to move to Australia to continue in missions work there. Each in their own ways are like God's call to Abram: "Go to the place I will show you."

So I pray for them:

God, I pray for safety as each of them travel...

...for their families that will be here at home...

...for new learning and direction you will give them...

...for development of godly relationships on their journeys...

...for protection over their hearts, souls, minds, bodies, and families...

...that these places where they are on the move - physically or with new ideas in ministry - would be places where your Spirit has already laid the groundwork for your Word and Kingdom to be proclaimed and furthered...

Maranatha, Lord Jesus Come. Amen

Busted

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chron. 7:14 NIV)

Ever been 'busted' by God? I got busted a couple of nights ago about my attitude toward our political "leaders" -- and convicted that instead of raging against the machine, I should be praying.

Not the first thing I wanted to do.

But, check this out from Paul's second letter to Timothy:

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. (2:1-4 NLT)

And then I read this in a book of blessings to read over your children:

I bless you with authority in prayer that transforms the leaders over you. May your authorities grow to have high values because of your intercession for them. May your authorities learn how to skillfully lead those under them according to those values. I bless you with living in a peaceful community because of the high values of its leaders. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I bless you.*

So, still rather unenthusiastically, I have begun anew to pray for our political/civic leaders. I know that prayer is our best weapon against the ungodliness, foolishness, and hurtful spite in our political system - turning these things meant for evil into prayer that leaders and authorities would be turned toward and tuned into God's heart and wisdom.

As you know, we are coming up to a massively important midterm election. Would you join with me in praying for our current leaders, the decisions we the electorate are going to make Nov. 2 and the future of our nation?

Lord, You have told us

Lord, You have promised

That if Your people would pray

That You would hear from heaven

And You would send Your mercy

And touch us with Your strong healing hand

So we're calling out to You

Crying out to You

Forgive us of our sin

Heal our land

As we seek Your holy face

We turn from all our wicked ways

Hear from heaven even now

As we pray**

God, we pray for all those in political leadership and authority over us - from our local governments, through our county and state, and including the federal government. We pray for each person, asking that your Spirit would draw them to you and that they would seek first your wisdom for the decisions they make. We give thanks for people who are willing to serve in leadership and pray that this leadership would be in Spirit-led, God-ordained directions. We seek to live peaceful and quiet lives and know that our governments' decisions can have a huge impact on that . We pray that if any of these officials do not yet know the love, grace, and joy of Jesus Christ that you would even now be working on their heart and spirit so they may know your truth and come into your kingdom.

We pray for the transformation of our governmental bodies into healthy, God-honoring, dignified units. May these authorities grow to have high values because of their relationships with you. May they learn how to skillfully lead others according to godly values. May our community, county, state, and nation be peaceful because of the godly integrity and values you have placed within them.

Forgive us when we do not want to pray as you call us to. Help our nation turn to you for its hope and salvation. Heal us of all unrighteousness and selfishness.

We pray in the name of Christ...heal our land. Amen.

* from Pure Joy by Crystal Wade & Arthur Burk p. 64.

**"Calling Out To You" by Tommy Walker

© 2001 Doulos Publishing (Admin. by Maranatha! Music)

CCLI Song No. 3431898

Displaced

All I ever want to be

Is what You want of me

Lord I give my life to You

And all my hopes and dreams and plans

I place within Your hands

Lord and give my life to You

Here am I Lord use me

Take my life and mold me

All I ever want to be

Is what You want of me

Lord I give my life to You*

Our new pastor started the first of September and has preached three Sundays now. Whether people are "coming back" to church because summer is over or because Pastor New has started, I don't know. But the building has certainly seemed more full the past two weeks. Both weeks I've asked the person next to me and they've agreed there are 'new faces' around. While this, on the surface, is good, it also means some people are displaced from their normal seat.

Have you ever noticed that you can generally find people in the same area of church, if not the same seats, week after week? Usually takes something like a visitor or special occasion to uproot you from your Standard Area. These last two weeks I've noticed some people far, far away from their Standard Areas. (And that's good!) Our worship service should be a place where visitors, guests, and returning folks can find a seat - even if it displaces us from our Standard Area.

I was thinking about this concept of displacement as it applies to life. Sometimes we just feel displaced by minor things - like the new self checks in the grocery store that means there are few lines available for you to find a Real Person for help. But sometimes we get displaced by bigger things - a cross country move, a marriage, a kid problem, caring for a parent. And sometimes God intentionally "displaces" us like he did with Abram:

The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your native country, your relatives, and your father's family, and go to the land that I will show you." (Gen. 12:1 NLT)

"To the land that I will show you" is a little vague to my type-A-ness. I'd like more information, please: Where are we going? When will we get there? How will we travel? What do I pack? Who will be there? While this verse answers pieces of these questions, it certainly left Abram with a choice - do I listen to God? do I trust God enough to do this? do I allow God to "displace" me? OR do I decide I'm crazy, hearing voices, or just be downright stubborn and say NO WAY?

We know that Abram packed, left, went, and was blessed. He stepped out in faith - allowed himself to be displaced from all he knew - and God heaped many, many blessings upon him. His story is not simple but his faith in God is evident.

My prayer is that we would be people willing to be displaced...willing to say "yes" when God calls us to go to places he "will show us"....willing to be still and quiet so we can hear God's voice...able to recognize the gentle leading of a God who loves us and challenges us sometimes to be displaced...

So, we give our lives into your hands, once again, allowing you to displace us as necessary, God....Amen.

*CCLI Song No. 3322103 "All I Ever Want to Be"

© 2000 Lorenz Publishing Company (a div. of the Lorenz Corporation)

by Nathan Carter

Listen to your children praying

Lord, listen to Your children praying,

Lord, send Your spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace!

Something's gonna happen
Like the world has never known
When the people of the Lord
Get down to pray.
A door's gonna swing open,
And the walls come atumblin' down,
When the people of the Lord
Get down to pray.

Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Lord, send Your spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace!

And He's gonna take over,
And He's gonna take control,
He's gonna move the mountains,
Make the waters roll,
When the people of the Lord
Get down to pray.

Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Lord, send Your spirit in this place;
Lord, listen to Your children praying,
Send us love, send us pow'r, send us grace!

You're gonna know it

When the Lord stretches out His hand

And the people of the Lord get down to pray

There's gonna be a brand new song

Of victory in this land

When the people of the Lord get down to pray

Lord listen to Your children praying

Lord send Your Spirit in this place

Lord listen to Your children praying

Send us love send us power send us grace *

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4QT8auk6u0&feature=related

I will save you from the stories of why I'm wrestling with this now, but I will say a couple of things. First, I am "ongoingly" convicted by the call to be an imitator of Christ. And second, I have been challenged recently about the strength of my relationship with God, especially as it has to do with what has been termed a "prayer life." So, I start with a song almost as old as me, but definitely worth hearing again, then move to examples of this Christ we profess to follow, then move to prayer....

... Now it was in those days that Jesus went to a mountain to pray, and he spent the whole night in prayer to God. ... (Luke 6:12)

... About eight days after he had said this, Jesus took Peter, John,
and James with him and went up a mountain to pray. ... (Luke 9:28)

... Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, "Sit here while I go over there to pray." ... (Mt.26:36)

... Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray. ... (Mark 1:35) ... But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray. ... But he went away by himself to a waste place for prayer. ... (Luke 5:16)

Imitate me as I imitate Christ. (1 Cor. 11:1 GW)

Lord, listen to your children praying, send us love, power, and grace. Give us not just the knowledge that it's important to pray, but a heart that wants to spend time with you, and a will that makes it happen. Make us more like Jesus we pray....Amen.

* "Lord, Listen to Your Children Praying" by Ken Medema (c) 1973 Hope Publ.

A new school year

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things, things from of old-

³ what we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.

⁴ We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the LORD,
his power, and the wonders he has done.

⁵ He decreed statutes for Jacob
and established the law in Israel,
which he commanded our forefathers
to teach their children,

⁶ so the next generation would know them,
even the children yet to be born,
and they in turn would tell their children.

⁷ Then they would put their trust in God
and would not forget his deeds

but would keep his commands. (Ps. 78 NIV)

"Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (I Cor. 11:1 NIV)

Last week we "officially" began to educate our children at home. Truthfully, we started teaching them about God's love, caring for other people, using "nice words," letters, numbers, and a whole host of other things long before last week. But, as the public and private students prepared to return to school this coming week, we began our journey with homeschooling. Our first week went really, really well and I'm anticipating another fun week, spending time with my kids exploring God's word and God's world.

Tonight I read three post from friends on Facebook who were bemoaning their sons' first days of kindergarten tomorrow - watching them get on the bus - feeling sorry they are going. I also read posts from teachers preparing to start a new year. And I read in the news about all the many struggles around public education today. There are no "perfect solutions" for our nation and the next generations. But, my mother's heart knows that we have made the right decision - I'd go so far to say we've answered God's call - to teach our children at home. The reasons are many, the road will not be easy, but we trust God for wisdom, strength, and provision.

I bring these things up today because I believe we need to pray for the education of our children. So....

God, we pray...

...that our children would know your salvation

...that they would have godly friendships and relationships

...that students would be physically, emotionally, and spiritually safe in their school environments

...that parents would seek to be spiritual leaders in their homes and teach their children the ways of the Lord

...that we would not allow busy-ness, indifference, laziness, poverty, or any "ism" to keep children from becoming the fullness of who God has created them to be

......that even as secular humanists try to insert godlessness into our public schools, a generation would rise up and proclaim Christ in the midst of the darkness

...that their teachers would be men and women after Your own heart who are following Your example so their students can follow them

...that our children would know the wondrous deeds of the Lord so they can proclaim them to the next generation, the next, and the next ...for the Glory of Christ we pray....Amen