I Heard the Bells of Peace

“Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth 

peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 

(Luke 2:14 NIV)

Does it seem like this world has gone absolutely crazy?

I probably don't need to expound upon the question, "How is it crazy?"

But I will say that, unless you are totally and completely immersed in God's Goodness, it's challenging to stay in the Peace he wants to give us.

In every era and place there have been challenging circumstances that have stretched the faith and hope of believers. “I Heard the Bells,” is a poem written by the 19th century American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. This poem, originally entitled “Christmas Bells,” was written Christmas day, 1863 in the middle of the American Civil War, and after Longfellow’s cherished wife had died and he’d received news his son was injured in battle.

The first verse says:

I heard the bells on Christmas Day, their old, familiar carols play
And wild and sweet the words repeat, of peace on earth, good-will to men!

Each subsequent verse ends with those encouraging words “Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”

Under Longfellow’s circumstances, we could understand if the poem’s words were very gloomy, indeed. Maybe you or someone you know is struggling right now or maybe as you look at this world Longfellow’s words resonate with you:

And in despair I bowed my head; "There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong, and mocks the song Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

If that were where the song ended, we’d be left in a Good Friday of sorts - darkness, despair, hopelessness.

The first Disciples who watched Jesus die on the cross and be buried in the tomb had to have been filled with that same darkness, despair, and hopelessness of Longfellow - and of many people today. But the disciples’ story doesn’t end there. On the first Easter morning, the Disciples found an empty tomb - and a Risen Savior! Jesus’s Resurrection gave them hope and joy and peace.

Perhaps this last verse of Longfellow’s poem can give the hurting of our day a bit of Light and Hope:

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: "God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail, The Right prevail, With peace on earth, good-will to men.”

The enemy of our souls wants us in chaos - in despair - in hopelessness. But God wants us to be in love, joy, and peace. The darkness Longfellow saw was real - just as the darkness we see today is real. But the darkness is not God! God is light. John the Apostle tells us, “God is light and in him there is no darkness at all.” No darkness. No chaos or evil, only light. Only hope. Only peace.

That’s why Longfellow was able to proclaim that God is not dead or sleeping and that the wrong shall fail and the right prevail. The dark shall fail and the Light shall prevail. God’s Word gives us this hope. That’s why when the angels that announced Jesus’s birth to the nearby shepherds they also announced peace. They said “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors!”

This isn’t the cheap “no war” peace the world offers, but God’s shalom - a deep, God-centered peace that includes harmony, prosperity, wholeness, and tranquility.

God's Peace is the opposite - the antidote - to chaos and crazy.



Jehovah Shalom,

Thank you for the many ways in which you call us to rest in you, to be patient, and to trust that in the midst of chaos and troubles, you are with us. Thank you that you are the Almighty God, our refuge and fortress, the God in whom we trust. Help us to dwell in you, to rest in you, and to make you our strong tower. Help us to know that no matter what terror, arrow, plague, or pestilence seems to be coming at us, no disaster will come near us and you will punish the wicked. Help us to focus our eyes on you and to rest in your shalom. Help us to live with peace on earth and goodwill to all people. In Christ's name we pray, Amen.


Be still before the Lord
and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes. (Psalm 37:7 NIV)

"The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe." (Proverbs 18:10 NIV)

"Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust.”

Surely he will save you
from the fowler’s snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,
and under his wings you will find refuge;
his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,
nor the arrow that flies by day,
nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
nor the plague that destroys at midday.

A thousand may fall at your side,
ten thousand at your right hand,
but it will not come near you.

You will only observe with your eyes
and see the punishment of the wicked.

If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent." (Psalm 91:1-10 NIV)

January 20, 2021 - Bind the spirit of violence

Peace-Giving God,

Thank you for your strength and your power that your children can stand in.  Thank you that you are our refuge and ever-present help for the facing of these days.  Today we pray against any spirit of violence that may be planning to act in this nation.  Whether in Washington D.C., a state capital, or in any other public places, we bind that spirit of violence in the name of Jesus and send it to the pit of hell.   We bind any spirit of violence or retaliation that seeks to do harm - whether against the body, mind, emotions, property, or livelihood - of President Trump's supporters or other "Deplorables."  We declare in Jesus's name that there will be no physical violence around the scheduled inauguration, in any protests, or by people just bent on causing chaos.  Instead, we loose a spirit of peace upon this nation.  May your deep peace be poured onto fires of anger, despair, fear-mongering, and general mischief and malfeasance.  As we keep our minds steadfast on you and your ways, may we shine brightly as agents of peace who will reap a harvest of righteousness.   Guard our individual hearts and minds and this nation's heart and mind in Christ Jesus with the deep peace the Holy Spirit plants within us when we follow you as Lord.  In Christ's name we pray, Amen. 

"God is our refuge and strength, 
an ever-present help in trouble. 
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way 
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, 
though its waters roar and foam 
and the mountains quake with their surging. Selah." (Psalm 46:1-3)

“Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." (Matthew 18:18-19 NIV)

"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness." (James 3:17-18 NIV)

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God." (Matthew 5:9 NIV)

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you." (Isa. 26:3)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Engulfed

¹ If the LORD had not been on our side—
let Israel say-

² if the LORD had not been on our side
when men attacked us,

³ when their anger flared against us,
they would have swallowed us alive;

⁴ the flood would have engulfed us,
the torrent would have swept over us,

⁵ the raging waters
would have swept us away.

⁶ Praise be to the LORD,
who has not let us be torn by their teeth.

⁷ We have escaped like a bird
out of the fowler's snare;
the snare has been broken,
and we have escaped.

⁸ Our help is in the name of the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

Engulfed.

For our family right now, the preparation of the new house, packing, and subsequent moves are engulfing.

For Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane the reality of what he was facing must have been engulfing.

For my sister-in-law on the USNS Comfort engulfed in seeing so many Haitian children who are amputees with so little hope.

For new parents facing the engulfing possibility of an ill newborn in the hospital for another month.

For a husband engulfed in the reality of raising his preschool children with his mentally ill, soon-to-be ex-wife.

For two families engulfed in the news of kidney cancer and its implications.

For Moses seeing the burning bush engulfed in flames - and the armies of Pharaoh engulfed in the reemerging waters of the Red Sea.

It is easy to be engulfed by the world, but the Psalmist reminds us that God is on our side. In fact, the Psalmist reminds us that IF the LORD had not been on our side we would have been swallowed up by our circumstances. BUT, God is the one who has not let us be captives, who has been and continues to be our help. Our help is in the name of the Lord who made heaven and earth. Surely, that kind of power and love can - and will - help us when we are engulfed by life.

It is easy in the midst of engulfing life circumstances to lose focus on our peace, our anchor, our rock. Sometimes our anchor is our spouse, holding on to us, encouraging us. Sometimes our rock is a friend or relative who says or does the right thing at the right time, acting as a great blessing. But always our Rock and our Redeemer invites us to come into his arms of love and to rest in the shadow of his wings. This invitation is to Peace that passes all understanding, to gaze only on His Face and to let the rest of the world fade away.

O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer, the Maker of heaven and earth, the giver of all good things, the Lamb of Salvation, the Spirit of Peace; thank you for being our help. Thank you for your faithfulness and love, your encouragement, and your power poured into our lives. When we are engulfed in the cares, the trials, the struggles, the chaos of this life, help us to release it to you and to focus on your peace and goodness. Jesus, calm the storms in our lives, and help us to cast all our cares upon you. Praise be to the God who is on our side! Amen.

Then pealed the bells

Joseph went from the Galilean town of Nazareth up to Bethlehem in Judah, David's town, for the census. As a descendant of David, he had to go there. He went with Mary, his fiancée, who was pregnant. While they were there, the time came for her to give birth. She gave birth to a son, her firstborn. She wrapped him in a blanket and laid him in a manger, because there was no room in the hostel.

There were sheepherders camping in the neighborhood. They had set night watches over their sheep. Suddenly, God's angel stood among them and God's glory blazed around them. They were terrified. The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David's town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger."

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:

Glory to God in the heavenly heights,

Peace to all men and women on earth who please him. (Luke 2 - MSG)

I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

God, this time of year is full of traditions, memories, and special events. Even as we remember and reflect and renew our earthly relationships, help us remember the "old familiar" story of your birth is the center of it all.

I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.

Thank you for the men and women who have passed down the Christian faith through the years. Thank you for the martyrs, the persecuted church, those that are ridiculed and scored for their faith - both in the past and in the present. Thank you for the witness of all your people through times and places for the Good News of Jesus Christ. Help us to take this faith and live it out in the here and now and pass it on to future generations.

And in despair I bowed my head:
"There is no peace on earth," I said,
"For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men."

God, for the many places in the world that are still under the thumb of the evil one we pray for deliverance. For those bound in slavery, for those oppressed by governments, for those whose existence is tied to evil - we pray for release for the captives, restoration of sight to the spiritually blind, and the reclamation of the Good News in lives and hearts currently crowded by the many faces of evil. We pray for peace to come into these situations and into every life yearning to know your peace.

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, good will to men."

Thank you for hearing our prayers. Thank you for being living, wonder-working, and the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Thank you for showing your power in our world and faithfully keeping your promises. Thank you for your protection, your provision, your revealed holiness.

Till, ringing singing, on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime,
Of peace on earth, good will to men!*

Come, Lord Jesus, come. We need you to finish the work you have begun, turning this fallen, dark world back to goodness and life and abundant life. Use us for the work we can do until there is peace on earth and good will to all.

Amen.

(*by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)

Transition

Change. Transition.

"The more things change, the more they stay the same."

"God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow."

"It's all the same, only the names are changed."

"When you go through the storms I am with you...you are mine."

"Not everyone likes the new things."

At this time of year we remember a young, Jewish, peasant girl whose faith enabled her to accept one of the most enormous changes anyone can experience - the announcement she would be mother to God's Son.

"I am the Lord's servant; may it be as you have said."

At this time of year we remember a young, Jewish man whose faith enabled him to accept his betrothed's changes - which, therefore, also changed his life - and to raise a child that was not his own.

"So Joseph married Mary...."

At this time of year we remember families who have lost loved ones during the past year - families for whom Christmas will be very different. We remember families for whom job losses and economic distress will make this a very different Christmas.

"This Christmas will be so different without them..."

At this time we see an "old year" quickly tumble into a "new year," as if the new is better, or as if the days are somehow fresher in the new year. We breathe a sigh of relief when a hard year is ended, looking forward to a new year with hope for its future.

"I'll be so glad when this year is over."

As our church searches for a new pastor and prepares to make a call we must realize that things around here will change. There will be a new personality in the mix. We will have to release a very well liked interim pastor. God continues to call us to new places, new ministries.

"There is a time for everything, a season for each pastor..."

At the end of C.S. Lewis's "The Last Battle," the main characters are passing from the Old Narnia into a New Narnia. This new land is like the old, except the colors are brighter, the scents are sweeter, the air purer -- it's just better by far. In their first moments in the New Narnia, the main characters go "further up and further in," running with abandon and joy in this new place Aslan (the Christ character) has brought them to.

Not every change or transition we undergo in this life on earth is immediately seen as a "good one." But, if Christ is calling us to a new place, we can trust that as we go further up and further in, as we follow where we are led, we will be accompanied by our Savior.

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how." - Jesus (from Matthew 16 MSG)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5,6 NIV)

God IS the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

God IS faithful, especially to his chosen children.

God CAN be trusted to walk us through the changes and transitions we encounter.

So, Lord, help us turn over to you our anxieties and fears, our hopes for the future, our pain from the past, and our sin that hinders us from running with endurance the race set before us. Grant us your peace so that we may run further up and further in to where you call us to go. May we run with joy and abandon because we are confident in who YOU are. Lead us, Lord, in paths of righteousness for the sake of your Name and your Glory.

Surrender

As the Christian pursuits her goal, she learns that she must offer up her own will and to accept the Lord's will with joy. To do this, complete trust is needed and it is by building altars that Much-Afraid abandons herself. Before every big step in her journey, she builds an altar and her offering is consumed. The biggest sacrifice that is asked by the Shepherd is at the last part of her journey. It is that of offering up the promise that she received when He called her to follow Him as well as the flower of "natural human love and desire growing in her heart[.] " After this offering, nothing is left in Much-Afraid but her desire to do the will of the Shepherd. The times of purification are over and she is finally ready to enter the Kingdom of Love. It is therefore by following the path indicated by her King, by offering up her will and by trusting Him completely that the Bride can arrive to the threshold of the High Places.** http://www.angelfire.com/nm/AndI/HindsFeet.html

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for? (Matthew 16:24-26 MSG)

Surrender don't come naturally to me
I'd rather fight You for something
I don't really want, than
Take what You give that I need

And I beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, falling on my knees

Hold me Jesus
I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
Hold me Jesus
Cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace*

I think about a poor, Jewish peasant girl who had an angel tell her she'd be the mother of the Son of God. If something like that happened to me, I'm not sure what my response would be. But hers was simple:

I'm the Lord's maid, ready to serve.
Let it be with me just as you say. (Luke 1:38 MSG)

What was it about her spirit, her faith, her trust in God that led her to so easily say YES to such a huge request by God? Being unwed and pregnant at that time could quickly lead to divorce from her betrothed, societal shunning, and even death. So, why could she so easily (at least as the writer of Luke records it) surrender to God's will?

Where are the places I still need to lay down my will, to let Jesus be in the driver's seat of my life? What are the things I think or say or feel or...whatever... that I need to surrender on the altar so that my heart and soul can be lined up with Christ's? It seems like He keeps finding things in me that I need to clean out of that back closet of my soul - junk he says to give to him so that he can replace that junk with His love and peace.

²⁸"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11 NIV)

Take my burdens, my junk, the stuff that impairs me from being able to follow you

Show me your way

Less of me, more of you

Help me surrender and trust you

Be my Prince of Peace

Amen

* "Hold Me Jesus" by Rich Mullins

** from a review of "Hinds Feet on High Places" by Hannah Hurnard

Logjam

Spiritual logjam.

Angst.

Confusion.

Am I being stubborn?

Desiring discernment.

Wanting to do the right thing.

Not in unity with others.

My spirit all balled up.

My husband and I are making a major decision about a home for our family. I am one of a team of people searching for God's choice for a new pastor for our church. Two MAJOR decisions I am a part of, both with huge implications.

I pray for wisdom. I yearn for guidance. I cry out to God - HELP ME.

My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me,
And holy is His name.
⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him
From generation to generation. (Luke 1 NKJV)

My soul magnifies the Lord.

My soul MAGNIFIES God.

Magnify, God.

God gets bigger.

I get smaller.

More God.

Less me.

Less me.

More God.

Fill my confusion with you.

Help me know what to do.

Protect my thoughts.

Give peace to my spirit.

My spirit rejoices in God my savior.

He HAS done great things for me.

He is mighty.

His name is holy.

His mercy is on those who fear him.

Merciful blessings.

Merciful peace.

Merciful wisdom.

Magnified God.

May your will be done and your Kingdom come.

Amen.

There is a time... to mourn

1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

2 a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance... (Ecc. 3 NIV)

Time, like an ever rolling stream, bears all who breathe away;

they fly forgotten, as a dream dies at the opening day.

(Isaac Watts, "O God Our Help in Ages Past")

This week it seems I am reminded of the grief of life. Through Facebook I was talking with an out-of-state friend and found out his mother died in 1996 and his sister in 2000. And tonight I visited an "old lady friend" of mine who at age 87 is in an assisted living home because of dementia. Her body may not be dying yet, but her mind is giving out. A good friend is celebrating her husband's first "heavenly birthday" today. And in a different way, I find the approach of fall somewhat difficult because it seems like nature is little by little dying. Just like I know that my friends who are believers in Christ will be saved to heaven, I know that (most likely) there will be spring after this upcoming winter. And, I know what Solomon wrote: there is a time for everything. This includes living -- and dying.

I have been humbled this year watching my friend walk this road of grief. Her husband died very unexpectedly and very young. Yet the next day at church and later at his funeral service she sang, praised, and worshipped with all her heart. Her heart for her husband may have been broken but her heart for God was calling out to him. Her seemingly unbounded faith and trust in God, even when it just didn't make sense, has been a challenge to my faith.

Would I be able to praise God if something happened to my husband? Would I be able to sing "You give and take away/Lord blessed be your name?"* Would I trust God enough to walk through the valley of the shadow of death, claiming God is comforting me? I am not sure I could and I hope I don't have to find out.

And yet, I believe God is bigger, stronger, and more merciful than we can understand.

This morning we sang a Matt & Beth Redman song "You Never Let Go" that I have held onto at different points this past year:

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
Your perfect love is casting out fear
And even when I’m caught in the middle of the storms of this life
I won’t turn back
I know You are near

And I will fear no evil
For my God is with me
And if my God is with me
Whom then shall I fear?
Whom then shall I fear?

Oh no, You never let go
Through the calm and through the storm
Oh no, You never let go
In every high and every low
Oh no, You never let go
Lord, You never let go of me

And I can see a light that is coming for the heart that holds on
A glorious light beyond all compare
And there will be an end to these troubles
But until that day comes
We’ll live to know You here on the earth (2005 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing))

He hasn't let go of my friend who lost his mom and sister. He hasn't let go of my friend who is grieving her husband. He hasn't let go of my friend with dementia. And he won't let go of me (or you) when we walk through the shadows of death or the storms of this life.

So we pray:

You, Lord, are our shepherd; we have all that we need.
You let us rest in green meadows; you lead us beside peaceful streams.
You renew our strength.
You guide us along right paths, bringing honor to your name.
Even when we walk through the darkest valley,
we will not be afraid, for you are close beside us.
Your rod and your staff protect and comfort us.
You prepare a feast for us in the presence of our enemies.
You honor us by anointing our heads with oil.
Our cup overflows with blessings.
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue us
all the days of our lives, and we will live in the house of the Lord forever. (Psalm 23 NLT, alt.)

One thing we ask of you, LORD,

this is what we seek:
that we may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of our lives,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek you in your temple. (Psalm 27:4 NIV, alt.)

O Holy Spirit, you're our comforter, strengthen us, guide us, grant us mercy.

Bless those who are poor in spirit so they can gain the kingdom of heaven.

Bless those who mourn, that they would know your comfort.**

Pour peace over the grieving we pray, in the strong name of our merciful Christ,

Amen

* "Blessed Be Your Name" - Matt & Beth Redman 2002 Thankyou Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing)

** Matthew 5:3-4

Interconnected

Lately I am struck by how interconnected our lives are -- not just our lives as a family, community, or church body, but as citizens of the U.S. and the world.  If a factory closes here and a comparable one opens in a different country, families are affected, for bad and for good, in both locations.  If a tariff on imported sugar beets helps the farmers in one country, it hurts the farmers in another.   If a beautiful work of art is created in one place, it has the potential to help beautify many places....  and the examples go on.    

Through Facebook I recently reconnected with some people from high school and grad school I hadn't talked with in years.  In addition to Facebook, email and phone calls, I even connect with friends through those "old-fashioned" face-to-face conversations!  Technology provides us with avenues to keep connected in ways we didn't have 10-15 (or more) years ago.  And yet, in some ways, our local communities have become less interconnected.  I know one set of neighbors pretty well, one lady more than by name, and two other houses by names.  The rest of my block I don't know their names.  If calamity happened in the middle of the night, would we know each other well enough and trust each other to help each other?  Or, to put it another way, would I be interconnected enough with the people around me to know we would "have each others' backs?"   Tis' a strange, paradox of a world we live in.

But, if we are followers of Jesus Christ, we know we are interconnected.  Paul talks about the parts of the church being like parts of a body:  that all are important and each need each other.   We suffer together, we rejoice together.  And Jesus prayed for unity among the believers in John 17.  Maybe that's because he knew us - knew that we, even with good intentions, find ourselves pushing for things that may cause disunity within the church.  Maybe because there is always some little whisper of chaos the Enemy is trying to stir up within a church.  Even when we don't want to be (for whatever earthly reason), we are interconnected by a God who wants us connected to Him.

So, we pray....

God of Life and Love,

Remind us of the gift of being connected to you.  Help us live a life connected by your Spirit to the Source of the Abundant Life.  Keep us mindful of those in this world whose lives are affected by our actions, and help us to be the hands and feet for your Word to go forth.  Remind us how to love and to continually seek you so we can remain unified as your children and your church.   Show us your most excellent way and give us one heart and mind with each other and with you.  Guide us by your hand into the paths of peace.

Amen.

^20-23I'm praying not only for them 
   But also for those who will believe in me 
   Because of them and their witness about me. 
   The goal is for all of them to become one heart and mind— 
   Just as you, Father, are in me and I in you, 
   So they might be one heart and mind with us. 
   Then the world might believe that you, in fact, sent me. 
   The same glory you gave me, I gave them, 
   So they'll be as unified and together as we are— 
   I in them and you in me. 
   Then they'll be mature in this oneness, 
   And give the godless world evidence 
   That you've sent me and loved them 
   In the same way you've loved me.

 ^24-26Father, I want those you gave me 
   To be with me, right where I am, 
   So they can see my glory, the splendor you gave me, 
   Having loved me 
   Long before there ever was a world. 
   Righteous Father, the world has never known you, 
   But I have known you, and these disciples know 
   That you sent me on this mission. 
   I have made your very being known to them— 
   Who you are and what you do— 
   And continue to make it known, 
   So that your love for me 
   Might be in them 
   Exactly as I am in them.  (John 17 MSG)

 ¹⁴Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. ¹⁵If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁶And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. ¹⁷If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? ¹⁸But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. ¹⁹If they were all one part, where would the body be? ²⁰As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

 ²¹The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" ²²On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, ²³and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, ²⁴while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, ²⁵so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. ²⁶If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

 ²⁷Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. ²⁸And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. ²⁹Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? ³⁰Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? ³¹But eagerly desire the greater gifts. 
      And now I will show you the most excellent way.  (1 Cor. 12 NIV)

Going to the place God will show us

"This world has nothing for me...I will follow you..."  *

God told Abram to pack up his household and go to the place "I will show you." 

Jesus called to the disciples, "Come follow me."  And they left their nets and followed. 

Tonight I talked with friends who are preparing to move out of state because his factory has been closed here and they are hoping to have a job in Virginia.  They have both been a lifelong residents of this area.  Yet, they are prepared to uproot their lives, move away from families and friends, resettle four children (including one in high school and one in middle school), and start over in a brand new place.  But she's told me they have great peace about moving out there.  In fact, both their teenagers are excited (and THAT has to be a work of God, right??!!)  It's like God is saying "pack and go to the place I will show you.  The economy certainly isn't "calling" them to Virginia, like God was calling Abram, but this may be a time when God is calling them to a new field of ministry.  And they are willing to go.

We've probably each been through times in our lives where God has called us to GO but not told us where we are going.  Or we may be discerning now what God's call is or how to follow him.   Our church is searching for a new pastor...what if this isn't a "simple" pastor hire?  What if God's call is more involved to us -- maybe to "pack up" the way we've been doing ministry and "go" to a place God will show us?  I don't know that for sure, but sometimes the simplest invitation - "Come, follow me" - can have the most profound impact on our lives.  

So my prayer for this week...

God of Provision, Wisdom, and Perfect Timing,

Help us seek first your Kingdom

Help us listen to your Wisdom and put it into practice

Help us know the plans you have for our future, a future with hope

Help us trust you when we are walking through the chaos of decision making

Help us to be patient and recognize that your strength will hold us up when we are waiting for direction

Help us be willing to quit what we are doing and then follow you when you call us to a new place

We need you, Jesus, to come to our rescue; where else can we go?

Capture us with grace; we will follow you...

Maranatha, Lord Jesus, come guide our feet into your paths of righteousness

Holy Spirit, come, refresh, revive, restore, comfort, and whisper peace into our storm-tossed souls.

May our words, thoughts, and deeds be pleasing and acceptable to you, our Rock and Redeemer.

Amen.

Genesis 12 (NIV)

The Call of Abram

 ¹ The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.

 ² "I will make you into a great nation 
       and I will bless you; 
       I will make your name great, 
       and you will be a blessing.

 ³ I will bless those who bless you, 
       and whoever curses you I will curse; 
       and all peoples on earth 
       will be blessed through you."

 ⁴ So Abram left, as the LORD had told him...

Matthew 4:18-20 (New International Version)

The Calling of the First Disciples

 ¹⁸As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." ²⁰At once they left their nets and followed him.

* "Rescue"

You are the source of life

And I can't be left behind

No one else will do

And I will take hold of You

My heart is Yours for life

I need Your hand in mine

No one else will do

I put my trust in You

'Cause I need You Jesus

To come to my rescue

Where else can I go

There's no other name

By which I am saved

Capture me with grace

I will follow You

I will follow You

This world has nothing for me

I will follow You

This world has nothing for me

CCLI Song No. 4084763

© 2003 Vertical Worship Songs (Admin. by Integrity Music, Inc.)

Jared Anderson

Praying for the children of the world

^1-2 All you who fear God, how blessed you are! how happily you walk on his smooth straight road! 
   You worked hard and deserve all you've got coming. 
      Enjoy the blessing! Revel in the goodness! 

 ^3-4 Your wife will bear children as a vine bears grapes, 
      your household lush as a vineyard, 
   The children around your table 
      as fresh and promising as young olive shoots. 
   Stand in awe of God's Yes. 
      Oh, how he blesses the one who fears God! 

 ^5-6 Enjoy the good life in Jerusalem 
      every day of your life. 
   And enjoy your grandchildren. 
      Peace to Israel!  (Psalm 128 Message)

Last night I came upon this passage and got a chuckle out of verse 3, which in the NLT says, "Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table."  I was laughing as I was fast-forwarding a few years to have four vigorous and hungry teenage boys sitting around our table and how much food they will consume!   

And it reminded me of the children of this world who are in need of physical, emotional, or spiritual nourishment.   So, we remember and pray...

- for children who do not have enough food to eat

- for children who spend their lives in orphanages or foster care

- for children who never are held, or laughed with, or smiled at, or hugged, or who never know what it means to be loved

- for the child of the journalist convicted and sentenced to hard labor in North Korea

- for children growing up and learning to hate other people

- for the millions who have been aborted over the last thirty plus years

- for the octuplets born in California and for the children of Jon & Kate 

- for other children in unstable or ungodly family situations

- for Sasha and Melia, growing up in the artificial bubble of the White House

- for children whose circumstances force them to grow up long before they should

- for children pressed into military or terrorist organizations

- for children used or sold in the world sex trades

- for children whose parents are ill, divorcing, or otherwise going through trauma 

- for children whose differences or disabilities are seen as liabilities by others

- for children who are being uprooted when parents have to relocate to support the family 

- for children who have never heard of the love, grace, hope and peace offered through Jesus Christ

God, we pray that your protection would be on all the children you create.  We pray you would help us to help these children be fresh, promising, and vigorous.  We pray your Word would be known to them and they would have their needs met.   And we pray for hope and peace through Jesus Christ.

God in heaven, I make my prayer 

For all the people everywhere 

Who live in fear or pain or doubt; 

Whose homes are gone, and hopes run out. 

God in heaven, I make my prayer 

For all the children everywhere 

Who live in terrible, warring places; 

Who live with hunger and strange, sad faces. 

God in heaven, I make my prayer 

For all good people everywhere 

Who live in comfort, love and peace,

And pray sincerely for strife to cease; 

But who do not always hear the call 

Of those who live with nothing at all. 

God in heaven, hear my prayer! 

Help all people everywhere 

To come closer together in plenty and need, 

And to make our world your home, indeed. *

AMEN

*("Prayer for Today"By Margaret Tucker, text by Mary M. Coulson)