Monday, November 29, 2010

Sermon given @ Second Congregational Nov. 28

First Sunday of Advent, Light the candle of Hope.

Isaiah 60:1-5 ; 18-22

1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
2 See, darkness covers the earth
and thick darkness is over the peoples,
but the LORD rises upon you
and his glory appears over you.
3 Nations will come to your light,
and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

4 “Lift up your eyes and look about you:
All assemble and come to you;
your sons come from afar,
and your daughters are carried on the hip.
5 Then you will look and be radiant,
your heart will throb and swell with joy;
the wealth on the seas will be brought to you,
to you the riches of the nations will come.


18 No longer will violence be heard in your land,
nor ruin or destruction within your borders,
but you will call your walls Salvation
and your gates Praise.
19 The sun will no more be your light by day,
nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you,
for the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your God will be your glory.
20 Your sun will never set again,
and your moon will wane no more;
the LORD will be your everlasting light,
and your days of sorrow will end.
21 Then all your people will be righteous
and they will possess the land forever.
They are the shoot I have planted,
the work of my hands,
for the display of my splendor.
22 The least of you will become a thousand,
the smallest a mighty nation.
I am the LORD;
in its time I will do this swiftly.”




Our Advent series is all about The Light. The Promise of the Light, the Coming of the Light, and on Christmas, the Embrace of the Light. The Light of course is the Light of the World, Jesus Christ. The Advent season is traditionally a time of anticipation, expectancy as we wait for the birth of Jesus. The 4 Sundays of Advent, we light candles symbolizing Hope, Love, Joy and Peace.

Now in our time the catch words of this season seem to be shopping, wrapping, decorating, cooking, cleaning, -not much peace there! Maybe that's why we come to church!!

Prophet Isaiah..began to prophecy about 740 years before the time of Jesus.

His writings are very poetic, with beautiful imagery, showing how all of creation, all of nature, will be in harmony when God's kingdom reigns supreme. The early parts of Isaiah predict of the fall of various kingdoms, but from chapter 40 on are words of comfort, and predictions of the messiah and the beauty and peace-shalom, that will accompany the reign of God. Isaiah's message is all about the Grace of God, salvation coming through God, not because of anything we people have done or can do!

Let's look at the imagery in this passage...light, glory, radiance, splendor...

does v. 19 seem familiar? It is used in the Revelation..the description, of heaven, the new Jerusalem...Rev 21: 23And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

Light and dark are images used all through the Bible...1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.


Light and dark....scientific defintion of darkness is absence of light...light has physical properties, it is made up of photons, travels at 186,000 miles per second...darkness does not have properties of its own, it is purely an absence, doing without, emptiness...of light.

Through this advent series, as we talk about Light, the Promise of the Light, the coming of the Light, and embracing the light, we are talking about Jesus, the Light of the World. In an epistle of John, “God is Light, in him there is no darkness whatsoever.” so when the Bible talks of light, it means God, and darkness is being without God, separation from God.

our world seems to have an awful lot of darkness, doesn't it?!

NT lesson John 1:9-13

John 1: 9-13

9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

John is of course writing about Jesus Christ. The True light...that gives light, meaning, to bring understanding, to everyone.

Jesus was not received, or accepted, by everyone in His own time, or even now 2000 years later!

And yet, God promises that we who do receive Christ, who believe, become children of God. What a lovely promise that is!!

The Bible is full of promises of God, promises of Light, that we shall be children of God, Faithful promises of everlasting life, forgiveness, comfort, of Love, Joy, Peace and Hope!

The Hope of Advent comes from the promises of God. As author Richard Foster writes:

The Bible does not simply tell us of the presence of God; it shows us the active presence of God deeply and permanently embedded in all the smells, tastes, touches, sights, and sounds of human life. Over and over, this reality is played out in stories, poems, carefully preserved histories, records of cultural systems, details of prophetic revelations, speeches, letters, songs and prayers. The Scripture weaves the involvement of God through the intimacies of birth and death, lovemaking and betrayal, weddings and funerals, warring and peacemaking, wealth and poverty, hunger and thirst, tears and laughter. Across thousands of years with wave upon wave of names and faces and recurring events, the Bible threads God's patient words of love and faithfulness: I am with you.

–Richard Foster, Life With God


God created the heavens and the earth, and then created humans, God promised to be with us. God is so interested in a personal relationship, that God sent a son...to be born to a woman, a virgin as promised in Scripture, raised in an ordinary family, to live with ordinary people, and to die an extraordinary death...just because God so loved the world. 16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

The ultimate promise is the Light of the World, our Lord and Savior. Let the Light of Jesus shine in you as you go through this Advent season.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

a new sermon

Sermon given June 27 at 2nd Cong.
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage. 7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. 8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. 10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. 11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Obligatory joke to open the sermon....A Short Prayer…
Dear Lord,
So far today, I’ve done all right. I haven’t gossiped, haven’t lost my temper, haven’t been greedy, grumpy, nasty, selfish, or over indulgent. I’m very thankful for that.
But, in a few minutes, God, I’m going to get out of bed. And from then on, I’m probably going to need a lot more help. Amen!

Psalm 16- of David

talking about redemption, through not his own actions but by choosing to follow God,. Seeking guidance, avoiding the choices that others make by following other gods and their own actions. Choosing to listen through his prayers to the guidance of God. Recognizing the eternal qualities of God, the Presence that is always there, recognizing his own freedom to choose to recognize that Presence in his daily life.

Galatians 5:1, 13-25
5:1 For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Life by the Spirit

13 You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.
19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

Ah the Fruits of the Spirit...a famous lesson. The gifts of the Holy Spirit of God. These are the qualities of God! The very qualities embodied by Christ in his time on earth, and the qualities to which we followers of Christ all aspire.

Quite a contrast with the list preceeding isn't it? “the acts of the sinful nature'”
these are actions that go against God,. That separate us from God.
They are qualities that we see a lot of, and may, occasionally exhibit ourselves, from time to time.. AND no, we are not here to say well this one does that and that one does this....No, today, let's look at the mirror, not at the neighbor!

There is a paradox at the heart of the Christian faith -- that we are most free when we are tied to Christ and surrendered to the Spirit. This is the essence of Congregationalism! “The Congregational Way is a way of following Christ. People of a Congregational Church do not seek to be led by a creed, but by the Spirit. Ours is the tradition of a free church, gathered under the headship of Christ and bound to others by love, not law.” this is very much like the early church that we read about in our Bibles, to whom Paul is writing in this and his other epistles.

We convenant together, we choose to be together, rather than being bound together by a set of prescribed statements of belief. This is VERY biblical! And yet, This can be challenging! Sometimes it is easier to have that set of 'rules” --a guidebook-- isn't it?

It is like the freedom we have here in the US. We are free to worship or not, free to work or not, free to live in ways that promote health and well being or not.
We as Christians are free to act in Godly ways, or not.
But we can and if we are true to our faith, we ought to! Our role is to be more like Christ, is it not? So how do we, like the person in the early morning prayer, once we are getting out of bed, refrain from the things that keep us separate from God? And let's be clear, this list of “No-no's” is more than just God saying, “I would like to see you do better...” the Scripture is very clear...that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. ...If we are living in these ways..we are NOT part of God!
Well, someone may say, why are we like that then? God must have made us this way...it is just human nature!! No, technically it is not. We were created in God's image. Whether you believe that the Garden of Eden story is the absolute literal way we were created, or if you believe it is a beautiful word picture of creation, we were created in the image of God! We were created to have all these gifts of the Spirit. But we blew it. We blow it every day. What we want to call “human nature' is actually the sinful nature. And as one character says in the movie the African Queen, “Nature, Mr Allnut, is what we were put on this earth to rise above”
We can, rise above, we can be closer to what God created us to be...we can have a Godly nature....By the power of the holy spirit. The power, that Paul wrote in ephesians is at work in us...a power that is accessed, by acts of faith....the word of God, prayer, time with other people of faith! Paying attention to those nudges of conscience that guide us during the day.
Stop and listen.. when you are stressed, can you stop and listen, say a quick prayer for guidance? Even God Help me! Is a great prayer! As david wrote in the psalm, keep the Lord ever before you,, reminding ourselves of the Presence of the Lord throughout the day can help keep us on task. Do you have a sense of God;s presence? Sure, here, when we have good worship, wondeful music. When else do you find a real sense of God? A lot of say out in nature, at the shore, in the northwoods, the mountains. There are other ways, you may have a sense of God.... Ask God to help you keep him in mind through your day. Keeping God in mind, thinking about those fruits of the spirit, the qualities of God, can help keep us on task.
Jesus, God's son, Chose to live on earth, chose to live as a human, to show us how God truly is and how to live in a Godly way. Jesus chose this! He ate, slept, prayed, wept, never sinned, but neither did He condemn sinners. He came to love and to show us to love God and love one another. Jesus lived by faith, freely given US the freedom to choose to do likewise. And he chose, out of his tremendous love, to go to the Cross, for you and for me. And then gave His Holy spirit to us to help guide and teach us how to be more like Him.
When describing the early Christians to the Emperor Hadrian, Greek writer Aristides wrote: "They love one another. They never fail to help widows; they save orphans from those who hurt them. If they have something, they give freely to the person who has nothing; if they see a stranger, they take him home as a brother or sister in the spirit, the Spirit of God."

Dallas Willard....The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988). Its thesis is very simple:

“There is a way of life that, if generally adopted, would eliminate all of the social and political problems from which we suffer. This way of life comes to whole-hearted disciples of Christ who live in the disciplines of the spiritual life and allow grace to bring their {actions} into alignment with their redeemed spirits”

Willard points out that the word disciple is used 269 times in the New Testament. The word Christian is found only three times - and the first time introduces the disciples (Acts 11:26). The New Testament is a book about disciples, by disciples and for disciples of Jesus Christ (258).

Here comes the clincher paragraph:

“For at least several decades the churches of the Western world have not made discipleship a condition of being a Christian. One is not required to be, or to intend to be, a disciple in order to become a Christian, and one may remain a Christian without any signs of progress toward or in discipleship. Contemporary American churches in particular do not require following Christ in his example, spirit and teachings as a condition of membership...discipleship clearly is optional.” (258)

Conclusion?: Most problems in contemporary churches can be explained by the fact that members have not yet decided to follow Christ. If we do not follow Christ, we do not have the guidance of the Holy Spirit. We are therefore not able to keep God with us, in our minds and in our hearts. We are unable to rise above,...to be true followers of The Lord Jesus.

Will you choose to make this commitment today- to truly follow our Loving Lord? Will you renew your life in Christ? Will you embrace the gifts of the spirit, turning your back on those things that keep us separate from God? Will you choose to help make this world a bit better place, one hour, one day at a time, right here, right now?

If so, Please pray with me...
You oh LORD are my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
You show me the path of life. In your presence there is joy; in your hand are pleasures forevermore. Help me, Lord God to use my freedom to not indulge the sinful nature; rather, to serve one another humbly in love. Help me to live the fruits of Your Spirit, and live out your love in all I do each day. We pray in the Name and Spirit of our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

not keeping up here very well am I?!
We have adopted a kitten. She is adorable, tiny. She is a lovely smokey grey color. So she is named Ashley Shadow Squeakerton. She is now 9 weeks old and is up to 2 whole pounds! Our sons especially adore her. She seems to have helped older son out of the slump he has been in since his gf died in December. Nothing like a little purring ball of fluff to take your mind off your troubles!

Not reading as much as I should, I have trouble focusing for any length of time.
I have never been diagnosed with ADD, and I am certainly not hyperactive. But if i am short on sleep or anything, i can not concentrate for more than a few minutes on anything! Mayb a few brain circuits got fried during all those years of multi-tasking in a busy retail pharmacy!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Where did it go?

"Of all the things I've lost, I miss my mind the most"
-- today I was making a few phone calls to gals about Women's Circle. along about the 4th phone call, the person's phone rang 2 or 3 times and a man answered. My mind went utterly blank. NO idea whatsoever of who I had just dialed. In front of me is the whole church phone listing, so that's no immediate help. I said "Hi!" and stammered a bit, then said, "This Carol from church..." and the man burst out laughing and said, "You forgot who you are calling didn't you!" and he enlightened me as to whose home I had reached. Thank God I remembered HIS name before he went and got his wife for me. He was still laughing.

This is a "Wordle" of this blog. Fun web application. Check it out at www.wordle.net

Images created by the Wordle.net web application are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

April 1 2010 Maundy Thursday Sermon

Intro- it is Passover, Jewish holiday celebrated every year...going on now! To commemorate the Exodus, the escape of the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt.

Luke 22 verses 14-20

14 When the hour came, {for the Passover meal} Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, "I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God."

17 After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, "Take this and divide it among you. 18 For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."

19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.

Our passage from the Gospel of Luke is of course the moment when Jesus instituted the sacrament of Communion.

This passage is a brief glimpse, just a few moments in this final evening of Jesus' life. We have heard the story....Jesus is about to tell his disciples that one of them will betray Him, that they will all desert Him. He woill then go into the Garden and pray in total anguish, ultimately praying to His Father in Heaven...”Not my will, but yours” He would be betrayed, arrested, deserted by His friends, endure beatings, a 'trial' on trumped up charges and be flogged and put to death. But this passage, this moment in the life of Jesus and the Twelve is a moment of joy. It is a moment that commemorates Jesus' whole purpose. It is a moment “he eagerly desired!”

Jewish-ness of Jesus and followers..and first Christians...Jesus raised in a Jewish family He would have been taught the traditions of prayer and sacrifice. Traditions that He would of course grow up to live out!

the Passover meal contains the observance of many rituals including: Eating bitter herbs to remember the bitterness of enslavement, eating unleavened bread-which commemorates the haste with which the Hebrew people had to leave Egypt, drinking of wine, relating the story of the exodus to the children.

The Exodus passage tells us of that first passover. The Hebrew people were to sacrifice a perfect lamb to feed their family, and the blood of that sacrifice, sprinkled on the doorposts, was a sign to keep them safe from the angel of death as the firstborn of Egypt were all slain. as the Israelites ate their quickly prepared meal, God's presence at the “table”, was their protection, and a judgment upon their enemies.

(From Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus by Ann Spangler & Lois Tverberg)

The idea of communing with God at his table was a key part of the sacrificial system of the temple. Certain offerings, like sin and guilt sacrifices, were completely consecrated to God. But others like the fellowship or peace offering, were different. In these kinds of offerings, the worshiper and his family, along with the priests, would consume a portion of the sacrifice. When they ate from the altar, it was as though God was sharing some of his food with them. By doing so, they were affirming that they were dining at God's table. Through their peace offering they celebrated their Shalom with God and with each other. The Israelites understood this as a true covenantal communion—that they could sit down to a meal with God.

The Passover meal is a time to celebrate that one is at peace with God, and with those around the table. No wonder Jesus “Eagerly desired” this moment!

He then renewed that covenant, and instituted a new covenant! The covenant with God through Jesus himself.


Bread is used so often in scripture as a symbol. Bread is a staple of the diet of every society. Yet Scripture says, “ people do not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” During the 40 years in the wilderness the Israelites lived on manna, referred to as Bread from heaven.

in the New Testament, Jesus multiples bread and a few fish to feed thousands of people! after his resurrection, in the Road to Emmaus story, Jesus is with the two travelers for quite a while, yet they only recognize him when he takes bread, giving thanks and breaking it! In the Gospel of John, Jesus calls himself the Bread of Life.

The bread that Jesus took at this meal and gave to his disciples was unleavened bread, Matzoh. It is broken into 3 pieces, and the piece that Jesus took was the middle piece, with symbolizes the priest or mediator between God and the people. So Jesus used this piece of bread, to tell his disciples and us, how He himself, his body, broken, would become the perfect mediator between us and God.

The Four Cups of wine used in the Seder primarily symbolize the four distinct redemptions promised by God to the Hebrews as told in Exodus 6:6-7. (1) "I will take you out of Egypt", (2) "I will deliver you from slavery", (3) "I will redeem you with a demonstration of my power", and (4) "I will acquire you as a nation".

The cup of wine Jesus took and gave to his disciples is the cup of redemption. God redeemed the Hebrew people from Egypt by a display of his power...the parting of the Red Sea. Jesus took the cup of redemption, and called it the New Covenant in his blood. We would be redeemed, by this act of sacrifice that Jesus was about to make on our behalf.

Jesus came to give us –each of US-the complete peace, the Shalom, the peace, and wholeness of God. This is from which comes this bit of joy and serenity that we sense in this brief passage. This shalom is present even in the midst of the anguish and suffering that Jesus would shortly endure.


There are people who display that sense of shalom, that knowledge that whatever is happening, God is in control! We all know folks like that. We have been blessed to have some right in this church. These are people whose faith enables them to sail pretty smoothly through life. I try...but I am not quite there yet. Years ago, when my family was going through some serious challenges, we had 2 deaths in one week. We were reeling, I tell you! But at the second visitation, for my grampa, was a rosary service. And I was watching my aunts, who were so calmed by the prayer service. I envied and admired their faith. I also doubted if I were capable of that deep a faith. Some time later, I shared that doubt with a friend, who wisely, quietly, said, “you can pray for more faith.” I am sure my prayer was very hesitant, something along the lines of “um, God, it's Carol, um,..i know you are busy, and have important stuff to tend to...but if you have a minute...i was wondering...” Well, if you need proof that God does NOT need us to be articulate in our prayers, I am here to tell ya, that hesitant prayer was answered. Gradually, my faith has increased. I am not all the way there yet, but with continued prayer, I'm getting closer! And God provided me with some models of faith and prayer to help me to pray with less hesitation! To learn to as scripture says, to boldly approach the throne of grace!

The Jewish faith has a profound tradition of prayer. To help the people to remind themselves of God's continual presence, they have short prayers of blessing to say throughout the day, from waking until going to sleep. These prayers are prayers of praise, recognizing that all gifts are from God. So these short prayers are to follow the commandment to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. The apostle Paul alludes to this tradition of prayer in his epistles...

just one example is 1 Thessalonians 5--16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Can we embrace this tradition? can we strive to make our every act a prayer? just as Jesus was taught and as he taught. As we pray “Give us this day our Daily bread...” can we remember that we are asking for the necessities of life, and asking Jesus,the Bread of Life, to be lord of our lives more today than yesterday!

In just a few moments, to prepare for Communion we will sing part of a Psalm, another Jewish tradition, praying “Oh Lord you are my God, I trust in you.” Let us make that more than a song, but a prayer. As we take the Bread of Life and the Cup of Redemption, Let us pray to make our lives, more of a prayer, to our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!


Friday, January 22, 2010

quote

quote i just found:
"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good."
— Maya Angelou (Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer)

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Friends

Wrote this today for our church national association Lenten devotions publication

"I no longer call you servants, because servants do not know their master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." John 15:15 TNIV

My friend and I ate our dessert in silence. With some folks, it is awkward when neither has anything to say. This friend and I are comfortable in silence together. We have been friends since grade school. We were not in touch for a time, as we both went through considerable life changes. But we are back together, and it is just as if we were never apart. What a gift it is to have a such a close friend!

Jesus said to the disciples, "I called you friends". What a gift! He called them friends, because He made known what He knew from God. This is intimacy, when one shares with another. Sharing requires that we are open to one another. The disciples were open to Jesus' teachings. It was a process that did not happen overnight! Real intimacy does not happen instantaneously. It comes over time.

How can we allow ourselves to be more open to the teachings of Jesus? Can we spend more time with Him, in our Bible time, small groups, in worship, and in service? Shall we accept the gift of friendship from our Lord?

Prayer: Loving Lord, thank you for the gift of friendship. Help us to grow in our friendship with You and with other Christians. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Monday, January 4, 2010

be still

Devotion that i gave this morning at church staff meeting: The senior minister is beginning a sermon series on spiritual discernment, How do we discern (learn, interpret, comprehend) the direction God is leading us? So the first step is : Psalm 46:10, "Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."

We need to have quiet time in order to hear from God. in 1 Kings 19, the voice of the Lord is referred to as "still, small voice". in our time, the word "small" seems to mean "insignificant". And of course God's voice is significant! Author Henri Nouwen refers to the voice of God as "an intimate voice". It is not loud, or pushy like a tv sales pitch! In fact I think we are so used to "hey hey Have I got a deal for you" in our daily lives, that we do not remember to take time to be still and know that God is. We pray for the ability to better listen to the intimate voice of God.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Godly Goals

On Jan. 1, as I sat down to do my Bible reading, I was thinking/praying about my New Year's resolutions. Resolutions are goals. To effectively set goals, whether personal or for a group or business, there need to be parameters. Good goals need to be specific, realistic, & measurable. And as I was pondering this, I realized that as a Christian, as one called to serve, my goals also need to be Godly! And what better way to have Godly Goals, than to use Scripture!?
So my goal of reading thru the Bible this year (which has a side benefit of being more knowledgeable about it!) is "Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." So I can pray, "Lord, help me spend more time reading and pondering your word, and help it grow in me and guide me in all I do"

Friday, January 1, 2010

2010

a new year! so is it pronounced twenty-ten or two thousand ten?

Last night's New Year's Eve service and supper at church went well. and broke up earlier than usual which was good! we were home by 8:30. I went to sleep early but woke up before midnight. and the neighborhood was quieter than usual at midnight, a few firecracker volleys but that was it. I read Revelation 21 & 22, the description of the heaven..the New Jerusalem. "Behold I am coming soon!"

at the service we sang a couple songs, then i read Gen 1:1-5 and John 1:1-5 and 1:14. Talked about language, words. God merely spoke and everything was created. and His word-promises, law and covenants came to Abraham and Moses. The prophets spoke of God; then Jesus the Word, is God and is the promise of God's word. We can have The Word within us, Jesus as savior and the word of God as we read and meditate and pray on it.

and I am going to go do just that. I have a new Bible reading plan and devotions for the new year. knowing that there will be days I do not manage the 'daily readings' I am going to allot days like today, downtime, to read chunks. bliss.

May the Grace and Peace of our Lord Jesus be with us more each day in this new year! Shalom, Carol