Sermon Preparation Advice:

The Spirit has taught us in meditation to ponder its message, to put aside, if we will, the responsibility of preparing the message we've got to give. Just trust God for that. But first, meditate on it, quietly ponder it, let it sink deep into our souls. Have you not often been surprised and overcome with delight as Holy Scripture is opened up as if the gate of the Golden City have been set back for you to enter? A few minutes silent openness of soul before the Lord has brought us more treasure of truth than hours of learned research.

                                                     Charles Haddon Spurgeon

 

 

Friday Five: New Things You Love

Songbird over at RevGalBlogPals writes:

There's a new baby on my street, a double PK whose Mom and Dad are Methodist pastors and church planters. I'm hoping to go over and meet her today. I love new babies, the way they smell and their sweet little fingers and toes. Little K has me thinking about all the new things that please us with their shiny freshness.

Please share with us five things you like *especially* when they are new

1.  Babies almost definitely have to top the list. There is just something so innocent and pure about them as they trust us to care for them.

2.  Baby animals – I think God made them so darned cute so that we couldn’t help but love them – even when they chew, chew, chew or pee, pee, pee all over your things – even your sermons!

3.  New Car – there’s nothing like a the smell of a brand new car, shining and ready to go to work hauling kids, animals and all the other things we use them for.

4.  New Books – I love new books – whether they are bound, purchased for the Kindle or hosted on my Zune. If I have an addiction, this is it.

5.  Fresh fallen snow before it’s had any tracks.

Old Irish Blessing

The Waters of Baptism

When we were baptized, God gave each of us a gift. Perhaps we were too young to understand…too young to open the gift at the time, so it was put on a shelf. Over the years, some have unwrapped it, in Sunday School, or confirmation, or in conversation with mom and dad, and they found great promise and great blessing in the gift of baptism. But others, like me, took a long time to unwrap the gift and looking inside. When I finally did, I still wasn’t sure it was something I wanted or needed, but the gift was always mine. You see, that’s the great miracle in the gift of baptism; once it’s given, it always belongs to the receiver. We can ignore it, we can doubt it, and we can resist it, we can run from it, but the gift is always ours. The gift of baptism, of course, is grace, and it’s been given to you. It’s got your name on it, and it is yours forever. And that’s a promise. Thanks be to God. Amen.

Gather us in …

Gather Us In Lyrics
Here in this place, new light is streaming
now is the darkness vanished away,
see, in this space, our fears and our dreamings,
brought here to you in the light of this day.

Gather us in the lost and forsaken
gather us in the blind and the lame;
call to us now, and we shall awaken
we shall arise at the sound of our name.

We are the young – our lives are a mystery
we are the old – who yearns for your face.
we have been sung throughout all of history
called to be light to the whole human race.

Gather us in the rich and the haughty
gather us in the proud and the strong
give us a heart so meek and so lowly
give us the courage to enter the song.

Here we will take the wine and the water
here we will take the bread of new birth
here you shall call your sons and your daughters
call us anew to be salt of the earth.

Give us to drink the wine of compassion
give us to eat the bread that is you
nourish us well and teach us to fashion
lives that are holy and hearts that are true.

Draw near to God …

 

Here is an interesting way to weave prayer into your life …

http://sacredspace.ie/

 

The more we call on God
the more we can feel God's presence.
Day by day we are drawn closer
to the loving heart of God.

He’s Always Been Faithful

It’s been that kind of week …

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I’ve heard for so long
God has been faithful, He will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end
All I have need of, His hand will provide
He’s always been faithful, He’s always been faithful
He’s always been faithful to me.