Just a quick post this time. I made some very intentional, measured resolutions for the year this year and I am glad to say I have done pretty well for the most part. One of my resolutions was to pray more and be more intentional about prayer, thus my "Facetime" posts, but how does one do that? I do journal and keep a prayer journal. There are too many times someone has asked me to pray about something, and I said I would, and then I forgot. Well that stopped years ago when i starting keeping the journal because it gave me a place to write things down and to see what God was doing, the answered prayers, and the unfolding story.
My brother Keith has brought to my attention an awesome tool he uses for prayer called echo prayer, you can check it out here
Another discipline I have been moving toward since my trip to Jordan almost three years ago are regular fixed hours of prayer. The Muslim practice of praying five times a day and the regular stopping in worship and awareness of God touched me deeply. In the Christian tradition this is sometimes called the Divine Hours. I have attempted to do this haphazardly off and on with little discipline. I am excited about the potential for intentional and regular prayer with this tool and thought you might want to check it out for yourself.
Let me know how it works for you.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Vision, Running, and the Church
So, I have started training to run a 5K. I know big deal huh? Well I am not a runner. I never have been. This is hard for me! So, I am building my endurance lttle by little by alternating walking and running. I was doing this the other day when I noticed something, the more I focused on trees, street signs, cars in the distance, the farther I was able to go without feeling nearly as out of breath.
I danced growing up, ballet, tap, jazz, modern. I was even in a dance company. I remember whenever we would turn or pirouette we would find a spot on the wall, in the distance, and that is what we fixed our eyes on, so that even in our spinning, we kept our momentum, we were able to remain steady, upright, and in motion.
In pondering these things I began to think of the church I serve. It is 116 years old and it has seen many changes and transitions over the years. For so many years it struggled to survive to the point that survival became the point of focus. The church has begun new growth in the last few years. New vision has been important to the direction and momentum that has begun to build and new vision, new focus will propel the church further forward even still. The key then is to constantly be looking up to what God is doing, to what God is calling us to next. Churches are not meant to exist forever, the Kingdom of God is. That is the vision that must propel the Church forward beyond any other vision, plan, or survival skills for that matter.
I danced growing up, ballet, tap, jazz, modern. I was even in a dance company. I remember whenever we would turn or pirouette we would find a spot on the wall, in the distance, and that is what we fixed our eyes on, so that even in our spinning, we kept our momentum, we were able to remain steady, upright, and in motion.
In pondering these things I began to think of the church I serve. It is 116 years old and it has seen many changes and transitions over the years. For so many years it struggled to survive to the point that survival became the point of focus. The church has begun new growth in the last few years. New vision has been important to the direction and momentum that has begun to build and new vision, new focus will propel the church further forward even still. The key then is to constantly be looking up to what God is doing, to what God is calling us to next. Churches are not meant to exist forever, the Kingdom of God is. That is the vision that must propel the Church forward beyond any other vision, plan, or survival skills for that matter.
Facetime #4
That's me, no makeup. I went out to run an errand like that tonight, no makeup, bare, nothing hidden, not even the outbreak of acne I had this week. I know, nice huh? Well, that is how we all approach God really. I mean we might kid ourselves that we are hiding something but are we? God knows every hair on my head and yours, and yet so many of us fear coming to Him with our deepest, darkest places, the scars, and imperfections in our lives. Coming to God in prayer with these scars and imperfections is what God wants. Yes He knows they are there, but our coming to Him in prayer is an act of worship, of who He is, perfect and holy, and who we are, broken and in need of saving grace. This is what I know; we can try to keep these places hidden or undercover but ultimately it is only shining some light in those dark places that is ever going to bring real healing, covering those wounds and scars only causes them to fester and grow deeper. Getting real with yourself enough to own your junk and get real with God in confessing it is what it takes so some light might shine in the dark and new life might begin. Then growing in an honest, open, real, relationship with the creator of the universe and the lover of your soul,naked an unashamed. I'm convinced of this, if we can be really real with God when we go to Him in prayer, we can be a lot more real with the people in our lives as well.
"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account".
Hebrews 14:13
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