Lord, You have always given bread for the coming day;
and though I am poor, today I believe.

Lord, You have always given strength for the coming days;
and though I am weak, today I believe.

Lord, You have always given peace for the coming day;
and though of anxious heart, today I believe.

Lord, You have always kept me safe in trials;
and now, tired as I am, today I believe.

Lord, You have always marked the road for the coming day;
and though it may be hidden, today I believe.

Lord, You have always lightened the darkness of mine;
and though the night is here, today I believe.

Lord, You have always spoken when the time was ripe;
and though you be silent now, today I believe

[From Northumbria Community Celtic Evening Prayer Liturgy]

My Lord God,
I have no idea where I am going.
I do not see the road ahead of me.
I cannot know for certain where it will end.
Nor do I really know myself,
and the fact that I think that I am following your will
does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please you
does in fact please you.
And I hope I have that desire in all I am doing.
I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire.
And I know that if I do this,
You will lead me by the right road.

Though I may know nothing about it.
Therefore will I trust you always
though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death.
I will not fear, for you are ever with me.
And you will never leave me to face my struggles alone.
– Thomas Merton

A friend shared this quote with me, something to stop and make us think…

The loneliest moment in life is when you have just experienced that which you thought would deliver the ulimate and it has let you down. We have a whole generation of people around the country today empty, because they are moving from enchantment… to enchantment… to enchantment. And it betrays them; one after another, the loneliness stalks them like a ghost that just won’t go away. Why? Because the older you get the more it takes to fill your heart with wonder, and only One is big enough to fill it. (Ravi Zacharias).

We may think this is a great quote for others who are not Christians, but I wonder how many Christians are actually following the same path, seeking the same enchantments.
So many Christians – myself included – seem to lack the fulfillment and peace that ought to come from knowing and resting in Jesus.
We are as drawn to toys and experiences and distractions as everyone else.
Like the rich young ruler, we want eternal life – sincerely and seriously – but not at THAT price.
We try to have both God and worldly pleasure, and end up losing both.
And at the end of our life, we find ourselves lonely, empty, disappointed.
All that we grabbed for in life is fading, the sparkle of its former enchantment gone.
I can’t speak for you, I can only look within, but there is something hauntingly accurate about this quote… for me.

A thought-provoking quote by Hugh Halter in The Tangible Kingdom

”Our main contention is that what drew people to Jesus, surprisingly, was not his message. It was him. His face, the softness in his voice, the whimsical look he gave the children, how he laughed, and how he lived. His message repelled people. Many people who were drawn to him as a man would leave after he let them in on the message. This is quite a switch for most of us. We try to draw others by soft-pedaling the message and end up repelling them by how we live our lives.” [p.46]

This coming Sunday (Sep 6) I am speaking on Mark 10. Please read it and suggest what part to focus on. Its a big chapter, with lots of sections. Divorce? Little children? Rich young ruler? Jesus dying? Leading by serving? Healing the blind man?

If you were to pick out one lesson from this passage, one that really speaks to your heart, what would it be? I really appreciate your feedback, it helps me see and experience things that I miss!

What I hear, I forget.
What I see, I remember.
What I do, I understand.
(Confucius)

What does this say about “preaching”, as it is presently understood.
We separate the message from real life, we enclose the ‘preaching event’ in a hall with podium and chairs, we insist that everyone be passive and silent, and we allow only one voice to be heard.
Its very humbling to ask people the week after a message what the message was about.
It often confirms what Confucius noted, ‘what I hear, I forget’.
Why do people long remember children’s messages even after the sermon they introduced was forgotten?
‘What I see, I remember’.
And why do people often come back from mission trips radically challenged, changed?
A combination of ‘what I see, I remember’ and ‘what I do, I understand’. Continue reading ‘see, hear and do!’ »

A great quote by Henri Nouwen, he is so right!!!

More and more, the desire grows in me simply to walk around, greet people, enter their homes, sit on their doorsteps, play ball, throw water and be known as someone who wants to live with them. It is a privilege to have the time to practice this simple ministry of presence. Still, it is not as simple as it seems.

My own desire to be useful, to do something significant, or to be part of some impressive project is so strong that soon my time is taken up by meetings, conferences, study groups and workshops that prevent me from walking the streets. It is difficult not to have plans, not to organize people around an urgent cause and not to feel that you are working directly for social progress.

But I wonder more and more if the first thing shouldn’t be to know people by name, to eat and drink with them, to listen to their stories and tell your own and to let them know with words, handshakes and hugs that you do not simply like them – but truly love them. [Henry Nouwen, quoted in The Tangible Kingdom, Hugh Halter, p.14]

Interesting cartoon, what do you think it is suggesting?

I have to admit, I am glad we are finishing the book of Judges, and eager to dive into the book of Mark. If it wasn’t for the message about Jesus, I could not survive Judges – or many other books in the bible. As I read Judges 21, I imagine myself sitting with Jesus, and hearing Him ask me, ‘so what do you think, what is the message in this passage?’

Honestly, I hate this passage, or what it describes. I think of the young girls (how young?) watching their families killed, then forced to marry strange men. Or the girls at the festival, taken from their families. I have a 14 year old daughter. I suppose she would be one of them. Then the brutal words, “do us this kindness…” [Judges 21:22]. Continue reading ‘finally done with Judges’ »

I don’t think I’ve heard this one used in worship yet…
Just what is the message in this song?