For the Beauty of the Earth

For the beauty of the earth
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the beauty of each hour,
Of the day and of the night,
Hill and vale, and tree and flower,
Sun and moon, and stars of light.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of ear and eye,
For the heart and mind's delight,
For the mystic harmony
Linking sense to sound and sight.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child,
Friends on earth and friends above,
For all gentle thoughts and mild.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy Church, that evermore
Lifteth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For the martyrs' crown of light,
For Thy prophets' eagle eye,
For Thy bold confessors' might,
For the lips of infancy.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For Thy virgins' robes of snow,
For Thy maiden mother mild,
For Thyself, with hearts aglow,
Jesu, Victim undefiled.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

For each perfect gift of Thine,
To our race so freely given,
Graces human and divine,
Flowers of earth and buds of Heaven.

     Lord of all, to Thee we raise,
     This our hymn of grateful praise.

Devotion

It is read by over 800 million people
     75% of whom are outside of the United States.

 It is available in over 70 languages 

      thanks to the translation work of over 300,000 people. 

One might think these references are to the Bible,

     except for the fact that
          over half of the 800 million people actually read it every day.

What is it?

Facebook, of course.

Lizzie took her first steps!

                 Congratulations!
                 Aww…so cute
                 Looks just like her mama.  Lol

 Brandon and four others “like” The Family Guy.

 OMG.  The Chiefs won another game!

                 Clearly proof that miracles still happen.
                 Hey, that’s my team you’re talking about!
                 Come on…it’s not like they’re the Wildcats or anything.

Every day, more than 400 million people, including myself, spend time posting, liking and commenting on posts, uploading photos and playing games with friends.  Certainly, Facebook can be a vehicle for outreach and ministry.  But how might our world be different if such devotion was focused on our Lord rather than on a piece of software?

Lord, we desire to focus our lives on You.  In the midst of day-to-day activity, however, it is easy to allow the mundane to overshadow the eternal.  We pray that You will bring this truth to our minds in the moments of choice and encourage us to turn off, unplug, and log off in exchange for precious encounters with You.  Amen.

Prayer for Autumn Days

God of the seasons,
there is a time for everything;
there is a time for dying and a time for rising.
We need courage to enter into
the transformation process.

God of autumn,
the trees are saying goodbye to their green,
letting go of what has been.
We, too, have our moments of surrender,
with all their insecurity and risk.
Help us to let go when we need to do so.

God of fallen leaves
lying in colored patterns on the ground,
our lives have their own patterns.
As we see the patterns of our own growth,
may we learn from them.

God of misty days and harvest moon nights,
there is always the dimension of mystery
and wonder in our lives.
We always need to recognize your power-filled presence.
May we gain strength from this.

God of harvest wagons and fields of ripened grain,
many gifts of growth lie within the season of our surrender.
We must wait for harvest in faith and hope.
Grant us patience when we do not see the blessings.

God of geese going south
for another season, your wisdom enables us
to know what needs to be left behind
and what needs to be carried into the future.
We yearn for insight and vision.

God of flowers
touched with frost and windows wearing white designs,
may your love keep our hearts
from growing cold in the empty seasons.

God of life,
you believe in us, you enrich us,
you entrust us with the freedom to choose life.
For all this, we are grateful.

Amen.

Autumn is a time for Prayer.

by: Sr. Joyce Rupp OSM

A Day of Remembrance

Almighty God:

September 11 is a day of remembrance.  A day when we reflect on the tragedy experienced by our nation ten years ago. On that day, we lost many of our fellow citizens, our first responder heroes, and our illusions of domestic safety.  It was a day of great sorrow and confusion, as we questioned the realities of our world.

From this tragedy has come, among other things, stories of courage, perseverance and triumph over adversity.  Unfortunately, stories have also arisen of prejudice, bias, and hate.  The events of that day rekindled in many the unspoken, but long held belief, that enemies of our country are also enemies of You, and therefore need not be treated with the same love, compassion and respect as those we consider “our own.”

Lord God, we ask for the courage to live our lives in ways that honor You.  We live in a global world.  I pray that we would each commit ourselves to being deliberate in building neighborhoods, states, and countries that foster understanding, respect, and reconciliation.  Peace does not happen because nations declare it.  Peace happens because individuals choose it. 

May we choose to live as instruments of Your peace.  Amen.

Out of the Same Mouth

In this world there is great chaos.

Lord, how your heart must weep

     As you witness
     Time and time and time again
     The ability of Your created ones
     To hurt each other.

 We are all created in Your image.

     In Your likeness
     Designed for the worship and honor
     Of You.

 Yet we neither worship nor honor You.

 We choose to worship another.

     Ourselves.
     Our desires.  Our opinions.
     Our world views.  Our prejudices.

And from our self-worship springs

     Selfishness.
     Disdain.
     Cruelty.
     War.

 We limit Your influence

     To the parts of life we choose.

     Worshipping You when convenient

     Judging others as we please.

We live as lord of our life

     And refuse You this rightful place

Forgive us, Father,

      For we have
      We have

      I have         

      sinned.

With the tongue, we praise our Lord and Father. And with it, we curse human beings who have been made in God’s likeness.  Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing.  My brothers and sisters, this should not be!  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives or a grape vine bear figs?  Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.  James 3:9-12      

Postures of Confession

 

Did you know that your posture changes the way you think?

It’s true that your body shows the rest of us what’s really going through your head at any given moment, but the reverse is true as well: the way that you carry your body will change the way you think, the way you feel. A quick example: on a day you’re not feeling so great, take a pencil and hold it in your mouth, forcing the corners upwards in an approximation of a smile. See how long it takes before you start feeling better.

The simple fact is that we behave because of what we believe, but we also believe because of how we behave. The two are a cycle, influencing one another in our lives, egging the other onward. This is the reason why actors often become uncomfortably close to a character they work on particularly closely; Heath Ledger became chronically depressed after he spent so much time on his character the Joker, and the world is now lesser because his exceptional talent is gone, lost to a drug reaction.

We think and feel how we behave. We behave how we think and feel.

Think about this the next time you’re in church. I was leading one of our services a few weeks ago and, as I sang “Jesus Paid it All,” I couldn’t help but notice several people standing with scowls on their faces and their arms crossed. I didn’t know any of these people and so I can’t speak to their hearts, but I really wanted them to grab a pencil. Such a posture speaks very loudly, to me as a worship leader, to those around them, and to their inner dialogue – their posture tells THEM something too. What I saw were people not engaged, people unhappy with something, people closed off to the movement of the Spirit in their lives. But In the same service, with the same song, I saw people smiling, their hands open and heads bowed; engaged, singing, worshipping, people who were also speaking to themselves, and people around them, and to me on stage.

In our contemporary service.

In our traditional service.

In every church I’ve ever been in, both kinds of people are there.

Side by side.

What all of this tells me is that we can, if we want, intentionally change things. If we are closed off to God, perhaps changing our physical posture towards Him will help us change our mental and emotional postures. I have to wonder if the difference between those two groups of people was their posture, if making an intentional change could have helped them engage with God and those around them. They could have worshipped if they had purposefully changed the way they stood, held their hands, arms, and heads. It’s a question of attitude; why am I here at church?

It’s about choice.



I find that on those very rough days when I travel all the way to church tired, worn-out, discouraged, it simply takes picking up my guitar and playing to remind me who I am, why I’m here, and put me back into my place. Not in a bad way, in a good way. They say that to confess is to agree with God about who we are; as I play, yes, I agree with God that I am a sinner, but THEN, then I agree with God that I am His child.

Forgiven. Given grace.

Deeply Loved.

The next time you’re in church – traditional, contemporary, emerging, wherever – try changing your body language; open your hands instead of holding the pew or chair in front of you, or maybe raise them over your head. Sing. Move. Dance. Worship.

Confess.

By Chris Logan, Worship Pastor at Community Covenant Church in Lenexa, KS.  Originally posted on blogs.covchurch.org on Friday, August 26th.

May I Reflect Your Inward Light

As a chalice cast of gold,
Burnished, bright and brimmed with wine,
Make me, Lord, as fit to hold
Grace & truth & love divine.
Let my praise & worship start
With the cleansing of my heart.

Save me from the soothing sin
Of the empty cultic deed
And the pious, babbling din
Of the claimed but unlived creed.
Let my actions, Lord, express
What my tongue & lips profess.

When I bend upon my knees,
Clasp my hands or bow my head,
Let my spoken, public pleas
Be direct, simply said,
Free of tangled words that mask
What my soul would plainly ask.

When I dance or chant your praise,
When I sing a psalm or hymn,
When I preach your loving ways,
Let my heart add its Amen.
Let each cherished, outward rite
Thus reflect your inward light.

 by Tom Troeger

Memories of VBS

When I was a child I had no opportunity to attend VBS, read books with stories about Jesus growing up in Nazareth, or sing Jesus Loves Me. My family attended church weekly, every Sat. night. We were Catholic and although I do not remember a time when God was not present in my life I was not afforded these age appropriate experiences.

My first encounter with VBS was with my own children. I loved it! What an incredible experience. I remember when I taught 1st grade and did not think the kids got anything I was saying, especially this one very busy boy. But, when question time came he knew every answer. It was a wonderful, yet exhausting week when nap time was needed and new babies wondered where their mommies went. We always looked back and had fond memories and junky crafts.

This year I have had the privilege of being Mary during VBS. I have been given far too much honor and too many accolades. If they knew what I was really like. I mean last night I made a boy cry! I love hearing all of their comments as I share the stories of Jesus. One night I asked if they were going to come back and Will Nelson said, “After my nap and swimming I will.” Grace Hendry gave me a look, “I don’t know about that…” But after everyone else said they were she decided maybe it was a good idea.

What I really love is how Jesus touches their little hearts. The kids have been so concerned about Eunice who does not believe that Jesus is God’s son. They have had lots of comments about Jesus, his boyhood, and him being the son of God as well as Mary’s son. The one that really tripped me up was Jaedon Roberts who asked, “Is Jesus his own son?” If you answer that one right you get to be the storyteller for VBS next year!

Patty Thompson

Joy, Joy, Joy

Joy, Joy, Joy

The lyrics of this song from my VBS days of old remind me of an eternal truth that God has shared with us.  That is that He is the creator of JOY and the sustainer of it even today.

I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart,
Where?
Down in my heart.
Where?
Down in my heart.
I've got the joy, joy, joy down in my heart
Where?
Down in my heart to stay.
And I'm so happy, so very happy, I have the love of Jesus in my heart.

Even though the words of the songs have changed, VBS is the same. This week VBS at The Journey has shown kids that joy comes from a relationship with the very Jesus that grew up in Hometown Nazareth.

The words to the song that they will remember will be something like:

Great things happen when we come together, great things happen when we praise our Savior. 

I think that the message is the same: Great things happen when we are in relationship with Jesus, the source of Joy.


Contributed by Kim Snare

Teach Me

"Teach me, O Spirit,

   to love Thee

     as whole-heartedly as the miser loves his money.

Make me

   as attached to Thee

     as the drunkard is addicted to wine.

Teach me

   to cling to Thee

     as erring ones do to their bad habits.

Teach me

   to be as attentive to Thee

     as a mother is to her child.

Teach me

   to perform my duties diligently,

     with my attention fully riveted on Thee.

Teach me

   to love Thee

     as the worldly man loves his possession.

With the first love of true lovers,

   teach me to love Thee."

Yogananda (Whispers of Eternity, pp 82-83.)-- 

True Freedom - Through Christ

The great hymn writer Charles Wesley recognized the eternal value of true freedom he wrote the stanzas to the hymn below.

May this be the declaration of independence for those who call him Lord.

And can it be that I should gain
An interest in the Savior’s blood?
Died He for me, who caused His pain—
For me, who Him to death pursued?
Amazing love! How can it be,
That Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

He left His Father’s throne above
So free, so infinite His grace—
Emptied Himself of all but love,
And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
’Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For O my God, it found out me!

Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray—
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.


No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine;
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach th’eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Early Memories of Church

Sitting between my father and mother and in front of my grandparents. 

I am so blessed to have a heritage of walking with the Lord.  My father and I often did not get a long and we still have our moments.  But it was in church, where he sang with a beautiful voice, and worshipped the Lord, that I understood he had a soft compassionate side.  That he was trying. 

Being in church with my family is something I miss now that I have grown up and something I cherish when it happens. 

Hang in there parents…your children are being impacted!  Blessings!

Submitted by: Adena McCowan

The Mission

They are on a mission.
   Focused.
   The end goal clearly in mind.

Confronted by obstacles
   and roads that lead to nowhere,
   they are undeterred.

Patiently they wait;
   Confident in the knowledge
   That their objective is worth the sacrifice.

They are accompanied on their journey
   By those who share the vision.
   While others watch in disbelief
   And mock the depth of their loyalty.

Nearly out of hope,
   they are suddenly startled into action.
   A breakthrough! Joy surges through their bodies.

At long last, their path is made clear
   and progress is possible.
   In faith, they move forward.
   They have arrived.


At Starbucks.


(Written by one who daily watches cars maneuver through convoluted construction zones during rush hour, holding up masses of other cars while waiting for the opening to make the long-sought-after left turn into Starbucks.

I wonder…if the destination was an appointment with Jesus, would we fight as hard to arrive?)

Prayer for Our Enemies

We pray to you, O God,
the lover of all,
for those whom we have named our enemies.

Deliver us from the hardness of heart
that keeps us locked in confrontation.
Deliver us from the hatred
that binds us in old ways.

Grant unto all people the blessing of your love.
And grant unto us
such transformation of our lives
that we may make peace with our enemies,
and that together we might make this world
a safer place for all.

Amen.

www.beliefnet.com/prayers

A Prayer for Spring

In the lengthening of days
Snowdrops emerging
from winter's frozen ground
we see the Creator's hand

In the sight of a tiny lamb
joyfully bounding
across hillside farm
we see the Creator's hand

Creator God, forgive our moments of ingratitude,
the spiritual blindness that prevents us
from appreciating the wonder that is this world,
the endless cycle of nature,
of life and death and rebirth.
Forgive us for taking without giving
reaping without sowing.

Open our eyes to see
our lips to praise
our hands to share
and may our feet tread lightly on the road.


http://www.faithandworship.com/Prayers_Spring.htm

Thou Art Rest

Thou art rest and gentle peace,
Thou art longing, and that which stills it.
I consecrate to thee, with my joys and griefs,
as thy dwelling-place, my eyes and heart.

Enter into me and close thou
The gates softly behind thee:
Drive other griefs from this breast,
Let this heart be filled with thy joys.

My world of sight thy radiance
Alone can illuminate. O, fill it to the full!

By F. Rückert

The Hymns that Keep on Going

For centuries, musicians and lyricists have been putting pen to paper in order to express ideas of faith and doctrine through music. Thousands of compositions have come and gone, enjoyed (or not) in the moment but ultimately fading away. At the same time, other musical offerings have remained part of the church vocabulary through many generations.


Why do some compositions fade away while others remain strong? The Journey's very own Bob Coote spent months exploring that question. His research was published in the March, 2011, edition of Christianity Today. A link to the article is below. Thank you, Bob, for your exploration of this question.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2011/march/hymnsthatkeepgoing.html

Calm in the Uproar

Revolutions.  Earthquakes.  Illness.  Layoffs.  From one corner to another, the world seems especially chaotic this week.  Fortunately, our God is still on His throne and in Him is our peace and hope for the future.  Whether out of confidence or fear, hope or desperation, let us pray together with the author of Psalm 46:

1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.

5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.

6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields with fire.

10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Amen

A Prayer for Egypt

Today, the country of Egypt has experienced a transfer of power. This massive change has occurred in primarily a peaceful manner, which is at the very least unusual, and at the most could be called miraculous.  Significant change and uncertainty now face the citizens of Egypt, including the estimated 10% of the population that is Christian.  Let us join together to pray for the future of the nation, using the Prayer of St. Francis:

Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace.
  where there is hatred, let me sow love;
  where there is injury, pardon;
  where there is doubt, faith;
  where there is dispair, hope;
  where there is darkness, light;
  where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
  to be consoled as to console,
  to be understood as to understand,
  to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,
  it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
  it is in dying that we are born
     to eternal life.

May this time of transition be a time also for the growth of the gospel in Eypt.

We Will Not Keep Silent

We are people who must sing you,
     for the sake of our very lives.
You are a God who must be sung by us,
     for the sake of your majesty and honor.
And so we thank you,
     for lyrics that push us past our reasons,
     for melodies that break open our givens,
     for cadences that locate us home,
          beyond all our safe places,
     for tones and tunes that open our lives beyond control
               and our futures beyond despair.
We thank you for the long parade of mothers and fathers
     who have sung you deep and true;
We thank you for the good company
     of artists, poets, musicians, cantors, and instruments
     that sing for us and with us, toward you.
We are witnesses to your mercy and splendor;
   We will not keep silent...ever again.  Amen.

Brueggemann, Walter.  2003.  Awed to Heaven, Rooted in Earth; Prayers of Walter Brueggemann.  Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press.  p. 133

Be Still and Know

A shocking splash and then muffled echoes mute my scream. My ears fill with harshly cold water that enfolds my body as rapidly as alarm fills my mind. What happened? How did I get here? Just a minute ago I was standing on the dock; warmed by the sun and oblivious to the icy depths lurking just inches below me.

In my panic, I thrash my arms and legs and repeatedly gasp for breath as I lift my head into the cold air just to sink again. The coat that had once kept me warm is now a heavy burden weighing me down and keeping me below the water’s surface. I frantically struggle to kick but my shoes make it nearly impossible. My arms reach, hands groping in the darkness, for anything I can cling to. There is nothing. I can do nothing to help myself. How can this be happening to me?

As I realize my weakness, a memory from long ago slips into my mind. Images of my dad teaching me to float, flood into my frozen mind along with wise words. “Lean back in the water and relax. Stay calm and keep looking up. Know that I won’t let go of you.” Slowly, I will my body to stop its frenzied movement. As my efforts refocus, I imitate the stillness I learned long ago. I gradually recline in the water and look up; breathing deeply of the oxygen I yearned for a few seconds before.

Mind clearing, I rest on Invisible Arms in spite of the ice water lapping at my face. Peace replaces panic and trust replaces fear as I recall the words I will cling to until I am again on dry land. “Be still…”

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."

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Written by: Shari Edwards
A metaphor on life being turned suddenly upside down upon the receipt of devasting news.