Living Sacrifices

This Sunday our faith community considered God's call to offer ourselves as living sacrifices:

"Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you."

Here is a prayer that could serve as a seed of response for some of us:

Almighty God,

Thank you that what you want for me is bigger & Better than I imagine.

Thank you for sacrificing Jesus to offer me life.

I want your life. I want to Go with & learn from Jesus.

I want to offer myself Fully to you as a living sacrifice.

Please teach me how to do this. guide me so that every part of my life puts a smile on your face each day.

Please show me what I am withholding from you or offering in other directions.

And gently lead me into the life, rest & rhythms you promise.

- AMEN

Also, try reading and praying through Jesus' offer of life and relationship captured in Matthew 11:28-30:

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me.

Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest.

Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.

I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly.

- May Jesus’ words come true in my life God. Amen.

A Prayer From Sunday (7.11.10)

Holy God,

We confess that we often fill our need,

our desperateness for You,

with other things.

Father, may we seek your truth and love always,

in our moments of joy and moments of pain,

as we journey toward knowing You more deeply.

You alone are the Lover of our souls.

We are lost without You.

Praise be to the One who made the heavens and the earth,

Who gives us hope and grace.

Amen.

One worthy gift

God there are days when we gather for worship in this community when it's easy to acknowledge your beauty but nearly impossible to find any within ourselves.

We come to you broken in so many ways. The weight of wrong choices or difficult circumstances, the burden of wrecked relationships or dwindling resources -- sometimes these things make it hard for us to find value and worth within ourselves.

And yet you see beauty within us, Lord.

You have seen us for who we are and loved us in spite of it all, and in this we find so much hope.

We pray today that we might claim that which you love within us, and relentlessly seek out things to love within others. May we see through brokenness and frailty and circumstance and struggle to know others as creatures made in your image, for your love.

May our lives reflect this one beautiful and worthy gift: that we love others as we are being loved by you.

A Psalm Prayer

This prayer comes from Psalm 90:1-6, a scripture which always makes me think of the marvelous passage from Job 38 where God gets lavishly poetic with Job in describing the differences between humans and God.

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Our Father, Creator of the Universe,

You have been our help in every generation, and you will be our refuge for generations to come. Through storm and war, in times of peace and plenty, in all the great and small places of the earth, you were, you are, and you will be.

You laid the foundations of the earth while the morning stars sang and all the creatures of the universe shouted for joy. When the sea was born you clothed it with clouds and formed its limits. You know the warehouses of snow and hail, and the ways to the places the winds call home.

A thousand years is a long time for us, but it passes for you like yesterday’s dream. We arrive on earth and then are gone; “Return to the dust,” you say, and we become once again the clay of creation.

Be our guide while this life lasts. Be our hope for this brief span. And one bright morning, when this life is over, welcome us home.

A Psalm and Prayer of Praise

Whenever I'm not sure what to pray before God's people I simply turn to the Psalms and let one of the generations who came before me speak on my behalf. These prayers are like rivers that are still flowing down among us, and as we wade in and out (or merely observe from the riverbank) we can find refreshment and delight.

This prayer comes from Psalm 145; I have changed some of the order and play of the verses, but the spirit of the river of praise remains the same.

* * * * *

We lift your name on high, Mighty God!

We sing your praise today, may we sing your song into all eternity. You are magnificent before us; there are no boundaries to your greatness. Generation after generation stands in awe of your work: they have all told stories of your mighty acts. We know you as One who is slow to anger and rich in love, suffusing all things in your grace.

We give you thanks
for supporting those who are weary
for drawing near to all who call on you
for bringing harvest on the Earth in due season
for lavishing compassion on all you have made

May we speak of the glory of your kingdom.
May we make known to all people your mighty works and loving ways.
Today and all days we lift our voices in worship.

* * * * *

A Prayer for Worship

Holy and mighty God, Maker of all good things, in the full glory of this day you have made and this people you have made, we gather.

We give you thanks for all those along the journey who have been instrumental in bringing us to this holy place on this holy morning: for that early teacher, or family member; for that friend or child or witness... We pray that this church may draw many more to know your love, your forgiveness, and your grace.

We pray also for those who are today burdened by heavy loads: for countries and individuals who are deeply in debt, for those suffering from earthquake and famine, for all subjected to wars, and for displaced people everywhere. We dedicate ourselves again to the works of justice and mercy that make us your hands and heart in this broken world.

We lift up before you all who find life difficult or painful today: those who are hard on themselves and on others, and all who struggle with deep burdens of guilt. May we bring your rest for the weary, your hope for the fearful, your peace to the troubled.

May our worship of you be not just a Sunday-morning gift, but a gift of our lives and our hearts.

A prayer for worship on our first day in the new building

From Psalm 94

How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Hosts, Shepherd of Israel. Our hearts have longed to be here before you; our spirits sing for joy in the presence of the Living God!

May all your creatures be welcome in this place: May travelers find rest, may the broken find healing, may all who celebrate find songs of joy, and may the outcast know welcome. How blessed we are to live and work and raise Your family here.

And how blessed are all in whom You live -- whose lives become roads you travel. Our strength is in You; may our hearts be highways to the Living Lord.

For better is one day in Your courts than thousands elsewhere. We would rather hold open the door in Your house than live anywhere -- no matter how grand -- outside the shelter of Your grace, Your mercy, and Your favor. You have withheld no good thing from us.

Our hearts are filled with joy.

Prayer for worship

Holy, Holy, Holy God, you have created all things and made us in your image. We come before you in wonder and awe.

We pray for places where your earth is exploited or marred, where your creatures are abused or misused. We pray for all who lack freedom or are oppressed. Father, strength of all, hear our prayer.

Jesus, Light and Life of the world, we pray to you for all who walk in darkness. For all who feel beyond hope or are outcasts in our world. Healer, giver of hope to the hopeless, hear our prayer.

Spirit of Holiness, you breathe life into all. We give you thanks for your renewal and refreshment. We pray that we and all your church may reach out in love. We pray for Fred and Shawn and Chad and all our pastors, and for the ministry of all your faithful people. Holy Spirit of God, hear our prayer.

May we be bound together in Unity.
May we be bound together in Love.
May we be bound together with those who walked in faith before us, and may our lives bear witness to those yet to come.

(Adapted from Clouds & Glory A, p. 80-81)

A Chance Encounter??

A couple of weeks back I went to see a family in our church who had a new baby last night. The hospital they chose is HUGE and has been added on to about 37 times in the last 100 years. The result is not only tons of square footage for first quality medical care, but a seemingly endless labyrinth which doubles as a test of mental and physical endurance for visitors. On the way in I made a complete loop of the facility before I finally found the maternity ward. After checking in on the recently expanded family, I hopped in the elevator to begin my long trek back to my car.

One other guy rode along with me as we spend downward to the first floor. I noticed the wristbands on his arm and remembering that we were leaving the maternity ward, I queried, "Just have a new baby?" He looked at me and said, "Actually we had twins." Seeing my congratulatory smile forming, he added, "And I usually don't tell strangers this. No need to burden them with it- but one of our babies died after four days. The other is alive and strong." "I'm so sorry" were the only words I was able to generate. "That's ok. I don't know why I told you that," he replied. Then the door opened. "I'm so sorry" I offered again. He smiled sadly and then disappeared down the hall.

A flood of thoughts and emotions swam through me as retraced the halls and sidewalks back to my parking place. I thought about my friend's joy as they showed me their new baby, and imagined how conflicted this other couple must be with one baby cooing and the other silenced. Most of all I wondered why this man had apologized. Should someone with such a loss be forced to bear it in secret?

Then his words, "I don't know why I'm telling you this" came back to me. He didn't know me from Adam. He didn't know that I'm a guy who prays from time to time. Or that I've got lots of friends who do the same. But God knew. Maybe God set things up this afternoon so that we'd end up together for those couple of moments. Perhaps the Spirit of God prompted him to open up and share his darkest truth with a complete stranger. Maybe not, but maybe so.

I decided not to take any chances. As I merged my car back onto the Beltline I started praying for this family who are strangers to me, but not to the God who cries with them. And now I'm asking you to join me. Would you offer some words to God on behalf of the man I met today who wears two newborn bracelets, but will only take one baby home? Would you ask God to give this family comfort, peace and healing as only He can?

Thanks. I knew you would.

God's Name Tag(s)

Recently the Connections' community was discussing what it meant to live and pray this line from the Lord's Prayer:

"Hallowed Be Your Name"

We concluded that we honor God and His Name when we thank Him for who He is and what He has been doing in our lives. To get more hands on with this we grabbed some sticky name tags and used them to write things that would hallow God's name. Here's a summary of the words of thanksgiving or titles for God that came out of our hearts:

God who is loyal, giving and patient
Thank God for what you have done for my family.
I love you.
God of Love
God the Provider
God of patience, love and forgiveness
God of new beginnings
Love, friendship and the sunshine
Entrusted
Ordering/Directing
God of love, friendship and family
God you are so good to me
God you are my all in all
Thank you for life, experiences and people who surround them
Thank you for the life you have given us
Salvation
Majestic Creator of all Beautiful Things
Provider
Thank you for being my father and making me feel loved no matter what
Guide and Affirmer
Faithful One
God of guidance
God who is always faithful
God is good to me because he changed my life
G-d my protector and my provider
Thank you Lord for providing us with a home
Strength
Thank you not just for providing but for satisfying my life
My Healer
Thank you for being my provider and for your mercies
Thank you for providing for my family
I want to thank you for giving me life and a family that loves me
God of Love
Eternal, Perfect, Holy One, Abundantly Patient
God of family
Thank you for loving me and always giving me the chance to come back and make it right with you
Thank you for my daughter
Thank you for family and friends
Thank you for giving me the courage to grow spiritually
Our Father In Heaven
God who is Creator and Lover of all creatures and things He has created
God of provision
God is love
Thank you God for your love Grace & Guidance
Thank you for being my protector
God who listens
God of faithfulness
Independence & Dependence
Thank you for being the God who never leaves
Thank you God for giving me strength to keep going
Comforter
God who never changes
God of Creation
Thank you for loving and providing
God of Safe Passage
God who provides for all of my needs
God of Grace

How about you? If you were to write a name tag for who God has been in your life lately, what would it say?

Here We Go Again...

Yes, it's true. We have a very strong lead on a new space.

Yes, it's the one you've seen before. (Click the "view all images" button.)

Yes, we all need to pray.

Space to Pray Over

Here are some pictures of the new space we are praying over. It's certainly not a "done deal" and we continue to seek God's guidance. Will you join us in bringing the matter before God?

Living Real

by Cara McLauchlan

It’s time for me to start being more honest about things. Like the fact that I don’t like Starbucks Coffee. There. I said it. I know everyone loves Starbucks Coffee and how great it tastes. But I really think that it tastes like someone’s socks that have been boiled for long periods of time.

I've decided that this is going to be my “Year of the Real.” I’ve noticed that my life has slowly gathered a lot of unwelcome clutter. Things that I have not really said “yes” to, but that I have not said “no” to in an out loud way.

My life has become about keeping my options neatly packaged and hermetically sealed. I don’t know how I got so afraid. It seems to go out and claim your “Yes!” you have to be a bit naked. I have been silently closing, locking and boarding up every open door of risk for fear of something bad happening.

Thoughts of the Boogie Man, children dying in the night, robbers, house fires, IRS audits and the fact that I haven’t cleaned out my dryer lint trap fill my head every night. I have found so many things to fear. I think there is a demented place in me that thinks if I actually worry about it, I can somehow prevent it from happening.

The truth is that bad stuff happens even if we worry about it. But so does the good. And you might as well go about enjoying your stay here on earth until the Big Guy calls your number.

Which brings me to the subject of God. I think God likes to hear us speak to him in a real way – even if it’s not holy or flowery or even happy. And praying does not just happen on our knees or with the Bible neatly placed before us. I pray to God as I am driving, when I’m exercising, when I am cooking. My favorite time to pray is when I am pumping gas. I have found that because I drive a ridiculous gas-guzzler, I can create a bit of peace about it by praying for people while I fill up. I think God likes it when we include him our days, even if it’s at the gas station.

Living real can be hilarious. This week I was driving past a group of construction workers and for the 999th time they all stopped, stared and oogled me as I went by. Instead of my typical approach of feeling intimidated and averting my eyes, I did something else. I looked them all directly in the eyes and like a five-year-old I stuck out my tongue, crossed my eyes and made an absolutely ridiculous face.

They were stunned. They couldn’t believe this well-dressed, suburban woman would do such a thing. I roared with laughter as I watched their faces in my rear-view mirror.

I was real. I didn’t back down. And it felt really good.

Cara McLauchlan is really a writer that lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC. When she is not making ridiculous faces at construction workers, she is also a mommy and believes that Flavia makes the best coffee on this planet. She can be reached at cara@crankymommies.com or 919/552.1818.

Matt Answers Monster Questions: How do I know when to wait for God to lead or to figure things out for myself?

I think a lot of people talk about waiting to hear from God to either do what they want to do or to not do the things that they know they should do.

We are not automatons (mindless robots) waiting for the next instruction from God. We should be in a relationship with God. People who are in a relationship are in communication and will know what actions:

1. Enrich the relationship
2. Erode the relationship
3. Have no effect on the relationship

Often WE want what WE want and will pretend that God wants that too or that God may not have an opinion on it.

The best way to get on the same page with God is to:

1. Serve others: in your home and at your job.
2. Give your honors to God: your titles, your accomplishments, your status.
3. Let go of material things: Identify the thing that you value the most and ask yourself if you could give it away.
4. Meet with others who want to know God.
5. Study God’s word.
6. Pray.

Matt: Practical Leadership

I am finding that there are several practical things that one must consider when leading:

Daily and intentional prayer for those that you directly lead.
This can and probably should include the people that God has placed around you. Many of us work full-time jobs. As God's people, we carry his mission into the work place.

Self assessment.
What are your prejudices? What are the economic, social, class assumptions that you make? What are the caustic effects of nationalism, or sexism, or racism in you (if you think that you are not plagued by these things you might be in trouble)?

Building into a handful of people around you.
Who are you sharing your things with? What personal time and possessions are you letting go of?

What are you spending your money on and how do you view yourself within the American consumer complex?
Are you striving to simplify and create space for God or are you trying to fill up time and space because someone is telling you to? Leaders are watched by those they lead.

A lot of being a follower of Christ is about never being satisfied in what YOU know, and about resting in the feeling of patient unconditional love.