A New Adventure: Call to Confession

While on our road trip from Texas to California, my husband, Andrew, and I stopped in Iowa to visit his family and friends from his college days (they are now very much my friends as well).  One of our stops for the Iowa leg of our trip, was the church where Andrew's college roommate is the pastor.  As much as I loved singing from the Country and Western Hymnal, I really appreciated the Call to Confession and Prayer of Confession that they used for their service, and I wanted to share them.

Call to Confession (said by the pastor):
With trembling hearts, knowing that we seldom discern our own errors, we turn ourselves to God.  Now is the acceptable time to come to the One who takes no delight in burnt offerings, but accepts sincere prayers of confession.  Let us repent and believe as we pray.

Prayer of Confession (said by congregation):
O Sovereign God, we confess that our plans for ourselves ignore the needs of many of our sisters and brothers.  We try to shut out the larger world that does not fit our comfortable design.  We are angry when called to account and bitter when circumstances do not work out to our advantage.  We are quick to see the sins of others and slow to recognize our own.  Keep us from throwing stones, O God, and protect us from the missiles others would throw at us. Forgive our preoccupation with minor concerns and lead us to focus on sharing love and forgiveness.  Through Christ.  Amen.

Now I know many would say that a pre-written prayer could never work for confessing our sins to God, because we have to name them specifically in order to repent and receive forgiveness.  I don't know about you, but when I say this prayer out loud it definitely brings to mind the sins of omission and commission, especially in areas that if it were up to me, I would skip right over and keep going in my usual merry sinful way.  So, I would encourage those who have not tried a pre-written prayer of confession, give it a go.  You might be surprised what the Holy Spirit does through it.  Let this be a new adventure for you.

A Valentine's Reminder

For my beloved I will not fear, Love knows to do
For him, for her, from year to year, as hitherto;
Whom my heart cherishes are dear
To Thy heart too.

- Amy Carmichael

Leaving a Legacy

Last month, I received word that one of the churches I was a member of in the States has disbanded on good terms. A couple of weeks ago, I participated in the 50th anniversary of the church I am a member of here. I have been reflecting a lot on these two events and what it means and what it takes to leave behind a legacy. One church was not even in existence for a decade, yet, it greatly impacted my life and the lives of others through church planting and sending us out into the harvest. I know the church here too as sent many out within the community and abroad. I realize that it is not the extent of your days that determine your legacy, but how you live each one of those days.

Life is a Highway**

**Disclaimer: This is one driver's account of her encounter with God. Any feelings of conviction should be taken to God.

I love to drive. I don't really understand all the talk about engine size, but I love to drive. It was on a beautiful Saturday afternoon that I was zipping along the expressway that I discovered there was a price to my love of driving. I have been praying lately that I would be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction. So I asked, as I was driving, if there was anything I had just written off as no big deal. And, of course, He said, "What about your driving?" as I passed by the speed limit sign at a high rate of speed. I replied, "But I love to drive. . .I'll just pay the fine." This caused God to raise an eyebrow, I am sure. He then politely said, "Oh, really. Are you willing to pay the penalty for all your other sin?" At that I slowed down and moved out of the fast lane with a much different outlook on sin and it's penalty.

Identity & Purpose

I am a list maker. I have mental lists of highlighted Bible verses for different situations and struggles. Two verses took on new meaning to me and got added to my Purpose and Identity list.

1 Peter 1:9
IDENTITY - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, PURPOSE - that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.

I know I have heard endless teaching on the Identity part of this verse, and oh how rich each one of those roles are. I know I could spend another lifetime exploring what each one of them means for my life. But how much sweeter those become placed next to the purpose for each in the believer's life.

Colossian 1:28-29
We proclaim Him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all His energry, which so powerfully works in me.

This is a huge Purpose verse, but it is the second part that really struck me. I had to stop and ask myself a few questions:

1. Do I labor or do I try to get by with the bare minimum and look for the easy way out?
2. Do I rely on and work out of Christ's strength?
3. Is Christ working powerfully through me or am I constantly flashing low battery?

These questions are key, because if these things are lacking then the purpose God has for me in the first verse won't happen.

I know as a human we crave purpose; we are totally lost without purpose. But it always amazes me how many times I settle for merely existing over God's beautiful, huge and eternal purposes.

The Spamily Experience

Whatever our season of life, it offers its own opportunities and challenges for spiritual growth. Instead of wishing we were in another season, we ought to find out what this one offers. John Ortberg


I find this quote particularly interesting since my brief experience with spamily. My experience was so enlightening that I was inspired to create a new word for it. Spamily - a network of relationships that resemble family, but the memebers are not related by blood or marriage. Like Spam is not meat; James, Hannah and I are not actually related. But like Spam that has it's own recipe books and conventions; they call me "Aunt." That's spamily!

I was pretty curious to see what it was like on what I see so often as greener grass. Realizing, of course, that an essential element was missing from the picture. But also remembering that in my line of work that that essential element is often traveling hither and yon. Nonetheless, the transformation from curiosity to complaining about the constant reappearing stack of dirty dishes happened so much faster than I ever expected. And that is when this quote hit me like a ton of bricks. I wonder if I really learned all that God wanted me to through this experience. Does that mean I will have to repeat it?

Sunday Evening Worship

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called Wonderful Counselor,

Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:16

Last weekend, some friends and I went to a performance of Handel's Messiah. Scripture set to music has got to be one of the most beautiful things in the world. As I listened to the choir sing the Isaiah 9:16 passage, I found myself meditating on what it meant for the goverment to be on Jesus's shoulders. At first, I thought about the oppersion of the earthly government - the paranoid one that tried to have him killed as a baby and the apathetic, placating one that sentenced him to death. But that just didn't seem to complete fit. I have also been meditating on Colossians 1: 15-20:

The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth,

visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;

all things have been created through him and for him.

He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

And he is the head of the body, the church;

he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead,

so that in everything he might have the supremacy.

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,

and through him to reconcile to himself all things,

whether things on earth or things in heaven,

by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

I am not a theologian by any stretch of the imagination, but as the choir sang the words proclaiming the birth of the Son of God, I was overwhelmed in praise that He is above all.

So, if you have a chance to hear a performance of the Messiah this Christmas or Easter, which will be here before you know it, take your Bible with a good concordance and a notebook and prepare yourself to have a really good Bible Study and quiet time with God.