Thursday, May 25, 2017
Monday, May 22, 2017
Reflection and Renewal: Not Seeing Original Goodness Or Need For Community (based on Genesis 1:31)
But this can be difficult to do sometimes. We're constantly bombarded with a different message from other voices; voices that say that we are the center of our world, voices that say that our focus should narrowly hone in on getting ahead, voices that say that we should pursue what will gratify us instantly.
As a result, we sometimes find ourselves pushing away from community and connection because we don't want anything to prevent us from having things go our way - because we want to have control.
Other times, we think we're not worthy of being loved. We think that we have no value and that if anyone knew the real us, they wouldn't want anything to do with us.
It can be so easy for us to get off track. Without intending to, we slide back into familiar ways of thinking, so we need your grace.
May your love and mercy be continual reminders of the abundant life and wellbeing that we should wish for all of your creation. May your goodness be a continual reminder of the inherent value that we have and the original goodness which you created the universe with.
May we stay committed to one another and remain active together in the ongoing work to renew and restore your world.
Amen
Friday, May 19, 2017
Benediction: The Active Vision of God's Kingdom Is Our Agenda (based on Psalm 24:1)
The love of God - which Jesus made known - helps us to sense the Spirit anywhere and everywhere.
This love is intended for all, boldly claiming that the whole world is God’s work-space. Just as Jesus welcomed the marginalized, the excluded, and the dehumanized; God's love removes barriers so that life and grace can pour out in abundance.
This active vision of the kingdom of God is to be the agenda of those of us who strive to follow Christ. So may we work for the restoration and redemption of the entire world, which God created, called “good,” and inhabits.
Call To Worship: God's Spirit Reaches Everywhere (based on Romans 8:19)
Your spirit is near to all that is wounded or weighed down. It gathers in the lonely, the lost, and the least. Your spirit creates and recreates a vision of hope.
May our worship rejoice in your work of renewal and transformation.
May 21, 2017: Global Day Of Prayer To End Famine - World Renew
#PrayToEndFamine
God,
We come to you with our hearts heavy for the people who are currently experiencing famine and personal hardship. We do not know them personally, but we share a common bond as human beings, created in your image.
Many of them find themselves in desperate circumstances - without food, without shelter, and often without hope. It can seem to us that there is little that we can do for them and we wouldn't even know where to start. The pictures on the news are difficult to watch, and we’d often rather look away.
But you have called us to be your hands and feet in the world; to speak and act for those who are marginalized and neglected, to seek justice and to love mercy.
So we pray that your spirit would prompt us to action. Give us generous hearts; let them break for what breaks your heart. Give us courage to speak on the behalf of the suffering to those who are shaping our country’s response.
Give us perseverance to continue the work of renewing and restoring your world, as we seek to live out our calling as your disciples.
Amen
Monday, May 15, 2017
Liberty University, Your Ugly Roots Are Showing - The Christian Century
Loyalty explains why Trump loves Falwell, but why is the feeling mutual? Why would Falwell see such dreamy qualities in Trump? How could the Moral Majority and a famously immoral president form an alliance? And how could most of Evangelicals go along with it?
The answer lies in the reality that we have a false story of the origins of the Religious Right in our minds. Despite the common perception that it was founded to fight Roe v. Wade, the Moral Majority was formed to fight desegregation and the Civil Rights Act.
Jerry Falwell, Sr. championed segregationists. In a sermon, the elder Falwell preached in reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision to desegregate public schools:
If Chief Justice Warren and his associates had known God’s word and had desired to do the Lord’s will, I am quite confident that the 1954 decision would never have been made. The facilities should be separate. When God has drawn a line of distinction, we should not attempt to cross that line.The elder Falwell went on to say that integration will “destroy our race eventually.” Falwell worked to start a white Christian schools in response to desegregation and strongly defended others who started them. Then in 1971, when the IRS moved to revoke the tax exempt status of Bob Jones University which forbade interracial dating, the Moral Majority movement began.
Once again, Liberty University's ugly roots are showing. So it makes sense that President Trump, who vilifies Muslims and Mexicans, who wants to build walls and institute bans, who hired Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, would find friends at Liberty University.
The full article is available here
Monday, May 8, 2017
Friday, May 5, 2017
Falwell Jr Says Trump = "Dream President" for Evangelicals
Navigating the Cobblestones: Christian Leadership in Difficult Times - Julius Medenblik
Leadership is always difficult. If you are leading, you should have an understanding that difficult circumstances are either present or just around the corner. Here are a few principles for navigating these challenges.
Leadership is about the journey. I know too many people in the church who want everything “settled.” Many people have a destination perspective about life and even the Christian life. As a result, they miss the journey that God is placing before them and the growing in faith and discipleship that comes from being attentive to the journey.
In the present age, I see that the cultural milieu on expedience has led to a bumper sticker, microwave mentality where we want a few words to settle any issue—now. We live in an age of slogans rather than engagement.
The leadership journey is a marathon. If you and I are to flourish in ministry, we need to be like marathon runners who find a group of other runners and pace ourselves to run the race—together. A key African proverb that has guided me is—“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.”
Leadership is first about listening. Listening is part of a spiritual discipline and practice of being attentive to what God is doing already before you even show up.
Finally, leadership is also about giving voice to those whose voices we do not always hear. A good reminder is to "remember those who are not in this room." Leadership is about listening to people from different cultures and experiences and then helping those voices be heard. What does that mean for me?
As a white male; I need to keep before me the need (if I am going to be a good leader) to seek out the voices of others who will bring wisdom and insights that I would miss—if I am not deliberate to listen and learn from them. If we really see value in a chorus of witnesses, we need to be willing to seek those voices out to be part of that choir.
The full article is available here
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