Reprogrammed by the Holy Spirit

          Although I’m improving each year, “technologically challenged” is a term that has been used before to describe me. I dislike rapid advances in technology because they frequently leave me feeling left behind. In fact, the thought of new technology purchases is depressing. I remember years ago when I bought an MP3 player to record my favorite music tunes for working out, riding in the car or studying in my office. The only drawback was, I couldn’t program the darn thing.
          This may be why God provides us with offspring. I handed the MP3 to my then teen-aged son and asked him to program it for me.  Within a couple of hours he returned with it and patiently showed me how to use it. Leaving me with my new digital wonder, he walked away with a playful smile that I did not fully appreciate until several minutes later, when I realized that his music choices were several generations ahead of what I was looking forward to hearing. I had been outflanked in the programming phase. Fortunately, I still had a few leverages then in our parent/child relationship that allowed me to persuade him to reprogram my device.
           In many ways we are all programmed in life. Hopefully we are nurtured in positive and healthy ways by parents and responsible adult role models. We receive training either at school or work, and our friends often have a huge influence, too. As a pastor, I certainly pray that many people open their hearts and minds to the Word of God, the power of the Holy Spirit, and the community of faith to nurture and direct their lives in ways that honor and glorify God. Yes, in all these ways we are nurtured and perhaps even “programmed.”
           This Sunday is Trinity Sunday: our recognition of one God in three persons:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As children of God, our goal is to be nurtured and to grow in the likeness of Christ. This demands transformation. No one achieves this by his or her own power, but only by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we submit our lives to Christ, the Spirit begins a reprogramming of our hearts and our minds.

          Listen to what Paul wrote to the church in Corinth: “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18)
          
          Since there are many competing sources of influence in our world, let us carefully discern who or what we allow to motivate, direct, or perhaps even modify our lives.  When a choice is possible, let us choose wisely.
           Today, turn to God’s Word made known in scripture and live in that Word every day. Open your mind, heart and will in prayer.  Allow the Holy Spirit to change you, transforming you into the likeness of Christ and the ever-increasing glory of our God.

              Conrad

 

Pentecost: Power of the Holy Spirit

“When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.”        Acts 2:1-4

Pentecostal window in the IPC Chapel.
Peter is surrounded by eleven apostles,
 preaching his 1st sermon
on the Day of Pentecost.
 Descending Dove represents
 gift of the Holy Spirit.
 Surrounded by "tongues as of fire."
                                       photo Paul Romjue

        This Sunday we will celebrate Pentecost. On this day we remember and celebrate the Holy Spirit’s descent on the disciples after Jesus’ ascension.   
         I’m not sure anyone has the ability to explain the power of the Holy Spirit to move, to empower, to inspire people of faith. What I do know, however, is that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel proclaimed in faith becomes a living and dynamic witness in the world. The “Word of God” strengthens, comforts, corrects and leads the people of God. Scripture helps us to know and reflect the holy and righteous light of Jesus Christ.

         We can learn and express biblical knowledge and faith in many different ways. We can read it and write it (visual). We can hear it and speak it (audio). Or we can put our hands upon it, pick it up, examine it, test it, act it out and practice it (kinesthetic).

         Of course, all these forms of learning and expressing our faith are essential. The question that haunts me, however, is, “Have the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit moved beyond rehearsal on the stage of my life into a living performance that truly depicts and demonstrates God’s Word?

         Living in the Word is evidenced by a natural spiritual progression. We devote ourselves to prayer, to speaking with God and listening to God. We seek fellowship with others in order to be nurtured, cared for and equipped for service. Together we wait for and seek to prayerfully discern the Holy Spirit’s leading, God’s will, God’s revelation, and God’s desire for our lives of service. Only then can we perform, not simply as actors on a stage but as servants of God doing his will.

             Conrad

Coming back to the table

      I was a guest this week at our Presbyterian Women’s Spring Luncheon at the church.  Joyful occasion, delicious food, and a thought-provoking speaker who is editorial director of a popular national cooking magazine.  Her topic was, “Coming Back to the Table.” 

      Although foods and recipes are her profession, she reminded us that the meal was second to the importance of family and friends gathering together regularly around the table.  Children, teenagers, in fact everyone present should receive strength, understanding and unconditional love from that gathering. She described their nightly gather-round-the-dinner table discussions of the “high highs” and the “low lows” of each one’s day.  And she reminded us of the reinforcing love of God supporting all the times together.  Let us all make time for these moments with our loved ones. And may we feel that same unconditional love in our shared time with God.

Let us pray together:
            Merciful, wise, intervening comforter, encourage and empower us this day.  Yours is a love that will not let us go. Though we may fall, though we may fail, though we might succumb to fear, temptation and sin, we stand on the promise that you will not let us go. O God, as you have claimed our lives, may we grasp the life you offer and all that you hold dear. If this day is numbered for us, may it be a day evident of the orchestration of your mercy, forgiveness, compassion and salvation, not only for us, but for every eye into which we gaze. Christ for us, Christ in us, and Christ through us, at the table and in the world.   AMEN.
    
      Conrad

Call to worship and prayer

          To be still is a spiritual discipline calling Christians to be silent, to remain still, to quiet the other voices in our heads and to discern the presence of God. In many ways this is the purpose of a call to worship or a call to prayer.  Although we are often tempted to dismiss these “calls” as largely ceremonial, we are wise to remember how significant a presence we seek to encounter in worship and prayer.

                                                       photo by Virginia Jones

As the Psalmist wrote:  “Come, let us bow down in worship; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” 
   (Psalm 95:6)
  
In the presence of God, one is humbled and still, ready to receive blessing, direction, correction, encouragement, whatever seems pleasing to God. Prayer and worship are times when we are called to reflect upon what God would have us see and understand in all that is happening around us so that we might respond to the situation at hand according to God’s will.  Seeking to enter the presence of God is not ceremonial nor should it be driven by cultural convention. Rather, it is a time of responding to God’s summons: the command to be still, reverent and discerning.
          Don’t let this day pass without hearing the call to be still, to discern the presence of God. God is present in your life, and how you respond is best served by being grounded in worship and prayer!
  
     Conrad

A total way of life

           Most would agree that commitment is essential in any relationship, especially in our relationship with God. This is difficult for many to understand because, I fear, in today’s culture, true commitment means suffering. Some say that commitment to others is stifling because it obligates or emotionally impels one’s trust and loyalty. This perspective only encourages people to view the world and others for their own advantage, with only their own pleasures in mind.

Last Saturday, church members volunteered
 at our Children's Fresh Air Farm
to prepare the farm for the Summer Learning
Program for underserved children in our area.

            How contrary this is to the teachings of Christ, who taught his disciples to abandon the ways of this world and live for him through humble service and sacrificial love for others. From a Christ-like perspective, commitment is putting others’ welfare first, beyond personal gain and pleasure. It is to make decisions based on others’ well-being, postponing personal gratification and deriving benefit first and foremost from our joyful obedience to Christ’s commands.
             Christian commitment is a total way of life that does not entertain options or ways to merely improve our own lot in life. Rather, Christian commitment seeks the glorification of God through Christ-like compassion toward others. We can begin by serving others first. Let us pray that God will give us the insight, strength and courage to make the kind of commitments and service God desires.
  
          Conrad

Prayers for those who are suffering

          The Boston Marathon bombings are never far from our thoughts. Each day we hear more painful details. This senseless act of violence hurt so many people, both in body and in spirit.
           Our daughter lives in Boston and works in an office along the race route. Monday afternoon my wife and I were preparing to board an airplane to return home when we received a call from our daughter who said, “I’m fine. Don’t worry.”  This was just minutes after the bombings, so we didn’t know that anything had happened.  But as so many others, when we heard the news, we were horrified and in disbelief. We are praying for those who lost their lives, for those who were injured, and for their loved ones.  We are also praying for the many people who cared for the injured, the first responders, the runners who kept running to the hospitals to donate blood, the residents who opened their homes to those in need, and the clergy who comforted the victims and their families. We hear more stories every day of the love and grace shown by people everywhere.  In this tragedy and in all our days, we turn to God in prayer.

                  IPC Sanctuary      photo by Paul Romjue

           God of mercy and grace, we turn to you first in our pain and disbelief. We ask that your Holy Spirit guide and comfort those families who lost loved ones and those who were injured. We don’t understand terror or evil, but we have witnessed it in this tragedy.  We look to you. We trust in you knowing that your love, O God, prevails even in the midst of unfathomable horror.  We pray for your intercession for all those who are suffering, and we ask your blessings on all those who are sharing your love and mercy. Through you, we know that love takes action, as the life, sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus gives witness.  Help us, then, to respond with faith and compassion to all who have suffered. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Amen.

        Conrad

The Spirit gives us all we need

Do we take the God-given opportunities to witness to our faith?

The descending dove represents
the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Chapel of Independent Presbyterian
 Church.  photo by Paul Romjue,
Director of Christian Education

       In the book of Acts, Luke reminds us of the words of our Lord when he says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8)

The Spirit gives us the eyes and intuition we need to recognize opportunity.
The Spirit gives us the boldness we need to speak and the words.
The Spirit opens the hearts and minds of those to whom we speak.

       What we need are the heart, mind, and spirit of obedience. I can’t imagine many days going by that do not provide some opportunity to show the love of God or to share the faith that we profess in Jesus Christ.
        Today, take the opportunities God provides for you to share your faith in Jesus Christ.
        Listen and pray for the leading of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit will give you all you need. The question is, will you respond?

                Conrad

A parent's sacrifice

          Every year as we celebrate Easter, I recall a story that reveals to me the wonder of God’s sacrificial love made known in Jesus Christ.
          A man was driving down a country road with his son on a beautiful spring day. The windows of the car were open in order to appreciate the warm, gentle breezes and the fresh country air.
         The father, not wanting the beauty of God’s creation to go unnoticed, pulled over to the shoulder of the road where he and his son could observe a scenic panorama of the countryside. As he stopped the car, a bumblebee flew in and was buzzing around his son. This was of grave concern to the father because his son had been diagnosed as highly allergic to bee stings.
          Acting very quickly the father reached out, grabbed the bee and attempted to throw him out the car window. The bee, however—now disoriented and agitated—flew right back in and landed on the child’s shoulder. The father, now frantic, again seized the bee. This time, he clutched the bee in his fist until he was certain that the bee could no longer harm his child. His certainty lay in the fact that the bee’s stinger was now buried deep within his own flesh.
    

                          photo by Paul Romjue

      The celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ on Easter Day followed a week in which we acknowledged Christ’s passion and sacrifice. We celebrated because we know that God’s love is even greater than that of a father’s who, loving a child so deeply, takes the sting of a bee in order to protect the health and welfare of his child. Indeed, God, our heavenly Father, sent his own son that we might not perish, but have life abundant and eternal.
           I am reminded of a portion of Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth where he begins by quoting the Old Testament Book of Genesis and then applies it to the New Testament promise of victory in Jesus Christ.

“'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  (1 Corinthians 15:55-57)

           Whatever struggles you face today, whatever temptations you fight or fears from which you run, take a moment to lift them to God in prayer and rejoice in the good news that sin in our lives and in our world has been defeated. There is no longer any reason to dread life or fear death for their sting is gone! Christ literally took the sting of death and the grave upon himself on the cross, and now we live in light of the resurrection. Our hope is as real as any child whose father or mother loves deeply enough to make the supreme sacrifice, for this is what God has done for you and me in Jesus Christ.
            Starting today, let’s live beyond the fear of the sting of death. Let us live in the knowledge of our victory in Jesus Christ.
Christ is risen!  Christ is risen indeed!

       Conrad

"This do in remembrance of me"

       Thursday evening of Holy Week we will gather together in the sanctuary for the Maundy Thursday communion service. We do this with other Christians throughout the world because of the command of Christ in the Upper Room on the night he was later betrayed. This command was given to his disciples following the washing of the feet and the departure of Judas Iscariot, and recorded in John 13:34. “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”  There are several commands of our Lord Jesus Christ associated with the Last Supper. Primarily, “This do in remembrance of me,” which was Christ’s command at the breaking of the bread, and is the command associated with the inauguration of the holy sacrament.

       Let us remember together those words and the images from that night.

Forgiveness

     Lord, so often I feel as though I am in the Upper Room.  I hear those piercing words, "One of you will betray me," and I know not what to do, but put my hand into the bowl. Jesus, my greatest need is your forgiveness, my greatest task to forgive.  God, forgiveness is your power to break the chains of human sin and strife, the power by which Christ has conquered the grave.  Lord Jesus, extend your mercy to me this day, that withdrawing my hand and heart from sin I might be kind, tenderhearted and forgiving of others as you have forgiven me.  Grant me courage not to run from the table, but to partake of the bread broken and the cup poured; reconciled to you and redeemed for your ministry of reconciliation.  AMEN

      

           Conrad

A Faithful Journey

        There is little doubt that Jesus knew the dangerous road he was traveling as he mounted the colt to head into Jerusalem. The people honored him by spreading their cloaks on the road, waving palm branches and shouting "Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!" Jesus knew however, that he had come not to be crowned, but to be crucified.

        Jews from all over the known world at that time were on the road to Jerusalem to celebrate the great Passover Festival and remember the exodus from Egypt. It was a week to celebrate. But Jesus knew his earthly ministry was quickly coming to an end. Still, he kept moving toward Jerusalem, ever faithful and obedient to God's will for his life.  

        We all are on a journey in life, journeys which are filled with joy and celebration as well as pain and disappointment. Today, I would assure you that regardless of what you face on your journey, it is the faithfulness of Jesus to travel that road all the way from Bethany and Bethphage down into Jerusalem and to the cross that gives our lives meaning.

                         photo by Virginia Jones

        This coming week is a week to remember our Lord's passion and to celebrate his faithful journey. He traveled a dangerous highway and was not deterred by adoring crowds waiving palm branches and proclaiming him King. He finished his journey, and because he did, our lives (our journeys) can have meaning. We need not walk the dangerous and depressing roads of life alone.  Jesus Christ is with us! "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"
        "They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 'Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!'" (Luke 19:35-38)

    Conrad

In a dry and weary land

       David, hiding from Absalom in the desert of Judah, wrote a psalm which I believe is a good foundation for a Lenten reflection: "O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water." (Psalm 63:1)

       We had spent the morning helping friends clean out an old barn. It was a hot and dusty job for late July in North Carolina. By mid-afternoon we decided to take a break and go to the local gas station for a soft drink (iced down in a bottle, of course). As we sat in the shade on the curb we heard the familiar bicycle bell of Matthew,  a nine-year-old explorer known all over town for his extroverted, precocious, and often lovable antics.
       Matthew pulled right up to the curb and announced, "Wow, y'all look hot!" Naturally we concurred. Almost immediately Matthew informed us that he also was hot. He had been riding all over town that afternoon looking for something to do. Matthew proceeded by saying, “You know a boy can get mighty thirsty.” He looked out of the top corner of his eye at all of us and said, "Yes sir, a Coke sure would taste good right now… if only I had the fifty cents to get one."

       Naturally, we bought Matthew a soda. Who could have turned down a boy with that kind of thirst?
       Jesus once asked a Samaritan woman at a well near a town called Sychar, for a drink of water. This was quite unusual because Jews and Samaritans generally had great contempt for one another. According to scripture, the woman at the well was quite surprised by Jesus' request. She was even more surprised when Jesus told her, if she knew who was talking to her, she would ask him for "living water."

       Naturally, the woman at the well had a hard time understanding the difference between the water from the well that had been dug on Jacob's property and the "living water" (the spiritual nourishment) from the artesian spring of which Jesus spoke.
       Perhaps we can appreciate her confusion. We all know the feelings of spiritual hunger and thirst because we are, by God's design, spiritual beings. So often in life we recognize a void. Our very being longs (thirsts) for something we can’t fully express. We need spiritual refreshment in the midst of dry and weary places in which we often find ourselves along our journeys.
       Though we can dig and dig and dig in life and gather all the food, water and resources we need to sustain our bodies and our lifestyles, we can never dig for spiritual (living) water because its origin is not an artesian spring. It flows only by God's desire. If our hunger and thirst are spiritual, then it is only Jesus Christ who can provide what we need to sustain life. We can't discover it, produce it or buy it, but Jesus offers to give it to us: living water for which our souls thirst.

        Like David, do you find yourself today in a dry and weary land, a place where there is no water to quench your soul’s thirst? If so rejoice, be refreshed and renewed. Turn to Jesus Christ and believe him when he says: "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." (John 6:35)

         Conrad

Bearing the Imprint

      A friend and fellow history major sent me a unique Civil War artifact he discovered with a metal detector on James Island, South Carolina. During the American Civil War, this was a location of devastating human conflict.
       It’s a simple federal mini ball, but what makes this particular mini ball special (along with others like it) are the human teeth marks pressed into the soft lead. These mini balls were referred to as “pain shots” and were clinched between the teeth of soldiers in the absence of anesthesia, often during crude battlefield amputation procedures. They’re evidence of the human cost of war, the pain of conflict.

       In many ways it reminds me of the tormenting pain and destruction caused by human sin:  the teeth-gnashing aftermath of our willful desire to live according to our wills rather than the gracious will of God. On life’s spiritual battlefield, few of us are left unwounded, and yet the battle rages. Is there a peace, a truce at hand? Yes! The “Prince of Peace,” though himself a sacrifice on the field, has risen to power, and he bids us peace.
       His is a summons to repentance. He calls all who will listen to welcome him into their hearts, to accept His Spirit, to enter with joy into his new kingdom of peace where sin and the arsenals of our greed, hate and violence are destroyed. His kingdom is a place where we treat the wounds of others and where our pain and anguish are remembered like a distant dream as we fumble with a slug of soft lead “grace” that bears the imprint of our teeth. Yes, Christ came into the world to save wounded sinners, like you and like me.

                      Conrad

Christ's new commandment

Christ’s words to us are, “I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Scripture also tells us we should use whatever gifts we have received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.

And that’s what it’s all about:  Loving our neighbor and living in service to others through Jesus Christ.

How are you using the energy, intelligence, imagination and love God has given you in life?  As a church family, we see many needs that God is meeting through the commitment of members’ time, talents, and resources.

We never know when we show God’s love and live in service to others, just how far-reaching the effects will be, but we trust in God who does know.

        Conrad

Renewal of hearts and souls

 
In the season of Lent, we are encouraged to examine our lives. How are you balancing the pressures, demands, and stress of life? Do you see your work as God’s will for your life?  Is there enough time for a balance of play with your family or friends? What do you do for renewal of your heart and soul? Let us open our hearts this day to God in prayer. 

Prepare us for work while there is light, O God, to see no task as trivial, to approach every labor as prayer in action.  Grant us joy in work well done: our talent and resources mastered for your glory.  Allow us to be transformed the moment we see our vocation align with your will for our lives and your promised Kingdom.  As Adam was placed in the garden to till and keep it, may we find through the balance of work and play the renewal of our hearts and souls: the true pleasure of labor to your glory in Christ our Lord.  AMEN   

     Conrad        

A Period of Preparation

Wednesday, February 13, many Christians around the world observed Ash Wednesday as the beginning of the season of Lent.

Lent, which lasts 40 days (excluding Sundays), is a period of preparation for the celebration of the resurrection. A time of penitence, Lent is often observed through fasting, prayer, giving to the poor and repentance. The symbolic imposition of ashes on the forehead marks the beginning of the devout person's observation of Lent.

Ultimately, however, it is not the mark of ashes which separates us from the world. It is our Christ-like action and relationships that mark us and set us apart. This is a season we remember our mortality, as the words spoken at the imposition of ashes remind us:
"From dust you came; to dust you shall return."

Our only hope then is Christ, whose selfless act of sacrifice and resurrection from the dead we celebrate at the close of this season of Lent. He has overcome death and the grave, and promised life to all who would turn to him, obey his Word and live according to the direction of his Holy Spirit. It is through our conforming to the life of Christ that we bear the marks of true repentance. It is not public acts or ashes, but the Lord Jesus Christ we must put on to live. Yes, we have come from ash, and to ash we shall return, but for the mark that Christ has placed upon us — the mark of his holiness, his righteousness and his salvation.

This season of Lent ask yourself, have I presented my body, my life, my will before Christ that he might mark me as set apart and consecrated for his holy service in the world?
Let us use this period of preparation to pray, to read God’s Word, to reflect on our lives, and to open our hearts to the needs of others in Christ’s name.  
           Conrad

A Transforming Experience

The Transfiguration
Lodovico Carracci, 1594, depicting
Moses, Jesus, Elijah,
 and Peter, James and John

       This Sunday most churches will celebrate Transfiguration Sunday. We will remember the event recorded in the first three gospels (Matthew Mark and Luke) of Jesus taking Peter, James and John with him to the top of a mountain where Jesus is "transfigured" before them. Transfiguration was probably the only way the Apostles could account for Jesus' visible change of appearance.
        Mark writes, "After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." (Mark 9:2-3)

Fear, Wonder and Awe
       Can you imagine what must have been going through the minds of these three disciples when they witnessed Jesus' transformation right before their eyes? I'm certain fear, wonder and awe were part of their experience on the mountain. But this is, I believe, very much a part of the human response to the presence of the divine. It is the height of human experience to stand in awe and worship before God.
       This mountaintop experience also prepared the disciples for what was rapidly approaching — Jesus' arrest, trial and crucifixion. Jesus had been open and honest with his disciples of the cost of his messiahship, as well as what it would cost to be his follower. Surely, they had second thoughts. Surely, they wondered if they could follow him into this valley of rejection and death. That mountaintop day, however, God blessed these three disciples not only with his presence, but also with instruction from the cloud. God said, "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!" (Mark 9:7)
       This is an exhortation we dare not miss. This is a divine imperative (the most essential requirement of disciples of Jesus Christ) to listen and to heed God's Word made known in Jesus Christ.
       When in your life have you most sensed the presence of God? Has God's presence in your life made an impact upon your life in the ways you seek to live out and share your faith?
        As disciples of Jesus Christ, we dare not take the most significant of human faith experiences (the presence of the divine) lightly, because on life’s journey God knows the hills we must climb and the valleys we must enter. Therefore, do not miss the glory of Christ which can and will transform your life. Our first task is to be sensitive and aware of God and what the Spirit of Jesus Christ is doing in the world. Let us stand in awe of his radiant presence, listen to him, obey him and follow him confident of his resurrection glory. We may enter the valley of death, we may be forced up Calvary's Hill, but Christ stands glorious in the presence of God bidding us to follow.
 
            Conrad

Longing for Light

We’re used to long days of sunshine and warmth living in the southern part of the States. But for weeks, it seems, we’ve been shrouded with gray skies, rain, and cold, damp fog.  I find myself searching for the light, and when I see it, even for a brief moment, it often surprises me. I long for it. But my soul longs even more for light within.

 church sacristy       photo by Paul Romjue

Father, grant me the will to endure when your will seems shrouded in uncertainty.  Magnify in me a boldness in spirit and courage that can prosper faith capable of both the power to heal and persevere.  Grant me the ability to praise your majesty and mercy through days of darkness, ever-looking inward for the light of hope that will not fade.  Illuminate my faint vision with the mystery and awe of a new dawn breaking, not on the horizon, but within my soul.  Empower me to walk by faith that is greater than knowledge and stir within me the eternal glory of Christ which the darkness brings to full light.  AMEN

                                                                    Conrad

A sign in and for the world

The world offers so many distractions, and we are often pulled in many directions.  Let us pray and keep our focus on what matters above all else.

Father, he is not simply a good man, for he is anointed, holy, set apart.  Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the one who has come and yet is coming. Our faith must be established and grow on more than historic criticism, more than theological reflection, more than moral and ethical reorientations. Our faith must reflect your glory in the awe of expectation for what Christ holds in his hand alone. Pray, Father, that we will not lose sight of Jesus. May our minds be on him alone that in total submission to his Word, we might also know the anointing power of your Holy Spirit. Merciful God, as individuals and as the church, set us apart as a sign in and for the world of your eternal love, anointed and true, world without end. Amen.   

                        Conrad

Longing for a place called home

         Many times I ate lunch there and failed to notice, but one day as I sat with my wife and looked around, I had a feeling that I’m certain many of you have felt before. Every time I walked in, I looked for the restaurant owner sitting at the front table. She always offered a warm greeting. The food served there was delectable and came in generous quantities. Many long-time residents ate there enjoying an ambiance that made people feel at home. As a train rumbled by on a nearby track, I smiled with the knowledge that no matter where we went in life, this was a special place to come back to! People were not only gathered around meal tables there, but there was a feeling of communion. Everyone knew your name (or at least your face) and a gentle, kind spirit was evident. It was a place of harmony; the music of which was played out in hospitality, great food and community.

A GIFT OF THE SPIRIT

         Every pastor prays for the insight and skills to create this same atmosphere within the church and yet it comes more honestly as a gift of the Spirit. Oh, yes, we set the tone through prayer and hard labor, but communion with God and others is an act of worship that comes as a gift, and once “there” you know you are at home. It is a place of nurture and fellowship that feeds our very souls.

         The church (as the people of God in the world) exists and grows in places where the Holy Spirit binds us together and builds us up in love. I think Paul challenges us to this kind of communion in his letter to the church in Philippi:
 “If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.” (Philippians 2:1-2)

AN EXPERIENCE OF SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
          Even though the Spirit is a gift from God, each community of believers, and every church, must work diligently at creating an atmosphere of worship and fellowship. Just as an excellent restaurant hires and trains people to greet and treat patrons, to prepare and serve food, to be warm and friendly in meeting the needs of others, so the church faces the task of preparing its people to serve. But it is the word of God, the communion of the Holy Spirit and the love of Jesus Christ we share. Some will serve as pastors, some as teachers, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some will serve in ways unseen, yet all are essential to the function of the church. But it is the Spirit which sanctifies our efforts, binds us together and builds us up in love. It is an experience finer than any meal in any restaurant, for it is an experience of spiritual communion.

         If your soul hungers this day, if you long for a place called home, if you need to know the love which passes all human comprehension, then come to the table of our Lord Jesus Christ. He has prepared a place for you.
          Yes, seek a church you can call home for: “From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:16)

           Conrad         

What are your spiritual resolutions?

          Many among us have seized the beginning of a New Year by making various resolutions. I, for one, know that the weeks leading up to Christmas saw an unprecedented increase in my desire to consume sweets, so I am looking toward a resolution to live a more healthy, balanced life by eating less and exercising more. (I may regret the day I put this in ink.)

           I wonder how many people of faith will look upon the New Year as an opportunity to reflect upon their spiritual health and well being? Just take some time to consider in what ways a resolution might improve your effectiveness as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

                         photo by Paul Romjue

          I remember a moment in my ministry years ago when I realized in a worship service that in less than three or four minutes I was unexpectedly going to be leading a “Time for Young Disciples” (a children’s message) with our children. This was supposed to have been removed from the service that day due to a special music program.
          Before I had the time to even consider what I might share with our children, a “saint” in our church passed me a note asking if I would like her to lead the children's message. Certainly not wanting to quell the movement of the spirit, I gladly accepted her offer. (Whew!)
          The fact that she stepped forward to do a message was not as impressive to me as the quality and spirit of her message. She rose, as I had witnessed her do many times over the years, and as she spoke, the Word of God settled not only upon the children at her feet but also upon the congregation (the older children of God) who remained in their pews.
           I thought to myself, it should be no surprise that the Spirit would flow so freely through this humble servant. Her life was a perfect example of a life enriched and empowered through devotion to God, the study of scripture and the discipline of prayer.
          My resolution at that very moment of worship was to rejuvenate my own life of devotion. I wanted to grow stronger in God's Word through the study of scripture and the discipline of prayer so that I, too, might let the Spirit of God flow through me as a powerful witness to Jesus Christ.
           What are your New Year's resolutions? If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, I hope all your goals for the New Year reflect a deep desire to grow in spirit and truth and the witness of hope which is ours in Jesus Christ our Lord.

 “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  
                (Romans 15:13)

Conrad