Yesterday's Offering

The prayer is at the bottom of the post, but I thought I would share how the weekend went, first.

Lake Junaluska is a beautiful place, especially in the predawn light. The whole family had a good time down there. The "speaking" part of the retreat seemed to go well. Thanks to any of you who prayed enabling prayers. I promise to focus my working time on Grandview and on my dissertation (well ... once I give the final on Thursday night and then finish all of the grading).


Here are some sample pictures of seminarians as they played together during evening activities. This game involved tying a balloon to your ankle and then trying to protect it while trying to burst everybody's balloon.

All the way from Globalscope in Spain is Jeremy Lawler. I can live with his Georgia Tech loyalties... at least we both want the Georgia Bulldogs to lose.
More seminarian fun and games...
Sunday morning went pretty well, also. We continue to get going with our three services. Our numbers are kind of all over the map. I think we're set to see some wonderful things happen but that we need to be diligent in prayer. I am praying that we will be good at reaching out to people who don't have a church. I see that beginning to happen. Feel free to join me in praying and inviting.

We had six people join Sunday morning ... and they were spread out evenly over the three services. Welcome, Cecelia, Sarah, Brian, Casey, Mark and Tonia!

Here's Sunday's prayer (and it may be the last one on the blog for awhile):

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
21 September 2008

Lord, we gather together with delight. We delight in your kindness. We delight in your mercy and grace. We delight in the information for living that you gave to us in the flesh; in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

Thank you for showing us the difference between what the world calls “love” and what you call “love.” Thank you for showing us what tools we should, and should not, use when hating what is evil. Thank you for showing us what it means to give mutual respect, to not grow weary of hard work, to be alive in the spirit, to work as slaves, to celebrate our hope, to be patient when suffering, to give constant energy to prayer, to contribute to the needs of others, to welcome strangers, to bless those who persecute us, to mourn and celebrate together, to be humble, and to repay evil with good.

Thank you for showing us what truth is, what truth looks like when it is lived in a particular and place in a particular time. Thank you for showing us what truth looks like when enemies attack, when in the presence of people bowed down by the power of sin and hunger, and when in the presence of friends.

You are worthy of imitating. Send your Spirit to animate our desire to be like your Son.

Forgive us our sins. They are many. They are more than we know, and more damaging than we realize, sometimes traveling from person-to-person, sometimes traveling from generation-to-generation. Forgive us for only remembering individual sins while ignoring the sins of our church or of our nation. Help us to live graciously, justly, and righteously in our communities.

You know the needs in our community better than we do. You know how limited our prayer list is, and yet we remember all of these before you, asking for healing, strength, comfort, joy, peace, patience, and protection.

Lord, in the silence, hear the requests and praises that we bring to your throne:

silence

Be with your missionaries. Pour out your spirit and kindness on the Coleys, Freelands, Headens, Hillmans, Nyadors, Veals, and Orths as they serve you. Refresh the McDades in their time with us. And bless the Jacksons and the Colemans as you prepare then to follow your call. Bless them with the spiritual and financial resources they need.

Lastly, Lord, we ask that you help us to become the kinds of Christians Paul envisions in his letter to the church in Rome; Christians who conquer evil with good.

We pray as you have taught us: