Tomorrow's Offering

Tomorrow's sermon begins a new series on commitment. We'll be looking at the Gadites and the Reubenites who didn't really want to enter the Promised Land with everyone else.

Returning today is the long, lost tradition of including the pastoral prayer in my blog. I haven't had much time to add these and I don't always get them before hand. Today's prayer-man is Bob Hall. Thanks, Bob.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
3 May 2009

Praise be to the Lord, to God, Our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.

Thank you, Father, for your great love. Thank you, Father, for your great commitment – a commitment so great that you made us in your own image; a commitment so great that you sent your beloved Son to die for us; a commitment so great that you promised eternal life for those who believe.

When we ponder your great commitment to us, it can take our breath away, it can bring us to our knees, it can make us cry out, “Oh Great and wondrous Lord”.

Even more, it can turn us to commit to you.

We commit our hearts to you, Father, that we may be examples of your love; soften our hearts to others and give us true charity; cleanse our hearts, Lord, of sinful desire and replace it with the desire to serve you.

We commit our souls to you, Father, that we may be dynamic, vibrant sewers of your Word. Let us not content ourselves with abstaining from evil-doing, but rather commit ourselves to well-doing, to active service in the name of Jesus. When our brothers and sisters cry out in anguish, let us be there to mend them, let us be there to support them, let us be there to love them in the name of the risen savior.

We commit our minds to you, Father, and step out in faith, faith that can move mountains. Help us refrain from rationalizing our lives in service of self. Help us fight against the earthly logic of personal pleasure at the expense of the world around us. Help us use the intelligence you have given us that all may know you and all experience the peaceful beauty of this world because of your great love.

We commit ourselves to you, Father, all of our beings. Use us in your service. Use us to further your kingdom.

Bless those who hate us for our faults and those who love us in spite of them. Remake us that they may see you and your goodness in us.

In the silence, God, hear our personal prayers of despair, of thanksgiving, of pain, of praise:



We ask special prayers today, gracious Lord, for Dennis and Fabienne Freeland and their family as they serve with others in JAARS to spread your word around the globe. Bless them and keep them.

We pray also for Crossroads Christian Church and their minister, Clint Andrews. Bless them as they work to strengthen your kingdom in the local area as well as other parts of the world that they support.

And now we pray together as Jesus Christ taught us to pray:

Tomorrow's Offering

It won't be in the bulletin tomorrow, but we do have a slide announcing that on Sunday, February 22nd we will say goodbye to the Marrs. I'm calling it:I know ... corny. Oh well, short notice! I hope you can make it. It will be a pot-luck function and the planning is just getting underway. Normally Yvonne would plan this kind of function, but because we're saying goodbye to her, I thought asking her to organize it would be tacky. Phyllis Fox has agreed to lead the task but, as you may know, she's new to Grandview. Any help you can offer will be appreciated.

Now to tomorrow's services. I don't have any of the pastoral prayers yet. I'll add them as they roll in (if I'm back at my computer later today). Tomorrow is the penultimate sermon in the series on Christian maturity. Frank Smith will wrap it up on next Sunday.
We will look, again, at the ministry of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark. Tomorrow Jesus heals a leper and tells him to keep quiet about it, except for going to the priests to be declared clean.

The man is too excited to follow through with what Jesus tells him to do. Interesting scenario; most of us who don't follow through with Jesus' commands do so out of apathy, not excitement!

This week has been pretty quiet pastorally. Willy B. had eye surgery and while the surgery went well, she wasn't feeling great much of the week. As for other things this week, well, you've already seen the Two4Two post. Yesterday, Deke B., Jason H. and I shot the remaining "Taming the Ancient Wildeor" videos. That was fun. Jason makes a fine Wildeor.

Okay. Back to work on the dissertation.

This just in: Bob Hall's prayer for the 11am service. Enjoy.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
15 February 2009

We come before you, Lord God, looking for an anchor in a stormy world. All around us the world is busy, the world is chaotic, the world is beautiful and ugly at the same time. We are bombarded by temptations, by sin. We are surrounded by danger. Want and need are everywhere we look. The poor and the despised, the ugly and the infirm, cry out for help. Trust in the world and we are lost. You are our rock, you are our strength, you are our redeemer. In you, we find our peace. We rest upon your unchanging grace; in every high and stormy gale, our anchor holds within the veil.
In you we find our peace, but it’s often on our own terms. We like you Lord, the way we like you. It’s almost like we have our own religion that we need you to fit into. Clear our minds, Lord. Make us right. Help us see you are the God of everything and that you’re with all your followers, all your servants. Forgive us when we put you in a box, forgive us when we pull you out and dust you off and try to wind you up like a toy to please us. Forgive us.
We want to serve you, Lord. We want to do your will and we often try very hard to spread the Good News to every nation. But we also often see one way to accomplish your tasks. We often see OUR way of reaching your goals. When things stand in our way, we lose focus, we get frustrated, we sometimes even give up. God, don’t let us get sidetracked by the world, by our own desires, by well-meaning people, by our fears and phobias. Just as Jesus kept his eyes upon you and his purpose, so help us to remain steadfast to your design.
Our hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and his righteousness. We know, Father, that without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thank you for the cleansing blood of the Lamb. Thank you for your limitless grace.
Bless our enemies and let them be cleansed by the blood of the Lamb just as we are.
In the silence hear our prayers of despair and of hope, of sadness and of joy…of thanksgiving:


We specifically pray for Lone Oak Christian Church. We ask your blessing on their leadership and especially on their minister, Tad Johnson. Support them as they continue the goal of all Christians -- to deepen and mature. Give them wisdom regarding when, where, and if to build a new building.
We pray for Agape Women’s Services and their mission here in the community. Bless them as they show your unconditional love for the people they serve.
We also pray for Greg and Allison Coley and the entire Globalscope team serving at Thammasat University in Bangkok, Thailand. Help them build the relationships, help them share your love with the students, and help them stay focused on your will.

And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Tomorrow's Offering

Things were bit quieter, pastorally, around Grandview this week. We don't have anyone in the hospital right now. As I type the Grandview update (from the Oasis Coffee Shop in JC)the beginning of the warm up is taking place. Most of the week it was just winter.

I don't want to complain about the natural progression of the seasons, so I'll just mention that we've had enough cold and ice to be able to claim full participants in the season.

SuperBowl Sunday was nice, though. I even had the chance to ride to Shady Valley, TN--on roads that seemed to designed for motorcycle joy.

Because I'm not preaching tomorrow, I was able to get more done on my dissertation. I'm going to keep trying to plug-away (immediately after posting this entry). Even without the sermon, though, there was much to be done.

• John Marr announced he will be leaving our staff to join the staff of First Christian Church. We will miss him and we wish him well.
• The new website is getting closer to it's rollout. We just have to get the static pages formed.
• Two4Two was supposed to begin this week but didn't, due to weather. I am still working on the video/teaching focus of the Rendezvous (worship time) portion of Two4Two. We will focus on the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness. This will include the introduction of the mythical beast Wildeor. Wildeor is just an ancient word for wild beast and it's where we get our word for wilderness.
• I also raided Maxxie Dunnam for a Lenten sermon series. I won't be using his sermons (I can't do that sort of thing). But his arrangement of the questions of Jesus is really good. So I've planned that course of sermons and made some pics for slides and the upcoming webpage.
• Dr. Bill Gwaltney will be preaching tomorrow. The "Rabbi" as he is called around here, is a fine man and I'm very pleased to have him preaching for us. He will continue our series on Christian maturity. Dr. Gwaltney was recently named alumnus of the year by Hebrew Union University in Cincinnatti. Welcome to Grandview's pulpit, doc!

Tomorrow's prayers will be led by Dirk D, Bob H, and Craig H. Bob H has already given me the 11am service prayer. Enjoy!

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
8 February 2009

Lord of all, we bow down before you in prayer. You are our God and we are your people.
God of Power, you control all that we know and do not know; all that we see and do not see. You make the sun shine, you make the rain fall. You make the fields green. You calm the seas. You quiet the winds. You lift up the righteous and punish the wicked. You have conquered all manner of evil. Demons cower before you. Satan is powerless against you. You are God omnipotent.
God of Healing, you take us, battered and broken by myriad ills and you repair us. By your healing touch, you can make our minds and our bodies, our spirits and our flesh, whole again.
God of Truth, through your word, you share with us the meaning of life. You teach us how to live; you teach us how to witness. Give us the excitement to proclaim your kingdom to all corners of the earth, to all peoples.
God of Sacrifice, through the example of your son, Jesus Christ, you teach us that living a Godly life, living a Christian life does not include the spotlight being turned on us. Sacrifice, true selflessness is focused on others, improving their lives in your name.
God of compassion, you lift us up. We sin and repent, time and again, and you cover us with your grace. Grace upon grace, your love envelops and purifies against even the most disgusting of our actions.
You are our God and we are your people. You are our Father and we are your children and your love is limitless.
Bless our enemies, Lord, and let them feel your power.
Now, in silence, we come before you. We clear our minds of the clutter around us. We focus ourselves on you and we pray. We pray for those who need healing, we pray for those who need comfort, we pray for new life – both physical and spiritual, we pray that although we will always fall short, we remain steadfast, we persevere, we persist because our ultimate goal is to serve you and love you in the same way you, through Jesus Christ, love us.
Help us every day, Father, to model ourselves after the sacrificial lamb, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Focus our attentions, not inwardly toward ourselves like the world tells us to do, but outwardly toward your creation spreading the good news of the risen savior.
We now lift up to you our brothers and sisters at the West Walnut Street Church. Specifically, we mention their minister, Jeff Doud, and their efforts to inviting those who don’t have a church home to find a place with them.
Bless the Community Groups around the area that we support. Bless their workers, their leadership, their volunteers and their efforts. Help us give them the aid they need.
And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Today's Offering

It's been a busy week around here. Lots of hospital style visits and follow-up. Rollin R's father died this past week, Fred N is in the hospital this morning, Neal V fell and busted his knee cap, Judy N spent time in the ER this week (is home now), little Parker C had a seizure and wound up in the PICU, and that's just the stuff off the top of my head this morning. You are welcome to pray for them all.

The sermon this morning will be my second in a row without any funny-ish anecdotes. Sorry! Sometimes a sermon doesn't lend itself to those things. I've never figured out if the funny story quotient is more determined by the topic or by the mood of the sermon-writer.

We will look at Mark's accounts of (or lack thereof) Jesus as a teacher. Mark's gospel often calls Jesus "teacher," but includes very little of Jesus' teaching words.

Today's prayer people are Dirk DiSantis (welcome, Dirk! @ 9:30, Bob Hall (welcome back, Bob) @ 11, and Craig Hardy continues to carry the load at the Table. Below are the prayers of Bobby and then Dirk.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
1 February 2009

11am Service:
God of peace, God of creation, you control all. The sun that shines upon us, the cold that makes us bundle up, the wind that makes us seek shelter, the rain that falls on each of us, they are your creation and we are in the middle of it all.
We thank you for the Holy Scriptures, words of life, words of truth. In them Jesus speaks with authority, personal authority, Godly authority, and he acts swiftly, strongly, he knows what is right and addresses evil with the power of your name.
This is how we want to be, too. We want to be like Jesus. We want to be righteous. Our hearts aren’t pure by any means, but our intentions are often good, often lofty, often selfless. Our intentions…so often we talk a good game, but when it comes time to stand up against evil, we shrink away. When it comes time to acknowledge you and your kingdom, we find excuses, we are busy, we have other priorities…sometimes even inside the church.
Satan, himself, recognizes your greatness. Demons shriek and cry in your presence. They know where the true power lies, but we fool ourselves. We say that we follow you and then we go off like little children and focus on us.
Thanks be to You, O God. Thank you for your love, your forgiveness, that when we go off, you wait eagerly for our return. Thank you for your Son, Jesus the Christ, whose perfection was manifested in both word and deed. Thank you for his teachings, thank you for his strength, thank you for his compassion and his grace. His life and teachings continue to bless us daily. Help us become mature Christians, loving God, let our words and our deeds reflect each other. Let our words and deeds reflect Jesus Christ. Help us be people of action, people who know you and know your will and allow it to guide us.
Bless our enemies, Lord. Let them see your strength and power. Let them feel your love.
Turn your face toward us, Father. In the silence, we bring to you our Thanksgivings for you are a mighty God; we bring you our sorrows because you are a gentle God; we bring you our weaknesses and failings because you are a loving God; we lay before you our sins, because you are a merciful God.

Thank you for the mature Christians who serve your kingdom here and around the world. Bless the Downtown Christian Church. Bless them as they seek to serve you in word and deed. Bless their leaders and bless their ministries. Shine your light upon our missionaries, Lord, and let them know you are with them through their trials and joys. Allow your love to shine on them through us.
And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

9:30 am service:
Most gracious heavenly Father, Lord of all creation, we gather together before you now with humble spirit. We praise you and exalt you Father, for you are our strength and our song. Each day we have the privilege to behold the great and awesome wonders of your works with our own eyes. We get to experience the joy that comes from basking in your blessings. Thank you for these gifts.
God we offer ourselves in service to you, and we pray for your guidance. Grant us the courage to confess our sins and to seek your grace and forgiveness. And let your Spirit guide us in everything that we do and say. Integrate our actions, our behaviors and our words, let them be harmonious so that every single aspect of our lives is a reflection of your grace and love.
We desire to extend the good news of your kingdom to all people as you have commanded. Father use us here at home, or anywhere in the world, to seek out those who are living a life outside of Christ’s salvation. Instill in us a passion for reaching out to others in Christian love, so that many will come to know you.
We thank you for Johnson City’s Downtown Christian Church. We pray for your blessing on their ministry, their congregation, and their minister Eddie Fines. We pray too for those missionaries who have answered the call to go far away from home, who have left friends and family behind, in order to serve as you have called them. Please bless their ministry, and provide them with health, safety and security.
And though it may feel difficult, we pray with sincerity that you will bless our enemies. Let them know your love, because true peace is found only in your presence.
God please provide comfort against our pain; and grant us peace and strength against our suffering. You know so well the struggles each of us are dealing with, the problems within our families, our church, our community, our country, our world. Some are much greater than others. But your unfailing love is our comfort, and so we bring all burdens to you now, and lay them at your feet in this silence.
Guide our steps in the important work planned for us while we live our lives here on earth. Reveal your will for us so that our service brings glory to you almighty God.
Now we pray together using the prayer Christ taught us:
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name
They kingdom come, they will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen

Tomorrow's Offering, Pt. 2

Elder Lorna has submitted her prayer for tomorrow. Thanks, Lorna!

Enjoy:

Lord of all nations, we as citizens of your kingdom come before you this morning a diverse people, yet united in our acknowledgment of you as creator, redeemer and sustainer. You, who are three, yet one, have given each of us unique gifts to extend your kingdom here in Northeast Tennessee. You have called us to leave behind childish and petty disagreements and focus on encountering each other with words of healing and encouragement. You have called us to join together to reach out to those beyond our congregation with a glimpse of what your kingdom can be. We thank you for leaders who motivate and prepare us for works of service and lead us in toward a unity of faith.

We are always mindful that you and your kingdom claim first loyalty in our lives, yet we also find ourselves as citizens of an earthly nation of equally diverse people. We thank you for allowing us to live in a country which has just witnessed a peaceful transfer of power. We pray your special blessings on all new leaders of our congregation and of our nation. We pray that those who now hold the authority to make decisions which affect our lives will resist the temptation to let their power become pride or disregard for those they serve. Give our leaders and us the wisdom to listen to each other. May they and we chose faith over fear, compassion over violence, and common ground over partisanship and self-interest. We long for a world of righteousness, justice, and peace, yet we know those ideals will not happen in our world until they first happen in our lives.

Invigorate, heal, strengthen, and encourage those who are sick, struggling, or sad. Give us the hearts of servants so we might minister to those on our prayer list. Give your protection to those who are risking their lives to protect us. Give a peaceful death to those whose time to die has come. Give us hearts to see you in those we call our enemies. Give us the grace to realize that they, like we, are sinners in need of forgiveness.

We pray for our sister churches. Today we especially ask your blessing on Walnut Christian Church and on their minister, Tim Carlson. We ask that their youth group be nurtured as they help form the life and future of that congregation. We seek your blessings on those involved this week with IHN, both those of us who serve and those families to whom we minister.



Now hear us as we pray together as we have been taught: Our Father who art in heaven hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen

Tomorrow's Offering

I've been a baaaad blogger. I haven't told you that Cindy's grandfather returned to New Jersey not long after he moved in with us. I also didn't tell you that he re-returned to Johnson City on Christmas Eve and is now living in an assisted living facility here in town. So, welcome back to Pop. We're glad to have you here.

I'd be lying, though, if I said the transition has been or continues to be smooth. It's hard to leave your home of over 50 years. Prayers are welcome.

Also, Meg has returned from the Rose Bowl Parade. We got to see her, if only briefly, on the HGTV coverage. She had a fun trip and we're glad she's back, safe and sound.

Tomorrow's sermon ends the Christian season for us. I'll be preaching on Ephesians 1:3-14 and the fact that God has planned our adoption from before time. It will be an attempt at driving home the broad picture of faith that Paul espouses in this passage.

Tomorrow's prayer people are Kevin Harkey (9:30), Craig Hardy (Table), and Bob Hall (11am). His prayer is dutifully and wonderfully ready. It follows:

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
4 January 2009

We come before You, most honored Lord, in deep appreciation for what You have done for us, what You have done for the entire world. You are our Creator, You are our provider. You have given us life. You have given us each other. All we have is from You, our possessions, our friends and family, our very lives. Blessed be Your name.

Father, You loved us so much that You offered us salvation through Your glorious grace, the glorious grace and truth found in our savior, Jesus Christ. In him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace that He lavished on us.

And as we have accepted You, You have adopted us into Your family, the family of God…now we are not just one of Your creation, but one of Your children. We are not alone. We are not left to our own devices. Instead, we are part of something bigger than ourselves. Through the blood of the Lamb, You give us the opportunity to matter. Through Your unconditional love, we can share the joy of being a part of Your family

Being one of Your children is a privilege, not a right and we know can’t earn it. We also know that with privilege comes responsibility, the responsibility to live right lives, the responsibility to take care of Your resources, the responsibility of caring for our brothers and sisters Here and around the world, the responsibility of spreading the Good News to all the reaches of the earth so that all might live for the praise of His glory.

Forgive us of our sins. Forgive us when we fail You and thank You for Your grace upon grace.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the silence, hear our prayers of penitence, our prayers of hope, our prayers for those in need:



We pray for 2009 with all the possibilities it holds. We pray for peace. We pray for reconciliation. We pray for tolerance. We pray that Godly goodness prevails, Give our leaders -- our president and other world leaders, as well as our local leaders -- the wisdom of restraint, the wisdom of discernment.

And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Tomorrow's Offering

I hope you had a good week. Tomorrow Nathan McDade will be preaching, continuing the "Enough" theme from this past Sunday. This will be the first Sunday I've stepped out of the pulpit since we went to three services. I'm confident everybody has their jobs covered. Tomorrow's prayer people are Bill Greer (9:30), Bob Hall (11am), and Theresa Garbe (Table). Thanks!

Here is Bob Hall's prayer. Hope to see you tomorrow (don't forget the time change!):

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
2 November 2008

We come before You, Father, praising Your name and worshipping You with all our hearts. We love You, Lord. You are our rock, You are our redeemer, You are our Father, Mother, Creator. Regardless of how we act, regardless of what we say, regardless of how inadequate our efforts, You never forsake us. When our lives are good, You are present, when our lives are bad, You are there. You are our God and we are Your people.
We know all good things come from You. We know You will always provide. We know that. Still, we want so badly to feel in control of our lives and our world. When we see a problem, when we see an issue, we have to fix it…right away. We don’t trust You.
Time; we don’t have enough. We want more. We cram as many things into it as we can. One more thing, we just have one more thing to do. There’s so much to do. We fill our days, we labor…hard. Labor is good, but labor that betrays a lack of trust in Your ability to provide is simply a waste of time.
Give us the wisdom of balance. Assist us as we strive to be obedient to You, to trust in Your awesome power.
Help us make time, O Lord, time for You. Time for the things You love. Time for raising up our Christian families, time for serving the poor and downtrodden, time for prayer.
We are here today and gone tomorrow, but Your kingdom defies time…Your kingdom lasts forever.
Help us take time with our enemies. Bless them, Father and help us turn them into friends.
In the silence, Lord, hear our prayers of thanksgiving for the faithful in our past, those who have positively shaped our lives:


We pray for those who dedicate themselves to others. We ask Your blessings on emergency responders, home healthcare givers, medical professionals, educators. Bless our missionaries and those who serve in the military. Bless all those who put others first, especially in Your name.
And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Yesterday's Offering

Yesterday we continued our stewardship emphasis month. This isn't the logo. This is the blue version--we're in the red.

We announced a three Sunday luncheon for college students (Nov 2, 9, 16). I'm putting the picture in the blog because I worked hard on it and want it to be seen as often as possible.



I don't have much time for posting tonight so I'll get right to the pastoral prayer. The three prayer leaders this week were Theresa Garbe, Bob Hall, and Bill Greer. The blogged version this week is Bill Greer's at the 9:30 service. Thanks, Theresa, Bob, and Bill.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
12 October 2008

Our most gracious heavenly father:

Having been created in your image, but possessing human imperfection, we present ourselves to you in worship. We are grateful for the infinite grace that you show us each day. We thank you for your limitless patience as we try, but so often fail, to be the children you wish us to be.

For the remarkable beauty that surrounds us, for the change of seasons, and for the constancy of your love, we thank you. May we celebrate these blessings, knowing that all good and perfect things come from you. But father, we too often place our faith and our trust in institutions of human creation, only to see them falter. Help us to see past our worldly concerns about finances, elections, wars, and prejudices, and grant us the wisdom to trust and delight in you and your grace. Among your billions of children, we in this room are rich beyond measure. Embolden us to seek ways to use these gifts for your glory and for the extension of your kingdom. May we surrender control to you – the creator and sustainer of all things.

We ask for your special blessing to be upon those in need of healing, upon those in need of rest, and upon those whose lives are empty or turned away from you. We pray for our leaders, for our enemies, and we pray for peace in the world and in our lives. Thank you for prayers answered, for being present in our lives, and for providing the world with an image of you and your amazing love through the life of your son, Jesus Christ.

In the silence, we offer up our prayers for ourselves and for others in need:

(silence)

We thank you, Lord, for the blessings you have granted this congregation as we seek to serve your kingdom in our community and in our world. We are grateful that you have made it possible for us to serve others through our support for Agape Women’s Services, Appalachian Christian Camp, Christian Student Fellowship at ETSU, Emmanuel School of Religion, European Evangelistic Society, Higher Ministries, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Milligan College, Friends at John Sevier, and the Salvation Army.

We ask for your direction as we consider how we might financially support your work through Grandview. May we be willing to let go of that which you have yourself given us, so that your ministry here might continue to grow and so that we might continue to share with others less fortunate than we.

We continue our prayer, joining our voices together, as Jesus taught us to pray, saying…

Our father, who art in heaven…

Yesterday's Offering

We continued with our "All of Life" Stewardship commitment emphasis yesterday. The sermon was a little strange, but we made it through just fine (Mondays aren't the best days to review Sundays).

In a separate entry I will post some Saturday pics that include having family in town, the return of my Honda motorcycle (Thanks, Ross!!!), attempts at attending the Apple Festival, and the uncertain thrill of bleachers collapsing beneath me and my family at the band competition at Tusculum College.

For now, I want to introduce a new feature of this blog: the pastoral prayer. I know, I know, I know. The weekly prayer has been a part of this blog for a year and a half now.

I have reluctantly given the pastoral prayer back to the elders of the church (where it belongs, really). I say "reluctantly" not because I don't want to give it away, but because it has been a good discipline. The pastoral prayers at Grandview will now be written by three different people each week; one in each service. I will try to share one each week, rotating between the three services.

I have to say that when Bill Greer was leading the pastoral prayer in the 9:30 service it was a surprising joy to sit and pray without leading (excellent prayer, Bill ... but I don't have your written copy, so I'm going with Bob Hall's 11am prayer this week).

Without further adieu, from the mind and heart of Bob Hall (the younger):

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
5 October 2008

Father, God we adore your giving spirit. We adore your love and covet your blessings. You give us our sustenance. You give us life. You cleave us to you and we don’t want you to let go.

Still we want what we want. We want it all, everything we can get…for ourselves. Our level of selfishness, our love of self, of what’s ours…can at times be of staggering proportions. Take, take, take is often our mantra. Our hearts are hard…wedged full of all the stuff we can cram in them. When our hearts are closed we are no better than a brood of vipers looking to warm ourselves in the sun that is meant for more than just us.

Redeem us, Lord. Set our minds right. In your scriptures, you show us the folly of our egos, the folly of our greed. You show us how the unredeemable can be touched, touched by the love of the Father, the example of the Son and infected with the Holy Spirit. Give us the strength to be as holy as the tax collectors who were bowed down before the Christ, seeking salvation and asking what they could do.

We are takers at our worst (and most) and true givers at our best. But our best is so inconsistent. Help us to be our best every day. It’s what your world and YOU deserve from us. We are members of one another, members of your human race, even as diverse and strange as we may be to each other. We are your family.

We pray for our enemies, Lord, asking that you bless them. And may we be an extension of your blessings to them.

In the silence, Father, hear our prayers…of joy, of anguish, of desperation, of thanksgiving:

Bless our missionaries, those who overtly give of themselves to others, working to spread your love and your word to all peoples. Specifically, God, we ask your strength, health, wisdom, and passion on the the Coleys, the Freelands, the Headens, the Hillmans, the Nyadors, the Veals, and the McDades. Bless the organizations and individuals who support them in Your name.

And now we pray together as Jesus taught us to pray:

Our Father, who art in heaven,

Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debt as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Tomorrow's Offering

It's stewardship time and our theme is "all of life." Tomorrow's sermon is "Bricks and Mortar". The sermon is an attempt to make the case that we know spiritual and eternal truths through physical and temporary realities.

It's late. The Gators played terrible and deserved to lose by far more than a point. And I have squirrels in my attack. Whooo Hooo!

I hope to see you tomorrow. I fear we're developing a bad habit at Grandview. The habit? Over-valuing the details of how we worship while under-valuing actually showing up for worship. It matters.

Here's the prayer. Peace!

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
28 September 2008

God, whom we know through the breaking of bread, baked from flour, grown in the earth; we worship you. God, whom we know through the pouring of the wine, made from grapes, grown in the earth; we adore you. God, whom we know through the scriptures; words printed from ink, on pages of paper, milled from logs, planted before we were born; we gather before you in awe of creation.

You have chosen to make spiritual realities known to us through physical things like the hard wood of the cross, the rumble of tombs giving up their prey, and the invisible word made flesh.

Forgive us for ignoring your message, written in the plain language of the life of a man who grew up in the crusty Palestinian countryside. Forgive us for blurring our vision of the physical in favor of the spiritual; for looking past the real pain of others, hoping to focus on heaven.

Ground us in real life. Make our faith an earthy faith that weathers the storms of oppression, greed, and abuse and emerges stronger yet. Ground us in real joy; joy that lives in the moment, that appreciates the temperature of this room, the light that strikes the sides of the mountains, and the breath that fills our lungs. Ground us in real community; community that forgives, challenges, and loves.

Bless those in our community who are in need this morning. Some need money. Others need healing, or strength, or protection, or hope, or comfort. Some are in need of a peaceful and a timely death. Lord, all of us are in need of your grace.

In the silence, we speak from our hearts. Please share our joys. Please hear our concerns.

(silence)

Bless the institutions that exist because of the gospel, especially Agape Women’s Services, Appalachian Christian Camp, Christian Student Fellowship at ETSU, Emmanuel School of Religion, European Evangelistic Society, Higher Ministries, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Milligan College, Friends at John Sevier, and the Salvation Army.

Bless our enemies. Bless also this nation. Give us wisdom and insight as we prepare to vote our next president. Lord, bless the many people who volunteer their time and their money to help others. May we be pleasing to you by the way we treat the people who are in the most need.

We pray as you have taught us.

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:

Tomorrow's Offering

Tomorrow will be a busy day around here. We'll have our three morning services, followed by a funeral for Gene, who was the first person to respond to the gospel after the formation of Grandview (it was Virginia Street Church of Christ back then). He was not, however, the first one baptized after the formation of the church. Some young women responded just after he did. When it came time to be baptized it was "ladies first." Gene served in World War II and in Korea. Bronze Star. Purple Heart. We'll miss him.

After the funeral we will have a "Welcome to Grandview" class to round out the day.

Months ago I flirted with the idea of taking vacation this weekend because I would love to have gone to Indianapolis to watch the inaugural MotoGP race at the IMS. Any of my fellow riders who want to go next year should start planning now (that includes you, Bryan). I'll beg all the family members up there to provide lodging and a couple of meals. If you're not familiar with MotoGP, I will give you sample:



I'll be recording the race in order to unwind with it Sunday evening. If you watch it please don't tell me who wins.

We continue our "Building up others in fellowship" series tomorrow. We'll look at Jesus' words on forgiveness in Matthew 18:21ff. If the sermon isn't very good ... well ... you'll just have to forgive me! Same with the prayer.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
14 September 2008

O God, creator of a universe that is beyond comprehension and imagination, we bow before you in reverence, respect, and awe. We did not make ourselves. Without your help we can’t keep ourselves alive. And yet, despite our limitations, you have offered eternity to us.

Your grace has been an ever flowing fountain from before we were born. You have shown kindness to our ancestors. You have shown kindness to those who love and serve you. You have shown kindness to those who don’t care to consider your existence. You have shown kindness to those who deny you. You have shown kindness even to your enemies.

We, O God, have fallen into each of those categories at different times in our lives. Thank you for your forgiveness.

Help us to model your willingness to be life in the lungs of others. Help us to forgive, even as you forgive. Help us to be willing to play our part in the grand story of the gospel, of the continuing truth that the love of God wells up in history and humanity, restoring creation to its early garden greatness.

Bless your church and shine your light of truth in your people. Help us to know how we can stand with people in need, people who are being cheated by the decisions of others, people who are being beaten and battered—be it by hurricanes or humans. Make your church willing and strong.

Bless the people on the prayer list who need healing, forgiveness, strength, hope, and comfort. We rely upon your Spirit for these things. When you wish to rely upon us to be conduits of good things for people in need, help us to be joyful participants in your giving of grace.

Bless those who are our enemies. Bless those who hate us. Bless those who are indifferent to your passion. Bless your missionaries, be they here in Johnson City or living in the far away places.

We come together with unspoken needs and praises. In the silence, we offer them to you.

silence

Bless world leaders. Guide their feet in the paths of peace. Bless this nation as we choose a new president. May he be a man after your own heart; a man who stands for justice for the oppressed, a man who seeks the good of all people.

Bless your church as we are joined together in your kingdom, one family, one people, dedicated to your will. We pray as your Son has taught us: (the Lord’s Prayer)

Tomorrow's Offering

Our own Jeff Keeling is reporting in the Johnson City Press that The State of Franklin Bank has been purchased by a bank in Morristown. Besides being the bank that holds the mortgage on the church building (though they probably sold the mortgage to somebody else), it is the bank that gives us the Ben Franklin mascot and Extreme checking (I don't know what makes their checking extreme. Sorry). I would hate for the mountain climbing, Extreme Checking, Ben Franklin mascot to go away.

I'm just saying ... save the Mascots!!!

Tomorrow we begin a new emphasis, "Building up others in fellowship." It's part of our vision statement. We did "Reaching out in relationships" last year. Guess what we're doing next year!
Tomorrow's sermon will focus on Matthew 18:15. The story I would like to use in the sermon is the story of my experience in Jonesborough back when the church imploded (for a season). The problem is that it is better if that story just goes away. So I won't be mentioning the havoc and healing this text helped cause back in 1994.

I've tried to do a better job of proofreading the prayer this week. I'm sure I'll find that I've left an important word in my head, untyped, after I print this off and give it to the prayer leaders tomorrow.

We'll be remembering Gene Lilly in the prayer tomorrow. Gene died this week. Before his health declined he was always fun to visit. He knew the history of Grandview as well as anybody. Please remember his family in your prayers.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
7 September 2008

God, you have shown us who you are by allowing us to gaze into the relationship between the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Your blessed bonds reveal to us that the core of character is mutual submission, humility, and love. We have glimpsed the heart of God and found goodwill and grace, not domination and disaffection.

Thank you for the honesty of that relationship; for the willingness of the Father to proclaim the joy the Son brings; for the Spirit’s swirling and steady charisma in the life of the Son; and for the Son’s willingness to humble himself before the Father, even when asking to be relieved of the burden of the cross.

Forgive us when we ignore your nature; when we settle on the amiable surface of respectful indifference, refusing to dive deep into the disturbing demands of true kinship and community. Forgive us for being polite when you would rather we be loving and honest. Forgive us for being content to gather in a room once a week for worship when you have called us to become family; when you have called us to familiarity, solidarity and unity.

Thank you for each person who has gathered in this room this morning. Help us to be open to the grace that you offer through people; people who know us and love us enough to be honest with us, challenge us, and heal us.

Thank you for those you have healed and are no longer on our prayer list. Please bless those who remain in harm’s way, in depression, and in disease. Comfort those who mourn the loss of loved ones, we especially remember the Lilly family before you. Give Katherine peace, even as you receive our brother, Gene, into your presence.

The list we have placed before you is long, but incomplete. Please hear the praises and concerns of our hearts in the silence:

silence

And now, O God, as Summer gives way to Fall, we admire your handiwork. We admire the beauty of East Tennessee. We thank you for the protection the mountains afford us even as we ask that you would be with those who are being hit by hurricane after hurricane—especially those who in places like Haiti. where protective options are few. Be with all, Christian and nonChristian alike, who reach out to people in such cavernous need. Bless your missionaries. Bless organizations that exist for kingdom purposes. Bless our enemies and help us to be agents of grace in their lives.

We pray together the prayer that you taught us.

Tomorrow's Offering

Tomorrow's sermon is the last in the "Stand" series. I originally intended to focus on Gamaliel in Acts 5, but throughout my preparation I keep finding myself being drawn more to the stand that Peter and the Apostles were making in this text. So ... I'll mention Gamaliel, but I'll go ahead and focus on the disciples. The sermon still needs lots of work. This week has been jam packed with meetings and meetings and then with a few more meetings.

On Thursday night I began teaching Christ and Culture at Milligan again. The class went well. The lecture hall in Derthick has been remodeled since last Spring and it seems to have made it a much better room for teaching.

Have a great Saturday. Cheer for the Gators!



Prayers of the Church for Grandview

31 August 2008

When nothing we can see existed, O God, you did not keep silent. You spoke and formlessness found shape; darkness disappeared into daylight; voids became landscapes, teaming with life. Your syllables became planets and plants and people.

When we knew you not, O God, you did not keep silent. Your word became flesh in the womb of your servant, Mary. Your word experienced creation from the inside and revealed to us the very heart and soul of the one who made us.

When your Son was in the grave, O God, you did not keep silent. You spoke and life sprang from the ground, overcoming tears with laughter; grief with joy—because your words are life and more life.

When we, your people, stand on the earth let us not keep silent. Let us, made in your image, echo your words of life. Let us speak them with the expectation that you will use our words in the lives of others. Give us the power to lift the hearts and souls of those around us by refusing to keep silent. Give us the power to heal, soothe, strengthen, and enliven this world with your word.

Lord, we understand that there is a time to keep silent, but please forgive us when we grow too ready to be silent. Give us the wisdom to know when to speak. Teach us the words to use. Help us to be bold in our obedience to you.

Forgive us for making our inclinations, our selves, our jobs, our schooling, or our families more important than the kingdom of God. Forgive us for letting our busy-ness keep us from deepening our friendships with your people and cutting us off from people who really do need to know you.

In the silence, if you are willing, please show us the things that we have made more important than your call upon our lives:

silence

Bless those on our prayer list with peace, joy, healing, protection, and strength. Bless those who are caring for the people on our prayer list. Give to the dying a peaceful death.

Give the gift of speaking words of life to the Coleys, Freelands, Headens, Hillmans, Nyadors, Veals, and Orths. Refresh the McDades in their time with us. We also remember before you the Jacksons and the Colemans as you prepare then to follow your call.

Bless your church all over the world. Guide the feet of national leaders in the paths of peace. Bless, and do not curse, our enemies.

We pray as your Son, our blessed redeemer, has taught us.

Tomorrow's Offering

Tomorrow we continue with our series that looks at biblical characters who took difficult stands for the sake of God. Tomorrow we will visit the relatively unknown Joanna, whom Luke twice mentions.Of course, tomorrow is also the beginning of our new service, The Table. I've had my moments of fear of about moving to three services and the changes that will bring to Grandview, but those moments have been replaced this week with anticipation. If I get a chance (later today), I'll post some pictures and a little video I took at the first practice for the Table on Wednesday night.

As we move into the next phase of worship services at Grandview, I will be inviting the Elders to lead the pastoral prayer. In two of the services I don't have a choice, I have to turn it over to others. The day is coming, though, when I will turn even the writing of the prayers of the church over to others. When that happens it will probably be time to re-evaluate my blog. In the aftermath of being on the Beeson adventure, the pastoral prayer has been, for me, the soul of this blog.

I appreciate your prayers for tomorrow's big adventure!

Prayers of the Church for Grandview

24 August 2008

God of power and might, the heavens and the earth declare your glory, pouring forth praise for the one who created all things, seen and unseen. The infinite reaches of space are not big enough to hold you. Miniscule beings at the bottom of the ocean are not small enough to escape your notice

And, yet, despite your power and glory, you know the pain of loss. You know the pain of loss because your word became flesh, lived among us, and felt the stabbing sting of spikes driven into that flesh. You stood by and allowed it to happen.

You could have punished humanity for treating your Son with such deplorable animosity, but you poured tears of grace into the deadly wounds that we inflicted upon your Son. You poured life into death; that empty urn that claims us all. And while we sealed the grave from the outside, you broke the seal from the inside!

We praise you for giving us life and life eternal. We praise you for being patient, despite your power, while humanity did the worst we could think to do to you.

We confess that we are too often afraid to embrace the same kind of love that you have shown us in the life and death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. We are too ready to shrink from the challenge of participating in a love that is willing to suffer for others; from a love that is willing to let others suffer for the sake of making you better known to the world. We confess that we don’t even consider loving you that deeply because we get caught up in our selves and our needs and our wants.

In the silence, please accept the opening of our hearts before you, O God, the Fear of Isaac and the Hope of Humanity:

silence

Remember those who are on our prayer list this morning. The list is too big for each of us to know everyone on it. And so, overwhelmed by the need, we hold it up before your throne. Give healing, comfort, strength, protection, and new life to each person. Give a peaceful death to those who have come to that threshold.

Bless the institutions that exist for your kingdom’s purposes, especially Agape Women’s Services, Appalachian Christian Camp, Appalachian Christian Village, Christian Student Fellowship at ETSU, Emmanuel School of Religion, European Evangelistic Society, Higher Ministries, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Milligan College, and the Salvation Army.

We pray, O Lord, as your Son has taught us.

Tomorrow's Offering

We continue in the sermon series that highlights men and women in scripture who took difficult stands. Tomorrow we spotlight David who could have killed King Saul while he was alone in a Porta-Cave. He could have justified it as self-defense and as a simple claiming the throne that God had promised him. David refused.

The prayer begins with an adaptation of Psalm 57, which is a Psalm of David that the Bible tells us was written when he had fled from Saul by hiding in a cave. I thought this would be an appropriate linking of a Psalm to the sermon and the prayer.

Tomorrow is the last Sunday before we add the third service. Things will change dramatically in just one week. If you're a Grandviewian reading this, tomorrow may be the last peaceful, easy, Sunday for awhile. Once the new service begins things will feel a little hectic for awile (one month? two?) as we seek a new rhythm.


Here's the prayer:

Prayers of the Church for Grandview

17 August 2008

Have mercy on us, O God, have mercy on us,
for in you our souls takes refuge.
We will take refuge in the shadow of your wings
until the disaster has passed.
We cry out to God Most High,
to God, who fulfills his purposes for us.
You send from heaven and save us,
rebuking those who hotly pursue us;

You send your love and your faithfulness.
We are in the midst of lions;
We lie among ravenous beasts—
people whose teeth are spears and arrows,
whose tongues are sharp swords.

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
They spread a net for our feet—
We were bowed down in distress.

They dug a pit in our path—
but they have fallen into it themselves.
Our hearts are steadfast, O God,
our hearts are steadfast;

We will sing and make music.
Awake, my soul!
Awake, harp and lyre!
We will awaken the dawn.
We will praise you, O Lord, among the nations;
We will sing of you among the peoples.

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth

Remember the sick, the suffering, and the dying. Remember all who serve our safety by putting theirs at risk. Give stable governments to those who don’t have the protection that a stable government provides. Bless this nation. Bless our enemies. Continue to call all of us together into the kingdom of God, a nation of priests before your throne.

Remember those who are on our prayer list this morning, and those we name before you in the silence:

silence

Pure and holy and righteous are you, O Lord most high. You accomplish your will through blameless and honorable action. Forgive us when we compromise the integrity of our faith, when we embrace sinful ways in order to get what we want. By your Spirit, help us to love the ways of Jesus Christ our Savior, who taught us to pray:

Tomorrow's Offering

With the pride of the Aussies, Dr. Gordon Moyes, preaching tomorrow I am not in the midst of sermon prep today. However, the dedication ceremony for tomorrow night is proving to be chocked full of little details.

Welcome, Dr. Moyes.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
27 July 2008

Glorious God, who joined together the spheres of the earth while the heavenly hosts sang in praise of your marvelous works, look kindly upon this gathering as we join our voices to theirs. Great are you. Holy are you. Majestic is the wind of your presence blowing across the face of the earth, giving life and more life as it dances through our souls, our relationships, and your church.

You are never without a witness. Grant us the humbling, the overwhelming, grace to a part of that witness; to be a part of your reign. Bring the kernel of your kingdom, planted within us, to its fullest flowering. Help us to be a kingdom of love, joy, and peace even while we are surrounded by the kingdoms of this world; the kingdoms of self, of greed, of fear, of narrow justice, of race and tribe and clan.

Forgive us for relying upon these phony fiefdoms when you have offered your Son, the way, the truth, and the life. Forgive us for doing nothing when we knew we should be serving. Forgive us for thinking only of ourselves when we were needed in someone else’s life.

How can we worship you without being moved to mission ourselves? How can we worship the one who exchanged the glory of heaven for the condemnation of the cross so that the world would know you, and then keep that love to ourselves?

So, this morning we invite you to cultivate passion in us; passion for your kingdom as we sing, as we pray, as offer ourselves to you, as we hear your word spoken, and as we eat and drink in this, the new kingdom established by the death, burial, and resurrection of your Son.

We are hear from all over the world, this morning. We have more requests and praises than can be shared in a single gathering. Please hear the thoughts of our hearts in the silence:

silence

Be with the sick, the suffering, those blissfully unaware of you, those who are in harm’s way for our sake, the depressed, the grieving ones, and grant to the dying a peaceful death.

We pray together, the prayer of the kingdom, as you have taught us:

Tomorrow's Offering

You may have noticed that I didn't blog this week. That's mainly because things seem to be cruising along so nicely that I haven't bothered myself with blogging. I think the topic of Sunday's sermon challenged me to slow down a little this week.

Pray more. Blog less.

Tomorrow I begin a new sermon series that I'm calling "Better than Jesus." The first installment is called "Busier than Jesus." I will get help from two people throughout this series. Next week I'll be out of town so youth minister extraordinare', Ryan Bader, will deliver the sermon "Nicer than Jesus." The others are "Cooler than Jesus," "Smarter than Jesus," and "Happier than Jesus." The series will end on June 29th with Jeff Miller preaching the second of a two-part sermon called "Better than Jesus."

I hope today is as beautiful where you are as it is here in Johnson City. Tomorrow should be a good day as my youngest, Cora, turns 10-years-old. Happy Birthday, Cora!!!

Peace.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview

18 May 2008

God who made the earth all that is in it in six days, this morning we take the tools of our trade and we set them aside. We walk away from our lists of things that need to be done. We turn our backs on our worries and anxieties; preferring to turn our faces squarely and fully in the direction of the one who made us.

We have been distracted by many things, when only one thing is necessary. You created a universe so large that we can’t wrap our little intellects around it. You formed a solid place for us to stand and then you set it spinning. We didn’t even notice. We thought we were standing still and that everything was revolving around us. How like you to make the impossible a reality; to make reality so amazing that we fail to see it!

As we stop this morning to acknowledge you remind us who is responsible for our lives, for our loved ones, and for eternity. Give us the grace to enjoy the roles you have called us to fulfill, to be anxious about nothing, to live with the joy that can only come from knowing that this universe is ultimately in your hands.

Forgive us for trying to manage and control everything in, and just beyond, our grasp. Forgive us for squandering your gift of life in fear and uneasiness.

In the silence please give us peace, helping us to give to you our fear, pride, and power.

silence

From the perspective of eternity and the cross we can ask you to bless our enemies; both the kind who are literally dying to kill us and the kind who just don’t like us and seek to undermine your call in our lives. Bless those on our prayer list. Give healing to the sick, peace to those who are hurt, protection to those who are in dangerous places, encouragement to those who are buckling under the weight of life’s pain, and a peaceful death to those whose time to die has come.

Bless the institutions that exist for kingdom purposes, especially Agape Women’s Services, Appalachian Christian Camp, Appalachian Christian Village, Christian Student Fellowship at ETSU, Emmanuel School of Religion, European Evangelistic Society, Higher Ministries, Interfaith Hospitality Network, Milligan College, and the Salvation Army.

With one voice we pray according to the example of your Son,

Tomorrow's Offering

Aaahhh .... it has been a nice week. I hope yours was good as well. Tomorrow's sermon is on the church at Antioch. Hope to see you there (if you're in the area!).

Here's the prayer:

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
20 April 2008

O God, I’m out of adjectives. They are all too limited anyway. What sound can we make with our lips that could carry a gratitude so deep that it begins and ends in you? What utterance sums our collective thanks for existing, for even being able to be grateful?

And so, with our limited vocabulary, with our limited abilities, with our limited understanding, we come before you, the limitless and eternal God, and we offer words, but more than words, we offer ourselves as living sacrifices, poured out before your throne.

All the while we are aware that you, too, found the limit of words in the mouths of prophets, priests, and kings, and so you made your Word into flesh and poured your nature onto the earth for all to see.

Thank you for those first eye witnesses and their willingness to suffer for the sake of that Word, for those first ones who risked and gave their lives so that the Word could pass from your lips, to theirs, to their spiritual and physical descendants, and to ours. Let us, with clarion, proclaim that Word this morning, in this service, to your Glory.

Forgive us for making pour petty fears and dislikes the boundary of our faith, for being afraid of losing our own agendas in the presence of your great news that you love all people. Forgive us for being more attracted and attached to our wants than to needs of people who do not know you. Forgive us for keeping your Word, your character, your essence, to ourselves—and by sabotaging you mission in the process.

Our prayers, as every week, are for the sick, the dying, the discouraged, and for those in harm’s way. Give them healing, peace, fresh strength, and safety.

Lord, please bless the work of our hands. May the service we offer you be exaggerated by the power of your Spirit. Amplify the efforts of the missionaries we are honored to support, the Coleys, Freelands, Headens, McDades, Nyadors, Veals, Orths and to the Jacksons and Colemans as they prepare to serve you in places where the people are so dear to you.

We pray with Christians every where the prayer that you have taught us to pray:

Tomorrow's Offering

Greetings on this Saturday morning!

Tomorrow's sermon is on the relationship between Jesus and Judas. I have never preached on this topic before (never even crossed my mind to do it). I'm glad I decided to do it, though. Preparation for the sermon was powerful for me this week. I don't know if that power will transfer to the sermon. We'll leave that question to the Spirit.

The week has busy and fruitful.

Here is tomorrow's Palm/Passion Sunday prayer.

Prayers of the Church for Grandview
16 March 2008

Eternal Father, we gather in awe of the love and sacrifice of your Son, our Savior: Jesus; perfection in skin and skeleton. The passion of Jesus to save us leaves us dumbfounded. We are dumbfounded by our inability to repay. We also become exasperated at our inability to live up to the high calling of Christ that is inherent in his life and message.

So great is his sacrifice; so magnificent his love; so overpowering his grace for us that no response short of worship is appropriate. Accept this praise we offer you today in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Glory and honor and praise belong, O God, to you. Great is your name and worthy to be praised.

Even as we praise you and lift loud “Hosannas,” loud shouts of “save us,” we remember that the crowd in Jerusalem that offered their coats as carpet, and their palm branches as pavement, soon turned from praise to punishment, from veneration to verdict.

Each of us bears the seeds of Judas, of betrayal and selfish stupidity. Forgive us, and restore us, when our deception and disloyalty overwhelms our love for you. Forgive us for the many ways we deny you. Lord, in the silence, we confess our sin to you:

silence

O God, life has taken difficult turns for members of our family. Please heal Rex and all who are sick. Please give your strong hand of protection for those who vulnerable to the attacks of war around the world, and to those vulnerable to the attacks of violent criminals here in our own city. Comfort those who mourn the loss of loved ones, especially the family of Thelma Mayfield. Give the power of your Spirit to those who seek to overcome addictions. To those who are dying, Lord, please give a peaceful and timely death.

God, we praise you this morning. In the midst of this praise, help us to live up to our own words, even as we pray the words your Son taught us to pray: