Prayer – Jesus abiding with us

July 18th, 2010

Classmates, this was a great session today.  Thank you each for your contribution to the discussion.  I believe God was at work revealing himself to each of us.

So we talked in class about Jesus being in his Father and his Father in him (vs 10-11).  And in verse 23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.”

What does it mean to you to realize that Jesus wants to make his abode with us, and work though us?  What does that mean when you go to spend time with Jesus?  What does that mean to your prayer life?

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Prayer and Listening to God

July 13th, 2010

Hi classmates,

When we started last Sunday, I asked for questions that you might have concerning prayer.  I figured that though we each pray, we each also would like to “do better at prayer”.  We got some very good questions, and you can read the list of them at our class notes.  Of these, I thought that we probably could get some really fun discussion from the question, “How to listen to God better when praying?”

You know the old saying that, “Practice makes perfect”, especially when that practice comes with feedback.  We talked about ways that we might know whether we heard from God (agrees with scripture, peace in my heart, witness from others), but actually a very solid affirmation is when we do obey what we believe God showed us, and real-time events happen in a way that affirm the leading we received.

So what am I saying?  As an example, I offer my experience with this class.  I was appointed to teach when I asked Mike Fleetwood to send me class notes for this time when I expected to be out on vacation.  He turned the situation around and said he was going to be gone for a month, and would I teach?  After some stammering, I agreed, but had no idea what to teach about.  My first thought was to talk about something related to God and the US, as I thought the first class would be on 7/4.  Pastor Rod corrected that thinking, so back to the drawing board.  I had already asked God, but hadn’t heard anything yet.  I then considered a short course on evangelism, or something similar, but that didn’t feel right.  Still looking for something that was relevant to what God was doing with us present-tense.  While reading in a book I mentioned in class, “Growing the Church in the Power of the Holy Spirit“, I was struck by how important it is that we are able to communicate effectively with God – that prayer is so essential to what the authors called “dancing with God”.

Prayer – listening – interceding.  Eureka.  I was able to draft a lot of it, but the finishing touch was realizing that I needed to put myself in the position of facilitator and allow the Holy Spirit to lead the class and teach us.

Do you see the process?  God put me into a place where I really needed him to lead.  I invited him to lead.  I then looked at possibilities, all the while seeking to sense with my heart if one idea or the other felt right.  I talked to others, read, looking for confirmation.  I stepped out of my comfort zone – and you know what – if God hadn’t shown up at the class on Sunday you would have seen one embarrassed hombre.  But even that would have been a learning experience.  As it is, I learned from our class, in detail as well as in affirmation that God was leading me.  And that is such a cool realization.

What about you?  What experiences have you had that perhaps you just figured were coincidence, but maybe just might have been God at work.  Most times that I realize God was at work end up in hindsight, but the more I’m willing to risk and obey, the more I am seeing in real-time rather than hindsight that God is right there with me.

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… Through the Power of the Holy Spirit

June 21st, 2010

Right now the Session of Woodbury Presbyterian Church, the Transformation Team and members of the staff are reading “Growing the Church through the Power of The Holy Spirit.”  The Session will spend some time discussing it at our next meeting, and asking God how He wants to use that book to influence the future of this congregation (and of our personal lives!). However, in that brief meeting we won’t get into an in depth discussion of the book, nor will we be able to share reflections with the TT and staff members who, no doubt, have much to contribute. Besides, that’s nearly a month away!

So let’s do this: Select a sentence or phrase or idea from the book that you think is worthy of discussion or prompts further thought, or just deserves to be highlighted and share that thought on this blog, along with your reflections about it. You can enter as many comments as you like, and respond to the ideas,  insights, questions etc. of your brothers and sisters. I hope everyone will enter at least one comment from the book, and will check often to see what others are saying. I know several of our elders are really excited about this book, or more precisely, what the Holy Spirit is doing among us.  I can’t wait to hear what you have to share!

You don’t have to finish reading the book before you participate. What has struck you so far?

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Service Times?

April 13th, 2010

Dear Elders,
As we approach Summer, it’s time to begin praying and thinking about whether the Lord wants us to have one service or two during the summer. As we pray, we can share our reflections, questions and insights here before the Session meeting. What do you think the Master is saying? One service or two. (Well, 2 or 3 because we’ll continue the Prayer Service!)

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What We Heard

January 26th, 2010

     After our hour of listening to God on the elders’ retreat last weekend, we shared what we felt we heard from the Lord. Someone noticed me taking notes and asked me to post them on the blog. So here’s what I wrote down as we talked – not knowing I was going to share it this way. So if you have additions or corrections or other comments, clarifications, expansions or explanations please share them. We can continue that wonderful conversation this way.

-          New building: Fund it and participate in building it. Cf. the workers in Solomon’s temple

-          The future holds challenges: Perseverance while they’re doing the driveway etc. (i.e. putting in the water pipes, tearing up our driveway, widening the road …)

-          It is well with my soul.

-          How do we transfer [our experience] to other people?

-          Build the church (i.e. people)

-          Let my light shine the right way.

-          Wait.

-          Song, “Something Within Me”

-          All feel a need to draw closer. Relationships

-          Something like this elders’ retreat more than once a year.

-          Return to your first love

-          Put God first.

-          See how much more I will pour … as we seek him.

-          Song “Draw Me Close,” but Jesus is singing it to us.

-          Opportunity to bless

-          God is an ever-flowing river. We’re leaves. We don’t want to get caught in an eddy!

-          Luke 1:17 “And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous—to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

-          A river grows as it goes to the sea.

-          We all carry the cross

-          The Holy Spirit is the conductor, we’re the symphony.

-          Pool cleaner. (It does its mission while being guided by an unseen force.)

-          Be still and wait and know that I am in control

-          Vision of new faces

-          Rosebush with new growth

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2009

January 20th, 2010

At our Session retreat this weekend we will remember and celebrate the things God has done among us in the past year. We do this to give thanks to God, to remember how beautifully He provides and to “check our course” as we plan the future. Where has God been leading us? What does that tell us about where we’re going? Please add to this list the things for which you thank God in our church family in 2009. I’ll get us started with a very short list which does not reflect order of importance. It’s just to prime the pump.

God, we thank you for the things you have accomplished among us at Woodbury Presbyterian Church in the year 2009. As we begin a new year, we reflect on your goodness in the past. We build this list together.Direct us into your future, for our only desire is to follow you. Some things you have done among us are:

Ruby became a Commissioned Lay Pastor

Suellen was elected as a Commissioner from Presbytery to General Assembly

We expanded the Vision 2020 summary statement, adding exciting details.

In the midst of a terrible recession, the Food Pantry fed 13,740 families.

Toy give away at Christmas.

Turkey dinners at Thanksgiving (More than 200 Turkeys w/ sides. I’ll get the right number from Robert)

In a year when many churches had to cut back on staff and ministries, our “reserve” funds enabled us to stay the course.

“Dream Giver” small groups.

Confirmation of 10 students.

Had a capital funds campaign that raised $307,000 in pledges for our new building.

Designed new fellowship hall and “schoolhouse.”

Re-designed schoolhouse to fit  budget.

Mexico mission trip

Continued to provide space for Iglesia Presbiteriana Maranata to grow

Vacation Bible School (More missional this year)

Showed Jesus Film at Fall Festival (a few people prayed to receive Jesus as a result)

Outdoor Living Nativity on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Choir Concert (W/ string quartet and original music)

Valentine’s Dinner and a Movie “Fireproof”

Fall Festival was wonderful

Jennifer and Gladyss started contacting guests with “welcome calls”

Started deacons ministry

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Nuanced

August 28th, 2009

I wish it were possible in our culture to have a nuanced conversation. I suppose it is possible, but far too rare. Lines of bifurcation are drawn and people are expected to be on one side or the other. If one supports the current health care reform proposal, she is accused of being a socialist. In fact, if one advocates any health care reform, she might face the same charge. But if another voices reservations about that particular plan, he’s accused of not caring about the poor. He may think some kind of reform is badly needed, but disagrees with this strategy. Never mind. He must be heartless.

Consider, for another example, the question of abortion. At one extreme we have a situation in which the best medical predictions are that if a baby is carried to term it will result in the death of both mother and child. At the other extreme is the situation of a young woman who wants to terminate a pregnancy because if she doesn’t she won’t look good in her junior prom dress.

If you are “pro life” you’re presumed (obligated?) to oppose the first termination. If you’re “pro choice” you’re expected to endorse the second. See what I mean? Must one answer address every question?

I understand:  some might truly oppose either abortion and others might support both. But can we at least recognize that there is a vast difference between the extremes?

Further, I understand that either situation is likely more complex than what I’ve described. How sure can we be of the doctors’ prognosis in the first case? What ramifications beyond the prom are involved in the second?  But those complexities reinforce my point.

Why must we draw the line so dark and bold? Why must we presume that people fit stereotypes when we know that we ourselves do not? I’m more nuanced. You’re more nuanced. What would happen if we had civil, respectful conversations in which we honestly expressed ourselves, listened to one another and were open to learning something new? Too radical?

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50%

May 4th, 2009

I’m wondering why on almost any given Sunday we have between 140 and 180 people in worship, but we have nearly 300 people on our church roll. I have a couple theories, but rather than tip my hand, I’d rather hear your wisdom first – especially elders and church staff.
Of course we’re not interested in knowledge for knowledge’s sake. The point is that Sunday morning is disciple-making prime time (adore God, care for others, teach, involve, offer new life). Those things are done all week, but the highest concentration is on Sunday mornings. But it’s hard to edify the absent! So how can we get more of the Lord’s people in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s Day? Ideas?

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2009.4.18 Visiting

April 19th, 2009

I talked with Dick when I got back in town yesterday. Esther continues to improve. I also visited Carolyn at MD Anderson. Keep praying for her. She was conscious and very aware of the conversation, but she didn’t speak or open her eyes. She gesticulated with her hand like she does when she’s telling a story, snapped her fingers when she wanted attention and held and squeezed my hand as we talked and prayed.

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2009.4.4 Hospital Visits

April 4th, 2009

This morning I’ll attend the funeral for Leigh Ann Brooks at Avalon Church, then visit Bill Weinischke (at Florida East), Carolyn Peters (at MD Anderson) and Esther Sikkema (at Florida South). I’ll publish an update on how they are when I get home. Pray for them. God is with us in hurting times, too.

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