Show Us Your Glory

It's Morning, Jesus
The pollen and the sun
the heat and the rain
are all part of your plan.
Fill my mouth today with a million praises
for tomorrows flowers
for tomorrows green grass
Show me your glory
and let my mouth sing your praises
For I am alive
my wife is healthy
my daughters are strong
There is food on my table
shelter from every storm
The world You created waits for the steward
Your people need a servant
Your children, lost, need a shepherd to seek them.
Let me be that steward today
I will serve somebody today
I will seek the lost with you as my guide
And I will celebrate the found.

Amen

Counterfeit

It's Morning, Jesus

Grant, that today, I look more upon your face

than the face of mammon (money).

May I open the treasure of your word today

more than the wallet of earthly wealth.

May I give to others today more a touch of your grace

than pieces of worldly wealth.

May the occasion of my speaking to others today

be in spiritual commerce, not getting and spending.

And may I accept, today, no counterfeit joy or happiness

No false filling of the senses

That seeks to replace You

"For your love is better than lilfe,

my lips will speak your praise.

So I will bless you all my life,

in your name I will lift up my hands.

My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,

my mouth shalll praise you with joy."

Amen

---Psalm 63

Open up the skies of mercy

And rain down the cleansing flood

Healing waters rise around us

Hear our cries

It's your kindness Lord

That leads us to repentanceYour favor lord, is our desire

It's your beauty Lord

That makes us stand in silence

Your love, Your love

Is better than life.

---Chris Tomlin

Deliverance

"When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage,

it seemed like a dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter;

on our lips there were songs."

Psalm 126

It's Morning, Jesus

I remember my life this morning,

and my mouth is filled with laughter.

You delivered me from realms of darkness,

from abandonment, from emptiness, from pain.

Before I was one year old,

you stepped into my life

and picked me up.

Before I was a person who could choose

You chose me.

Thank you, God, for my family.

Today, I sing the song of your deliverance.

Grant it, Lord Jesus,

that our ministry to our community,

and to Unity Elementary,

might be a means of deliverance for

a little girl or little boy who might never have known you,

or seen a different way,

or known a different style,

or experienced a different grace.

Amen.

Retreat

It's Afternoon, Jesus
Thank you for golf.
Hannah and I get to walk in your glory, together.
Thank you for Robert Trent Jones.
Thank you for creation itself.
Amen

Now

Now I know in part; then I shall know fully,
even as I am fully known:
I Cor. 13:12

It's Morning, Jesus
Today I consent to live in the mystery of this hour
the unfolding of your will in this day.
Grant me the humility to accept your overtures to my life
in the serendipity of the stranger
the surprise of the tragic
the hallelujah of the ordinary.
Forgive me my former pride
when I lived as one in control and controlling
when I watched as one who judged all things wrong
that did not go my way
when I planned the work and worked the plan
and called all else the devil.
Now I know that I know only in part.
Amen

Burning

They asked each other,

"Were not our hearts burning within us

while he talked with us on the road

and opened the Scriptures to us?"

Luke 24:32

It's Evening, Jesus
There was a burning here tonight.
You burned in the teacher
You burned in the student
You burned in the text
You burned in the heart
You burned in the singing
You burned in the prayer
You burned in the insight
You burned in the confession
You burned in the laughter
You burned in the smile

How hot, Lord Jesus, is your burning
How deep is your touch.

Did not our hearts burn within us tonight?
Amen

Embarassed

It’s Morning, Jesus
I see my need for patience.
Thank you for showing me that you are never in a hurry.
Help me to learn to wait before you as the flower for the sun,
The tulip for the rain.

I repent of all the times I have wanted to hurry you up
I have leaned upon your door bell, blown my horn, banged upon the gate,
Pressed the button on the spiritual elevator a dozen times
I have tried to steal in a rush what you gladly would have given me
In patience.

Let me be good ground, today, Lord
Plough deep in me.
Plant the seed of patience
I will hear your word and keep it,

When both phones ring and the traffic is snarled.
Your spirit and word will produce the fruit of patience.
The promises of your word cannot fail.
Laying aside every weight, and the sin which so easily besets me,
Hurry, scurry, worry…
I determine in my heart to run with patience.
The race you have set before me,
Always looking unto you, Jesus,
The author and finisher of my faith.
Amen

Touch Me

It's Morning, Jesus

There are infants among us

who need to be held in warmth and love
There are toddlers among us

who need to be followed about in patience and peace
There are children among us

who need to be engaged with training and teaching
There are youth among us

who need to be parented toward truth.
There are students among us

who need to be loved and respected in their questioning
There are singles among us

who need to be valued and honored and sometimes assured.
There are young married couples among us

who need to be surrounded by affirming community
There are young parents among us

who just need wisdom, help, and rest
There are parents of teens among us,

who need wisdom, patience, and longsuffering.
There are grandparents among us,

who need to be valued and honored.

Only you, Jesus, can be the True Shepherd

of this multitude of humanity.
Only you, by your Holy Spirit,

can take care of every need.
Release this body to our giftedness,

empower us for the ministry

for which you made us,
that we might glorify you.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Fish Tale

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

Matthew 6:41

It's Afternoon, Jesus

Thank you.

Amen

Sloth & Simon

Luke 23:36

As they led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,

who was on his way in from the country,

and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.

It's Afternoon, Jesus
You carried the cross in a world like ours.
Along that path where many were indifferent to your suffering.
You suffered practically alone,
None were capable of feeling strongly enough to intervene.
So full of sloth was this crowd
As the apostles slept that night in Gethsemane,
Those along the path of your suffering slept too
While on their block, at their door, at their feet,
You suffered horribly under a cross.
So you God, had to press another into service.
Because of the sloth of the others
You had to command an intervention.
You used the Roman soldiers to procure assistance for Jesus
Who carried the cross.

Sensitize my eyes today, Lord
Touch my heart with your real suffering
Forbid that I should see only that need
That puts me on a comfortable couch
Name me, if you must, Simon
And commission me, direct me, send me
Into service today.


Amen

Impulse

It's Morning, Jesus

"My soul is longing and yearning,

is yearning for the courts of the Lord."

(Psalm 84)

Let me trust it, Jesus

This longing.

Let me walk in it, Lord,

This yearning.

This longing is not an emptiness

But a filling

I am filled with an impulse for direction

"I yearn for you."

I am possessed of an inner compass toward heaven

"I long for you."

I am gifted with a full load of jet fuel

My rockets are ready to burn

Toward you.

So today, Lord

I will choose you

I will be directed toward you

I will look for you

It is my souls longing

It is my yearning

It is my gift from you.

Nothing else will take your place

No substitute will satisfy

No counterfeit experience will placate my soul

Water from no other spring will quench my thirst

Food from the refrigerator will not abate this hunger

I am made for you.

Amen

Hallelujah

Hallelujah

And Glory.

Amen

Amen

I Prefer

It's Morning, Jesus

I woke up this morning
And "my soul is longing and yearning."
Before coffee
Before breaking the fast
Before laughter and noise
Before news and a new day
I just want to be with you.
"My heart and soul ring out their joy
to God, the living God."
I'm glad to be alive
I'm glad to greet the dawn
I'm glad I get to live today!
"They are happy who dwell with you
They are happy whose strength is in you
They are happy whose hearts are roads to you
As they go through the Bitter Valley
They make it a place of springs."
And so I dwell with you, this morning Lord
I dwell with you before sunrise
before my girls arise
before my wife wakes up
before my cell phone rings
before my to-do list is made
And I dwell with you not for what I get from you
But for who you are
You are God
You are true majesty
You are mercy
Your are compassion
You are holy
You are forgiveness
You are truth
You are righteousness
You are light.
"Lord God of hosts,
happy is the man who trusts in you."
Amen



Psalm 84

Cross Taking

It's Afternoon, Jesus

I don't why it is, but I want to pray

I see all these people around me

With burdens, heavy

Some with laughter, light.

I see some with bodies frail

And some fat with gluttony

I see some curious and learning

I see all of them made in your image

And in the mirror of their eyes I see

All of us, broken in the fall

Is that what you saw, Jesus

When, looking over Jersusalem, you wept?

Christ, be in me, that I might love,

That I might smile,

That I might encouage or befriend

That I might take away, for one brief moment,

A load of pain that another is bearing.

You, who took the cross,

And you, who told us all to take up our cross

And follow you.

Lead to the load and I will lift,

But not by lifting, but my being in you

"Christ in me, the hope of glory."

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit: Love

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him" (1 John 4:16). Through Jesus Christ, our greatest goal is to do all things in love. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails" (1 Corinthians 13:4-8).

It's Evening, Jesus

Examine my heart, three personed God.

Have I lived in love today?

Lord, have I been patient?

Lord, have I been rude?

When others we speaking did I become self-seeking

and speak of myself?

Did I drag up old hurts and pains today?

Help me in the Spirit.

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit: Joy

Joy

"The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). "Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).

It's Evening, Jesus
Have I rejoiced in the circumstances of this day,
Knowing this day holds and reveals your presence?
Have I embraced the sacrament of the present moment
And delighted in this day with my eyes,
Because you, Creator God, made it and gave it as a blessing to me?
Have I numbered my days and rejoiced to be alive and in this one?
Send your Holy Spirit to my heart and soul and mind
And quicken me to the joy of living, every hour, every moment, every second of my life.

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit: Peace

Peace

"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). "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).

It's Morning, Jesus

This is the peace I have.

I have you.

I have the knowledge that the Holy Spirit will provide for me in every curcumstance of my life today.

I have the certainty that all things that come to me today are in your keeping and watchcare.

This day, I will meet nothing that you do not permit

Encounter no person, place or thing,

That is not an opportunity

To bear witness to your name.

I go into the adventure of this day

with you.

And I have this peace, too, Lord

This peace of abiding in you.

Connected to the vine of life,

I receive of you.

The blossoms of my life come from you

The internal thirst of my soul is quenched by you

As I rest in you, I have peace.

Teach me Lord, that resting in you is not sloth;

That sitting at your feet is not laziness;

That abiding in your is not a grand forfeiture of responsbility

But is my first responsibilty, my first act of obedience,

my first step in relinquishing myself, my agenda, my pride.

Amen

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit: Patience

Longsuffering (patience)

We are "strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness" (Colossians 1:11). "With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love" (Ephesians 4:2).

It's Morning, Jesus
It has taken patience to be with you, this morning Lord
It always does.
It seems I am always ready to run
It seems I always have to do it right now
It seems everything is urgent.
I am envious of those who are calm
I love to be with those who are still and quiet
I don't like all this energy you have given me
Sometimes I don't know how to channel it
How to sit on it
How to manage it
So I confess to you Lord
That I am often an eager vine
Plopped own in front of you
I have to learn every day how to be still
I have to practice each morning the discipline of quiet.
But my Lord, how I love it, when I finally settle down
My God, how great thou art in the stillness of the morning
My Lord and King how beautiful are the courts of praise
When you inhabit them
You suddenly spring forth in my mind
Like a dogwood in spring,
Wearing the resplendent white garment of your purity
The members of your court suddenly appear as buglers
With the golden trumpets of daffodils in their hands
Sounding your praises.
My lord and my God, how beautiful is this Narnia of solitude and praise.
By beauty, you are teaching me patience.

Amen

Fruit of the Spirit:Gentleness

Gentleness (kindness)

We should live "in purity, understanding, patience and kindness; in the Holy Spirit and in sincere love. (2 Corinthians 6:6-7).

It's Morning, Jesus

You looked upon the world with favor
From the heavens
From the cross

Today you bless us with your eyes
Your favor is upon us
Because you love us.

Grant that we, your children,
Not count as weakness
Your love toward us.

May we grow up to bless you, not curse you
May we remember what we have received from you

Grant, that in the bitter hour of our own judgement
Ours souls be comforted be a deep remembrance
And a genteleness that is deeper sitll...
You love for us.

Fruit Basket

It's Morning, Jesus

I read your word which says:

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

(James 1:20)

Be with me today, Jesus

If it's just me, I will be slow to hear my wife, my child, my neighbor, my friend.

With you in me I will be quick to listen.

If it's just me, I will be in a hurry to speak. I'll run my mouth.

With you in me I will be slow to speak.

If I go it alone today, I can get angry in a hurry; explode in a rush.

With you in me I will be slow to anger.

I need your help, Lord

For you desire that I hit the mark of love today.

You desire the I produce the fruit of the spirit.

"Christ in me, the hope of glory."

Heavy

It's Morning, Jesus
This is the day that you have made.
I rejoice and am glad in it.
You are the Creator, Lord God,
And still, you exercise your creative power.
By the Holy Spirit
You infuse your life into ours

When you fell carrying the cross,
You fell, Lord Jesus, under the burden of sin.

Yet you got back up and carried
The sins of the world.
You bore the burden, the weight.

By your death,
The debt of sin is paid
By your resurrection
The dominion of sin is shattered
The prison cell is broken open

Now, by your Spirit, we are more than conquerors
through him who loved us.
"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Today, Lord Jesus,
Watch over my soul and deliver me from the enemies attacks:
Pride robs me of the humility in which community lives
Envy distances me from your abundant blessings.
Lust cuts me off from real love.
Anger distorts my eyes and ruins my vision
Sloth destroys tomorrows harvest
Greed lays wastes my powers.

Yet in you, love conquers.

Amen

I Asked for Wonder

I asked for wonder

and saw you crawl upon the ground

you came to subdue.

Expecting hallelujah

I got you.

I asked for glory

and my eyes were raped

by empty temples and white church steeples

Choosing love

I got hate.

But when I stopped asking

for wonder and glory

and instead a cross

you and I became one

and love and mercy and glory were done

and wonder came down.

Madyson Smith

Madyson Smith

(almost two years old)

Parents: Stewart and Aleisha
Need: Madyson has gone through tests for E-coli and has another test Thursday.
Status: Hospitalized in Pediatrics at Columbus Medical Center
Prognosis: Trying to reduce fever; more tests Thursday morning.

Stewart and Aleisha are among our newest members. Aleisha sings with the praise team and works with the youth. Stewart's ministry is with the media center in youth.

Now Lord, tonight

We pray you would touch this little girl.

May the hands of every doctor and nurse that touch her

Be like the hands of Jesus upon her body.

Give strength and patience to Stewart and Aleisha

Comfort and support them

With all your mercy and grace.

In Jesus Name

Amen

Heaven's Hook

From the balcony of prayer

You saw the cup would not pass
You knew the cowardice of an earthling,

In order to appease a raging mob

Would strip your flesh like clothes.

And you were willing

To be hung upon heavens hook

That you might catch men.

"I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto myself."

From the balcony of prayer

You asked that the cup might pass

But when it was tipped

You said Yes

And poured your own blood

All over you.

And so it became true for all of us:

"Though your sins be as scarlet,

They shall be as white as snow."

Amen

Monkey Men

This image is a variant of the "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" theme. The Catholic priest on the left has no mouth; the Rabbi in the center has no eyes; the Protestant Minister on the right has no ears. It is an artistic expression of the lack of courage the religious leaders of the world exhibited in confronting the evil of Auschwitz.

It's Afternoon, Jesus

Your grace is sufficient.

Thank you for Courtney and our ministry to public housing.

Thank you for Hannah and our ministry to the Girl's and Boy's Club

Thank you for DASH and our ministry to the poor in our midst.

Thank you for Camp Viola and our ministry to the children of summer.

Thank you for Unity Elementary School Teachers and our chance to minister with them.

Thank you for Lin and our ministry to Florence Hand Nursing Home

Thank you for Chuck and our ministry through Celebrate Recovery

Thank you for Dick and our ministry to Fellowship Deliverance Ministries

Thank you for Jack and our ministry at the prison

Thank you for Ted and our ministry to about-to-be weds

Thank you for Judy and our ministry to Special Needs

Thank you for Nan and our ministry to Moms

Thank you for Wanda and our ministry to Newcomers

Thank you for Larry and our ministry to the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Cuba

Thank you for Lynn and our ministry to victims of Katrina

Thank you for Gene and our ministry to the Baptist Hospital in Ghana

Thank you that we have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to feel

Because you have removed our selfishness and given us your mercy.

Amen

"Even as you served the least of these my brethren, you served me."--Jesus

Oz

Pilate's Problem

It's Afternoon, Jesus

I thank you for the truth of your word:

"I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me."

You said, "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

I pray this afternoon that all in leadership will have your heart

And will have the courage to stand against those parts of the world

That war against you and the coming of your Kingdom.

You stood before Pilate

In a way that Pilate could not stand before the crowd.

Pilate held your life in his hands, and yet you stood.

But Pilate could not stand before a crowd,

For he feared their disfavor.

There is a cowardly Pilate in most of us, Lord

Grant to me the strength of my convictions.

Give to me earnestness in my devotion

Lack of fickleness in my faith

Your power, which overcomes the world.

Amen

What Shall I Do with Christ?

The Passion by Mel Gibson

Matthew 22

11Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
12When he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he gave no answer.

13Then Pilate asked him, "Don't you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?"

14But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.
15Now it was the governor's custom at the Feast to release a prisoner chosen by the crowd. 16At that time they had a notorious prisoner, called Barabbas.

17So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, "Which one do you want me to release to you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"

18For he knew it was out of envy that they had handed Jesus over to him.
19While Pilate was sitting on the judge's seat, his wife sent him this message: "Don't have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him."
20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor. "Barabbas," they answered.
22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked. They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!"
24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!"
25All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!"
26Then he released Barabbas to them. But he had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified.

Quiet Dignity

My Jesus, the world still has You on trial.

It keeps asking who You are and why You make the demands You make.

It asks over and over the question, If You are God's Son,

why do You permit the world to be in the state it is in?

Why are You so silent?

Though the arrogance of the world angers me, I must admit that silently,

in the depths of my soul, I too have these questions.

Your humility frustrates me and makes me uncomfortable.

Your strength before Pilate

as You drank deeply from the power of the Father,

gives me the answer to my question

The Father's Will.

You are my Lord and King, now, Lord Jesus

Christ in me is the hope of glory.

With you in me I will be silent in the face of worldly prudence -

steadfast in the faith when all seems lost -

calm when accused unjustly -

free from tyranny of human respect -

ready to do the Father's Will no matter how difficult.

Silent Jesus, give us all the graces we need

to stand tall in the face of the ridicule of the world.

Give the poor the strength not to succumb to their privation

but to be ever aware of their dignity as sons of God.

Grant that we might not bend

to the crippling disease of worldly glory

but be willing to be deprived of all things

rather than lose Your friendship.

My Jesus, though we are accused daily of being fools,

let the vision of Quiet Dignity

standing before Monstrous Injustice,

give us all the courage to be Your followers.

Amen

---R.A. Rizzo

Jesus Before Pilate

It's Morning, Jesus
You are high and lifted up
Seated at the right hand of God the Father.
I praise you and adore you.
Lamb of God
Who takes away the sins of the world
Have mercy on me and grant me peace.
I give to you all praise
I offer you honor
Before the world was made, you were
At the end of history as we know it, you will be
In the midst of life today, you are

I confess that I have sometimes been like Pilate,
Lord Jesus
I have seen good that needed to be done
And have not done it, because I wanted to please others.
I have faced rightousness and rightous claims
And heave chosen not to get involved
I have tried to wash my hands of responsibility
A nd believe it was for another to do.

I pray for all leaders who exercise authority and responsibility
That they may be brave and courageous.
I pray that they may stand in the judgement hall of their own time
And look for justice in heaven, not favor on earth.

Thank you for forgiving me of all my wrong
Thank you for abiding with me when I was weak
Thank you for sending your holy spirit to fill me
Thank you for strengthening me for my life's work.

I pray, Lord Jesus, for many tonight.
I call their names to you.
Hear my cry.
Be with the infant
Be with the young
Be with the parents
Be with the old.
Be with the children.
Be with the grandchildren.
Be with the brothers
Be with the sisters
Be with the moms and dads.
Be with the daughters and sons.

Amen

Every Man's Need

It's Morning, Jesus
I need your glory.
I need your light to:

Free me from my opinions....
A fool finds no pleasure in understanding
but delights in airing his own opinions.

Shape my words...
The words of a man's mouth are deep waters,

but the fountain of wisdom is a bubbling brook.

Guide my judgment and action...
It is not good to be partial to the wicked

or to deprive the innocent of justice.

Fill my mouth with blessing...
A fools lips bring him strife,

and his mouth invites a beating.
A fools mouth is his undoing,

and his lips are a snare to his soul.

Guard my soul...
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;

they go down to a man's inmost parts.

Humble my heart....
Before his downfall a man's heart is proud,

but humility comes before honor.

Open my ears....
He who answers before listening

that is his folly and his shame.

Strengthen my spirit...
A man's spirit sustains him in sickness,

but a crushed spirit who can bear?

Enlighten my mind...
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge;

the ears of the wise seek it out.

Remove my selfishness...
A gift opens the way for the giver

and ushers him into the presence of the great.

Suspend my judgment...
The first to present his case seems right,

till another comes forward and questions him.

Make peace among the offended
An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city,

and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel.

Count my own blessings
From the fruit of his mouth a man's stomach is filled;

with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied.

Guide my tongue
The tongue has the power of life and death,

and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Remember my brother...
A poor man pleads for mercy,

but a rich man answers harshly.

Cherish my friends...
A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Amen

Refugee

It's Morning, Jesus
You are all compassion.
I sat on the floor and ate rice last night
I broke bread with 20 refugees from Kurdistan.
After my prayer to you, they clapped, Lord Jesus
The new refugees and the old.
The old woman whose husband was killed, clapped
The three daughters in a strange land, clapped
Was it the sound of your name, Jesus?, that made them clap?
Was it the mercy of a land like ours, built on your truth, that made them clap?
Was it daily rice?
I pray, Lord Jesus,
That you are carving out a place inside of them
An inner temple of truth
A synagogue of faith
I pray that the mosque to the false God Allah
Will be revealed as an empty room filled with the echoes
Of man's eternal quest for truth
I pray, in Jesus, name, that they will see the salvation
of God's true love
That has already embraced them
And one day call out your name
As their personal savior.

Amen.

Xray

I confess the sins of our church
Including myself
I confess the sins we have committed against you.
We have acted very selfishly
We have not reached out
We have not included others
We have been too busy to love our neighbors,
We have forgotten the stranger
We have become comfortable in our cliques
You have said:” If my people, who are called by my name, will
Humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,
Then will I hear from heaven
And will forgive their sin
And will heal their land.”
Call us to confession, Lord
Hear my prayers, hear our prayers
Cause us to delight, again, in the stranger
Give us a heart for the neighbors whose names we do not know
Renew our spiritual love for the souls of our friends
Call us out of the safe shelters of our closed friendships
Into the marketplace with you
Give us a welcome to the lonely, the poor, the outcast, the struggling,
Give us as a help to the busy, the resourceful, the talented
Makes us a blessing to the newcomer, a witness to the confused,
A help to the struggling
So live in us, Lord, Jesus, that others will know your care through our care,
Your concern through our outreach.
Make me a blessing, today, Lord, to one person to whom you lead me.
Amen.

When Upside Down is Rightside Up

Peter Crucified Upside Down

Michelangelo

It's Morning, Jesus

Keep me humble before you

As humble as Peter

Who refused to be crucified like you

Who said: "I am not worthy to die like him.

Crucify me, upside down."

You are high and lifted up.
Seated at the right hand of God the Father
You are
Glorious
Majestic
Worthy of all Praise
The Lamb of God

You are our redeemer
our saviour
our Lord

You are the one who buys back
the one who strengthens

You are the alpha, the beginning
You are the omega, the end
From before time began you are God
After time as we know it ends, you will still be God

You are the Spirit that reveals,
You are the Spirit that convicts
You are Spirit that gives new life
and makes us able

Come, Holy Spirit
Amen

Living What We Sing

We bow our hearts
We bend our knees
Oh Spirit come make us humble
We turn our eyes
From evil things
Oh Lord we cast down our idols
So give us clean hands
and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh give us clean hands and give us pure hearts
Let us not lift our souls to another
Oh God let this be a generation that seeks
Your face,
Oh God of Jacob
--Chris Tomlin

Mirror,Mirror on the Wall

If Judas Had Only Owned a Mirror

It's Morning, Jesus
The season of betrayal is upon us.
Now, we have to remember Judas again.
O' God, reveal to us all
Self interest that wars against you
Deliver us from the evil of rationalization
The stubborness of pride
May our ears be open to a community larger than us
One that lives in heaven and on earth.
Give me the humility to listen today
Give me the meekness to hear today
Give me light in my eyes today.
Give me a mirror.

Amen

Just a Personal Point of View

Grow by Faith

It's Morning, Jesus

"I will make you fishers of men."

Thank you, God, for the sacred trust.

Thank you God, for including us.

Thank you God, for the reason to live

Thank you God, we have something to give.

Thank you God for the life all around

Thank you God for the joy we've found

Thank you God for sending us out

Thank you God, You're what it's about.

Dry Cry

It's Morning, Jesus
I need your word to pray this morning.
Guide my thoughts.

Know that the LORD is God.
It is he who made us,
and we are his
we are his people,
the sheep of his pasture.

I will go by what I know this morning,
And not by what I feel.
I know you are God
I know there is no other like you.
I know you made me, and you don't make junk.
I know you shaped me together in my mother's womb
I know I am fearfully and wonderfully made

I know you are the shepherd
I know you are watching me
I know this is the pasture in which you have placed me


Enter his gates with thanksgiving
and his courts with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.

Thank you for my pay check, month by month
Thank you for the roof over my head
Thank you for the windows tight
Thank you that when the wind blows, it can't blow in on my children
Thank you that when it rains, we are warm and dry.
Thank you Lord. You have richly blessed me.

Your name is Jesus, Savior, Lily of the Valley, Morning Star, Redeemer, Lord. Your name is Miracle Worker, Healer, Forgiver, Strengthener.
You name is Conqueror, Deliverer, Victorious One.

"Christ in me, the hope of glory."

For the LORD is good and his love endures forever;
his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Grant it God, that I be the husband to my wife that my father was not to my mother,
Grant it God that I be the father to my children that my father was not to me
May the generations that flow from my loins rise up and called YOU blessed.

Hitch Hiker

It's Morning, Jesus

I want to hitch a walk with you today, Jesus,
You who are the way
I want you and your kingdom.
Thy Kingdom come, not mine
Thy will be done, not mine
On earth, as it is in heaven.

Control my tongue today and give me gentle answers
Keep me aware that you are watching over all...
That your eyes see all evil and all good
Help me press into you, Jesus
As you press into me
Help me lean into you, Jesus
Today I will slow my pace
I will look this morning into my wife's eyes,
I will listen carefully to my children's hearts
I will begin the day with you
I will drink a cup of coffee as if you are my companion
I will sip a cup of peace, a cup of patience, a cup of forgiveness,
I will receive everything in light of your providence.
Fill me Lord, with your light
That I might be light
Fill me with your love
That I might be love
Fill me with your patience
That I might be patient
Fill me with your encouragement
That I might encourage
Then in all these things I will be real, not false,
authentic, not fake
true, not in error.
Christ in me, the hope of glory
I pray today for these marriages.....
I pray today for these sick....
I pray today for these friends...
I pray today for these struggling and lost....

Amen

Why God Invented Golf #1

Click to Enlarge

Psalm 104

May the glory of the Lord last forever.

May the Lord rejoice in his works.

He looks on the earth and it trembles;

the mountains send forth smoke at his touch.

God invented golf

that man might escape the flouresent lit world

and behold his glory.

Public Spectacle

Click to Enlarge Picture

And having disarmed the powers and authorities,

he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.

Colossians 2:14-16

Nailed down

You expose man's weakness

Lifted up

You draw our eyes to the spectacle

of ourselves

Crucified naked

You show us the frailty of our bones

and

Your loose jaw

Cradles our cry

"My God, My God, how and why?

and what?"

Wash My Eyes

False Mirror

Magritte

I cannot see for me

nor can I be

removed

from

I

Yet I can die

to live

the

scandal

of dying

to

live.

Not because I choose

But because You chose me.

Faithful

It's Morning, Jesus
Grant it that today I be found faithful.

Amen

Resurrection Morning

It's Morning, Jesus

I have seen your glory this morning.
Even though the sun has not yet risen
The darkness outside has not hidden you.

I have inwardly sung to you this morning.
Even though my wife and children are asleep and I keep quiet
The silence has not muffled my song to you.
I pray for Steve and Chuck and Kevin and Christian

and Payne and Jennifer and Kathy
Even though their ministries are different from mine
We are one in the Spirit

I pray that you will pour into each one of us

And allow us to taste community today when we meet as staff.
I pray that each one will do that which gives you honor and glory
I pray no secondary motive will propel us

I ask you to pour humility into each of us
That we may remain accountable to a truth larger than us
That we may hear what others are saying and be attuned to your voice in them
That we may sense the real needs of each person who stands in front of us today
and remember that You are able to supply every need.

You are the resurrection and the life.

None of us can come to God the Father,

Or to Christian Community

Or to real Kingdom work,

Without you.

Amen

Foolishness?

It Is Finished

Wardani

For the message of the cross is foolishness

to those who are perishing,

but to us who are being saved it

is the power of God.

I Corinthians 1:18

The Closer I Get to You

Isenheim Altarpiece

Grunewald

It's almost Sunday morning, Jesus

I am getting ready to preach.

The closer I get to you

The more I love you

The more I see my sin

The more I know the greatness of your grace.

Be with me as I preach tomorrow.

I don't want to go into that pulpit

Unless you go with me.

Amen

Tomb with a View

Garden Tomb in Jerusalem

It's Morning, Jesus

He takes his Mother's body to the grave today.

He lays her down to sleep.

But she is not there.

She has gone to another room.

And she is in that other room with you

A room that you prepared for her

Thank you, Jesus,

That she, the mother, now has you,

And he, the son, has hope

And we the believers, have eternal life.

Amen

Love's Fatigue

Who Touched Me?

Donovan

It's Afternoon, Jesus

When that woman pressed toward you in that crowd

And needed your attention

When her hungry eyes locked on to you

And her resolve moved her to crawl toward you

There was such a need in her

Such an emptiness

Such a vacuity of health

That she sucked the life out of you

She took your power

And into her was suddenly emptied

All of your compassion

So much that you felt drained by her

In that moment you said:

"I felt power go out of me."

I thank you for the school teachers at Unity,

Who today take your place in that crowd

Filled with little humans empty, needy, hungry.

Bless the teachers Lord.

Fill them mightily.

And Lord, let them know it's alright to be tired

Let them know it's ok to be drained

Let them know that you know

What they are experiencing

And let them know that love itself

Flows outward and yields life and health to us all.

Amen