Posted on Oct 21, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 186
Preach Often
God has chosen to give to us the Word, which is not only scripture, but is Jesus himself. This Word, Paul writes, was given to the Thessalonians and they in turn sent it back out into the world so that others might received it also. But they sent the Word not with words, but with their reputation.
As you read I Thessalonians 1:1-10 ask yourself these questions. Talk about them at your dinner table.
- For what has God chosen us? To simply be forgiven, or for more?
2. What or whom do we imitate?
3. What “word sounds forth” from us, individually and/or corporately?
4. What role does the Holy Spirit play in our lives? In this passage?
Sing with Us:
While we cannot sing in our in-person worship, we can be united in mind and heart by listening to and singing the same songs while we are apart.
You can find our playlist for this week
here:
Other Key Links:
Read more...
Posted on Oct 14, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 202
Peace of God
In Philippians 4, Paul characterizes the life of a Christian as a life of peace. However, so much of our daily life is plagued by worry, anxiety, conflict, stress, and hardship that distracts and detracts from any sense of peace. Thankfully, this passage offers a lot of advise for how to maintain peace in our lives.
Questions:
Jesus promised a different peace, what makes it different?
What brings and supports God’s peace?
What distracts and detracts from your sense of peace?
What actions can you take to increase the peace in your life?
Sing with Us:
While we cannot sing in our in-person worship, we can be united in mind and heart by listening to and singing the same songs while we are apart.
Read more...
Posted on Oct 7, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 238
Heavenly Call
God has called us to share in the death and life of Jesus, but are the things of our past that we have let define us preventing us from this call? Or are we more interested in calling Jesus to share in our life? Resurrection always requires death, and new life with Christ follows dying to self.
Questions:
What is “the heavenly call of God?”
How can we share in the death and resurrection of Jesus now?
What prevents us from sharing in the life of Christ?
What is defining us other than the life of Jesus?
Read more...
Posted on Sep 30, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 227
Emptied
Philippians 2:1-13
Using what is probably one of the oldest Christian hymns, Paul paints a beautiful picture of Christ emptying himself. But what does it mean to empty one’s self? And if we are to have the mindset of Christ, how are we to empty ourselves as well? Perhaps the act of emptying requires faith that we will be filled by “God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for God’s good pleasure.”
Questions:
- What does it mean that Christ emptied himself?
- How can we have the same mind as Christ and empty ourselves?
- What are some practical ways that you can empty yourself?
- What prevents us from emptying ourselves?
Sing with Us:
While we cannot sing in our in-person worship, we can be united in mind and heart by listening to and singing the same songs while we are apart.
Read more...
Posted on Sep 23, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 210
Philippians 1:21-30
Writing from prison, Paul emphasized a unity of spirit and mind for the sake of the gospel. Though separated, Paul was still unified with the church in Philippi. The same is true today; though circumstantially separated, we are still on Church, united in spirit and mind.
Questions:
- What challenges come from being a church divided by Covid-19?
- How does worship (even as it is today) help us stay united?
- How can we maintain “one mind” while also maintaining social distance?
- What defines our unity if not our physical presence?
Sing with Us:
While we cannot sing in our in-person worship, we can be united in mind and heart by listening to and singing the same songs while we are apart.
Read more...
Posted on Sep 20, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 227
Forgiveness
Have you ever thought of Forgiveness as essential to worship?
Peace, Chess
Read more...
Posted on Sep 5, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 287
Hearts of Worship
Psalm 149
With in-person worship resuming next week, this is a good time to look back on our virtual worship experience as it informs our future worship experiences. Psalm 149 provides a unique perspective on our year so far and the rest that is to come.
Peace,
Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Exod 12:1-14; Ps 149; Matt 18:15-20; Rom 13:8-14
Questions for Reflection:
How do you reconcile a God who would “strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human beings and animals” (Exod. 12:12) with a God who would die for the sins of the entire world?
Morning Prayer:
O God of this and every morning, as I begin this day, call my name; as I step into this day, guide my feet; as I live this day, care for those I love; as I learn this day, teach me your ways. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
God of stars and planets, the setting sun ends this day for us as it rises on a new day for others. For us and for them, be light in every darkness. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Aug 29, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 305
Reorientation
Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26
What if? What if Egypt never enslaved and mistreated the people of Israel? Would they have ever left? So what if their experience in Egypt was meant to disorient them away from Egypt and toward the promised land. And what if God uses our disorienting moments and experiences to help usher us into a reorientation toward God’s self and new possibilities?
Peace,
Chess
Be sure to take our survey on your plans for worship as we regather. You can find the survey here.
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Exod 3:1-15; Ps 105:1-6, 23-26, 45b; Matt 16:21-28; Rom 12:9-21
Questions for Reflection:
How can your life include a faithful response to Jesus’ charge that his followers must “deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Matt. 16:24)?
Morning Prayer:
God of love, today help us to live peaceably with all. Help us live in genuine love: to love our neighbors as ourselves, and to love you, O God, with our whole heart, mind, and strength. In Jesus’ loving name. Amen
Evening Prayer:
Holy God, because you have been with us this day, we have stood on holy ground. Thank you. We know that you will remain with us through this night. Thank you. We know that you will be with us again tomorrow. Thank you. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Aug 22, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 405
The Snare is Broken
Psalm 124
Reading Psalm 124 feels like a personal guarantee of safety. Maybe it is a favorite hymn, or perhaps it gave you hope through hard times, but it is also the greatest story ever told. In poetic form, this psalm tells the story of the cross, but to get there we first need to remember the cross as a story of victory rather than a personal story of forgiveness. The question that’s left, then, is what have we done with our escape?
Peace, Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Exod 1:8-2:10; Ps 124; Matt 16:13-20; Rom 12:1-8
Questions for Reflection:
When have you succeeded in resisting the forces that seek to conform us
to the world? How has that felt like “spiritual worship”? What are the ways you most readily answer Jesus’ question: “Who do you say that I am?”
Morning Prayer:
Today, O God, help me receive your revelation that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. It is in his name I pray. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
Holy God, for anything I did this day that was pleasing to you, I give you thanks and pray that you use me to your glory; for anything I did this day that was displeasing to you, I ask your forgiveness and pray that you redeem me for your glory. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Aug 15, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 424
Kindred Unity
Psalm 133
Short, simple, and to the point, this psalm says what it means in the first verse: unity is a good and pleasant thing. Yet we seem to struggle deeply with unity and the world seems so full of division on just about everything. Psalm 133, however, leaves no room for misinterpretation.
Peace, Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Gen 45:1-15; Ps 133; Matt 15:10-28; Rom 11:1-2a, 29-32
Questions for Reflection:
Why do you think Jesus resisted the Canaanite woman’s request? How does this fit with your idea of Jesus’ mercy and love? What changed his mind? How does this influence your faith in God?
Morning Prayer:
Merciful God, this day is full of your possibilities for healing and reconciliation, for new beginnings and restored relationships. Unite my heart with your will so that your abundant anointing will flow through me. Send me now with your promised blessings to preserve the lives of those in need. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
God of the night watches, guard me from torment, release me from distress. Call me close to you and kiss me with your favor that I may rest secure in you. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Aug 8, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 432
Remembering our Future
Psalm 105:1-6, 16-22
So much of Israel’s identity is rooted in their shared experiences. A story about Joseph isn’t just something that happened long ago, but is an invitation to read yourself and situation into the story of Joseph. Psalm 105 is such an invitation that would shape our hopes for the future by remembering the past.
Peace,
Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Gen 37:1-4, 12-28; Ps 105:1-6, 16-22, 45b; Matt 14:22-33; Rom 10:5-15
Questions for Reflection:
Why did Jesus send the disciples ahead while he stayed to pray alone? How do times of turmoil and anxiety affect your trust in God?
Morning Prayer:
God of my destiny, thank you for a new day in which your purpose will unfold. Send me now as your servant to succor the suffering and as your disciple to declare the good news of your Son. Help me to remember during times of testing that your word goes ahead of me and upholds me. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
Son of God, this day has been crowded with work and service. This evening, bring me alone with you to the mountain to pray. Help me to know your reassuring presence with me through the night hours. May I come to you and rest in you. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Aug 1, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 447
A Balanced Prayer
Psalm 17:1-7, 15
The author of psalm 17 finds himself in a situation that resonates with 2020. We don’t know the exact circumstances, but things seem dire. Like us, the psalmists prays for God to fix the world and set things right. But the psalmist also prays for God to stay close enough that he can see God’s face. There’s a balance to be found between these two prayer requests that I think would benefit us all this year.
Peace,
Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Gen 32:22-31; Ps 17:1-7, 15; Matt 14:13-21; Rom 9:1-5
Questions for Reflection:
“Jacob was left alone; and a man wrestled with him until daybreak” (Gen. 32:24). Why do you think God allows times of struggle in our lives? How have times of struggle affected your walk with God? How does your relationship with God affect your view of overwhelming problems in the world, such as hunger, poverty, violence, or injustice?
Morning Prayer:
God of daybreak, thank you for holding me through the night and awakening me to behold your likeness in this brand-new day. Go with me now as I walk with you. Show me the world and its people through your eyes of compassion. Bless me, break me, and move through me to heal and feed those who hunger for you. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
O God, tonight I lay my failures, anxieties, struggles, and unfinished business at your feet. Hold me, bless me, and change me as I rest in you. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Jul 25, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 412
Faithfulness of God
Psalm 105:1-11, 45b
Psalm 105 and 106 are a dynamic duo. One proclaims the faithfulness of God while the other confesses the unfaithfulness of God’s people. It is, perhaps, the summation of the whole of scripture. But what does it mean for God to be faithful to an unfaithful people? How can that relationship work? I think the answers lie in the dynamic of faith and faithfulness.
Peace,
Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Gen 29:15-28; Ps 105:1-11, 45b; Matt 13:31-33, 44-52; Rom 8:26-39
Questions for Reflection:
Are there dilemmas or relationships in which you feel separated from the love of God? Can you imagine that God might be at work there, bringing life in unexpected ways? What would change if you were to claim the promise that nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord?
Morning Prayer:
God of ferment, God of life, as I recall the night’s unsettled dreams… as I foresee the day’s demands… come to me in the desires of my heart, in the anger of the excluded, in all I might discount— until I find you everywhere, until your holy love leavens every impulse, for I pray in the name of Jesus, whose surprising call continues. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
Joy of my heart, thank you for this day’s unexpected turns: for provision when I was stymied and laughter born of grace. As I rest in your mercy open my heart to your unruly love and the neighbors you have put in my path. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Jul 18, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 392
The Omnis
Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
For years we have called God omnipresent and omniscient, and for years those terms have been loaded and vague. Is it fair to reduce God’s omniscience and omnipresence to a guilt ridden sign on the side of the road that threatens, “God is watching you!”? Psalm 139 doesn’t think so, and has much more to offer.
Peace, Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
As you prepare for this Sunday’s worship
Included here are the scriptures, reflection questions, and prayers that are thematically matched to our Sunday worship outline.
Scriptures: Gen 28:10-19a; Ps 139:1-12, 23-24; Matt 13:24-30; Rom 8:12-25
Questions for Reflection:
How has your understanding of the relationship between suffering and faith (or vulnerability and trust) changed over time? What experiences of God’s grace do you need to acknowledge and anoint?
Morning Prayer:
In whatever shelter I wake this morning, I know this place is holy because you meet me here. As I wash my body and prepare for the day, I remember baptismal waters and the claim upon my life. Wherever darkness looms, Sovereign God, traffic in mercy this day. Traffic in mercy this day. Amen.
Evening Prayer:
As darkness spreads over the land, I trust that you move in it. As I yield the night to sleep and dreams, I pray you would remake me into a servant bold, for the sake of Jesus. Amen.
Read more...
Posted on Jul 10, 2020 in English Words of Encouragement, General | 316
Light Burden
Psalm 119:105-112
God’s law is a loaded phrase that often makes us feel incapable, guilty, and burdened. We resonate with Paul in feeling an impossible load when we start to list out the things we should and shouldn’t do. But the psalmist has a very different view of God’s law that you will probably find more appealing – and possible.
Peace,
Chess
Our Worship this Week:
Hymns for the Week:
Read more...
