Our Lenten Journey

Joel 2:1;16-18

"Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—

 

Gather the people, consecrate the assembly; bring together the elders,
gather the children, those nursing at the breast.
 Let the bridegroom leave his room and the bride her chamber. 

Let the priests, who minister before the Lord, weep between the portico and the altar.

Then the Lord was jealous for his land and took pity on his people."

 

 We are only one week removed from Ash Wednesday, the beginning of our Lenten Journey. In only a week I know that this Lenten Season will be a special season, one in which I hope that I will feel the presence of God in a real and tangible way. That has been my prayer and it has taken me a little over one week to know that God has already answered that prayer. God answered that prayer, perhaps, even before I spoke the words of that prayer. 

After our Ash Wednesday Service at Noel last week our Minister of Congregational Care, Mimi McDowell, and I took ashes out to those who couldn't make it to our service. Like the prophet Joel says, in preparation for repentance, to gather all those into the assembly – from the oldest of the old to the youngest of the young, even those at their mothers breast. 

To look into the eyes of those we met that afternoon and to have a chance to listen, pray and offer God’s forgiveness to them was a humbling moment in my ministry. In those holy moments of reflection and devotion I hear stories about how Noel Church has touched them and about how blessed and humbled they were that we would think of them. These people have left a legacy for us to follow. They have left large shoes for us to fill. They are the people of God who built the firm foundation for us, the church. 

I’m not sure what the rest of this Lenten Season has to offer to me or to us as a church and as the people of God, but I know that I cannot wait to sit back and listen, pray and offer God to those I encounter. May God continue to reveal Godself to you in real and tangible ways this Lenten Season as God has already for me. 

I offer this prayer from Rev. John Winn as a prayer for all of us as we continue on this journey. 

Dear God,

I am full of anxious questions.

I am short on reasonable answers.

I am trapped by my own inability

to make a decision.

I am reluctant to express my feelings.

I am afraid of the consequences.

I want a guarantee that everything

will work to my benefit.

There are times when I hope that

someone will take over for me.

There are times when I know

I must do it myself.

That is when I am fearful that

I am not strong enough.

I am not wise enough.

I am not caring enough.

If it is possible,

let that cup pass from me,

but if not…

Amen. 

Pastoral Prayer - October 21st (Noel UMC)

God of the marginalized,

 

Allow us to become tentative to your sprit this morning as we seek to know you more.  Transform our mundane words, songs and prayers into a glorious sound called worship. Be in our midst now as we seek to find you.

 

God, we pray this morning that you would continue to shape us and form us into the people you call us to be. We pray that You would convict us in our communion with others so that we might know what it truly means to be a servant for others. I pray that you would continue to place in our lives the people and the opportunities that shape our Christian lives of service, justice and mercy, and to reconcile us with You when we fall short.

 

We pray for all those this morning worshipping down the hall. We pray that they, along with us, might come into this place thirsty for an encounter with the Holy.

 

 

We pray for those this morning who might be hurting, sick or in need. We pray that your spirit would comfort them and heal them wherever they are in life, and that your abundant grace would wash over them like water.

 

We give thanks God for each servant here at Noel Memorial United Methodist Church. We give thanks for their servant hearts, hands and voices. We give thanks to those who give of themselves for your service. Allow us to be transformed and renewed again and again by your Scriptures.

 

God we know that we are a busy people … allow us to slow down just for a moment to rest in you……

Pastoral Prayer - February 3rd (Noel UMC)

Dear Friends, let us now go to God bringing whatever it is that is on our hearts, knowing that God is present among us and that God is listening to God's people.

 

Would you pray with me?

 

God of grace, patience and love,

 

We come to you today seeking forgiveness for all the times we have failed you. For all the times we have failed to live up to the people you have called us to be. For all the times we have failed ourselves. We ask that you look past our sinfulness and our doubts. We ask that you mend the broken places of our hearts and fill the empty spaces of our souls for we are a broken people.

 

Continue to mold us and shape into the people you call us to be. We are desperate for healing, we are desperate for forgiveness and we are desperate, indeed, for the promise of redemption to be renewed in us and through us.

 

For all the times that we fall short. For all the times that we shut you out of our lives. For all the times we rebuild the walls you continue to tear down. Oh Lord, have mercy on us.

 

Again and again, we pray with everything we have, Lord. We pray for this church and its leaders. We pray for our community and the people who walk through our doors each and every day. We pray that this place would be a place where your Spirit is felt and where you and your disciples may call home. 

 

We thank you for your faithfulness to us and to this community. For the renovation of this sacred building, for the faithful leaders you have blessed us with and for the responsibility of the task ahead. For the new church officers and congregational care ministers. In their times of struggle and decision making, we ask that your peace be with them and that your spirit guide them. May we ever look to You for guidance and for discernment, oh gracious Lord. 

 

God we are your people and again today we come into this place seeking to find you in the songs, the prayers, the sermon and the sacraments. We are again listening …. Waiting for your voice to be heard. Wash over us in these sacred moments and allow us to be still and know that You are God.

 

(Silence)

 

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit I pray, Amen.

It's Time, Go!

“Meanwhile, the eleven disciples were on their way to Galilee, headed for the mountain Jesus had set for their reunion. The moment they saw him they worshipped him. Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.

Jesus, undeterred, went right ahead and gave his charge: “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28: 16-20 (Message)

The cool thing about Scripture and interpretations is this: many people see/receive many things from them. The above Scripture is one that many denominations/traditions interpret in many ways. I love the way The Message version eloquently expresses the tension of some disciples, “Some, though, held back, not sure about worship, about risking themselves totally.”

No matter how you interpret, view or look upon this passage you have to admit that this phrase captures the emotions and reservations of the disciples perfectly. I can imagine that the disciples were a group of people with different backgrounds, different stories – much like us FTE Fellows. We all came to this place with different stories, different ways of interpretation, different callings. I can also imagine how reserved some of us might have been on those first few days. Some people simply holding back, struggling, preventing themselves from “risking themselves totally.”

The Good News for us is that Jesus remains undeterred. Regardless of what we bring to the table or how we approach our days, Jesus is right there to give his charge. For us, The Holy Spirit began to do its magic and by the end of day two you could feel a sweet Spirit in the air working in and amongst us, loosening the hold we had on ourselves. Rev. Mike Waters put it best at the end of day four, “there’s a sweet, sweet Spirit in this place.”

Today, we all witnessed how awesome and magnificent the power of the Holy Spirit is. Closing worship is always powerful, but there was something about today’s worship that really summed up our entire week at the conference.  You could feel the power and witness in the songs by the choir. You could feel the sincerity and vulnerability in the sermon.  You could feel the hurt and pain in the voices of those who led us in the Hip Hop Prayers, “These are the prayers of my people,” Rev. Waters said. The most powerful moment, for me, was the prayers at the end of the service when we all gathered around our roundtable leaders.  It was simply a moving experience. God truly was there with us. It was a beautiful experience, one that served to move us to action, to realize our call – our commission.

No matter what we bring to the table, no matter where we are along our journey, no matter our struggles or strengths Jesus remains ready to send us to Galilee.  “God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go!”  It’s that simple, just go!

I pray that God moves you in a mighty way towards action – action that is honest, humble, sincere and genuine.

“God authorized and commanded me to commission you: Go out and train everyone you meet, far and near, in this way of life, marking them by baptism in the threefold name: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Then instruct them in the practice of all I have commanded you. I’ll be with you as you do this, day after day after day, right up to the end of the age.”