Ramblings of a Listening Disicple

/ The Pastor

Listening is never easy.
It’s hard work.
It means doing something active.
You can’t be passive and also listen.
It takes focus.
It takes determined attention.

To truly listen is a loving act.

You can hear someone making noise,
but that’s not listening.
You can see someone trying to communicate,
but that’s not listening.
You can be aware of someone trying to transmit data,
but that’s not listening.

Listening is focusing, receiving and processing.
Listening is caring about the communicator.

Listening is hard work,
especially when we are talking about
God.
Listening is scary,
especially when we are talking about
God.
Listening is awesome,
most especially when we are talking about
God.

For when we are listening to God;
when we are receiving from God;
when we are obeying God;
we are participating in God’s most awesome and perfect will.

Listening is still scary but it is also awesome.

Oh God, speak to me.

I’m listening…

The (listening) Pastor -|—

Hold Me Tight ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Holy Father,
Your wisdom is awesome.
Your timing is perfect.
Your faithfulness is great.
Your love is boundless.
Your grace is limitless.
Your compassion is comforting.

And it is in these qualities that I find peace for a restless soul.

And so I,
appeal to Your wisdom;
wait for Your timing;
bask in Your faithfulness;
cling to Your love;
give thanks for Your grace;
and rest in Your compassion.

May I always know this peace.

Holy Father,
in the midst of turmoil,
I am thankful for a peace that surpasses all comprehension.
So hold me tight,
and shake me awake when I mindlessly wander from You.

All praise and worship and honor and glory,
be unto You,
Holy Father,
forever and ever,
Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Holy Trust ~ A Morning Prayer

/ The Pastor

Good morning all. I was out of town last week but I am now back; preparing to lead worship and preach God’s holy Word. May God be praised as we worship. Let’s pray…

Holy God,
You make the impossible possible.
You forgive sins.
You raise the dead.
You defeat Satan and death.
You give eternal life.

But yet,
when presented with this news,
too often we follow after Zechariah more than we do Mary.
Too often we want proof rather than to worship.
We want sensory satisfaction rather than rely on holy trust.

We see the impossible and blow it off.

But as Your children;
as Your servants,
may Your Word be to us as You have decreed.
May we not doubt but rather receive this life-changing Word.
May Jesus be our proof and life.

Send now You Holy Spirit,
oh God,
that this word here spoken may build and lift us up onto Your glory.
May we not seek to see with our eyes.
May we not seek to hear with our ears.
May we seek to believe in our hearts.
May we seek You.

All praise and worship be unto You,
oh God,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Oh God, You are…

/ The Pastor

Oh God,
You are the God of the past.
You are the God of the present.
You are the God of the future.
You are the God of my everything and for all time.

Oh God,
You hold me securely.
You hold me lovingly.
You hold me faithfully.
Therefore I shall never fear and tremble before this world.

Oh God,
You are present with me in the bad times.
You are present with me in the good times.
You are present with me in all times,
and therefore You are to be praised always and forever.

Oh God,
You reign over uncertainty.
You are faithful despite my anxiety.
You are calming in my anxiousness.
You are healing.

Oh God, You are many things,
and therefore,
all praise to You.

The Pastor -|—

Bursting Forth ~ A Morning Prayer

/ The Pastor

Holy Father, awesome God,

Your Word is life.
Your Word is our hope.
Your Word is our very breath.
You created with a word.
The serpent deceived with a false word.
Adam and Eve were expelled with a word of curse, warning and finally hope.
You created a people and nation with a word of promise.
You gave new life with a Word
and that Word is embodied in our Lord and Savior,
Jesus Christ.

And so we come to this Advent season with anxious anticipation of this Word. May we not doubt.
May we not impose self-inflicted mutism when is comes to the Gospel,
but rather,
may we burst forth in praise
with what the birth of Jesus means for a dark and lost world.
May we sing the glories of your name
to a wearied people.
May we announce hope
to a hopeless word.

Send now Your Spirit, oh God,
that we may hear this Word
and be filled with awe,
so much so,
that we can’t wait to burst through these doors
and fill this world with the hope of the resurrection.
It’s through Jesus Christ our Lord, I pray,

Amen.

God bless you as you begin this Advent season. May the light of Christ shine brightly in and through your life to the glory of God.

The Pastor -|—

Thanksgiving Prayer

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Holy God, loving Father,
we have much for which to be thankful;
for You are a giving God.

You have created all that we see and do not see.
You have breathed breath into our feeble lungs.
You sustain the very life we live.
You give out of your bounty and grace;
giving to a sinful people.
We are unworthy of such giving,
especially when we think about You giving us…

JESUS!

And so we praise and thank You,
holy God,
that through faith in Jesus Christ You have destined us
for holiness and intimacy
with You.

And so in all your giving, please give also to us Your Holy Spirit
that we may hear and receive the words spoken here tonight.
May they penetrate our hardened hearts
and turn them into life giving vessels
that proclaim the glories of Your most awesome name.
May we continue to be drawn closer to You
that our lives may be lives of thanksgiving
each and everyday.

It’s in the name of Jesus Christ that I pray,

Amen.

The Pastor -|—

Help ~ A Morning Prayer

/ The Pastor

Holy God,

we are unclean,
unholy,
unfaithful.

We are betrayers,
deserters
and fleers of Your Son, Jesus.

We are lost,
hopeless
and dead without Your Son, Jesus.

We need help.

Holy God, loving Father,

we are sinners;
sinners in need of help;
sinners in need of mercy.
And so we appeal to Your holy and amazing grace,
not just now, but each and every day.

Hear our prayers.
Hear our confessions.
And send Your Holy Spirit,
that the words of my mouth
and the meditations of our hearts
may be pleasing to You,
oh God.

May we not be found lost
but praising Your holy name
as we wait longingly for Your Son’s return.

In Jesus name I pray,

Amen.

May your worship this morning be pleasing to the ears of our most holy and awesome God.

The Pastor -|—

Devoted ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

Holy God,
as we gather, this morning, to worship You,
I feel that we are still coming up short.
Nothing that we do or offer seems sufficient
given Your holiness and amazing love.
Nothing seems enough
given Your grace and faithfulness.
We may have the intention to show You great devotion
but way too often You get our leftovers.
Way too often we examine our needs now
so we may determine what we can afford to give You later.

Oh God, holy Father,

may our devotion be wholly on You;
giving You the first fruits of all we have,
because really,
those first fruits came from You.

May our sacrifices be worthy of You.
May our devotion be wholly true.

All praise, worship, honor
and devotion
be given to You,
awesome God,
through Christ Jesus our Lord,

Amen.

God bless you as you praise and worship our awesome God!

The Pastor  -|—

Waiting ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor / 1 Comment

The sermon text for today is Mark 13:32-37. May God be praised as you worship.

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come.
[Mark 13:32-33]

Creator and Redeeming God,
from the beginning of time;
when sin entered this world,
You have been guiding us to redemption.
You sent Your Son, Jesus,
to live and die and rise
that we may be forgiven and thus brought back to You.

And now,in the interim, we wait.

We wait for the glorious coming of our Lord.
We wait with longing expectation.
We wait with eagerness.
We wait with hope.

And when Jesus does return,
may we not be found lacking.
May we not be found sleeping.
May we not be found distracted.

When Jesus returns,
may we be found doing the very things that we should be doing;
glorifying your most holy name.

So tune our hearts to You as we hear Your Word.
May we always live with joy in our hearts at the coming of our Lord
as we live each day as THE day of Jesus’ return.

All glory,
honor,
praise
and worship
be to You now and always,

Amen.

The Pastor -|—

To Be Able ~ A Prayer

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

Based on King Solomon’s prayer in 1 Kings 3…

Give Your servant
an understanding mind
to lead Your people,
to serve Your people,
to serve with Your people,
for who is able to govern people?

Give Your servant
a gentle spirit
to love Your people,
to walk with Your people,
to cry with Your people,
for who is able to minister to Your people?

Give Your servant,
a patient heart
to listen for Your voice,
to wait on You,
to see Your ways,
for who is able to endure in this world?

Help Your servant, Oh Lord,
by giving me
an understanding mind,
a gentle spirit,
and a patient heart.
Help Your servant, Oh Lord,
that I may be able;
that I may glorify You.

Amen

The Pastor -|—