Many people have found prayer particularly challenging. They muster up all their self-discipline and courage. They get on their knees and then say, “What do I do now?!” Personally, I have often found it helpful to have a variety of resources available to help me stay focused during prayer. I share this not because I am a spiritual giant with much to offer. I share these because I often find it such a struggle to get started in prayer and even after getting started to then stay focused.
I may be a little unusual, but I have found a countdown timer extremely helpful. If I have set aside a certain span of time for prayer, I found that I would be checking the clock way too often to make sure I didn’t go overtime—like that’s a real worry! I found that if I set a countdown timer, my mind is no longer distracted by the clock.
Perhaps the most helpful resource I have ever found for prayer is God’s Word itself. Sometimes we pray way too mildly because we may not be sure that something is God’s will. When we turn Bible verses that we are reading into actual prayers for ourselves and others, we can be pretty sure we are praying in God’s will. You’ll see an example on page 2 in the downloadable document (below).
Finally, I have often found a pattern of prayer has helped me to stay focused and balanced in my prayers. It’s so easy to only come to God when we want something. We all have friends that only seem to pop up when they are in need. How do you feel when you see them coming? I think you get the idea. There are many similar prayer methods, etc. The following pattern has been a tremendous help for me.
Click here to download Resources for Personal Prayer (pdf)..
Monday, April 4, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Images of the Church
Try this exercise with me. Draw a picture of something that you think describes the church.
People view the church in many different ways. You may have drawn a hospital because the church can be a place of healing. You may have drawn a rescue station because people can hear the good news of the Gospel in the church and be saved. Some think of a military command center, a training and equipping station, a center for teaching and study. In fact the church is so complex that just one image would probably not capture the fullness of God’s plans and purposes for the church.
I’d like to suggest two images to consider. One will be very familiar; the other might be a stretch for some of us. Have you ever considered the church as a battleship? I heard a pastor from Hawaii, Wayne Cordeiro, talk about two experiences he had. He enjoyed a vacation on a cruise ship and then a short time later was invited to tour an active duty battleship. He remarked at how stark the contrast was. A blogging pastor, Tim Franklin, summarized his insights well. “On a battleship, manned by well trained sailors, the crew is able to work together as team to accomplish ‘what they could never do as individuals working alone.’ He then contrasted this with a luxury liner ‘where passengers expect to be served, fed, and pampered while a crew scrambles to keep everyone happy.’ He then makes the statement that should make us all search our hearts; ‘The church will never win wars with a cruise ship mentality!’ ‘Churches should be battleships where everyone is on call, where everyone has a responsibility, and where everyone is trying to make a difference.’”
An image of the church you’re probably more familiar with is that the church is like a human body. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul very clearly uses this imagery. “…the church, which is his body...” In 4:16, he goes on to say “From him (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Again, as I mentioned above, some of the best images of the church are those that show that each member has a role to fulfill. Do you know what your part is? Are you doing your share? Are you doing your share and others’ parts as well? We can only impact our community with a mindset that includes an image of the church where each member knows their unique role and is ready to allow God to work through them. If you are not sure of your part sign up for the CLASAS 301 (SHAPE) seminar or spiritual gifts class. If you attend Trinity and need help, send me a message. I'd love to work with you to discern what would be the best fit.
People view the church in many different ways. You may have drawn a hospital because the church can be a place of healing. You may have drawn a rescue station because people can hear the good news of the Gospel in the church and be saved. Some think of a military command center, a training and equipping station, a center for teaching and study. In fact the church is so complex that just one image would probably not capture the fullness of God’s plans and purposes for the church.
I’d like to suggest two images to consider. One will be very familiar; the other might be a stretch for some of us. Have you ever considered the church as a battleship? I heard a pastor from Hawaii, Wayne Cordeiro, talk about two experiences he had. He enjoyed a vacation on a cruise ship and then a short time later was invited to tour an active duty battleship. He remarked at how stark the contrast was. A blogging pastor, Tim Franklin, summarized his insights well. “On a battleship, manned by well trained sailors, the crew is able to work together as team to accomplish ‘what they could never do as individuals working alone.’ He then contrasted this with a luxury liner ‘where passengers expect to be served, fed, and pampered while a crew scrambles to keep everyone happy.’ He then makes the statement that should make us all search our hearts; ‘The church will never win wars with a cruise ship mentality!’ ‘Churches should be battleships where everyone is on call, where everyone has a responsibility, and where everyone is trying to make a difference.’”
An image of the church you’re probably more familiar with is that the church is like a human body. In Ephesians 1:22-23, Paul very clearly uses this imagery. “…the church, which is his body...” In 4:16, he goes on to say “From him (Christ) the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
Again, as I mentioned above, some of the best images of the church are those that show that each member has a role to fulfill. Do you know what your part is? Are you doing your share? Are you doing your share and others’ parts as well? We can only impact our community with a mindset that includes an image of the church where each member knows their unique role and is ready to allow God to work through them. If you are not sure of your part sign up for the CLASAS 301 (SHAPE) seminar or spiritual gifts class. If you attend Trinity and need help, send me a message. I'd love to work with you to discern what would be the best fit.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The First Course
You may already know, I was born into and raised in an Irish family. We were a meat and potatoes crew. At the risk of offending some, Irish and cuisine are not words that often go together. Sure, corned beef and cabbage is a March 17 treat. But most families take another 364 days to consider it again. The last time I checked, Janet Reeves’ The Potato Cookbook came in at “Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,046,845”.
I was born into an Irish family, but I married into an Italian family and I also lived in Italy for four and a half years. It’s hard to talk long about Italians without talking about food. In fact, in Italy food is a treasure. Dining is an art, a social activity and a national pastime that’s only rivaled by their passion for soccer.
There are a lot of great aspects of Italian cuisine, but my absolute favorite is what’s known as the primo piatto (the first course). You see, later comes the meat and veggies, but the first plate always has the carbs. (All right so now you know I am a confirmed carboholic.) Without the main course, I’d probably be hungry again in a couple of hours. But, without the first course, I feel like something’s missing. I leave the dinner table unsatisfied.
Sunday morning at church can be a lot like those dinners. Many people limit their meal to what’s offered during the worship service only and then leave feeling like something was missing. During the worship service, we are treated to music, meditations and a sermon designed to give us the sustenance we need for the week ahead. During the Sunday School hour, we are able to dig a little deeper into the Bible passage or topical study at hand. We are also able to interact with the text and with each other. It’s a time to grow in our faith, pray for each other and even grow together.
At Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua, NH, we are committed to offering Adult Bible Fellowships before the Sunday worship services for all the reasons above. We’ll save a seat for you. Come hungry!
If you are not in the area or attend another church that does not offer anything else Sunday Mornings, you may want to have have an extra special quiet time with God before you go to church. More to follow on a future post.
I was born into an Irish family, but I married into an Italian family and I also lived in Italy for four and a half years. It’s hard to talk long about Italians without talking about food. In fact, in Italy food is a treasure. Dining is an art, a social activity and a national pastime that’s only rivaled by their passion for soccer.
There are a lot of great aspects of Italian cuisine, but my absolute favorite is what’s known as the primo piatto (the first course). You see, later comes the meat and veggies, but the first plate always has the carbs. (All right so now you know I am a confirmed carboholic.) Without the main course, I’d probably be hungry again in a couple of hours. But, without the first course, I feel like something’s missing. I leave the dinner table unsatisfied.
Sunday morning at church can be a lot like those dinners. Many people limit their meal to what’s offered during the worship service only and then leave feeling like something was missing. During the worship service, we are treated to music, meditations and a sermon designed to give us the sustenance we need for the week ahead. During the Sunday School hour, we are able to dig a little deeper into the Bible passage or topical study at hand. We are also able to interact with the text and with each other. It’s a time to grow in our faith, pray for each other and even grow together.
At Trinity Baptist Church in Nashua, NH, we are committed to offering Adult Bible Fellowships before the Sunday worship services for all the reasons above. We’ll save a seat for you. Come hungry!
If you are not in the area or attend another church that does not offer anything else Sunday Mornings, you may want to have have an extra special quiet time with God before you go to church. More to follow on a future post.
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