The First Sunday of the New Year

This Sunday we are going to be doing a slightly modified version of the Covenant Service that John Wesley developed for the use of the early Methodists. When we did it a year ago I found it to be a moving and helpful service.


Call to Repentance
Hebrews 3:12 (page 1865)

Call to Worship
Psalm 25 (page 865)

OT Reading
Exodus 19:1-6 (page 116)

NT Reading
1 Peter 2:4-12 (page 1888)

Message
What Comes When We're Cut
Luke 2:21 (page 1591)

We'll be singing Come Just As You Are, We Are An Offering, and Holy Spirit Take Control for the opening choruses.

We will also be singing Come Let Us Use the Grace Divine (to the tune of Forest Green), and the Chris Tomlin version of Amazing Grace. And possibly another hymn, Wisdom Ascribe, and Might, to the tune of Vernon.

The words to Come Let Us Use the Grace Divine:


Come, let us use the grace divine, and all with one accord,
In a perpetual covenant join ourselves to Christ the Lord;
Give up ourselves, through Jesus’ power, His Name to glorify;
And promise, in this sacred hour, for God to live and die.

The covenant we this moment make be ever kept in mind;
We will no more our God forsake, or cast these words behind.
We never will throw off the fear of God Who hears our vow;
And if Thou art well pleased to hear, come down and meet us now.

Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, let all our hearts receive,
Present with Thy celestial host the peaceful answer give;
To each covenant the blood apply which takes our sins away,
And register our names on high and keep us to that day!

Readings for December 28th

I've not been keeping up with the blog at all during Christmas. My apologies.

This Sunday I'm going to be preaching on Simeon and Anna at the temple. The shepherds and the magi went to Jesus, having directions, but these two put themselves in the right place to have Jesus come to them. There are some serious implications for those of us who are serious about Jesus.

Call to Repentance
Revelation 3:19 (page 1917)

Call to Worship
Psalm 148 (page 982)

OT Reading
Isaiah 61:10 - 62:3 (page 1158)

NT Reading
Luke 19:1-10 (page 1630)

Message
The Devotional Ambush
Luke 2:22-40 (page 1591)

Readings for the Fourth Sunday in Advent

Sunday, December 21, 2008

Call to Repentance
Hebrews 10:19-22 (page 1873)

Call to Worship
Psalm 67 (page 902)

OT Reading
Psalm 68:1-6 (page 902)

NT Reading
John 19:25-30 (page 1684)

Message
Luke 1:26-38 (page 1588)
The Family Planner

NCWC Christmas Pageant

The Angel Choir

The ram with curly horns

The Friendly Beasts

Reading for the Third Sunday of Advent

This Sunday I will be preaching on Joash, the third in our series on Biblical figures who, like Jesus, were raised by people other than their parents. Two weeks ago we discussed Moses, who had been drawn out of the water. Last week we discussed Samuel who had been drawn away from his mother's breast. And this week we will talk about Joash who was drawn out of the blood of his family's massacre and for the sake of that same blood.
Joash, a vulnerable infant, was the last slender thread by which the fulfillment of God's promise to David hung. His rescue from the slaughter was an historical event of great moment and a powerful reminder to us that where God's providential power is in operation very little is required. Praise the God who only needed a few fishes and loaves to feed the five thousand. Praise the God who only needed one little baby to keep his staggering promise. Praise the God who only needs us to start a revival.

Call to Repentance
2 Corinthians 7:1 (page 1800)

Call to Worship
Psalm 47 (page 885)

OT Reading
1 Kings 19:9-18 (page 559)

NT Reading
Revelation 7:9-17 (page 1921)

Message
The Little that God Requires
2 Chronicles 22:10 – 23:3 (page 705)

Devotional Thought for December 10th

From "Salvation Army orders and regulations for soldiers, 1950"

Am I fulfilling the vows and promises I have made before God in the past?

It is a heavy thing to make a vow to the living God who someday will call everyone to accounts. I will have to give an account before his throne. I will have to open up the books and do a line by line audit before the God of the Universe. And I want that to be a joyous occassion. I look forward to the sensation of permanent relief on hearing the words "Well done, my good and faithful servant."
What I do not want is for half-remembered rash commitments to dismay me before the throne. Because I do not want to wince in glory I will work here on earth, to satisfy the commitments I have made.
This is not out of any effort to earn my way to heaven. I know how that audit's going to go. There will be lots of red in the books: first the red of red ink to indicate indebtedness; then the red of Jesus' blood to indicate atonement.
But let God establish his word. I will be careful about making vows because I'm going to be careful to keep the vows I make.

Col. 2:13-14 (ESV) And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, [14] by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Devotional Thought for Tuesday, December 9th

From the "Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950:"

Am I doing all in my power for the salvation of sinners?

This is a tricky question because we might respond to it by throwing ourselves into the evangelistic work with a hamfisted zeal that will do more to draw attention to our desperate antics than it will to the man on the cross. Doing everything in my power for the salvation of sinners does not mean that I am required to try and convert every telemarketer who makes the mistake of dialing my number. It doesn't mean approaching people in public restrooms with the good news.

But neither can anyone be said to be "doing everything in his power to save sinners" who has friends that are unaware of his faith.

Doing everything in your power begins with sanctification. Remove everything from your life that would contradict your testimony of God's saving power or curb your tongue when it comes time to tell of it.

Then doing everything in your power requires prayer: lots and lots of earnest prayer. Pray for the salvation of your friends and family and the guy who cut you off in traffic. But more than that, pray that God would give you opportunities to share your faith. Then, when he answers that prayer, take advantage of the opportunities he gives you. It's really that simple.

And since sanctification is God's work in us, and since the success of our prayer is a matter of God's working to answer it, we can say that doing everything in our power for the salvation of sinners means doing everything in God's power for the salvation of sinners. I find that reassuring.

Jude 22-23 (ESV) "And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh."

Devotional Thought for December 8, 2008

From the "Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950:"

Does the influence of the world cause me to act, or feel, or say things that do not show the love of God?

Demonstrating the love of God in action, sentiment and word is a difficult and demanding thing. It leaves you vulnerable. It takes a good deal of energy. And it doesn't take a lot of the world's influence to derail us from the project.

If I was living right now in France I would have to ask myself from time to time, "does the influence of my current context cause me to act, or feel, or say things that do not reflect my American identity?" Am I reluctant to fly the flag, and celebrate the virtues of the country to which I belong because of the hostility of the country in which I reside?

Of course our job is not to wave the American flag at a bistro in Paris, but to wave God's flag over the checkout aisle at Price Chopper. And God's banner over us is love. But when we successfully resist the world's influence and wave the flag of love it will do more to draw the world's fire than applause.

1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world the love of the Father is not in him.

Devotional though for 12/5/08

Taken from "Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950"

Are my thoughts and feelings such that I wouldn't be ashamed to hear them published before God?

The answer to that question is "No." Even if I'm not indulging lustful thoughts, or hatching unwholesome schemes, my noggin seems to be a factory for producing petty, trivial and embarrassing notions. I would have a lot to be ashamed of if transcripts were available upon request.

And it would be very easy to shrug this off, to say that some mental discipline is necessary, but a mind that takes "every thought captive" is not possible. But the truth is that I will never act much better than I think. I can not be vicious in my mind and kind in my actions. I can not be suspicious in my thoughts and generous in my gestures. I can not think highly of myself in private and put others first in practice. And even if I could manage to act better than I think, that would not be a moral accomplishment. That would be the definition of hypocrisy.

So resolve today to at least slip a leash over the neck of your mind and begin some obedience training.

Philip. 4:8 (ESV) Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.

Music for the Second Sunday in Advent

Opening worship will consist of Let's Worship and Adore Him, I Extol You, and O Come All Ye Faithful

The first hymn will be O Hearken Ye (#274 in our hymnal)

For the prayer hymn we will sing a Christmas arrangement of the contemporary chorus "Offering."

And the closing hymn will be "That Beautiful Name," (#266).

It is also going to be a communion Sunday, so I would, of course, encourage you to prepare your hearts and minds for that wonderful event.

Readings for Second Sunday of Advent

This Sunday, having considered Moses, we will take a look at Samuel who, like Moses and Jesus, was raised by people other than his parents. We are going to focus on the fact that Samuel had been set apart from infancy for service to God. We are going to consider the extent to which this expectation applies to the children in the church and what it might mean for us to wean them, as Hannah did Samuel.

December 7, 2008

Call to Repentance
Isaiah 55:6-7 (page 1148)

Call to Worship
Psalm 103 (page 939)

OT Reading
Judges 13:1-8 (page 394)

NT Reading
John 3:16-21 (page 1650)

Message
Set Apart and Given Away
1 Samuel 1:21-28 (page 419)

Devotional Thought for 12/4/08

From the "Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950"

Am I the master of my bodily appetites so as to have no condemnation? Do I allow myself in any indulgence that hurts my holiness, growth, obedience, or usefulness

Paul says in Romans (8:12-13) "So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. [13] For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

I arrive at this question on the list on a day when I happened to notice a headline regarding the fact that many German soldiers are too overweight to fit in their uniforms or to be reliably effective as soldiers. Some 40% are overweight and seem to live on "sausage and beer."
Now if this means, as it seems to, that the Taliban would prefer to face German soldiers in battle, it would follow that Satan would prefer to have a self-indulgent, lazy Christian for an opponent. Treating yourself rigorously while on base is doing yourself a favor on the field of battle.
Do not lose sight of the sanctifying effect of a little self-mortification.

Devotional Though for 12/3/08

From the "Salvation Army Orders and Regulations for Soldiers, 1950"

Am I habitually guilty of any known sin? Do I practice or allow in any thought, word or deed which I know to be wrong?

It's not the sort of question you can reply to with a shrug. I may not be sure where to start, but I'd better start somewhere. So I answer the question in my prayer with God and ask first for forgiveness, and secondly for sanctification.
There is a danger in the moderate and easy righteousness of the personally virtuous man. It is the danger that he will take his sin too lightly, that he will fail to get exercised about it.
Lord, help me to get upset about the sin in my life. Help me to make full confession and give me the faith that overcomes the world and aspires to glory.

1 John 5:18 (ESV) We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him.

Devotional Thought for 12/1/08

Psalm 150

This psalm begins and ends with the command to praise the Lord.
Verses 1-5 offer some suggestions about where to direct your praise (God's sanctuary in the heavens), the content of your praise (praise him for both what he has done and for his greatness), and the means of your praise (basically with whatever kind of instrument suits you, including your tongue, of course.)
Then in verse 6, just in case we were tempted to think that these were instructions to the priests and do not apply to us, the psalmist makes clear that these instructions are for a universal application. Everything that has breath is to praise the Lord.
And then it ends by repeating the imperative from the beginning of the psalm: Praise the Lord.

It is so much easier to talk about praise than it is to do it. It is easier to compose praise songs than it is to turn your attention to God's sanctuary and express from your heart a reverence for his great power. It is easier to write a devotional on Psalm 150 than it is to obey it.

The psalmist knows that and that is why this psalm is so simple that it would be insulting if I didn't deserve it, and it's also why he begins and ends it with this imperative.

So pause and obey: turn your attention to the King's court in glory; consider his great deeds; consider his great power; and express with whatever suits the purpose the praise He longs to hear.