Personal Worship (Page 21)
For the week of June 27th
View Previous Weeks Welcome to week 11 of our study from the gospel of Mark and to Mark chapter 11 as well. Every part of this chapter contains a richness of truth that we could spend hours in, each day. But that’s not what Personal Worship is about. We want to spend about 15-20 minutes reading the word, considering its wisdom, reflecting on questions, and praying. So I…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of June 25th)
Hello Rio! How would you respond if I told you that the scientific and academic communities had discovered that a simple habit could provide you with stunning physical and mental health benefits? No injections required. No prescriptions necessary. This simple practice has existed for thousands of years. In the last few decades, several major universities, government…
For the week of June 20th
View Previous Weeks Welcome to week 10 of our study from the gospel of Mark and, rather handily, to Mark chapter 10. Every part of this chapter contains a richness of truth that we could spend hours in, each day. But that’s not what Personal Worship is about. We want to spend about 15-20 minutes reading the word, considering its wisdom, reflecting on questions, and…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of June 18th)
Hey, Church! This week I have been thinking a lot about gratitude. I need more of it in my life. Anxieties about the future? Yep, I’ve got plenty of those. Frustrations with present life circumstances? Check! A list of blessings a mile long? Well, I don’t think about that list quite as often. But the Spirit reminded me this week that that list is immeasurably longer and,…
For the week of June 13th
View Previous Weeks Welcome to Week 9 of our study in the Gospel of Mark, and the week in which we switch from seeking to understand the identity of Jesus to understanding his mission. What had Jesus come to do? What does he expect his followers to do? We are surveying all of chapter 9 this week and there are two things I’d like to say. First, there is simply no way in…
Prepare for Worship (weekend of June 11th)
Hey, Church! We will have the privilege and joy of sharing a communion meal this Sunday! To prepare our hearts and minds to receive the bread and wine (or, cracker and juice) with sincerity and faith, I thought it would be appropriate to focus this weekend’s meditation on the significance of that sacrament. To do that, I want to diverge from my usual talking points on the…
For the week of June 6th
Prepare for Worship (weekend of June 4th)
Hey, Church! We have a new song to sing this Sunday called “Here Again.” Its lyrics prompt us to look back and remember God’s long, steady faithfulness to us; to look forward and trust that He will be faithful then just as well. And in light of the past and future–”here in the middle”–we want to call on Him to make His glory appear in our present weakness: “I’m not enough…
For the week of May 30th
Prepare for Worship (weekend of May 28th)
Hey, Church! I am praying for this Sunday to be an extra-joyful one! Think about it: God, who created the universe and saved your life with His own blood, looks to you with a smile and says, “Come! Let me rejoice over you and show you more of my goodness and glory!” We will respond to that call with a song that we have only sung once before–on Easter Sunday 2021. It is…