Monday - when two or three are gathered

Prayer: Lord of history, of time and space, we would follow Your presence and worship You. As we study the past may we come to serve You more perfectly in the present. Amen.

Read  St. Matthew 18:  19 – 20

Jesus says where two or three are gathered,  Jesus is in the midst of us.  Our primary focus as a Church is to Worship.   Frequently we forget that worship is our primary focus… or we get discouraged when only a few people show up for worship.   Yet Jesus says where two or three are gathered together,  Jesus is with us.  How neat is the promise that no matter how many worship together,  we worship a God of love and joy.

In 1987,  The Worship Committee of the Presbyterian Church in Canada put together a book called “Word and Sacrament”.     This was a study book that brought together a team of amazing Presbyterians to update the 1964 “Book of Common Worship”.  Through years of work and study,  the Worship Committee was tasked with giving shape to how we worship and praise God within the Presbyterian Church of Canada.  

The task was not to dictate that all Ministers and Sessions should use the same words each week in Worship but to guide the Church toward a common form of Worship. 

By the presence and power of the Holy Spirit and through our worship, we are called into being the people of God.   Through worship,  we are sustained in the life of God and then we go forth into the world to bring the love of God into our community.

Over the past couple of weeks,  I have noticed that several (okay... a lot) of ministers are struggling.   With worship in mind....  do this Spiritual Worship  Exercise each day for one week.    When we worship God,  we are sustained by God.  In fact,  join with two other people and go through this Spiritual Worship Exercise every day this week.  

Time of Prayer.....
Prayer:  Divine Healing God,  please move through every part of my
body and mind, dissolving all feelings, thoughts, and patterns of frustration,
irritation and aggravation.  Please sweep away all impatience,  struggle and suffering
that resides in my consciousness.  Allow me, O Lord,  to turn my frustration
into inspiration and enthusiastic action.  Help to steer me in the direction where
my actions will become actualized so that I can experience satisfaction with all
my accomplishments.   Thank You Holy God.  Thank You Holy Mighty One. 
Thank You Holy Immortal One.  
 Divine Healing Creator,  embrace me with Your radiant gold beam of
satisfaction, happiness, contentment, and delight.  Allow me to freel confident
that I am moving in the perfect direction for my life.  Help me to recognize and celebrate
all the wonder things I have achieved, all the magnificient people with whom I
have connected and all the rich experiences I have lived.  As I recognize the
grandness of my life,  I feel truly blessed.  Thank You Holy God.  Thank You
Holy Redeemer.  Thank You Holy Sustainer.   This I ask in Your name.  Amen.


Time of Reflection.....
Write down in a note book  that you will use for this week,  three
things that you are thankful for each day.  These do not need to be huge
events or large things but just three things you are thankful for each day. 


Prayer of Affirmation:
Great God,  I love and accept myself exactly as I am.   You have created me
to be a worthwhile and capable person.  You have given me my health and I am
full of Your energy.  Everything I touch is a success.   I prosper wherever I go.
I deserve the best and I accept the best now from You,  O Lord.  I now attract
positive healthy people  into my life.  I now attract wonderful new opportunities
into my life.  I increasingly see the positive in every situation.  I now move
beyond past limitations and now become all that You have created me to be.
You have made my life simple and easy. I am greatful for everything already
in my life.  You have made me Yours.  This I ask in Jesus' name.  Amen.   

Prayer: Give us love O God, for the communities in which we live and move, and serve, that we may know the joy of living for You O Christ. Help us to worship You knowing that You sustain us in our walk with You.  This we ask in Jesus' name.   Amen.

Many blessings!

Sunday

Prayer of Preparation:

Great God,  You have given us a day to rest in Your presence.  Through Worship,  You have given us a time to know and rest in Your deep love.  Help us to share that love even with those who challenge our assumptions and our motives.  Be with everyone who Worships You this day.  May we abide in Your love and rest in Your glory all the days of our life.    May we be for others the presence of Christ, in whose name we pray.  Amen.

Saturday -- Why do we Worship

This month,  we will be looking at Worship.   Worshipping God together each Sunday is the most important thing that we do as Christians.  Each Sunday we sit in the pews or stand at the pulpit or sit in the choir loft or gather up our Bible to teach Sunday School and know that worship begins with quiet prayer,  call to worship,  some hymns,  some more prayers,  a sermon, offering, some more prayers, and benediction.  But do you really know why we worship in this style?   Quakers come together in worship and sit in silence.   So,  why do we as Presbyterians worship the way we do?    We hope and pray that this month’s devotional will answer the question of why  we worship the way we do.

Saturday Preparation for Sunday.....

Prayer:  Great God,  open our minds and hearts and souls to Your Word this very day.  We thank You that You are our well spring of life.  Help us to abide by Your Word.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Living Faith states that “the Church lives to praise God.  We have no higher calling than to offer the worship that belongs to God day by day, Sunday by Sunday.”  Living Faith 7.3.1

We live to praise God.  We have no higher calling than to worship God each and every day.   Worship is what sustains us as Christians.  

Pray: Dear God, prepare our hearts for Worship tomorrow.  Open our minds to Your understanding so that we may walk in Your presence. Be with Kildonan Community Church as they celebrate 200 years of Worshp and Mission in Your name next Sunday.   May Your Holy Spirit be upon those who are preaching tomorrow. May we live to praise You in all that we do and say, in our walk with You this day.  Amen.

Many blessings!

Friday -- what is your special mission?

Friday Retreat....

Prayer:  Sovereign Lord,  You rule over our lives with love and peace and enthusiasm.  You  heal us when we are hurt and You have already forgiven each of our faults.  Long ago You chose us to be who we are today.  Thank You God that You made us in Your image.  This we pray in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read Ephesians 1: 1-14

St. Paul reminds the Ephesians that God already had each of the Ephesians (and us)  in mind, even before we were born.   Long, long ago God decided to adopt us into the family through Jesus Christ.  We have been chosen by God to carry out a special mission.

Our special mission is the Great Commission.    

Read through this passage of Scripture again and jot down words or phrases that helped the Ephesians (and us)   in spreading the Good News of Christ.  

Jesus said:  Now go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.  And surely, I will be with you always, to the very end of the age…..

Matthew 28: 19-20

Prayer:  God of love and delight,  we listen for Your voice this day.  We know that You love us beyond all measure and we love You in return.  Our love for You spills over into sharing the Good News of Christ with those we meet this day.  May we be Your love to those who need Your love this day.  May we be Your hands to those who need help this day.  May we be Your voice to those who think they are voiceless this day.   For each and every one of our days,  we give You our thanks and praise.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Many blessings!

Thursday - fruits of the Spirit

Prayer:   Holy Almighty God,  may love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, self-control, and faithfulness reign in all of our lives.  May these attitudes govern our lives and bring us into a right Spirit within You.   Amen.

Read Galatians 5: 22-26

This Scripture passage is often called “The Fruits of the Spirit”.   The fruits of the Spirit are visible signs, and attitudes,  that a person is made new in Christ.    Call them Vegetables of the Spirit if needed.  Or the Cookies of the Spirit.   But think up a phrase that is something you enjoy eating.    

Why would St. Paul choose to call them the “fruits of the Spirit”?  Because each of the “fruits” are visible…. and positive.. and makes us whole.  Kinda like fruit helps keep us in good health.

As Christians,  we should all be able to identify the nine fruits in each of our fellow Christians’  lives.   But what happens if we don’t see all nine fruits in our own life?   Ah,  then that is something for you to work upon.   

Jesus never said being a Christian was easy!  Jesus said that God would help us along our journey.     God can see our inner being but it is everyone in our community that sees our outward being.  

As we spread the Good News of Jesus into our community and Church,  we must exhibit the nine fruits of the spirit so that others go “why is that person so different?  Why is that person so kind and loving?”    

Our whole life must be an example of our loving God.   

Prayer:  Divine Healer,  may  the fruits of Your Spirit be so much of our lives and attitudes that people notice a difference in our lives.    May we share these fruits of the Spirit that You have given to Your people so that everyone we meet this day may feel the Hand of God working within their lives and speak the truth.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Many blessings!

Wednesday -- Work and Worship

Prayer:  Great God,  we thank You for those who work tirelessly in Your name.  We thank You for those who serve You so that others may know of Your love.   May we all imitate Christ and become like Christ more and more each day.  Amen.

Read  1 Thessalonians 1: 1-5

This is one House Church that was hopping!   The Thessalonians took the Great Commission to heart.  They shared the Good News of God not only in Thessalonica but

in other regions nearby to their city.     They worked and never ceased.   And why did they work so hard sharing the Good News of Christ?  Because of their work of faith,  their labour of love, and their patience of hope in following Christ. 

And what “work” did they do?  They worshipped together,  they had fellowship together,  they prayed, and reflected upon the words of Christ.  

Yet the House Church in Thessalonica had a rocky start.   Some of the people in the community did not agree with the new religion and arrested several converts and tried to capture Paul.  Paul managed to leave but he did not want the House Church to fold because of dissention within the community.    And the House Church thrived and survived because of the congregation’s belief in the Great Commission.   They imitated Christ.

May we too this day imitate Christ and serve others with love, joy, and hope so that they can see the love of Christ. 

Prayer:   God of the World,  together we worship and adore You.  We give You our lives so that we can share Your love with our neighbours and friends and family.   Help us to be a blessing to all we meet this day.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Many blessings!

Tuesday -- prayer footprint

Tuesday Retreat.....

Prayer:   Holy God,  Holy Mighty,  Holy Immortal One  grant us Your Peace.   May we always remember to bring everything in our life to You in prayer.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Read Colossians 4: 2-6

And in all things,  pray.   Keep your whole life in prayer to God.   Pray for the Ministers and Elders that they may be lead by Christ to  bring awesome worship to all peoples.  Pray for your neighbours and those who live near the Church that they may become aware of God’s presence in their lives and then thirst for Christ.

St. Paul also asks us to say prayers for ourselves so that each time we open our mouths,  it will be to give God glory.     Remember to bring out the best in other people and don’t cut them down.

So what happens if we do all the things Christ told the disciples to do in the Great Commission and nothing happens.  It is simple…..we are to continue to pray and we are to continue to worship God and we are to continue to read the Bible and we are to continue to share the Good News of Christ.   We frequently want to see God’s work immediately.   We think if we pray a bit,  then God will fill up our churches with people.   This is not what the Great Commission said at all!  God never said that our Churches would be filled with people.    God’s work frequently takes a lifetime.    And sometimes our Churches close because God has other plans.    Even this House Church in Colossae is no more.   In fact,  there is no longer a town.   But what is the legacy or foot-print that has been left by this small congregation?  A wonderful Epistle on living life in Christ and encouragement for life’s journey!  

We need not see our work in spreading the Good News as a failure but as a time living in Christ and doing the best we can do for God.    Worship!  Pray!  Read your Bible!  Serve others and tell them of Christ!  This is what God asks us to do.  What is your legacy?  What is your prayer footprint?

Prayer:  Heavenly Father,  we pray for the Ministers and Elders that they may be lead by Christ to  bring awesome worship to all peoples.  Pray for our neighbours and those who live near the Church that they may become aware of God’s presence in their lives and then thirst for Christ.  This we ask in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

Many blessings!