People Xxxxx In Nearly Every Seat

 

LCPC Chapel

People Butts In Nearly Every Seat

Brass resounded, a two-piece timpani reverberated, and the Steinway resonated with our souls in the Chapel, a sanctuary for worship, praise, and reflection. The Altos and Basses, Tenors and Sopranos of the LCPC Cathedral Choir raised the roof and the filled the room with an incense pleasing to the Lord of Glory. It was an Easter Sunday done well.

I walked in a little later than I usually like for a normal Sunday and there were only seats here and there and my ‘usual’ seat was filled. Then I saw an opening and dove in to sit between two of my mentors, youth leaders from back in my days as a teenager finding my way into adulthood. They would later become impassioned supporters of me as a youth advisor myself. Without these two and their cohorts the church would be a shadow of itself and we would do well to cherish them, the time we have with them, their contributions then and now, and provide space and time for them to worship which is commensurate with their importance to the Lord.

A lady came in during one of the hymns looking for a place to sit amongst her friends so I slid out and ushered her in to sit between Bob and Terry then moved back a couple of rows while a woman I couldn’t recognize in her mask gave me the best of recognitions for a simple action, her hand to her heart.

It’s Easter! and meeting people’s hearts is the order of the day as we celebrate the most noble sacrifice of all time. These are lessons I learned from the likes of Teri and Bob, Jim, Glen, Alan, Dean, and my folks – so many beloved saints I can’t write them all in. I still learn from them. When the prayers came and the hymns were sung they stood or sat as they can or prefer. Standing or sitting, their hearts knelt and their eyes were on Jesus, a posture they take every day.

A message was piped in from the Sanctuary and a promise of fulfillment was given, a continuation of God’s Kingdom on earth. He calls our name – we pray and sing and answer the call. An infant was baptized and the rite was piped in.

There were people butts in nearly every seat as it should have been. This is the House of God.

Grab hold of the promise, let your heart kneel, and worship the Lamb of God.

In His grip,

jerry

How Long?

Photo courtesy of my StoryBlocks subscription

How Long?

How long must we wear these chains and mute the songs of our hearts? Songs meant for praise and love and meant to extol the Kingdom of God. Our hearts are breaking for our neighbors and for a broken world consumed by a focus on self.

Turn our heats to you, Lord. Let us go to our knees in humility rather than stomping in protest. Let us cry out for your Kingdom coming. Who can stop it? And who can stop praises from entering your throne room? None. There are none that can do this. Our hearts pour out worship in spirit and truth and we are those you seek and call to yourself.

I heard it in the quiet of Your sanctuary.

I was free not to sing.

I tell you that I found a deep well of untapped love and adoration for our King dammed up for the need to sound out words and notes in precise and harmonic ways. When that need for the mechanics of song was broken by the command not to sing, worship gushed forth and broke chains. The logjam has moved downstream. Lord, let the force of your rushing waters take it down to the ocean and leave me free.

The Lord was good to me, he broke through my reticence and allowed me to move, clap, raise my hands in praise, and punch out emphasis to the prayers and worship during the service. I felt liberated, likely more so than I have in the years since returning to my home church.

I am thankful. It is not too much to ask that the fires to remain hot and that our ardor continue for the King.

In His grip,

jerry

A Believer’s Quarantine Protocol

In our home we are easily five weeks into shelter-at-home as we adopted those initiatives early on so that we could be the safest possible when we went out to Ely, Nevada to help with our daughter’s family during the time she delivered her second child via C-section. I haven’t met friends in person with the exception of blessed happenstance and on provisioning runs in all that time. But I have attended several Zoom meetings with various committees of the church and held an online class for our communicants. I have listened and watched a few online bible studies and worship services. Today was the first live Zoom meeting with a group of believers in order to read scripture, pray, and share. I’ve missed the men of our Wednesday morning gatherings and this was a much-needed time for me; in fact, I’d say it was priceless and won’t go so far as to put a value to it.

Phil opened our time by calling for our traditional third man prayer and a reading of selected segments from the Gospel of John. Then we checked in with each other buy going around the Zoom and briefly talking about how we and our loved ones are fairing with the virus and its widespread impacts. Our central discussion was regarding how and what we, as Christians, need to be doing during this traumatic time. I’ll share some of what I gleaned from our talk in amplified bullet format.

My Believer’s Quarantine Protocol:

U  Remember that God is in control

V  Pray with that foremost in your mind.

V  Look for ways to express His control of things

V  Be wise in how, where, and when to express it – aka – be considerate of others

This one may be the hardest one to live by and project to a world that will shout back at us, “What God would visit covid-19 on people? If He is in control why is this happening?”

Isaiah 41:10 – “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

U  Limit social media, news, and generally negative input and filter everything through a Kingdom Perspective

Colossians 3:1-4 – “¹So if you been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, ³for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.”

U  Connect with your brothers and sisters in the faith

V  Stay in tune with your families

V  Talk it out

V  Be open and genuine with both your faith and your fears

V  Let others help with your burdens

V  Do this in such a way as to be a responsible member of the community and don’t limit Jesus to meeting with us as believers only when we are physically together

Hebrew 10:24-25 – “²⁴And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

U  Stay in touch with your ministry area

V  If you lead, connect with those who you shepherd

V  If you serve under another’s leadership, connect with and pray for the leader

I believe the Hebrews verse above applies here but let’s try a little Ephesians 6:18-19 – “¹⁸Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication for all the saints. ¹⁹Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel…”

U  Stretch – body, mind/soul, and spirit

V  This is how you will increase your talents, don’t burry them and expect that to suffice

V  Reach for something new, it’s likely you have more time for a new field – go for it

V  How and what you exercise with is what will grow and what you will end up doing better at the end of the day

Check out the Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30

U  Worship. Find ways to lift praise and adoration to the Father

V  Find a source online to worship with. So many of the churches are embracing this, find some that work with you

V  Sing out loud God’s praises as you listen to songs on the radio or online

V  Be creative in your worship – take time to be quiet and let your love rise like incense to the Father

V  Be one whom the Father seeks

John 4:21-23 – “²¹Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. ²²You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. ²³But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him.”

U  Pray. It’s part of worship. Intercede on others behalf.

Phil left us this morning with a charge and I’ll extend it you anyone reading – reach out to one of the brothers or sisters that have been on your heart and mind and take action on what the Holy Spirit has placed within you.

In His grip,

jerry

Roll Back the Stone

I sat and listened to scriptures being read while friends were gathered round a campfire in front of the church. It was our Good Friday Vigil and the scriptures were followed by songs, prayers, devotional thoughts, and hope. Most assuredly, hope. A huge stone had been rolled in front of the entryway to the church – in times past one of our high school students would dress as a Roman soldier and stand guard.

I was struck with the certainty that I keep such a rock covering my heart, not to keep Jesus in as they did at his Passover burial chamber, but to keep him out. I don’t want him to know the truth of who and what I am, a sinner and full of hypocrisy. I’ve had my hypocrisy pointed out by a long lost friend recently and I take no consolation that hypocrisy crosses every line and reaches into every pigeon hole of humankind.

The stone even keeps me from truly knowing myself so that I can surrender to God’s Grace completely. The final act of grace was accomplished with Jesus’ sacrifice, the victory over sin and death sealed with his resurrection.  I can only cry out and cry out again, pray and pray again, and knock and knock again, rather - pound and pound again - at the door and beseech him to overcome the rock over my heart.

Lord help me roll away all that blocks me from being true to your word.

He rises!

In His grip,

jerry

Be a Lighthouse

“¹⁴Ye are the light of the world. A city set upon a mountain cannot be hid. ¹⁵Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on the lampstand, and it gives light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens.” Matthew 5:1416 (Jubilee Bible 2000)

I hear about churches in decline and what might work or even what seems to be working to maintain church numbers or perhaps to foster growth. I hear churches and the organizations that bind them talk about being poised and ready for growth. We ask ourselves ‘how do we bring them in?’ and then the burden is laid on the congregations to bring friends to church while the people whose only friends are the church wonder what they can do.

In case you’re wondering here; I don’t have a magic elixir to offer; no program to tout and no new mix of music and liturgy sure to bring them in.

I hear talk of numbers and see pie charts, bar charts, and line charts showing the trends toward zero. We pundits of recent church history provide color commentary on what’s wrong and what could be right while pointing to growth churches and what progressive programs they’ve got going to bring in the sheaves. Christian Analytics: How much do we gain if we do this? Do we get a good return on our investment if we do that? Sports are being driven to analytics to get more for less money, win enough to keep people buying tickets and maybe get deep into the playoffs or luck into a championship. Then sell off the high-priced emerging talent that got them there and start again. As long as fans buy tickets. Don’t fall for it in the church, our Chairman of the Board doesn’t care for that approach. And don’t forget that statistics are wielded by people, each with his or her own point of view.

Yes, I’m aware of the irony of providing commentary in my writing about folks providing color commentary.

I turned a little corner this morning and found myself doing what an elder in the church should be doing – prying for the church to focus on Christ – him resurrected for us as the former, present, and forever King of all Kings. I need to be praying for that and doing it from the heart while going to battle against distractions to His Lordship and against encumbrances to our glorifying Him in our worship and our fellowship, and in our service, programs, and vision for the church.

Doing battle does not mean my standing up with a big sign out front of the church as I rail against the shortcomings of each person as they enter the grounds. I’ll not be riding in on a white horse raising my Bible as a flaming sword. However, I will be immersing myself in God’s Word and finding my way to Calvary to take time to pray, and pray earnestly, that Christ be lifted up first in the heats of believers and thus on display as a beacon to those who seek.

We must not light our lamp only to hide it under a bushel. We light it, put it on a lampstand, and provide light for all in the house (the church). And the church, having her wicks trimmed and lit, provides a light to all around, as a lighthouse. The light will declare, “Here is landfall, a place of safe harbor, beware the rocks and waves as you enter.” Those that are now cast adrift and in trouble on the stormy ocean will be drawn to find rest, a place where their wicks will be dried out, trimmed, and relit.

In His grip,

jerry

Be One Whom He Seeks

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.” John 4: 23 (NIV)

There are times I mourn some for lost spaces, little nooks and crannies where I’ve found a moment or two of solitude for quiet reflection, even talks with others that began in hushed tones and, as often as not, broke out in laughter. There was the small memorial chapel complete with waterfall/fountain that even worked for a season or two that became a storage facility and then was removed.

There was the space with comfy couches arranged around a fireplace that really worked – or works still for all I know but it's become a multipurpose room now. With a fire going we’d gather around and talk about a Bible verse or story or some sort of personal train of thought and our discussions would range from here to there with tangents and such until a game of some kind would break out. Eventually the group would quiet down as the fire calmed to embers. On a New Year’s Eve some of us would nap there until the word went out that it was time to go and freeze our butts on Colorado Avenue for the Rose Parade.

There used to be a library with real books filling the shelves with Bibles, concordances, journals, expanded studies of all the books of the Bible. It's a craft center now. You could go in there and pull down a book on nearly any Christian topic of the day and study. There was always a current (and several earlier renditions as well) Book of Order. Groups could gather there for in-depth discussion and discovery.

Now reading the verse above I have to chastise myself. Solitude can be found anywhere you set your heart to look. Worship can take place along any pathway, in the midst of a shopping mall, on the beach, on the bike (pedal or otherwise), and in the trenches of everyday life. It’s up to me to find my spot, to make it the Lord’s for His purpose.

And there are still spots that can be found on the campus I refer to here if you find the right time and know where to look. The seekers can find them and there is always time for worship. We must leave space in our lives for quiet contemplation and worship, to make/take the time and find the location holy for His purpose. If we do this, worship while our bodies, even our souls, are busy doing other things, then we become the ones whom the Father seeks.

In His grip,

jerry

Stop. It's Time to Pray

Romans 8: 26 “And in the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” NASB

A couple of Sundays ago Ashley, our Director of Children’s Ministries, spoke to the children that had gathered on the chancel stairs. I had a pretty good view from stage left of the chancel as I prepared to follow the children’s time with the prayer of confession. It is Operation Christmas Child time so the church family is busily gathering supplies and gifts to pack what we hope will be well over three hundred boxes for needy children throughout the world. Ashley shared how at the Samaritan’s Purse packing stations while the workers are preparing all of the collected boxes to be shipped to over a hundred countries a voice comes over the loud speaker system saying “Stop. It’s time to pray.” Everyone stops whatever they are doing and prays over the boxes, blessing them with the Spirit, and praying for the recipient to know Christ through the gift and the givers.

That phrase has stuck with me and is my nugget from the service. It has become a touchstone over the last couple of weeks. With my mother-in-law suffering a debilitating stroke and a few days later my sister-in-law was in a freak accident in which suffered a broken pelvis I have much to be in prayer and intercession for with these two who are so near to my heart in such deep need. At work, during my walks, working at home, and even while vegetating in front of the TV the phrase resonates in my mind and I have to quiet myself in some way and pray. Even while gathered with the family in the hospital room with my mother-in-law, one not fully aware while we carry on conversations of every kind, the reverb comes to me, “Stop. It’s time to pray”. And so I do stop and touch each one with a feather of prayer to aid in our vigil; we pray and hope, wait and see.

I found it interesting that in a place with people gathered in an activity inherently good and with a Christly objective that we are also in need of reminders to stop and pray. I think it is another instance of Martha versus Mary, Mary stopped, prayed, and paid attention to the best thing while Martha needed to be reminded to stop her good work and heed to the groaning of the Spirit. We need to be reminded from time to time to give voice to the groanings within us; pause a bit in our labors, in our joys, and in our sorrows, to acknowledge the Spirit within us that intercedes on our behalf.

Of all of the things I have to be thankful for, a list that I cannot do justice to or am deserving of, I am at this moment extremely thankful for the nugget that I picked up, the echo of hope that invades my conscious thought to give me an opportunity to thank God for that list and pray for those that the Spirit has placed on my heart.

Yes, one would be you.

In His grip, jerry