Tag: Church

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Knotholes

Daily Reading

Hebrews 7-10

Daily Thought

Brubaker is a crazy, brilliant, amazing guy I served with in youth ministry. Whenever Bru meets you, he spells your name backward in his head, just to see if it does something interesting. He’s fun like that, so when we put him in charge of introducing first-time visitors to the youth group, we never knew what was going to happen. One week he handed out a piece of paper and scissors to each new person. He instructed them to cut a hole in the paper, hold the paper up to their face and peer through it. “You are looking through a knothole,” Bru explained, “because we are glad each of you are here, and we consider ourselves not whole without you.”

I cringe at the pun, but admire the point, and still remember it. We often choose to come to church because we love God or it’s the right thing to do or it will be good for us or we enjoy seeing others or something like that. But Bru reminded each of us of a very important truth. When you’re not here, you may lose out, but so does everyone. You are robbing others of something very important. You are robbing us of you. We are not whole without you.

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ~Hebrews 10:24-25

Daily Prayer

My God, the only God, God of all things, there is no question that You are worthy of my worship and trust. I place my life in Your hands. You are my Lord and Savior, and all that I am, all that I do, I give to You.

You have changed my life, and have placed me into a community of others that You have touched as well. May we grow close, learning to love unselfishly, sacrificially, like You, and may our love escape the walls of our church buildings and flood into the streets and neighborhoods of our towns and cities.

Amen

Daily Question

What does your presence add to the church you attend?

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Knotholes

Daily Reading

Hebrews 7-10

Daily Thought

Brubaker is a crazy, brilliant, amazing guy I served with in youth ministry. Whenever Bru meets you, he spells your name backward in his head, just to see if it does something interesting. He’s fun like that, so when we put him in charge of introducing first-time visitors to the youth group, we never knew what was going to happen. One week he handed out a piece of paper and scissors to each new person. He instructed them to cut a hole in the paper, hold the paper up to their face and peer through it. “You are looking through a knothole,” Bru explained, “because we are glad each of you are here, and we consider ourselves not whole without you.”

I cringe at the pun, but admire the point and still remember it. We often choose to come to church because we love God or it’s the right thing to do or it will be good for us or we enjoy seeing others or something like that. But Bru reminded each of us of a very important truth. When you’re not here, you may lose out, but so does everyone. You are robbing others of something very important. You are robbing us of you. We are not whole without you.

“Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” ~Hebrews 10:24-25

Daily Prayer

My God, the only God, God of all things, there is no question that You are worthy of my worship and trust. I place my life in Your hands. You are my Lord and Savior, and all that I am, all that I do, I give to You.

You have changed my life, and have placed me into a community of others that You have touched as well. May we grow close, learning to love unselfishly, sacrificially, like You, and may our love escape the walls of our church buildings and flood into the streets and neighborhoods of our towns and cities.

Amen

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The Performance

Daily Reading

Ezekiel 31-33

Daily Thought

“If the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned…” (Ezekiel 33:6); Ezekiel was that watchman for the house of Israel, with the duty to speak what God has spoken. The people have the duty to hear and act. “And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain” (Ezekiel 33:31). 

It was Rickey’s first time in Big Church. He watched everything his dad did and copied him. When Dad stood, he stood. When Dad sang, he sang. When Dad put a bill in the offering, he put in the quarter he’d brought from his bank. When Dad opened the Bible, he pulled his out of his pocket. 

The service ended, at last, and now for the weekly review on the drive home in the family van. “Sermon was pretty good today. Got lost in the middle.” “Music was okay, except for the last song. That was bad.” “I liked the solo.”

“All in all,” chimed in Rickey, “you gotta admit, Dad, it was a pretty good show for a dollar.” He’d watched everything. 

“You are very entertaining to them, like someone who sings love songs with a beautiful voice or plays fine music on an instrument. They hear what you say, but they don’t act on it!” ~Ezekiel 33:32

The church is to gather on Sundays, not an audience, but actors prepared to give a grand offering of worship and willingness.

Daily Prayer

Heavenly Father, everyday You give me a gift. A new day. May I open it each morning with anticipation, use it with joy, and thank You when I lay down at the end. May my life be a wonderful offering to You.

I pray that Sundays will not be a day of worship, but the celebration of 7 days of worship

Amen

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Sunday Church

Daily Reading

Psalm 120-132

Daily Thought

The fifteen Psalms beginning with Psalm 120 are each called “A Song of Ascents.” Probably (we don’t know for sure) sung by the Hebrews as they pilgrimed to Jerusalem three times a year for the great feasts, the gatherings of God’s people, these psalms are short, mostly cheerful, always hopeful—except the first, Psalm 120. It is short, but begins with distress, ends with war, and is filled with deceit. A low, all-too-real beginning, followed by a steady climb upward: “When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy” (Psalm 126:1-2).

The Sunday gathering of God’s people is our high point, and otherworldly; in a sense, the city of God rising above the city of man. “You are the light of the world,” said Jesus. “A city set on a hill cannot be hidden” (Matthew 5:14). Nowadays, we call it Sunday church, but really it is the church going “up” and gathering in one place because the church is us, and would it be so wrong to sing on the way there?

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go to the house of the Lord!” ~Psalm 122:1

Daily Prayer

To You, O God, I lift my heart in praise. Out of chaos, You created a life overflowing with peace and hope and love. You did it once in the beginning of the world, You did it again at the cross and the empty tomb. You give me life everlasting, an eternity which has already begun. I am a citizen of Your Kingdom today and forever. My heart is glad and I will sing Your praises so all may hear of so great a salvation.

May I never be shy about it!

Amen