Prayer

Prayer is always important - sometimes it's crucial. Now is a crucial time.

I keep a running prayer sheet of congregational needs, usually runs about a page. Today it's two and a half type pages, which is the highest it's ever been.

We have numerous cancer and other serious medical situations (10+) - a miscarriage and a birth - a short term missionary team to pray for - addiction situations - unemployment - needs for salvation - serious financial problems - marital situations - struggles with worry - serious spiritual issues - and many other needs.

Obviously this is not the format for specifics. Many of you are aware of a few of these situations. Will you covenant with me to pray for them at least daily? We need the Lord's touch.

(The elders and staff would also appreciate your prayer as we reach out to some of these needs.)

I'm confident He will answer, in His time, in His way, both inside and outside our expectations. He is good, and His mercy endures forever.

Blogs Helpful?

Are these blogs helpful to anyone out there? Are they facilitating communication?

Occasionally someone comments or mentions they read one - and I am happy to continue writing about what's on my heart, particularly as it impacts God's kingdom - but also want to use time wisely.

It's raining relatively hard currently - but the sun is also out - reminds me that we often want life to be like that - multiple blessings at once!

Have a great weekend.

Speaking Into Our Lives

Have you ever had anyone speak into your life?

At 16 a visitor to our church thanked me for holding the door open for his family by saying, "It's better to be a doorman at the house of the Lord than to dwell in the tents of iniquity", a quote from the psalms. This statement stuck with me, teaching me the importance of serving in even the smallest ways.

In my 20s' someone compared me to Mr. Spock (highly controlled, nearly emotionless alien from original Star Trek series) - this personal image wrongly stuck with me into my 30's.

In my late 30's I fell away from the Lord and His ministry through pride, but two pastors from Door Creek Church in Madison, WI spoke into my life, assuring me that He would use me again - and so He has.

I have a plaque in my office from the staff and elders of the this church - each wrote words of specific encouragement - this still speaks to me.

Isn't this what the Lord does in our lives? He looks at us and the messes we've made, then calls us His chosen children - saints - beloved (and numerous other strong names) - He promises us that He will never cease working in our lives - He tells us He will never leave us - and, somehow, we change and grow, becoming what He has spoken.

So, have others spoken into your life? Have you heard His voice speaking into you?

Fall Changes at Church

We have some interesting changes coming up this fall at Princeton Evangelical Free Church.

There will be a renewed emphasis on small groups, led by elder couples (and others). Some of these groups will be general & open to everyone, others will have specific "audiences". Emphasis will be on fellowship/friendship, study of the word, prayer and care.

In addition our Sunday Morning Adult Bible Fellowships will become more like Sunday School classes, with topics and teachers changing quarterly. Topics could include: "Experiencing God", "Jesus & the Marketplace", "Parenting", "Growing in the Basics", "Spiritual Formation", "Peacemaking" and others.

Lord willing, this should provide the balance between discipleship and relationship that our church needs.

Would appreciate each of your prayers. As the Lord leads, let me know if you want to become involved as well. Have a great weekend!

Biblical Sexuality & Freedom

Have been studying biblical sexuality for the Family Matters class on Sunday.

One of the interesting contrasts is the incredible amount of sexual freedom in marriage (read Song of Solomon) - and the total lack of sexual freedom outside of marriage.

God is very clear that He set up sexuality for both procreation and recreation - His descriptions in the Song are quite graphic, even provocative - but when we take sex outside of marriage, we offend Him, hurt others and eventually destroy ourselves.

Much like life! Our freedom operates best within obedience (Galatians 5:13), an interesting paradox.

Summer Church Attendance

I welcome each of your feedback on this.

Our attendance drops 20% or so during the summer. It's not the numbers that are important, rather the implication that up to 20% of our body each week misses out on regular teaching, fellowship, prayer and other vital aspects of being the family of God together.

Some people vanish for almost the whole summer. Others are gone a few weeks. Some take a weekend or two.

On one hand I fully appreciate and understand the need for family vacations and events. On the other hand I think about scripture like:

* Hebrews 10:25, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

* Acts 2:42, 44, 46, "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer...All the believers were together...Every day they continued to meet together...."

Do our needs for each other - for support & service, for relationship, for prayer, for meeting with God corporately - take the summer off?

Please allow me to encourage you - join with us this summer as we seek Him together.

Beauty

Have begun expanding my "naturalist" skills outside of birds. Purchased field guides to learn about & identify butterflies and dragonflies - figured I'd stay with the fliers for a year or so:)

This week have been observing and attempting to identify butterflies - and am amazed at the sometimes splashy, sometimes subtle beauty God has given them. He must be very fond of color, of shading, of contrast, of beauty in general. Think about it - He could have created everything in gray scale and made it work - but He works with at least 6 million differentiable colors in His creation.

How have you seen His penchant for beauty?

Have a great weekend.

Confession

* "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9

* "When anyone is guilty in any of these ways, he must confess in what way he has sinned." Leviticus 5:5

* "They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshipping the Lord their God." Nehemiah 9:3

* "Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the Lord" - and you forgave the guilt of my sin." Psalm 32:5

* "To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14

Christians (unfortunately) sin. God has provided relational forgiveness through confession to Him. Yet we so often neglect this, presuming that He will hear and answer our prayers anyway - that He will draw near us in intimate relationship. Or we offer a general confession that doesn't address the real issues.

Think how well this approach would work in our close earthly relationships. No apology, no intimacy.

The tax collector encourages me. He was a real sinner with real guilt & real shame - and received real forgiveness.

Let me encourage you - confess your sins to the Lord - experience His forgiveness, His renewing of your spirit, His intimacy with you.

See you Sunday!