Another Prayer Variation

Our five-person family bible study has had a traditional pray-at-the-end-of-the-study pattern where each person shares requests and then another participant prays those supplications.  Sometimes we all share then take turns praying; sometimes prayer is offered after each request.

At a recent meeting we switched the order a bit, inspired by Tim’s suggestion at a recent Leadership class at church.  The first person prayed their requests – no sharing with the others, just lifting them up to the LORD.  The next person prayed their requests plus whatever the first person prayed.  The other three followed suit – pray for yourself and the person before you.  And the first person prayed for the last, then closed.

This was a nice, straightforward option for covering the requests in a new way. And everyone prayed for the pregnant lady, so evidently there was no rule against praying for more than yourself and your predecessor!

Do Unto Others…

After receiving a notice of overdraft from her bank, the woman called up and said indignantly, “How much money did I have in your bank last month?”

The bank employee said, “Seven hundred dollars.”

“Did I send YOU a letter?”

Gifts For David

God makes a covenant with David in 2 Samuel 7.8-16. God first recounts what he has already done for this man:

– I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel.

– I have been with you wherever you went

– I have cut off all your enemies before you

Somewhat like the covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12, God makes promises to David that He will keep:

– I will make for you a great name

– I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them so they will be disturbed no more and violent men shall afflict them no more

– I will give you rest from all your enemies

– I will make you a house (a ruling dynasty)

– I will raise up your offspring after you, and I will establish his kingdom

– I will be to him a father and he shall be to me a son

– I will discipline him when he commits iniquity but my steadfast love will not depart from him

– I will establish your house, kingdom, and throne forever.

The book of Hebrews (vs 1.5) applies part of these promises (the father and son part) to Jesus, because the Christ inherits David’s role as the representative of the people.

 

Righteous Rules In Action

In last Friday’s blog we looked at Moses’ proclamation in Deuteronomy 4.8, “And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?”

I was amazed to see this truth in action as many members of our church Consistory (elders and deacons) attended the denominational Classis meeting last week.  The particular commandment area we saw was love – love God, love your neighbor, and speak the truth in love.

Our church is moving through the steps of leaving our current denomination.  I confess that our committee leading the process has often worked itself up in anger at the documents we would read about church politics, practices, and statements. Some of us attended a very contentious General Synod meeting in 2012 and prickly Classis meetings the last couple of years. The atmosphere and process were way different Tuesday night as a different church in our Classis had moved ahead of us and reached the stage where a vote was held on whether to allow them to leave.

The other church had set the tone with a well-written petition, telling the differences they have with the denomination, but concentrating on the Book of Church Order phrase “for the good of the kingdom.” The Classis committee that reviewed their petition reciprocated – they appreciated the concerns, expressed their disagreement, but spoke well of the Peace people and process.

There were three settings where I saw and felt the blessings of God’s righteous statutes:

1. Table discussions. This was a good idea to let delegates discuss issues in small groups.  At my table, my preparations paid off when the fellow on my left asked “what are the issues?”  Other delegates did not all agree with my interpretation but we reached an understanding of each position.

2. The parliamentary process discussion was more than collegial; there were wisdom statements about the appropriate way for the Classis group to proceed.  Several people had clearly been thinking and praying about what to say.

3. The votes were astounding – first to eliminate any requirement of a large payment by the church to the Classis, and then to allow them to leave with their building.

The patient approach of the other church was marvelous – striving to be clear, striving not to offend, humbly appealing to the established denominational rules.  It could have been a powder keg, but love and peace reigned.

And, as a bonus, our van stopped at Culvers afterwards for milk shakes.

Mathy Humor

I had to break up with Math.  Too many problems.

Sir Cumference – the roundest of King Arthur’s Knights

Another day with no plans to use calculus

What’s your sine?  Must be π/2 because you’re the one.

Righteous Rules

The book of Deuteronomy is Moses’ farewell speech to the Israelites just before he is taken to heaven and the nation proceeds across the Jordan, into the Promised Land.  He reminds them how forty years prior their parents’ fear of the Canaanites was greater than their trust in God, causing them to sojourn in the wilderness these past four decades.

Moses begins chapter 4 with a strong call to obedience to the ‘statutes and rules’ he is about to repeat.  At the end of his sermon (Chapter 28) he emphasizes the blessings of obedience and the opposite curses of disobedience in relation to the law.

Besides giving a command to obey, he gives reasons for trusting the laws, in verses 5-8: “See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.  Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him?  And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?” 

The laws are wise, laying out God’s heart for his people to keep the two great commands – to love their God and to love their neighbor. 

And Moses goes on in verses 9-14 to remind the people HOW the statutes and rules, particularly the Ten Commandments, w ere communicated.  The people had been gathered to the base of Mount Horeb.  They saw that “the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom.”  They heard the sound as “the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire.” God “wrote them (Ten Commandments) on two tables of stone.”

The rules themselves are good, they were presented miraculously, you will be blessed if you obey and cursed if you disobey.  Sounds like a no-brainer.  But, the Israelites were just like us – their hearts were prone to wander, their necks were stiff, and they repeatedly disobeyed.