Tuesday Morning Prayer

For several years, the Consistory (Elders and Deacons) at our church have led a half-hour 7 AM Tuesday morning prayer service at the church.   We will cancel when Holidays are on a Tuesday, and last week for the first time we invoked our long-standing policy that the prayer time is cancelled if the East Lansing schools have a Snow Day.

Leaders volunteer for a month at a time.  The leader generally selects a Bible passage and prepares a prayer “agenda” of topics based on the passage and on current events.  He arrives a little early to arrange the chairs in a circle, set out Bibles and be the time keeper for starting and stopping the service.  The size varies from 3-15, with some summer seasonal attendees. 

The Bible passage is often from Psalms, a major prophet or one of Paul’s prayers.  Different agenda orders come from the passage itself or are suggested by a “style” like ACTS (Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication).

One of the best things about Tuesday morning prayer has been its consistency – week in and week out, giving the Lord the glory He is due, and lifting up issues and concerns of the week.

Isaiah’s Vision

Isaiah chapter 6 is jam-packed with revelation.

First, there is fear and awe.  Isaiah has seen the glorious God of the universe sitting on his throne; he has seen towering flying creatures and heard them proclaim the holiness of God, he has felt everything shake due to a powerful voice, and smelled the incense smoke that filled the building. No wonder he proclaims in verse 5, “Woe is me! For I am lost.”

Second, there is good news of God’s grace.  For all the awesome sensations Isaiah has absorbed, his main concern is that “I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people with unclean lips.” He knows he cannot stand in the presence of a HOLY God. But a solution is provided – a burning coal (from the sacrifice on the altar) is touched to his lips, causing his guilt to be taken away and his sin atoned for.

Third, there is a mission to be accomplished.  Isaiah will be used as God’s messenger to his people. The rest of this long book contains the communications God provides to His people through His prophet.  The central message is what Isaiah has experienced and witnessed: God is so much more glorious than we can imagine; our sin makes us completely unworthy to be in His presence; and God’s grace is the only means by which our sins may be removed.  

In addition, verses 9-13 give Isaiah instructions to tell the message even though most will not believe it or even understand it.  The outcome of this unbelief will be punishment.  But there is hope – a “holy seed” of remaining believers will continue to glorify God and pass on what they know.

Cool Number Dates – 1/12/14-1/18/14

This week has four different types of cool dates, on three different days! Since there were none last week, one thinks maybe cool days are not evenly distributed across weeks.

Monday, 1/13/14.  Addition Day.  1 + 13 = 14

Tuesday, 1/14/14.  This can be viewed as a Multiplication day ( 1 * 14 = 14)  or as a Reverse Division Day (14 / 1 = 14)

Wednesday, 1/15/14.  This is a Minus Subtract Day.  (1 – 15 = -14)

Punny T-shirt Humor

More humor on t-shirts.  See 12/21/13 for other examples.

 Her bootlegging was illegal, but I loved her still.

 Never play cards in the Serengeti.  There are too many cheetahs.

 I regret not developing my photographic memory.

 Ancient orators tended to Babylon

 Dishonest golfers don’t play the fairway.

 That cheese doesn’t belong to you.  It’s nacho cheese.

 Seven days without a pun make one weak.

 

Best Is Yet To Come

Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners remind me of the pastor’s retelling of the visit he made to a frail old member of his congregation as she lay dying in her hospice bed.  He was asking her about any last requests or funeral arrangement preferences.

“Just one thing, pastor.  Make sure there is a fork in my hand when I’m lying in the casket”

“Huh?  Whatever for?”

“Well every time the plates are cleared from our family dinners, someone would tell us to hold onto our forks, because the best was yet to come.  I am looking forward to the best after this life.”

 

God-Like Advice

God is angry with the Israelites in Isaiah chapter 1.  In verse 15, He says through the prophet, “When you spread out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers, I will not listen; your hands are full of blood.”  Here is what he tells them to do in verses 16-17:

  • Wash yourselves
  • Make yourselves clean
  • Remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes
  • Cease to do evil
  • Learn to do good
  • Seek justice
  • Correct oppression
  • Bring justice to the fatherless
  • Plead the widow’s cause

Sounds like good advice for individuals, churches, and governments.

My Feet

A three-year old put his shoes on by himself. His mother noticed the left was on the right foot. She said, “Son, your shoes are on the wrong feet.”
He looked up at her with a raised brow and said, “Don’t kid me, Mom. I KNOW they’re my feet.”

Amazing Grace

This is one of the most honored gospel message songs ever.  The first four verses were penned by former slaver John Newton in 1779, and the last verse was added later.

 

Amazing grace! – how sweet the sound – that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see.

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

Thro’ many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come; ‘tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me, his Word my hope secures; he will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’ve first begun.

 

In the first verse, the wretch realizes his need for a savior and defines the saving transformation in two ways: was lost but now am found; was blind but now I see.  

The whole notion of the song is that I cannot do anything to save myself.  The grace of God, the Lord, and His Word do all the actions: saved, taught, relieved fears, brought me safely this far, will lead me to heaven, promised good, secures hope. 

The only thing we do is sing God’s praises forever.

Amen.