School Prayer Walk

Tomorrow, 9/25/13, the fourth Wednesday in September, has been designated since 1990 as national See You At the Pole (SYATP) day.  Students gather before school around the building’s flag pole to pray.  Youth Group members might want to attend not only to pray, but to identify other believers and be identified as Christians.

At URC we often had students attending seven or eight high schools in the Lansing area.  Our youth group leadership team would do prayer walks around the schools, particularly praying for spiritual revival and students coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.  We always went in the evening during our leadership meetings.  If we had had a more evangelistic bent and more than a few at a school, we might have been there during school hours, hoping to attract attention and questions.  Part of the explanatory answer would be asking what we could pray for the inquirer.

 

We were not marching or blowing horns like the Israelites at Jericho – we did not want the walls to fall down!  But asking God to work where there might be resistance is a tradition stretching back to Acts 4.29-30.  We wanted to pray for blessing, protection, and the Holy Spirit’s work in the school and for boldness in the Christian students there.

 

 

Remembered

Psalm 111.4  “He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered”

What wondrous works, you say?  Think Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, sunset on a clear day, waves lapping on shore, and your favorite other natural marvel.

Think of Old Testament wondrous works that the psalmist would be aware of: Creation, the Flood, calling Abram the nomad, Joseph and his multi-colored coat saving the family, the plagues in Egypt, Joshua and the battle of Jericho, David and Goliath, Solomon’s wisdom, Elijah defeating the priests of Baal, Daniel saved in the Lions’ Den, Isaiah prophecies pointing to the coming Messiah.

Jesus’ New Testament works are often told and well-remembered: healing, teaching, proclaiming the good news, calling people to repent and believe, willing death on a cross, glorious resurrection.

The natural marvels are recorded around the globe for us to see.  The events, even from ancient times, are documented in the Bible, the living word of God.  The attestations to the veracity and authenticity of this ancient book are unsurpassed, so that the Bible itself is one of God’s miracles.  God’s self-revelation is a marvelous creation which has survived these many millennia precisely because God wanted his wondrous works to be remembered.

More Geometry

What do you can an angle which is adorable?

                                                                                                Acute angle

 

What do you use to tie up a package?

                                                                                                A Chord

 

What do you call a fierce beast?

                                                                                                A Line

 

What do you call more than one L?

                                                                                                A Parallel

 

What do you call people who are in favor of tractors?

                                                                                                Protractors

 

What should you do when it rains?

                                                                                                Coincide

 

See the 9/7/13 post for prior Geometry puns.

Pray Quickly

You don’t have to pray just at the beginning and end of meetings.  Nehemiah, the praying systems analyst, gives an example of praying continually, in chapter 2 of his book.  He lived in the capital city of Susa, and made a plan for the rebuilding of far-away Jerusalem.  He had been pleading with God that his proposal would find favor in the sight of the king.  Now Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king.

One day the king engaged Nehemiah in conversation and asked a very pointed “What are you requesting?”  Nehemiah had rehearsed his response but still paused in verse 4: So I prayed to the God of heaven. 

We don’t know what he prayed, but we know it was short, probably less than five seconds.  He might have said, “LORD, bless me,” or “Please give me the words,” or “Remember my prayer,” or “Lord, have mercy.”  We also know it was effective, since the king did grant Nehemiah’s request, once he heard the plan.

So, a group prayer activity at the beginning of the meeting would be to list some options for mini-prayer phrases that would be suitable for upcoming agenda items.  Pray the short requests together at the beginning, but then remind each other to use them throughout the meeting.  Say them aloud or in silence, remembering that God IS with you! Say the quick prayers many times during the meeting.

As a reminder, you could have the list in the center of the table, or pray when a new agenda item comes up, or bring a chiming grandfather clock (or an app on a smart phone) to the meeting so you can pray whenever the hour rings! 

My Conversion Testimony

The short form:  I grew up in St Louis, Missouri; came to Michigan State University as a freshman in 1969; met Tom Stark, the first pastor of University Reformed Church; met the Lord; met my wife; and stayed.

 

The longer form begins back in Webster Groves, Missouri, where my siblings and I became Presbyterians after our Mom broke her ankle.  We had been attending the Baptist church, but it was too far away; we could walk to the South Webster Presbyterian Church.  I felt like I knew all the Bible stories but never heard about the possibility of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  On the plus side, South Webster did have a very active Boy Scout troop and a strong men’s fast pitch softball team.

I felt on top of the world in the summer before college – I was going to run on the MSU  track team; I was going to be a Math Professor; and I had a girlfriend.  All these fell apart by the end of October.  My girlfriend announced she had been dating another guy for the whole time we had been dating, and she had made a decision that the other dude would be better for her. Heart break!  I tore a hamstring while hurdling.  Body Break!  I took too many courses, did not have time to master them, and got less than stellar grades. Mind Break!

I found a church to attend through Dave Cushman, a fellow on my floor in Hubbard Hall.  Dave left a lasting impression one night while he was brushing his teeth before dinner.  Not sure why he brushed before dinner, but he asked me, “Do you think man is basically good or basically evil?” just before he applied the paste. I pondered this question that made no sense to me – I was thinking, what does good and evil have to do with math and sports? – And I chose “Good”.  Dave bolted from the bathroom, mouth all a-lather, and let me know I was wrong, and if you just look around you, you can see it!

Dave introduced me to Tom Stark, who kept inviting me to Bible studies and special activities.  I did not know a soul when I arrived on campus and was very glad for a kind group to hang out with.  I learned some of the basics of Christianity and read a couple of books.

Sometime during Spring term 1970, which ran from April to mid-June, I was reading our group book entitled Runaway World, by Michael Green.  The book was an earlier version of The Case For Christ, addressing common questions about and hindrances to believing in Jesus.  The topic that caught my attention that day was “Christians are Wimps.”  I realized that was an obstacle for me – how could a tough guy who loved Clint Eastwood movies and playing hard-nosed defensive basketball become a Christian?

The book described the first disciples, who were rugged, impulsive, and courageous.  Almost all of them ended up dying for what they believed. I realized Christians did not have to be wimps, got down on my knees in my dorm room, and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.

My future wife was living in the same dorm.  She recalls meeting me during that freshman year, but my memory starts as a sophomore.   We started dating and attending the church college group, and were married at the beginning of our senior year at MSU.  We tried to move away at least once but the Lord brought us back, and we have lived in the Lansing area and been members of URC ever since college days.

True Story?

It was late at night and Heidi, who was expecting her second child, was home alone with her 3-year old daughter Katelyn. When Heidi started going into labor, she called “911”.

Due to a power outage at the time, only one paramedic responded to the call. The house was very, very dark, so the paramedic asked Katelyn to hold a flashlight high over her mommy so he could see while he helped deliver the baby.

Very diligently, Katelyn did as she was asked. Heidi pushed and pushed, and after a little while Connor was born. The paramedic lifted him by his little feet and spanked him on his bottom. Connor began to cry. The paramedic then thanked Katelyn for her help and asked the wide-eyed 3-year old what she thought about what she had just witnessed.

Katelyn quickly responded, “He shouldn’t have crawled in there in the first place. Spank him again”

Continue To Follow

In 2 Timothy 3.10-15, Paul contrasts his character with the wolves in sheep’s clothing he described in the earlier part of chapter 3.  See yesterday’s post for a list of the wolf’s appalling actions. 

Paul uses himself as one of several cornerstones for Timothy: there are other trustworthy men who have taught him; Timothy knows to continue in the scriptures; and there is an implied connection to Jesus, as Paul has modeled his ministry on Christ. Paul’s list of visible characteristics for Timothy to follow include his

–          Teaching

–          Conduct

–          Aim in life

–          Faith

–          Patience

–          Love

–          Steadfastness

–          Persecutions (!) (see verse 12: “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”)

Notice that HOLY Lists are not completely pleasant, but all things on this list are redeemed.

Avoid Such People

Paul presents a blistering list of the characteristics of man’s wicked nature in 2 Timothy 3.2-9.  Why show such an awful compilation in the HOLY Lists category?  There are two reasons:

First, the good news of Jesus Christ is announced as “Repent and Believe.” Turn away from immoral behavior and attitudes as well as turn toward Christ.   To be saved, a sinner must recognize the NEED for salvation.

Second, Paul follows up the offensive itemization with a list of better behavior; we will look at that Holy List tomorrow.

The following is a LONG list; be ready because the second part says what such people DO.  People will be:

–          Lovers of self

–          Lovers of money

–          Proud

–          Arrogant

–          Abusive

–          Disobedient to their parents

–          Ungrateful

–          Unholy

–          Heartless

–          Unappeasable

–          Slanderous

–          Without self-control

–          Brutal

–          Not loving good

–          Treacherous

–          Reckless

–          Swollen with conceit

–          Lovers of pleasure rather  than lovers of God

–          Having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power

Paul says succinctly, “Avoid such people.”  Especially beware of those who are wolves in sheep’s clothing, pretending to be believers, because they will:

–          Creep into households

–          Capture weak women, burdened with sin and led astray by various passions

–          Be always learning and never able to see the truth

–          Oppose the truth

–          Be corrupted in mind

–          Be disqualified regarding the faith

Look for a brighter list tomorrow.