URC-Style Prayer

This prayer concept is cool just because of the name – the usage of URC is one syllable that sounds like ”irk.”  It was invented by the Youth Group many years ago and named in honor of the church bus.  The big church bus had “University Reformed Church” painted on each side, and URC painted on the front, above the window.  It was affectionately called URC (like “irk”).

The prayer time is simply explained.  Stand in a circle and hold hands.  The leader prays a short prayer and then the next person on the right prays a short prayer immediately after, and so on. Go around two or three or five times depending on size of the group and the maturity of group members.

Holding hands allows you to squeeze the next person’s hand as a sign for them to proceed, when you have no prayer.  If you are doing it with youth group, the next person has to speak or squeeze a hand immediately after the prior person finishes.  Older groups are free to allow longer prayers and longer pauses.

You may want to have people share prayer requests before you start. You may also want to prime the pump with a few Bible verses like one of Paul’s prayers or the Lord’s Prayer. 

 

Worldly Vs Godly Wisdom

James gives two descriptive lists – negative and positive – about earthly versus godly wisdom in Chapter 3, verses 13-18.

First, the very negative aspects of wordly wisdom.  Wisdom without God is strikingly called demonic!

–          Bitter jealousy

–          Selfish ambition

–          Boasting in an untruthful way

–          Earthly

–          Unspiritual

–          Demonic

–          Disorder

–          Every vile practice

Then the honorable, true, lovely list of wisdom that comes down from above:

–          Pure

–          Peaceable

–          Gentle

–          Open to reason

–          Full of mercy

–          Full of good fruits

–          Impartial

–          Sincere

–          A harvest of righteousness, sown in peace

Cool Number Dates 6/16/13 – 6/22/13

Wednesday this week (6/19/13) is a Minus Subtract Day:  19 minus 6 equals 13.

Thursday (6/20/13) is this month’s Half-back Day:  Move up 14 from 6, then come half way (7) back to 13.  See the May 19th post for the definition and history of half-back days.  Tune in next Sunday for instructions on how to calculate the day of the month that will act like a half-back.

Chicken and the Road

Why did the chicken cross the road?

To get to the other side.

 

Why did the chicken cross the playground?

To get to the other slide.

 

Why did the chicken really cross the road?

To show the possum it could be done.

 

Why did the turtle cross the road?

To get to the shell station.

 

Why did the Punk Rocker cross the road?

He had stapled himself to the chicken.

 

Why did the chicken cross the road half-way?

She wanted to lay it on the line.

 

MSU Flagman

I worked traffic detail during football and basketball games for the Michigan State University public safety department while an undergrad.  I had the BEST job for football games as a flagman.

There were two railroad tracks between the main parking lot and the football stadium, and the buses had to cross both.  The law says that a bus has to stop at the train tracks unless there’s a flagman watching for trains. 

I developed an art form waving that red pennant on a pole with a flourish, a dance, and a smile. By the third or fourth game, I was a fan favorite. Since the busses did not start until 11 or 12 and we were paid beginning at 9, I would show up early, read a book, do my homework, eat a snack and jump up in time to wave all the fans to the game. 

Once the riders were delivered, we could walk over to the stadium and get in for free to watch the second and third quarters.  Finish the afternoon back at my post and wave the returning Sparty supporters back to their cars.  And the finest meal of the week in the dorms was the hamburgers on soft buns after every home football game.  Hunger enhances any meal. 

Of course, times have changed.  The university and the state decided that those railroad tracks were a public safety hazard because trains could block them for twenty or thirty minutes and prevent ambulances from getting onto and off campus.  SO, they built lovely bridges for the trains, and the road now goes under the tracks. The bridges are nice and all, and the area is hailed as a beautiful entrance to campus, but they don’t need a flagman anymore.

 

Earth, Moon, and Sun

It is mind-boggling to consider that the universe is still expanding after 16 billion years.  What is it expanding into?  And there are more stars in the universe than grains of sand on the earth. We are talking gi-nourmous size, distance, and time measurements.

On a much smaller but still staggering scale it is astounding to see God’s design in the relative locations of the earth, moon, and sun.  The sun is 400 times bigger than the moon, and it is 400 times further away from the earth.  This makes them look the same size in the sky even though the sun is much bigger.  AND it allows for a total solar eclipse.

Einstein’s theory of relativity included a prediction that the gravity of an object can bend light (and space).  The problem of proving the theory was that the results of the bending were too small to measure on earth.  Early last century scientists used a total solar eclipse to prove that the sun’s gravity bent the light coming from a distant star.  Imagine the grand scale of this experiment.  They knew the exact position where certain stars should be at a particular time.  When the sun was eclipsed by the moon, the light from the further star could be seen; it was observed to be where Einstein said it would be, not where the scientists agreed it should be.

The moon is moving slowly away from the earth, affecting the distance/size ration needed for a total solar eclipse.  Don’t worry; total eclipses won’t stop for 500 million years or so.  But it is significant that 100 years ago, when scientists needed one, a total solar eclipse was available.  Without God as the grand designer, the odds against men on earth being able to detect (bent) light from a far-away star because the moon could completely block the sun’s rays… are astronomical.

Confession and Prayer

This prayer activity is suited for a mature group of believers.  We used it at our Executive Committee meeting last week.

 God is omniscient.  He knows what we need before we even ask.  He knows our prayers before we do. So why do we need to pray?

  1. He tells us to.
  2. We show our dependence on Him
  3. He promises to give us what we ask if we abide in Him  (Read John 15.7)
  4. Entering into earnest prayer helps us appreciate Jesus more.

 Jesus has fully paid for all my sins with His precious blood (Heidelberg Catechism Answer #1).  Why should we ask God’s forgiveness for something already forgiven?

  1. He tells us to.
  2. We show our dependence on Him
  3. He promises to forgive if we ask Him to  (Read 1 John 1.9)
  4. Recognizing our multitude of sins helps us appreciate Jesus more (Read Luke 7.36-50)
  5. The prayer of a righteous man has great power as it is working (Read James 5.16)

 1 John 1.8-10

“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” 

 After reading the passages briefly discuss how prayer and confession are similar.  Then spend a couple of minutes in each of these areas:

 Prayer Tonight

–          Praise and Thanksgiving

–          Confess Sin

–          Agenda Items

–          Congregational issues

 

Counseling Insight

A man was confiding in his counselor, “I don’t know what to make of my dreams.  One night I dream I am a teepee, the next night I am a wigwam.  Every other night – teepee, wigwam, teepee, wigwam.  What is going on, doc?”

The counselor says, “I see your problem.  You’re too tense.”

Ascend, Stand, and Be Blessed

Psalm 24 was written by David, possibly as the nation was celebrating bringing the ark of the LORD into Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 6.  Two similar questions are asked about the hoped-for character of the people:

      “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?

            And who shall stand in his holy place?” 

(Psalm 24.3)

The answer – four desirable qualities in verse 3 and one in verse 6:

–          He who has clean hands

–          He who has a pure heart

–          He who does not lift up his soul to what is false

–          He who does not swear deceitfully

–          He who seeks the face of the God of Jacob

Not only will such a person be able to ascend the hill and stand in the holy place, but verse 5 says

“He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”