SWS: A Prayer for Everyday

The following prayer is by St. Basil the Great. I expect the prayer was originally written in Greek. I found it in a book that had translated it into Jacobean English (i.e., like the King James Bible). I have updated the language a bit. This is a good prayer for everyday living. I hope you will find it Something Worth Sharing. ♥cap

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Eternal God, maker of all creation, endless source of loving-kindness, let now the light of your countenance rise upon us! Shine into our hearts, O true sun of righteousness, and fill our souls with your beauty. Direct according to your will the work of our hands, and lead us in the right way to do that which is pleasing in your sight; so that through us, unworthy though we be, your holy name may be glorified, to whom be praise, honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
—St. Basil (330-379)

SWS: Celtic Prayer for Inner Peace

Dearly Beloved,
I came across this Celtic prayer recently and thought it was Something Worth Sharing. You might want to print this one out and keep a copy at your bedside, in your purse/wallet, on your desk, etc. It is a prayer that all of us need! ♥cap

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Lord, help me to relax. Take from me the tension that makes peace impossible. Take from me the fears that do not allow me to venture. Take from me the worries that blind my sight. Take from me the distress that hides Your joy. Help me to know that I am with You, that I am in Your care, that I am in Your love, that You and I are one. Amen.

On Solitude

I about fell out of my chair when I read this one!
See what you think! ♥cap

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Solitude is often the hardest discipline, because none of us wants to be with someone we don't love, namely ourselves.
—Jim Warner

April Newsletter: "Getting in Tune" OR "We are like Banjos"

Dear Friends,
Below is my "Pastor's Column" from the April 2011 Monroe City & Mt. Vernon United Methodist Church Newsletter. Because I received several positive comments about my column, I thought I should share it with others who aren't on our mailing list.
Blessings,
Clayton

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From Your Pastor…
There’s an old joke that goes: “banjo players spend 50% of their lives tuning their banjos, and the other 50% playing out of tune!” ☺ That may be a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. Of all the instruments I’ve played in my life (and with my background in Music Education, I’ve tried my hand at a lot of different instruments), the banjo requires more tuning and retuning than any other instrument! When I go to play music at Monroe City Manor (or any other place) I start off by tuning up my banjo. After playing one or two songs, the banjo is already out of tune. So I take a few moments, adjust the knobs and get her back in tune. And then after a couple of more songs, my banjo has worked its way out of tune again! Sometimes I feel like I’m facing an uphill battle tuning and retuning, over and over again.

Part of my tuning problem is just the nature of the beast. The wood and other materials used to make most banjos are highly sensitive to changes in temperature, humidity, and pressure. All someone has to do is open or close a door, and the whole instrument goes out of tune. Another “problem” is that my ears are quite sensitive to intonation. Some people can play out of tune all day long and it doesn’t seem bother them one bit. That would drive me crazy! But for those moments when my banjo is right in tune, it rings out with such a beautiful, melodious sound—making all of my struggles worth while.

In many ways we humans are like banjos. We easily get “out of tune” with the way God created us to be. We can trace our intonation problems all the way back to Genesis. When God made Adam and Eve, they were perfectly in tune. “God looked over everything he had made; it was so good, so very good!” (Genesis 1:31) God placed Adam and Even in the Garden of Eden, a literal paradise, and set them free to make beautiful music together. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for the first couple to get out of tune. By eating the forbidden fruit, they became out of tune with God and out of tune with each other. The “music” that we hear in Genesis 3 is not very beautiful.

From that day forward human beings have been going in and out of tune, just like a banjo in a room where someone keeps opening and closing the door. When Adam and Eve sinned, their sin entered the human race and spread down through the ages, affecting everyone who has lived ever since. So it is in our very nature to be out of tune. But by God’s grace given to us through Jesus Christ, we can get our lives back in tune with God and one another. We can make beautiful music with our lives, just like God originally intended. We still may find ourselves out of tune, from time to time. The Apostle John wrote, “If we claim that we’re free of sin, we’re only fooling ourselves” (1 John 1:8). When that happens, all we need to do is call upon Jesus Christ who is the “Divine Tuner.” Christ will get us fixed up and back on track according to God’s plan.

Some folks seem content to be out of tune, and remain that way for their entire lives. Maybe they don’t know or don’t care that there is a better way to live. Maybe they aren’t willing to make the time and effort to get back in tune. Are you one of these people? Perhaps you have family, friends, and/or neighbors who fit this category. Now is the time to get our lives back in tune! “Now is the time to listen, the day to be helped,” the Apostle Paul wrote (2 Cor. 6:2).

There are still a little more than 3 weeks left in the Season of Lent. For many people, Lent is a time to draw closer to God and get back “in shape” spiritually. So what a wonderful time to work on getting our lives back in tune. Call on Jesus Christ the Divine Tuner. He’s only a prayer away, and is available any time day or night. Allow the grace of Jesus to work in your life so that you can make beautiful music just as God intended.
Grace and Peace,
Clayton

SWS: Pray For Your Leaders

This being election day, I thought the following statement was Something Worth Sharing. ♥ cap

"If Christ call us to love our neighbor — and even our enemy — how much more so our politicians, whether we agree with them or not."
—Rev. Adam Hamilton
Pastor of United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
Leawood, KS.

Prayer for God's Love and Delight

The following prayer was written by William Angus Knight, a British author and professor who lived from 1836-1916. This prayer was originally written in Jacobean English, so I have updated the language a bit.

O God, who satisfies the desires of the hearts that You have made, and who refreshes those who are weary: our longings praise You, our desires worship You, and our whole natures call aloud for You. Enable us so to rise to You that—having thus risen—we may love all that You love, and care for everyone for whom You care, and for everything that is dear to You. Prepare our hearts, we ask You, to delight in whatsoever is true and beautiful and good, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

—William Angus Knight

Daily Word: Let Go & Let God

The following was the Daily Word devotional for December 30, 2009. What a valuable lesson as we begin another year. May we all "let go and enjoy the adventure."
Blessings,
Clayton

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Let Go, Let God

I let go and let God lead the way.

Winter sports offer an opportunity for fun and adventure. They also illustrate how one might face life's challenges. Observe a group of beginning skiers and their expressions as they ride the lift up the slope. Some may look apprehensive, others excited. Some may be fearful, anticipating a fall. Others are joyous and free, ready to face the slope with confidence.

Which of these two groups of skiers best describes me at this moment? Do I anticipate what might go wrong, or do I greet each situation with expectation of good? Do I let go and let God? On this day, I let go of any fear that may be holding me back. I let go, let God and enjoy the adventure!

You have made me stride freely, and my feet do not slip.--2 Samuel 22:37

Thoughts on Lent

Dear Friends,
Now that the season Lent has begun, I though you might be interested to read my thoughts about Lenten disciplines that I wrote for the March 2009 issue of our church newsletter.
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From Your Pastor…
The season of Lent is here again. Lent is a period of 40 days (plus 6 Sundays) that begins on Ash Wednesday and leads up to Easter Sunday. During this season, the church takes time to remember the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for each of us. It’s important that we take time to remember, because the Resurrection would not have been possible without the Cross. As we remember all that Christ has done, we take time to repent and renew our relationship with God.

One of the ways we can renew our relationship with God is by observing a Lenten discipline. Traditionally a Lenten discipline has been thought in terms of giving up something for Lent. Giving up something we enjoy for 46 days is a powerful lesson in sacrifice and can give us a greater appreciation of all that Christ gave up for us.

Some of the things people often give up for Lent include cigarettes, coffee, chocolate, meat, sugar, etc. Now there’s nothing wrong with giving up any of those things. However, there may be other things we would be better off giving up for Lent, and perhaps for the rest of our lives. In Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit, Rev. David Leininger shares a list he received from another pastor that suggests some interesting options of things to give up. See what you think of his list:


· Give up grumbling! Instead, “In everything give thanks.” Constructive criticism is all right, but “moaning, groaning, and complaining” are not Christian disciplines.

· Give up looking at other people’s worst points. Instead concentrate on their best points. We all have faults. It is a lot easier to have people overlook our shortcomings when we overlook theirs first.

· Give up speaking unkindly. Instead, let your speech be generous and understanding. It costs so little to say something kind and uplifting. Why not check that sharp tongue at the door?

· Give up your hatred of anyone or anything! Instead, learn the discipline of love. “Love covers a multitude of sins.”

· Give up your worries and anxieties! Instead, trust God with them. Anxiety is spending emotional energy on something we can do nothing about: like tomorrow! Live today and let God’s grace be sufficient.

· Give up television one evening a week! Instead, visit some lonely or sick person. There are those who are isolated by illness or age. Why isolate yourself in front of the “tube”? Give someone a precious gift—your time!

· Give up buying anything but essentials for yourself! Instead, give the money to God. The money you would spend on the luxuries could help someone meet basic needs. We are called to be stewards of God’s riches, not consumers

· Give up judging by appearances and by the standard of the world! Instead, learn to give up yourself to God. There is only one who has the right to judge, Jesus Christ. Now aren’t you glad you don’t have to do that anymore?
[from David E. Leininger, Lectionary Tales for the Pulpit Servies VI, Cycle B (Lima, OH: CSS Publishing, 2008), pp.91-92.]


Now, you might not agree with everything Leininger has listed here, but doesn’t this put a different spin on Lenten disciplines? Instead of giving up something rather benign like chocolate, we give up a bad habit like grumbling. That’s not only a sacrifice, but also a step towards living more like Christ.

No matter what you might choose to give up, I invite you to use this Holy season as an opportunity to grow in your Christian faith. Take time to refocus your life on Christ. Allow the Holy Spirit to work in your heart and give you a spiritual tune-up. This Lent can be another way for all of us to make things fine in Two Thousand and Nine!

Grace and Peace,

Clayton