EChurch@Wartburg – 10.27.13

Welcome to a Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg

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Here Is Our Order of Worship

If you are new to EChurch, please click on this link for an explanation​


Northumbria Community Morning Prayer link

Lord, take this song
and fill it with Your presence.
Let it bring a word of hope
to weary care-full hearts.
Take this song
and fill it, Lord.
Fill it with Yourself.

Lord, take my life
and fill it with Your praises.
Let me speak a word of peace
that Jesus brings in me.
Take this life
and fill it, Lord.
Fill it with Yourself.

Lord, take this place
and fill it
with Your blessing.
Let it be a haven
where the
poor in spirit
sing.
Take this place
and fill it, Lord.
Fill it with Your praise.
Amen


A Prayer of Benedict link

Gracious and Holy Father,
Please give me:
intellect to understand you,
reason to discern you,
diligence to seek you,
wisdom to find you,
a spirit to know you,
a heart to meditate upon you,
ears to hear you,
eyes to to see you,
a tongue to proclaim you,
a way of life pleasing to you,
patience to wait for you
and perseverance to look for you.

Grant me a perfect end,
your holy presence,
a blessed resurrection
and life everlasting.
Amen.

Scripture Reading: Hebrews 13:20-21a (Bible Gateway)

Now (may) the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, equip you in every good thing to do His will


Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals link

God, give us discomfort at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that instead we may live deep within our hearts.
Grant us anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of -people,
so that we may wish for justice, freedom, and peace.
Bless us with enough foolishness to believe that we can make a difference in this world,
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.
Amen.


A Dangerous Prayer link

Father
There are too many people who don’t have enough to eat,
a place to live, clothes to wear, or people to love them.
Would you bring one to mind right now, or across my path today,
so you can love them through me?
Amen.

Comments

EChurch@Wartburg – 10.27.13 — 12 Comments

  1. Wonderful sermon on the Peace of God and the transformation of lives, Wade! Thank you. I’m hoping someday I’ll be able to understand to some degree how a Father could sacrifice His Son for any reason. Maybe we’re not supposed to comprehend that spiritual truth this side of heaven.

    BTW, I’m always amazed at your retention of history details!

    Deb, I probably shouldn’t attend church at night, because “Give Me Jesus” won’t stop playing over and over in my mind! Great hymns; thank you.

  2. That was a very interesting sermon. I have to admit, the descriptions of Cheyenne people as “savages” made me extremely uncomfortable. But, when Wade went on to use that same descriptor for the American colonists, I was quite relieved. To me, patriotism, nationalism, and any other exclusive system were all demolished by the Cross of Christ. I’ve never understood how people think Jesus cheers on American soldiers as they kill “terrorists” or an “axis of evil”. It is miraculous that God saved those Cheyenne prisoners according to His sovereignty. I’m sure that happened despite human intervention, and not as a result of it. The government’s request to duplicate the miraculous is what I would also call a “cultural genocide”. Only a Holy Spirit transformation of the heart changes a culture, and it seems proud and arrogant to think any culture is more “Christian” than any other. I’ve also read horror stories of abuse happening in those assimilation schools. I say that, not as a “liberal secularist” but as a human being aware of how biased all of history can be reported. I prefer to see the approach Jim Elliot and his family took as they immersed themselves in the very culture of indigenous people in Ecuador. He was killed, but, also according to God’s sovereign plan, had his sacrificial seed watered and harvested a generation later. Would any of us want to duplicate that? That might very well be an evangelism closer resembling Jesus’s life here.

    “Give me Jesus” is also a song constantly playing in my mental playlist. Thanks Dee! And, when I first met Jesus in 1992, I often sat alone with Him singing “As the Deer”. I appreciate you bringing me back to that wonderful memory.

  3. Erik,

    I’m glad you saw the point clearly.

    All men are savages apart from the work and influence of the Holy Spirit within. It matters not if one wears a suit and tie, or a dress and perfume, the savagery of human beings – filled with desires to punish, take, steal what is not ours, harm, etc… is the reason we have a wicked world. It’s our fault (not God’s), and we are in need of mercy and His power to transform us.

  4. Thanks for checking in Wade! I say “AMEN!”

    The God of peace invaded my heart and is taking every thought captive to be obedient to Him. Daily, I see how far His ways are from my intuition or cultural norms. His kingdom is truly not of this world, but it is gaining a foothold in my heart. Bless you as you follow our King Jesus!

  5. @ Victorious:

    Just Give Me Jesus became one of my favorite hymns when Anne Graham Lotz held an event by the same name in our area.  Here is Fernando Ortega, who performs at those events. I have added this version at the end of EChurch since you and Erik love it so much!

  6. Deb, oh my…what a beautiful rendition of a beautiful hymn! Fernando Ortega has one of the most beautiful, mellow voices I’ve heard.

    I’m going to see the Broadway Musical “Mamma Mia” this afternoon so I hope by that time this melody will have taken a leave of absence from my brain. 🙂 Thanks so much for posting that!

  7. ” Thank you. I’m hoping someday I’ll be able to understand to some degree how a Father could sacrifice His Son for any reason”

    Just something to chew on: Jesus Christ is and was God. He sacrificed Himself. He was not some lesser god. We tend not to understand this because scripture paints this metaphorically (Father/son) and we read it through our post enlightenment eyes. But it is interesting to read Isaiah 9 describing Messiah and take that into consideration when thinking of One True God.

    We also don’t take into consideration the Hebrew thinking of One True God and ancient culture thinking of a son representing the father being the same as dealing with the father. When Abraham was to “sacrifice” his son he was in effect cutting off all hope of his own future according to the thinking in that culture AFTER the promise!

    The pagans sacrificed their children and Abraham was originally a pagan. Adding another twist we rarely think about.

    Jesus was and IS God. He is even described as “Everlasting Father” in Isaiah 9. He is also described with words we think of as the Holy Spirit.

    God in the Flesh, sacrificed Himself for us. He vanquished evil on the cross and death with the resurrection.

  8. Anon 1, I can’t thank you enough for that! I’ve pondered it for so very long and just kinda stuffed it because it was too difficult to imagine. But I’ve got it now thanks to you! Bless you for taking the time to explain what has been a mystery for me for so long.

  9. Vic,

    I tend to get a little worried sometimes and want to shout it out: That was GOD Himself manifested as a lowly nobody who did that for you!

  10. Thanks Wade. It’s hard to listen on a phone, but I have found some quite spots in my week to listen to a few messages. I listened again to how to pray for your pastor. I will probably listen to it again and then go thru all of Hebrews in sequence. I really am praying for you in your gift and calling.