Welcome to a Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg
Here is our Order of Worship
Today we are posting the prayers from an Orthodox website. We think you will find these prayers quite meaningful.
A Morning Prayer link
O Lord, grant that we may meet the coming day in peace.
Help us in all things to rely upon Your holy will.
In each hour of the day, reveal Your will to us.
Bless our dealings with all who surround us.
Teach us to treat all that shall come to us throughout the day with peace of soul,
and with the firm conviction that Your will governs all.
In all our deeds and words, guide our thoughts and feelings.
In unforeseen events, let us not forget that all are sent by You.
Teach us to act firmly and wisely, without embittering and embarrassing others.
Give us the strength to bear the fatigue of the coming day, with all that it shall bring.
Direct our wills.
Teach us to pray.
Pray within us.
Amen.
Prayer in Time of Need link
Almighty God, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
come to my help and deliver me from this difficulty that besets me
I believe Lord, that all trials of life are under Your care
and that all things work for the good of those who love You.
Take away from me fear, anxiety and distress.
Help me to face and endure my difficulty with faith, courage and wisdom.
Grant that this trial may bring me closer to You for You are my rock and refuge,
my comfort and hope, my delight and joy. I trust in Your love and compassion.
Blessed is Your name, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and forever.
Amen.
Luke 4:31-37 (NASB Bible Gateway)
And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet and come out of him!” And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, “What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.” And the report about Him was spreading into every locality in the surrounding district.
Morning Prayer link
Most holy God, we pray and beseech You,
give each of us a pure heart and a way of speaking that befits the faith we profess
grant us uprightness of purpose, powers of reasoning unhindered by passions,
conduct that becomes those who fear You, and perfect knowledge of Your commandments;
may we enjoy health in body and in spirit.
Grant us a life of peace, genuine faith and living hope,
sincere charity and bountiful generosity,
patience that knows no bounds and the light of Your truth to proclaim Your goodness to us,
that for ever and in all things placing our trust only in You,
we may abound in every good work, and that in Christ Your gifts may increase in every soul.
For to You belong all glory, honor and majesty,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
now and ever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
Evening Prayer link
O Christ our God,
You are worshiped at all times and in all places and are glorified both in heaven and on earth.
You are patient, generous in mercy, rich in compassion,
loving to the just and merciful to the sinner.
You call all of us to repentance
through the promise of blessings to come.
Amen
A great Spurgeon quote on Sovereignty and Goodness:
“Put the two together, goodness and Sovereignty, and you see God’s Glory! If you take Sovereignty alone, you will not understand God. Some people only have an idea of God’s Sovereignty and not of His goodness—such are usually gloomy, harsh and ill humored. You must put the two together—that God is good and that God is a Sovereign. You must speak of Sovereign Grace. God is not gracious alone, He is sovereignly gracious! He is not Sovereign alone, but He is graciously Sovereign.”
Wade, I have a question about this morning’s sermon. If you have time, (and if there is an answer…) would you tell me how a believer can maintain his/her faith when their desperate plea doesn’t get an answer. Like last week’s message…how did the other widow survive when God (apparently) only took note of one? And how did the many other lepers feel when their prayers for healing weren’t answered?
How do those who are desperate, filled with guilt and shame, are powerless against their addiction feel about Jesus’ sovereignty? I know God is able to calm the storm, but how do we maintain our faith when He doesn’t?
I know God isn’t a big Santa Claus in the sky. I think most Christians know better. But what’s wrong with a big God who loves His children and helps in the time of trouble?
I’m not at the end of my rope, but I know many who are. They know Jesus is able, but why He doesn’t is the mystery.
I’d love to hear a sermon someday on how to cope when it “seems like” Jesus doesn’t care.
“How do those who are … powerless against their addiction feel about Jesus’ sovereignty? I know God is able to calm the storm, but how do we maintain our faith when He doesn’t?”
Great question. Any answer I give to someone in the mist of shame, pain, and guilt sounds trite…so often I say nothing. However, you are asking a question that deserves an answer. Here goes.’
Job says: “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15).
“If life’s pleasures cheer thee,
Give them not thy heart.
Lest the gifts ensnare thee
From thy God to part.
His praises speak, His favor seek,
Fix there thy hope’s foundation.
Love Him, and He shall ever be
The Rock of thy salvation.
Francis Scott Key
It is my opinion that IF God in His sovereignty chooses never to heal the leprosy or IF God in His sovereignty never chooses to provide miraculous meal in a barrel that never runs dry, it is a JOB occasion where God’s people are being brought to the place of putting their trust in the eternal goodness, favor, and blessings of God. Sickness, troubles, addictions, and all other dysfunctions we experience in this life are never FROM God, but they are definitely OF God – meaning that He is able to orchestrate all things for our good and His glory.
So to the person so full of desperation, guilt and shame, powerless to conquer an addiction, I simply say – love God by resting in His love for sinners like you, realizing that the measure of His love is seen in the Person and work of His Son, not necessarily in the presence or absence of blessings in this life. Faith Him until you see Him, and love Him when all others would leave Him.
It may sound like a trite answer, but I would say it to the person who asks me, even in the deepest and darkest moments of their lives.
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Lord,
Be ever so kind as to cloth Yourself in Your glory, and bring aid and comfort to Victorious and ‘ALL’ those she should faithfully petition You for…
In Jesus’ Name,
You R 4ever faithful!
Your lit’l sparrow,
Sopy
—
Sopwith,
Beautiful.
Amen.
Wade Burleson wrote:
That’s as perfect an answer as I’ve ever heard! Perfect…not at all trite. Thank you, Wade.
I’ve always thought that God doesn’t expect “blind” faith in Him and gives each a “miraculous” anchor (if you will) to hold on to during difficult times. In other words, something that happened in one’s walk that they know-that-they-know it was of God. That event could provide the trust, hope, and faith in Him that’s needed in times when it appears He isn’t listening.
Most every sermon I’ve heard from you at EChurch is practical and reasonable and always leaves the hearers with hope.
I’m thanking God for your gift!
Sopwith wrote:
Victorious says thank you for that as she wipes the tears from her eyes. Such a beautiful prayer blessed my soul.
I am wondering what you would say someone who has been in SGM churches for a long time and experienced betrayal, shunning, and refusal to acknowledge sin by many pastors? To the point he cannot trust any pastors implicitly, cannot trust groups who align themselves with SGM or past SGM, acts 29, 9 marks, T4G, TGC, the big dog celebrity pastors, or Mars hill. I can go on. Though I am not looking for sinless leaders, I am looking for leaders who are first servants, sacrificial lay care for the people (and not sacrificing them for their skin like in SGM churches), and be an example of Jesus to the hurting and abused. I see more of a business. Churches need you sign covenants, attend conferences, buy books promoted by them, make us too busy that we do not have time to get to know what is going on outside the church. I also see more pastors are activists ( meeting with community leaders, movers and shakers promoting themselves and the brand and not the gospel, business leaders, high profile pastors in the community and outside community) and spend a lot of their time in these things. How do they have any time to quiet themselves and hear from God and then serve the people or is it all business? Do you all know of any church that is not marked by these characteristics but by loving servant sacrificial leadership in SE Pennsylvania area?
@ Afflicted:
I believe your sentiments are shared by many. Praying for you.
Afflicted,
Why don’t you organize a group of people who share your sentiments in SE Pennsylvania and start an assembly, using the gifts God’s given you and see what happens.
You may be surprised at how the Spirit moves in unexpected ways.
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Afflicted,
Hey,
The following directory (link below) lists many churches in PA. (including for example, Methodist, Protestant, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and many more…) Maybe a selection from the Southeast PA portion of this list can meet your needs. Please talk to the kind folk that you meet on your church quest. Maybe they can help too!
http://www.churchangel.com/pennsylvania.htm
Hope this helps.
Furthermore,
Deciding not to give up on Jesus, is a gr8 first step in a new beginning in your faith walk.
Forgiveness is helpful, as well. There are a lot of proverbial butt-heads ‘out there’…
Prayer changes things.
Removal from possible self-imposed isolation is a must!
Social media can assist as well.
You are always welcome here as well, as experiencing betrayal, shunning, and refusal to acknowledge sin by certain e-church pastors has not been typically known to date to be a problem here.
Good luck with your search, unless this was all just hypothetical.
In that case (and in general terms) please pray ( if you are so inclined) for the kind folks remaining within the organizations you have sadly listed in your comment, – that the Almighty would continual to lead them out of darkness and into His glorious light…
He is listening!
🙂
ATB
Sopy
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Inspirational Relief: Hothouse Flowers – “I Can See Clearly Now…”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CShhcdZBdA
Bonus: Angel Olsen: NPR Music “Tiny Desk Concert”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7NapIZ1xGE
Just Because: Tom Odell – “Another Love”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZHwu0uut3k
;~)
—
@ Afflicted:
Dear Afflicted,
You said, quite reasonably, “…I am looking for leaders who…” What are you looking for a leader for? What are looking for a pastor to do? What is the Biblical role of a pastor? I’ve been reading the Bible with greater focus on this for a while and I can’t find any description at all of any pastor other than the capital-P pastor, Jesus Christ Himself.
I have come to a view on this of my own, but I’m curious what the view is from others. What is their role? What is their position? What are their functions? Is there a special pastoral gift? And what is their actual authority? And what is the Biblical description and the Biblical prerequisites for the position? The Bible mentions specific chracteristics for elders, overseers and deacons, but what are they for pastors, Biblically speaking?
Thanks.
Flicker,
Bishop, overseer, elder seem to be synonyms for pastor in English translations of the Bible. They all seem to indicate the same function of service and care for the soul – never ‘spiritual authority.’
So you ask, “What is their actual authority?”
I answer: “Only that which they obtain through their excellent service and care of others. It would be like me going to a doctor and trusting him to operate on my body. What ‘authority’ does he have over me? Only that which I give him based upon my understanding of his gifts and track record of service. There is no ‘authority’ invested in any ‘office’ of pastor, but rather, pastor should be seen as a verb–not a noun–and all trust in the pastor is based on his giftedness and track record in service. The moment a pastor demands obedience to his alleged authority is the moment that pastor has disqualified himself from true Christian ministry.”
Christ alone possesses the authority the demands our obedience.
Sometimes we hear Christ through gifted people who love us and serve us. But sometimes people around us will attempt to intimidate us by claiming divine authority, and when that happens, the church becomes abusive.
Those are a few of my thoughts, and they call me a pastor.
🙂
“The moment a pastor demands obedience to his alleged authority is the moment that pastor has disqualified himself from true Christian ministry.”
Thanks for all this answer, but especially for the quote above. It is most uncommon in being said, and even less common in its application. There seem to be centuries-old, even millennia-old, cultural traditions, even unspoken and unconscious traditions, that place the pastor a quantum level above the congregants, merely by the position, the title, and the division of tasks or responsibilities.
I once knew a pastor, the pastor of the last church which I was a member, who said that WE were the church, that it was OUR church. But then one day he said from the pulpit, if you come to church late on Sundays because you’re too tired to get up on time, or if you don’t come to church on Wednesday nights because you work evenings on Wednesdays, or don’t come to “church painting” types of activities on Saturday because you want to spend time with your family, then you are putting your own job and finances, and comfort and pleasures and recreation “ahead of Jesus”. And I wondered at the time, “Did Jesus really set the opening time for Sunday service at 11am? Or was it the New England farmers who had to milk their cows before worship services. And did Jesus really set aside Wednesday nights for prayer meetings, and Saturdays for building maintenance duties?
It seemed to me that our pastor was saying that if you don’t follow his own schedule and program then you are being disobedient to Jesus, as if he was Jesus’ representative, with all Jesus’ spiritual authority, and Jesus had vested in him an authority which required strict obedience in all his decisions, lest you be disobedient to Jesus Himself. Is this the scriptural understanding of the pastor? Does the pastor have authoritative power in these circumstances? Is to disobey a pastor about working on Wednesday night and not coming to the prayer meeting a sin against Jesus?
I would like to know what the accepted church position is on this issue. Thanks.