Welcome to a Gathering of EChurch@Wartburg
Here is our Order of Worship
A Call to Worship link
God of Hope,
we come into your presence this morning
with confidence that you will meet us here.
Where there is sadness, bring joy;
Where there is tiredness, bring refreshment;
Where there is despair, bring a renewed sense of hope.
Let this place be a sanctuary,
a safe haven for us,
a home for holy words and songs and prayers
as we devote ourselves to you.
We pray this in Jesus’ name
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.
This week we are featuring a powerful message by Dave Bliss, who was the guest speaker at Emmanuel Enid last Sunday. This renowned college basketball coach fell from grace during his tenure at Baylor University. If you are unaware of how his coaching career came to a crashing halt, you might find these Wiki articles helpful – Dave Bliss and Baylor University basketball scandal
A Prayer of Confession link
I confess to You, Lord, what I am: I am not the person I like others to think I am;
I am afraid to admit even to myself what lies in the depths of my soul.
But I do not want to hide my true self from You.
I believe that You know me as I am, yet You love me.
Help me not to shrink from self-knowledge; teach me to respect myself for your sake;
give me the courage to put my trust in Your guidance and power.
I come with open hands and a receptive mind and heart today,
letting go of my fears, my need for control & my sin.
I trust you to know best. To keep my life in the light and bring it to completion as you see fit.
I trust you to shape me, see me, steer me, stir me, sustain me and sanctify me
as I seek to be available to do your will and be your child.
I pray this in the name of my Perfect Providing Father,
my Forgiving Savior, my Loving Lord and my Sanctifying Spirit,
Amen.
Benediction
The Lord bless you, and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine on you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance on you,
And give you peace.’
A beautiful poem was posted here by commenter Uncle Dad.
I posted it on my website with his permission from his blog.
And I wanted to share it here for more people to read it.
*******
I Have a Verse
by Wayne Harmon ©
They argued with me long and loud.
They told me I was being proud.
The debate went from bad to worse.
I know I’m right. I have a verse.
I told him that his hair’s too long.
He scoffed and told me I was wrong.
I said her short hair is a curse.
I know I’m right. I have a verse.
I told them they must give a tenth
Of all their money before it’s spent.
A tithe of wallet, bank and purse.
I know I’m right. I have a verse.
I told them Rock and Roll’s a sin.
A noise that’s straight from Satan’s den.
They laughed until I thought they’d burst.
I know I’m right. I have a verse.
I told her she cannot divorce.
You said, “I do,” so stay the course.
Forget the doctor and the nurse.
I know I’m right. I have a verse.
Jesus said those from above
Will be known by how they love.
Apologizing really hurts.
I thought I was right. I had a verse.
Wayne Harmon’s blog where this poem appears is: http://wayneharmon.org/2016/08/31/i-have-a-verse/
Another powerful poem. This one is from Dale Fincher.
http://www.soulation.org/freeatlast/2016/03/grief-poem-on-having-left-church.html
Grief Poem #1
(16 Nov 2015, On having left church)
If it were a death, there would be a body.
If my loss were physical, I would be able to speak of it.
As it is, there is no corpse to dress, no attire to select,
No funeral to attend, or service to order.
It has been a long slow death, anyway.
The death of a dream
The death of an ideal
The death of desire
I wanted the lovely intangibles
Beauty
Goodness
Truth
I wanted …
Belonging
Being
Blessing
I wanted..
To be heard
To be seen
To be known
I left my gifts at the altar
And left
Quietly,
Silently,
Invisibly.
@ Velour:
Love this one by Uncle Dad!
Deb wrote:
Isn’t Uncle Dad’s poem great?! I posted it yesterday on my blog, Tweeted it, and put in on Facebook. It’s already been liked many times at both places.
Velour wrote:
I think we come to God thinking we have something to give to Him that He wants from us. But then we realize the truth.
To leave a mark that we were here, we apply ourselves with our working but still ‘all we do is dust in the wind’? Or is every kindness a witness that we were here and we, too, were human?
“Sit with God as you might with the ocean. You bring nothing to the ocean, yet it changes you.”
(S. Caulfield)
If our experience of ‘Church’ has not involved His chesed, His ‘loving-kindness’, then it’s not God we are leaving when we depart from a place. We are still sojourning, and God is not far from any one of us.
Thanks for echurch it really helps
@ brian:
We are grateful you are here.
@ Christiane:
Beautiful comment, Christiane. Thank you.
Hi Wartburgers:
Some prayer requests to share:
*Former CLCer. Posts here just had eye surgery the other day. Pray for healing. Provision. Rides, etc. Also job and ability to do it with the eye surgery.
*Harley. Recently had foot surgery and a bone fusion. Please pray for healing of the foot and for the terrible pain that she’s in to subside.
*Tim Fall’s father – 92 years old. Commenter here/has a blog. Tim’s dad had a fall in his home, a head injury, head surgery and was in the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit. Tim and his wife are moving his dad to an assisted living facility near them. Pray for his dad’s rehabilitation and healing. For their family’s stress level, comfort, peace, assistance.
https://timfall.wordpress.com/2016/09/01/update-7-on-my-father-praying-through-change/
*Jeannette Altes. Long-time commenter here. Pray for her healing from a tumor. She is out of work and needs help paying her bills. Thanks to all who donate so she can pay her modest monthly rent, modest bills, buy food, and gas for her car. She still has these needs and will need to buy food, gas, and pay monthly bills. Thank you.
https://www.gofundme.com/ljahelp
*Billy and his mom Marquis. This is the abuse case Dee covered where a church in TX blew it. Billy has just started high school. He had a good first week. Please pray for him.
That he has a good school year, that he makes good friends, for his healing. For him to know how much he is loved and valued, and that he can use the gifts God has given him.
A teacher suggested he run for student council. Thanks to Wartburgers who have stepped up to get Billy the items (some expensive) that he needs for school and even new clothes to wear. He and his mom still need help with food and monthly bills. Thank you.
https://www.gofundme.com/pxs5dk
*Anyone else that I forgot…please post your prayer needs here (we are also posting them over on the Open Discussion thread).
Thanks, folks.
*Please pray for Julie Anne over at Spiritual Sounding Board who is recovering from surgery.
@ Velour:
Thanks for this reminder. Praying for our good friend Julie Anne.
Deb wrote:
Thanks, Deb!
Just wanted my friends here to know that I am slowly feeling better. I went almost 12 hrs over night without a pain pill. That is amazing. Thank God for seeing me thru these past 11 days. Basically I am in pain when I move around a lot and do things. Most days I don’t. I really think this bone fusion is going to work. Once I get the cast on my foot this week, I think it will really help to stabilize my foot even more. (Velour, I tried to email you yesterday at the address you gave on your blog, but it wouldn’t work. I will try again). Have a blessed Sunday.
Harley wrote:
Hmmm. Thanks for letting me know. I will look in to it.
Hi Harley,
I just tested by blog’s email and I sent an email to that account from another email.
It worked ok. So yes, please try again.
I am glad you are feeling better and we’re all praying that the bone fusion is going to alleviate your pain.
I posted too soon, Harley. You have a blessed Sunday too!
To Uncle Dad/Wayne,
Your poem was a big hit when I tweeted it out and put it on Facebook. I have also put it on my blog, including under my About heading. I liked it that much.
https://gbfsvchurchabuse.org/
Folks. Please pray for Dee. She’s feeling a bit under the weather after a flu shot.
@ Velour:
wow.
Velour wrote:
Praying tonight for Jule Anne, yes.
Christiane wrote:
Thanks, Christiane.
For all in need of prayer:
“Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over us as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in His peace.”
In Your great mercy, hear us Lord.
Amen
Velour wrote:
Thank you so much for your prayer ministry, Velour.
There is much good news in Update #8 on my Father: prayers for settling into a new home. Thank you everyone for your faithfulness in prayer for my Dad.
Tim wrote:
You are welcome, Tim.
I’d feel like a heel if I knew folks needed prayer and didn’t put it out there.
@ Tim:
Thanks for the update!