New song this coming Sunday

I first heard the above song several months ago. I liked it well enough but it didn't make a big impression on me. I heard it again last week and instead of trying to sing along I meditated on the words. All of a sudden I loved the song. The verses declare a vision of what the future can look like if we allow God's will to be done through us. We'll be singing it in our service this coming Sunday. I hope the song speaks to you as it has me!

Do It Lord - by Tommy Walker

I see your glory, covering the earth Lord
Just as the waters, covering the sea
I see the millions, coming to salvation
I see revival, fire in the land
I see the lost, nameless ones remembered
I see the widows, shouting out your praise
I see the friendless, loved and celebrated
Orphans fulfilling Lord, your calling on their lives

Do It Lord, do it lord
Do it Lord we are praying
Do it Lord, do it
That your glory may be seen

I see forgiveness over taking hatred
Pride and prejudice, now giving way to love
I see depression replaced with joy and gladness
And Satan's lies, now bowing to the truth

Do It Lord, do it lord
Do it Lord we are praying
Do it Lord, do it!
That your glory may be seen

This is our prayer oh God
This is our desperate cry
In these days that were living now
Let your kingdom come
Let your will be done

I see the brokenness of families, brought to wholeness
I see the prodigals, running home to you
Father's hearts, now turning toward their children
And the children's hearts, turning toward the fathers
I see your Church, all rising up in power
Laying down their lives in unity and love
I hear the sound of every tribe and nation
Giving glory to Jesus Christ the Son

Complin

This is a continuation of my recent posts about resources to help you with your Holy Habits.

When Sue and I were dating she took me to a service in an old Episcopal church in Seattle that she explained as chanting monks. I was intrigued but quite frankly I went because I was in love with Sue not the idea of listening to chanting monks. When we arrived I was quite taken back with the already sizable crowd waiting for the doors to open. It wasn't the size of the crowd that surprised me but who the crowd was made up of. They were mostly teenagers with a lot of tattoo's and piercings. Were they in the wrong place? Certainly they couldn't be here to hear monks chant.

As we entered the sanctuary it was sparsely lighted. There was a huge suspended cross above the altar of the church that was the focal point. People filed in and sat in the pews but they also filled the aisles, sitting on the ground and were all over the altar and the stairs to the platform. At the appropriate time the choir of 8-10 men (they aren't really monks) walked in and stationed themselves behind the crowd and began to sing. The music was absolutely beautiful.

Tune in Sunday evenings at 9:30 PM to hear the live broadcast of one of Seattle's most charming long-standing musical traditions. Here the men's voices of St.Marks Cathedral chant the Office of Compline, the last monastic office of the day. Click here to listen. Let me know what you think.

Drive Time Devotions

I have another resource suggestion along the same topic as yesterday's post, daily devotions. If you have an iPod you can subscribe via podcast to a daily 10 minute devotional that you can listen to on your way to work or while you are working out. If iPod's and podcasts sound to high tech for you, the service is available to listen to on your computer. Click here to check it out.

God called me today

I think it's fair to say that we're all busy. Finding time to do anything is difficult. Even when we want to alter the way we spend our time, it can be difficult to change our habits to match our priorities.

If you struggle to find time for reading your Bible, I have a few suggestions for you. The first is a service I ran across last week that will call any phone number you want (home or cell) with a daily one minute devotional. You pick the time of day for the call and the service is free. A phone call from God, that's pretty cool!! You can listen to a sample by clicking here. To subscribe to the service click here.

There are many Bible reading plans online, but I found one that you can subscribe to in your email by clicking here. Look for the link in the Subscribe Now text box in the upper right hand corner of the page. If you like, there are links in this blog to have the scripture read to you. If you don't enjoy reading perhaps this would be a nice option.

Why not use technology to your spiritual benefit! Let God call you or send you an email, He's already proven how much he loves you.

We all have a call

My girls have the privilege of attending The River Academy, a classical Christian school here in town. While the school is far from perfect, I am pleased about the education they are receiving. While the spiritual education of my children is my job (and I take that responsibility seriously) I'm glad to have the church and school reinforcing what we talk about at home.

I came home earlier this week and found the picture to the left hanging on the fridge. When I picked it up to take a closer look I noticed Katie's name on the back. I asked her to tell me about the picture and she told me that her teacher had encouraged them to draw a picture as he read a portion of scripture to them. While I'm proud of her good grades and artisitic ability, I'm most proud of the way that she is letting what she learns sink into her heart. The training of children (or anyone for that matter) does not guarantee immediate behavior change but I am becoming more and more comfortable leaving the results in God's hands. That sounds almost wrong to admit. Do I not trust God? If I'm honest with myself, there are times when God is just to slow for me and I step in give Him a hand. Certainly there are times when God asks us to act but I'm recognizing that there are also times when he asks to us be patient and loving while he does His work.

Where are you at today? Are you seeking out God and obeying his direction for you, or are you making things happen outside of God's will because somebody needs to do something? Lord, help me to seek you and abide in you. May my heart beat in rythm with yours and may I have ears to hear and join in your work when and where you call me!

Prayer Retreat at Pinelow

Earlier this week I had the privilege of attending a prayer retreat for pastor's at our District's campground Pinelow. I had no expectations of the 3 days away but I have been praying for some very specific things recently. It shouldn't surprise me, but God decided to answer my prayers this week at Pinelow. I needed reassurance and he provided just what I needed and more. He assured me of my call to continue vocational ministry in Wenatchee through at least the interim period. I'm on a need to know basis with God and my future so don't read anything into my statement above other than I know where I'll be for the next year or so. We'll just have to see what God has in store after that.

My funny wife

It's Mother's Day weekend but I don't think Sue will mind me sharing her great costume for Egyptian Feast Day. Every year the second graders spend a lot of time studying Egypt and near the end of the year the class dresses up and feasts like royalty. Sue came up with an idea for a costume that surprised me. Sue decided to use the story of Pharaoh Menes, who united upper and lower Egypt as the basis for her costume. The other second grade teacher dressed up as Pharaoh Menes and Sue dressed up as a hippopotamus, the animal that killed the great Pharaoh.

Mariner's

I'm way behind on blog posts. Time to get caught up today. We were invited to attend a Mariner's game with the Mason and White family's a week ago today. It was a beautiful night at the Safe and the Mariner's won on the last at bat in the bottom of the ninth. How much more exciting can a game be?

Griffey didn't play the night we were there but I am so glad that he has become a team player finally. His first go around in Seattle he was looking out for himself but it appears that age has taught him something. The Mariner's could have a great year. Here's to hoping for an exciting summer of baseball.