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Tuesday, July 17, 2007
WEEKLY PRAYER 17/7/07
This week, I thought I would just upload some of the words of old poems that have been going through my head recently. You may recognise them as having a tune and being sung as a hymn, but see them today as poems, expressions of a writer's heart giving glory to God.
Let the words soak into you, as they have soaked into the fabric of the church for the past couple of hundred years
Read them to yourself.
Read them to your spouse.
Read them to your friends.
Read them with power.
Read them with drama.
Read them awe.
Just read them aloud.
-----
Crown him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save:
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
Crown Him the Lord of love;
Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds yet visible above
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends His burning eye
At mysteries so bright.
Crown Him the Lord of peace,
Whose power a sceptre sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
And all be prayer and praise:
His reign shall know no end,
And round His piercèd feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.
Crown Him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime!
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity.
-----
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought in the day and the night
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word
I ever with thee, and though with me, Lord
Thou my great Father and I thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight
Be thou my armour and be thou my might
Be my soul shelter, and thou my high tower
Raise thou me heavenwards, O power of my power.
Riches I need not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou my inheritance all of my days
Thou and thou only, thou first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art
O high King of heaven, when battle is done
Grant heaven’s joy to me, bright heaven’s sun
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, thou ruler of all.
-----
Great is thy Faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
-----
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Reveal Thyself before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies,
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me
(From Rob)
Let the words soak into you, as they have soaked into the fabric of the church for the past couple of hundred years
Read them to yourself.
Read them to your spouse.
Read them to your friends.
Read them with power.
Read them with drama.
Read them awe.
Just read them aloud.
-----
Crown him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark, how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own!
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for thee,
And hail Him as thy matchless King
Through all eternity.
Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save:
His glories now we sing,
Who died and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.
Crown Him the Lord of love;
Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds yet visible above
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends His burning eye
At mysteries so bright.
Crown Him the Lord of peace,
Whose power a sceptre sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease,
And all be prayer and praise:
His reign shall know no end,
And round His piercèd feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.
Crown Him the Lord of years,
The Potentate of time,
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime!
All hail, Redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise shall never, never fail
Throughout eternity.
-----
Be thou my vision, O Lord of my heart
Nought be all else to me, save that Thou art
Thou my best thought in the day and the night
Waking or sleeping, thy presence my light.
Be thou my wisdom, be thou my true word
I ever with thee, and though with me, Lord
Thou my great Father and I thy true son
Thou in me dwelling, and I with thee one.
Be thou my breastplate, my sword for the fight
Be thou my armour and be thou my might
Be my soul shelter, and thou my high tower
Raise thou me heavenwards, O power of my power.
Riches I need not, nor man’s empty praise
Thou my inheritance all of my days
Thou and thou only, thou first in my heart
High King of heaven, my treasure thou art
O high King of heaven, when battle is done
Grant heaven’s joy to me, bright heaven’s sun
Christ of my own heart, whatever befall
Still be my vision, thou ruler of all.
-----
Great is thy Faithfulness, O God my Father,
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth,
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see;
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided,
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
-----
Abide with me, fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens, Lord, with me abide;
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day;
Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.
I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.
I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death’s sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.
Reveal Thyself before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies,
Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me
(From Rob)
Monday, July 16, 2007
12 Marks of New Monasticism
Several of us have been reading and discussing the book “12 Marks of New Monasticism”. Here are just a few of the thoughts in each chapter for us to meditate on and pray about each day, while considering our own lives and walk with Jesus.
Chapter 1: Relocation to abandoned places of Empire
• Resist pride, power and reduction of all values to “the bottom line”.
• Express our conversion and commitment.
• Say “yes” to a new way of life (or the search for it) in Jesus.
• Rework the clay – fresh potential for beauty and service.
• Seek first the Kingdom of God.
• Prayer integrated with life and witness.
• Resist non-godly trends and issues (e.g. militarism, poverty and homelessness) and engage in search for solutions.
• Live not dominated by numbers of finance.
• Transformation (of society) that starts with ourselves.
• Ordinariness rather than impressiveness.
Chapter 2: Sharing economic resources
• John Wesley: “If I should die with more than 10 pounds, may everyone call me a liar and a thief, for I have betrayed the Gospel”.
• Do we know the poor or just know about the poor.
• Generosity.
• Redistribution (of wealth) is what happens when people fall in love with each other across class lines.
• When we truly discover love, capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary.
• Theology of “enough” – there is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.
(Next 2 chapters next week!)
David.
Chapter 1: Relocation to abandoned places of Empire
• Resist pride, power and reduction of all values to “the bottom line”.
• Express our conversion and commitment.
• Say “yes” to a new way of life (or the search for it) in Jesus.
• Rework the clay – fresh potential for beauty and service.
• Seek first the Kingdom of God.
• Prayer integrated with life and witness.
• Resist non-godly trends and issues (e.g. militarism, poverty and homelessness) and engage in search for solutions.
• Live not dominated by numbers of finance.
• Transformation (of society) that starts with ourselves.
• Ordinariness rather than impressiveness.
Chapter 2: Sharing economic resources
• John Wesley: “If I should die with more than 10 pounds, may everyone call me a liar and a thief, for I have betrayed the Gospel”.
• Do we know the poor or just know about the poor.
• Generosity.
• Redistribution (of wealth) is what happens when people fall in love with each other across class lines.
• When we truly discover love, capitalism will not be possible and Marxism will not be necessary.
• Theology of “enough” – there is enough for everyone’s need but not for everyone’s greed.
(Next 2 chapters next week!)
David.
Sunday, July 08, 2007
Daily Prayer: Prayer for 9th - 15th July
Walking in a beautiful pine forest at the weekend, I took some photos and felt God speak to me about each one. I thought I would share them with you as our prayers for this week.
GOD'S HOPE
God's Hope for us and everyone we know and are praying for:
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light - a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow." Isaiah 9 v.2
STRENGTH IN PRAYER
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40 v.31
THE BEAUTY AND POWER OF GOD IN THE FACE OF MY UNBELIEF:
Towering trees can sometimes remind me how Almighty God is, and how anything is possible with Him. I ask him to help me overcome my unbelief!
"What do you mean 'if I can', Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes."
The father instantly replied, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'
Amen.
GOD'S HOPE
God's Hope for us and everyone we know and are praying for:
"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light - a light that will shine on all who live in the land where death casts its shadow." Isaiah 9 v.2
STRENGTH IN PRAYER
"But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40 v.31
THE BEAUTY AND POWER OF GOD IN THE FACE OF MY UNBELIEF:
Towering trees can sometimes remind me how Almighty God is, and how anything is possible with Him. I ask him to help me overcome my unbelief!
"What do you mean 'if I can', Jesus asked. 'Anything is possible if a person believes."
The father instantly replied, 'I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!'
Amen.
Monday, July 02, 2007
11-12pm
...actually I think the Togwells continued this slot praying (11-12pm) :) and at 12pm we all crammed into the prayer room together to share stories of our experiences with God over the past 24 hours. It was great to hear and see (as I looked on the floor) God speaking through us as a body and feeling a fuller picture of our father as I listened to each of our voices around the room. Some had hard, but good experiences and there were many writings and prayers for justice and for the poor and forgotten. I'm conscious as I write that its difficult for 'one' to sum it all up just from my perspective so heres a few words Phil put in his blog...
'Wonderful, as always, to pray and eat and talk with so many friends again, and to be a part of the next few steps that our community is taking together. We gathered at the end to swap stories/reflections... most of us felt that God had spoken, encouraged us, inspired us. And most felt that we were growing well together too. To wrap-up this phase of our prayers, we took a deep breath... thank you for your breath, Holy Spirit, for in-spiring us and con-spiring with us... make us contagious as we 'breath out' from tomorrow onwards.'
We then marched through the 'corridor of shoes' (for there were many), and enjoyed a plough-mans' meal together, continuing to share, bless and pray for each other. Thanks to all who brought food, watched over kids in trees and washing up! :)
And thanks for praying!
J0N
Sunday, July 01, 2007
10 - 11am
An hour really isn't much time at all!
I think I spent most of the time having to release God to be himeslf: that is, having to apologise to God for treating him (*still*) as if he is there for my convenience and to do what I want (not so much a conscious thought but its a deep undercurrent in my thinking that I need to address time and time again). The thing is even though I struggle to feel God's presence I'm strangely even more amazed by his astonishing love. I spent the rest of the time reading the floor and praying for the tree labels.
I think I spent most of the time having to release God to be himeslf: that is, having to apologise to God for treating him (*still*) as if he is there for my convenience and to do what I want (not so much a conscious thought but its a deep undercurrent in my thinking that I need to address time and time again). The thing is even though I struggle to feel God's presence I'm strangely even more amazed by his astonishing love. I spent the rest of the time reading the floor and praying for the tree labels.
9-10am
Good to slow down, to listen, to talk to Father... to breathe more slowly, even for a little while. Megan drew a picture of a person with tongues of fire on their head, and a little later we pumped the bellows - breath of God, fan these glowing embers, fan them into flames.
We dropped mustard seeds into the candle and watched them settle into the hot wax - Father, take the mustard seeds of our lives, the small things of the Kingdom of God in us, and make them grow.
To be honest, it hasn't been an *easy* hour. I find myself frustrated, reading some of the tags still hanging on the tree from our previous 24-1s... unanswered prayers. I find myself asking 'why?' and 'when?' and 'will it ever be?', and I hear no reply. When God says "wait", how long does that mean? Having been encouraged to wait until the "fruit is ripe", I am still so tempted to try and pluck it from the tree. God, please help me... (phil)
God loves us all, remember that! hello Jesus and God, please get us a house. these are two of the things i did while here, plus that person that my dad told you about! although i don't think i added that 'remember that!' bit, but that doesn't matter. (megan)
We dropped mustard seeds into the candle and watched them settle into the hot wax - Father, take the mustard seeds of our lives, the small things of the Kingdom of God in us, and make them grow.
To be honest, it hasn't been an *easy* hour. I find myself frustrated, reading some of the tags still hanging on the tree from our previous 24-1s... unanswered prayers. I find myself asking 'why?' and 'when?' and 'will it ever be?', and I hear no reply. When God says "wait", how long does that mean? Having been encouraged to wait until the "fruit is ripe", I am still so tempted to try and pluck it from the tree. God, please help me... (phil)
God loves us all, remember that! hello Jesus and God, please get us a house. these are two of the things i did while here, plus that person that my dad told you about! although i don't think i added that 'remember that!' bit, but that doesn't matter. (megan)
8-9am
Started this session feeling very weak and shallow in God's presence. What I am doing here...? Until I realised again that this faith, this place, this community is made for people like me - helpless, constantly failing to live up to what I say I believe, double-minded, selfish, full of words but "missing in actions", and needing others. Spent some time playing the drum and praying in tongues, encouraging God's spirit to flow through me, to bypass my own self-obsessed thought processes and let God's voice interrupt. It was wonderful.
Ian
Ian
7-8am
So many prayers and inspiring thoughts written on the floor. Early morning sunshine (at last!) lighting the room. I felt so peaceful in the presence of God. So loved. God's love for us is amazing. Unfathomable. Incomprehensible. And he *fills* us with his love, enabling us to love others. Thank you Lord Jesus.
David.
David.
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