One of my Facebook friends posted this image and I thought I would steal it as material while I travel. There are some great reminders on this list.
The only other item I would add is Love like Jesus!
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
Archive for the ‘Spiritual’ Category
The last several weeks we have been visiting different churches in our area. While I cherish my storied Lutheran heritage (my great grandparents were Lutheran missionaries to China, my grandfather was a Lutheran pastor, I went to Lutheran parochial schools and universities — you get the picture), I feel called to pursue a more fervent worship of Christ. I posted about it a while ago here. And there has not been one pivotal event or item that has prompted this seeking, but rather a buildup of experiences over the last few years. And I refuse to say we are “church shopping”. That label resonates of a consumer Christianity basis — a “what’s in it for me” spiritual centeredness. What we are looking for as a family is a place where we are called to worship God with our whole beings and souls, a place that is scripture based and where we can grow in scripture, and where we can serve with servant’s hearts.
Our latest visit was to a Saturday service of one of the local megachurches. Of course, such an experience is new to our whole family and we need to take cues from others to fit in and follow the service and processes. We also went with several other family friends of ours.
We sat in the front row in the upper deck (again, this is a very large church — arena is what I more likened it to). Some of the interesting rituals I am not used to is being offered a meager Holy Communion, both in litergy and in vittels. It was also at the early part of the service. Soon enough a plate of micro-chips (not like the computer chips – more like very small pieces of cracker) and a tray of grape juice is offered by the ushers walking down the steps. It is not unlike the peanut guy at the baseball stadium. And if you wanted peanuts and didn’t know that by raising your hand he would hurl one your way you would be just as caught off guard.
So I picked out a micro-chip and grape juice vial while trying not to hold up the process. No recitation of scripture — “In the night he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread, broke it, and gave thanks…..”. No looking inward at your heart in examination. There was nice music and a call for forgiveness of sin but not to the seriousness or ritual I was expecting for such an important sacrament.
I adjusted and just tried to enjoy the experience knowing this was all new. Soon enough the ushers were bringing down something else. It looked like a prince’s velvet hat turned upside down with a wooden handle on it. He offered it up at the other end of the pew where I was at…..which had all our kids. One of the girls took it…..and then placed her communion “shot glass” into it. The other girls followed suit so when it got to me it had a few of those communion cups in it rattling around. However, what the kids failed to realize was that this wasn’t the communion cups disposal bag, but rather the offering “plate”. I reached in to take them out and was harassed by a buddy behind me — “You are supposed to put money IN. Not take money OUT”. I was unable to discreetly retrieve the rattling communion cups so I inserted my check into the not-very-Lutheran non-communion-plate velvet contraption and passed it down.
Note to self : when visiting a new church and being unfamiliar with the rituals, be sure to sit IN THE VERY MIDDLE so you have people on all sides of you to observe on how to do something right.
By the way, the message was great and right on. It is in line with what I have been blogging about here lately for the last several weeks. Go check it out here — Kindness and Gentleness When No One Notices.
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
Thank you Lord for the drudgery of Monday. It reminds us how good we have it and that not everyone is as blessed as we are.
Thank you Lord for the doldrums of Tuesday. They are a mirror of life and remind us to rely upon You.
Thank you for the milestone of Wednesday. It is halfway through the week and reminds us that you are always with us — beginning, middle and end.
Thank you for the optimism of Thursday. While it is not Friday yet, it is so close and reminds us of the nearness of Your kingdom.
Thank you for the excitement of Friday. Enough said.
Thank you for the fun of Saturday. It is what adds immense flavor to our lives.
Thank you for the worship and rest of Sunday. It is what mends us, replenishes us, and brings us closer to you.
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
My wife and I went to our first Emmaus “gathering” this evening. It is a monthly opportunity for us to rekindle our Emmaus relationships, involvement and commitment. It was nice to see folks on our walk and in the community again.
There was good conversation followed by awesome worship. The music was inspirational and uplifting. It was a small version of the Christian radio that now dominates my car radio and daily commutes. We sang contemporary praise songs like “Sing, Sing, Sing” (Chris Tomlin) and “Amazing Grace” (the modern version, also by Chris Tomlin).
My favorite was a version of “Blessed Be The Name” by Tree63. Now normally I am a fairly reserved worshipper, probably because of my Lutheran background and heritage. It goes back quite a ways all the way to my great grandparents who were Lutheran missionaries to China. But through the recent experiences of the last month or so along with my immersion into scripture, I have been loosening the reigns of worship to more fully reflect what I believe God calls us to do — completely submit to Him and praise him completely and fully from our hearts. It was during the “Blessed Be The Name” rendition that the moment caught my soul. The beautiful sound of praise. The harmonious tunes of worship. The fellowships of believers. Tears of praise streamed down and stumbled across the smile on my face as I lifted up my voice and my hand in praise of my Lord. It was exactly what I was made to do and such a fulfilling and moving experience. And it brings so many thoughts into my mind. As a guy, to release and reject society’s image of a crying man. As a churchgoer, to embrace this as a more often occurance and seek it routinely. As a worshipper, to completely submit.
It sure has given me a reason to pause and reflect on my worship of the God who made me and who sacrificed His perfect Son for my sake and salvation.
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
“God built a bridge from death to life
with 2 boards and 3 nails”
And how appropriate is this sign on Easter Sunday.
He has risen!
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
This posting is from my wife. It was on her Facebook page to her friends and is an amazing story.
My Friends,
This is so amazing I just had to share it with you. On the way home we stopped at Kroger Pharmacy to get D’s pain meds. I dropped off the prescription and wandered over to find some essentials D would need over the next few days. It’s been a long day and I was focused and Kroger was a mad house (maybe because of Easter). I could hear in the background a little boy screaming, “Mommy, she is from MY hospital” over and over. I had forgotten to take off my Kosair Children’s Hospital name tag and he spotted it.
Next I hear, “Mommy I want to talk to her”. That was followed by an “Excuse me”. I look up to see a little boy and his mom — the child an obvious cancer patient. If I had to guess he was about 4, a very tiny 4. I gave him my 100% attention. I explained that I actually didn’t work at Kosair but was very honored to meet him. He went on to explain that he loved Kosair and he was just there today for his chemo treatment. He said he really did love it but he didn’t want to have to go back for anymore treatments. He also said he had many surgeries and didn’t want anymore.
He talked a mile a minute and all with an incredibly beautiful smile. We chit chatted back and forth. His name is Dawson and I told him I would pray for him. He said “Yes please!” and then asked his mom to get him out of the cart so he could hug me. He gave me a huge hug and I thanked him for touching my life.
This is a God moment. I know we were both put in Kroger at the same time for different reasons.
Dawson touched my heart today. Please join me in praying for Dawson that God take this cancer from his little soul and heal him. I have seen today what the power of prayer did for us. God will heal this child.
I reiterate the call to pray for little Dawson. What an amazing soul!
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
Today is a very important day because my son is having surgery. He is having inclusion cyst removed and while the surgery isn’t life threatening, it is surgery none-the-less.
Please keep him in your prayers today.
It reminded me of when my oldest daughter had surgery right before we moved to Kentucky.
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
I spotted this sign on the way home from my wife’s Emmaus follow up meeting.
“Google can’t fulfill every search”
I’m not going to leave this message alone without saying that I believe God intentionally made a God shaped hole in our beings that can only be filled by Him. We try to fill it with knowledge, logic, sex, money, power, food, alcohol, drugs, art, hobbies, people, family, new age philosophies, and almost anything else but Him.
So if you are searching; if you feel a hole; if you have tried some or all of the above to fill that hole to no avail, why don’t you try the risen Christ who loves you more than you will ever know. He is worth more than all that Google could or ever will find. Hence the reason for the sign from God.
…..Dan at aslowerpace dot net
