Sermon for the Rest of Us (John 2)
by Mrs. W
If I had to choose a sermon
That I want my life to show
That exemplifies my goals
And just where I want to go
If I had just one more minute
To be all I pray to be
This would be my sermon:
I have found Him. Come and see.
If I had to choose a sermon
For the restless who need peace
For the lonely who need love
And for the hurt who need relief
If I had to find a way
To give the hope God gave to me
This would be my sermon:
I have found Him. Come and see.
If I had to choose a sermon
That said all I need to say
If I had to leave one message
For the ones I love that day
When my body's cold and lifeless
And my soul is finally free
This would be my sermon:
I have found Him. Come and see.
I have found the One who loves me
And who satisfies my ache
The One who bears my sorrows
Holds the burdens I can't take
I have found the One who knows me
Who forgives me when I fall
Who freed me from my selfish pride
And listens when I call.
I have found the One I never
Even knew I longed to find
When I thought my life so perfect,
He showed me I was blind.
I have found the One who never lies
And never walks away
The One who evil runs from
And who hears me when I pray.
Come and see Him! He invites you.
Come and see this Jesus now
I know you're probably wondering why
You're probably wondering how.
Well, come see Him if you're empty
(And you've never told a soul)
Come see Him if you've failed
And had to pay the awful toll..
Come and see Him if you wonder
Who this Jesus really was
Why He just won't go away
Why He says the things He does..
Come see Him if His followers
Have wounded you with hate
Come see Him if you're angry
That they joy in your mistakes
Come see Him if you think that
He's a fraud the weak believe
He can answer all your questions
He can handle every need.
I have found Him and I know
That He is worth whatever pain
It may cost to take forgiveness
And to claim as yours His Name.
Come and see Him with your questions
Read His words and bow your knee
And soon you'll preach this sermon:
I have found Him. Come and see!
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Poetic Leaps
The first class I ever took in college was focused on the creation of poetry. My professor, Prof. Weaver, was an old grandfatherly man with skin like the smooth brown leather on the poetry journal I've been eyeing for years. He had a quiet voice that was both intriguing and sleep-inducing, and I often sat there wondering how I had never heard of a poet like him. His poems were beautiful, so beautiful that even when I could not understand them, I did not feel I needed to. One of my own poems I turned in (which I was fairly proud of) elicited a comment from him that I have never forgotten: "Ashley, you need to take this the whole way. I feel like you stopped somewhere before the poetic leap you needed to take here. Leap, don't hesitate."
While I struggled to understand what he said in regards to my poetry, I valued that advice in a different way. It's true that I had stopped somewhere before taking a leap; I do it all the time. Hesitating on the brink of a scary change, a scary decision, a scary future. I peer over the edge and because I can't see everything below me, I will not jump. In my mind, I will say "I'm just not jumping yet." But in reality, I have no intention of jumping until I see for myself that someone has dragged a nice cushy mat at the bottom that will absolutely catch me. I will not leap until I know for sure that that leap will take me exactly where I plan on going.
Sometimes I think that this is healthy caution. In ordinary life, of course, people don't go jumping off cliffs or into shallow water. But in my walk with God, this is more like doubt than caution. I essentially say to God, "God, unless you tell me the future, I'm not gonna follow. Unless you reach out and physically hold my hand, I'm locking myself in here to keep safe. Unless I have a contingency plan that covers plans B, C, D, E, and F, You aren't gonna get me to go anywhere."
That is resistance. That is disobedience. That is pride and stubbornness. And, most importantly, that is fear--the crippling kind that freezes our limbs and makes our minds spin in circles for hours.
Leaps don't necessarily seem poetic to me. (If they did, I might be more likely to embrace them.) But leaps are necessary. Hanging out at the top of a ledge because jumping is too scary forces you to focus on your fear and never move past it: jumping even when you're scared gets you back down to solid ground.
I think it's time I learned how to leap--how to follow through on a project without worrying about its perfect outcome--how to trust God to use me for His purpose when day-to-day life can seem purposeless--how to let unexpected changes transform me into a better and healthier me, rather than a doubting and discouraged shadow of me.
Maybe God put that grandfatherly voice of a professor in my life at exactly the time I needed to hear those words--not just for my poetry, but for my perseverance in the life God gave me.
"Ashley, you need to take this the whole way. I feel like you stopped somewhere before the leap you needed to take here. Leap, don't hesitate..." Leap.
While I struggled to understand what he said in regards to my poetry, I valued that advice in a different way. It's true that I had stopped somewhere before taking a leap; I do it all the time. Hesitating on the brink of a scary change, a scary decision, a scary future. I peer over the edge and because I can't see everything below me, I will not jump. In my mind, I will say "I'm just not jumping yet." But in reality, I have no intention of jumping until I see for myself that someone has dragged a nice cushy mat at the bottom that will absolutely catch me. I will not leap until I know for sure that that leap will take me exactly where I plan on going.
Sometimes I think that this is healthy caution. In ordinary life, of course, people don't go jumping off cliffs or into shallow water. But in my walk with God, this is more like doubt than caution. I essentially say to God, "God, unless you tell me the future, I'm not gonna follow. Unless you reach out and physically hold my hand, I'm locking myself in here to keep safe. Unless I have a contingency plan that covers plans B, C, D, E, and F, You aren't gonna get me to go anywhere."
That is resistance. That is disobedience. That is pride and stubbornness. And, most importantly, that is fear--the crippling kind that freezes our limbs and makes our minds spin in circles for hours.
Leaps don't necessarily seem poetic to me. (If they did, I might be more likely to embrace them.) But leaps are necessary. Hanging out at the top of a ledge because jumping is too scary forces you to focus on your fear and never move past it: jumping even when you're scared gets you back down to solid ground.
I think it's time I learned how to leap--how to follow through on a project without worrying about its perfect outcome--how to trust God to use me for His purpose when day-to-day life can seem purposeless--how to let unexpected changes transform me into a better and healthier me, rather than a doubting and discouraged shadow of me.
Maybe God put that grandfatherly voice of a professor in my life at exactly the time I needed to hear those words--not just for my poetry, but for my perseverance in the life God gave me.
"Ashley, you need to take this the whole way. I feel like you stopped somewhere before the leap you needed to take here. Leap, don't hesitate..." Leap.
Friday, September 18, 2015
Abundant
For the past few weeks, I have been reminded over and over that Jesus wants us to have ABUNDANT life. My pastors have been preaching about service, about outreach, about spreading the gospel from generation to generation. In my apologetics study group, we have talked about evidence that God is telling the truth and how we can trust Him. And, in all of those diverse subjects,
I thought about this verse:
John 10:10
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
Who is the thief? Who is the one who steals and kills and destroys that abundant life?
I thought about this verse:
John 10:10
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
Who is the thief? Who is the one who steals and kills and destroys that abundant life?
Laziness...that won't let us serve.
Fear...that cuffs our hands behind our back so we cannot reach out.
Distraction...that makes us forget to share the good news with those around us.
Doubt...that pushes us away from God because we cannot believe that He is honest, that He is good, that He is in control.
Is abundant life just an empty promise? I don't feel like I am living an abundant life some days. I feel emptiness and loneliness and longing for something more. But, then I get reminded that I.have.Jesus.
HE is the source of abundant life. And the peace and love and strength He offers is available to me, when I am focused on Him and on what He calls me to.
This week was full of activity, but unlike my 4 years of college, it carried incredible meaning and power. On Monday night, my husband and I were able to go sort clothes to give away at a ministry site for the poor. On Tuesday, we watched a good friend be baptized and were able to celebrate God's work in her life with friends and family. On Wednesday, I got the chance to meet a large group of seniors from our church; what a blessing! We all sang hymns and ate soup and chatted and listened to a devotional from God's Word. Then, that night, my husband and I went to an apologetics study group to watch a video highlighting the evidence for the Exodus. On Thursday night, I attended a Polish language class so I can better communicate with my in-laws and started making vocab flashcards (my favorite!).
Whirlwind week, but I am overjoyed by the ways God is filling my empty calendar with satisfying and life-giving moments. When I exile the thieves--when I banish the laziness, fear, distractions, doubt, and compulsions to sin that weaken my faith and my fervor for the kingdom--then I am able to come to Jesus for abundant life. Then I am able to serve and share and open my heart wide to let in the fullness of all He has given.
I can value my intimate relationships as I should. I can show hospitality and care to the people around me. I can live at peace with God, with others, and with myself because Jesus has made peace...
Colossians 1:19-20
"For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross..."
Colossians 1:19-20
"For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross..."
Because God the Father is pleased for His everything to dwell in Jesus, we are able to have everything through Jesus...everything we could ever need.
[Video: Abundantly, by Avalon]
Saturday, September 5, 2015
New Me
Whew. It has been a busy few weeks as my husband and I prepared our belongings for our new place, moved in, and started unpacking all these boxes. I'm sitting at our kitchen table sweating from lack of AC (!) but incredibly grateful for the slowed down pace of this morning.
Today was the first time in a while that I got a chance to sit at the piano and work on some of the thoughts God has been putting in my heart since the beginning of the summer. Graduation day felt like a turning point for me and kick-started a wild summer of adjustments to married life and adjustments to a new city, new country, and new family. While I'm sure that sounds like a lot of changes, God has been so present in all of them; I feel a calm in my soul that I don't think I have been able to feel since I was living in Pennsylvania during my sophomore year of high school. That year was the last one that I can remember in which my life was stable. I had my old friends, my longtime school, lots of time to spend with my mom and with my cousins...there was a peace in that which I see now came from a fundamental understanding of God's care for me on a daily basis.
But once my junior year came and my parents and I moved out of our home, moved to Massachusetts, and prepared for a new life in the Northeast, I struggled to remember God's care. Our family had struggles, my senior year in public school was painful for lots of reasons, and I began to realize the profound sinfulness in my heart as I grew distant from God. I did not trust His care anymore; I worried about everything, I grew anxious socially and academically, and I forgot that God was present with me and ready to guide me through every circumstance.
That anxiety manifested itself physically and mentally once I entered college. I had anxiety attacks, I lost an unhealthy amount of weight, and my hair began thinning. I ate meals at crazy times, some semesters I worked two jobs while carrying a full courseload, I stressed about whether or not my professors were impressed by my work, and I fought to hang onto friends that ultimately weren't interested in being my friends. On top of those issues, my circumstances kept changing. I lived in 4 different buildings in 4 years, switched churches, switched my major, and threw myself into work with students at various grade levels, from various nations, through various schools and providers.
Oh, and I started dating, got engaged, and got married.
I began to think that I was controlling my life; I wouldn't have said it out loud, but I believed it. Because of that belief, I lost my joy. It was hard to smile, hard to make deep friendships, hard to treat my boyfriend (and eventually, fiance and husband) in the kind of spiritually encouraging way I knew I should be, and hard to forgive my family members for the often inadvertent ways they had hurt me. I knew something was wrong in my heart, but I felt that the pace of my life offered me no real ways to mend that broken place.
God knew what to do though. He took me out of my comfort zone this past May, moved me to Canada, and forced me to spend months alone with Him (and with my husband). He allowed my trust issues, my spiritual struggles, and my deep longing for security and affection to surface. In doing so, He forced me to acknowledge that His work in me was not dependent on my meeting His (or my own) standards. I finally realized that whatever plans He has for me are SO much better than the plans I have for myself.
This song, New Me, I wrote this morning as I sat at my Clavinova. I thought about how the Lord is using this season of my life, when I am not working or going to school, to change my dreams for the future. I wanted to introduce Him to someone who is willing to allow Him to change my heart, fill me with joy, and empower me to serve Him in ways I never planned for. Despite how personal this song is to me (and likely to other post-grads), I hope it will resonate with you and encourage you to seek God's plan and not the plans that would merely gratify yourself or others.
New Me
Four years gone by, diploma in hand
And life is just not what I had planned
Lots of laughter but lots more tears
Thought I'd feel safe once I faced my fears
But now I'm back to the girl I once was
And I think we grew apart
I don't even know where to start
Everybody asks, "What's the next step?
Where will you go? What is your dream?"
Why don't they ask, "With the time you have left,
Who are you going to be?"
Yeah I know it may seem like that time was a waste
Now that the account's running dry
But Lord, meet the new me
And where I want to be
Is living before it's time to die
Summer's gone by, cold settling in
And my life is so full I can't even begin
To describe all the love and the peace that I've found
In knowing that He keeps my feet on the ground
Every step of my way, God is holding my hand
And meeting my every need
Even though we grew apart
He knows where I need to start
Everybody asks, "What's the next step?
Where on the ladder do you wanna climb?"
Why don't they ask, "With the time you have left
How is your light gonna shine?"
Yeah I know it might seem like I've thrown dreams away
But maybe those dreams just weren't true
Lord, meet the new me
And who I want to be
Is anyone walking with you
Put that spring in my step
Put that joy on my face
Put that song on my lips
Let me sing of your grace
Break the chains of the dark
Clothe me with light
There's a world that needs love
Let my heart flow like Christ's (2x)
Everybody asks, "What's the next step?
How high can you get? What will it take?"
Why don't they ask, "With the time you have left
What difference are you going to make?" (2x)
Yeah I know it might seem like I gave my life up
But God is more precious than pearls
Lord, meet the new me
And what I want to be
Is a servant who's changing the world
A lover, a writer, a mother, a fighter,
A servant who's changing the world.
Today was the first time in a while that I got a chance to sit at the piano and work on some of the thoughts God has been putting in my heart since the beginning of the summer. Graduation day felt like a turning point for me and kick-started a wild summer of adjustments to married life and adjustments to a new city, new country, and new family. While I'm sure that sounds like a lot of changes, God has been so present in all of them; I feel a calm in my soul that I don't think I have been able to feel since I was living in Pennsylvania during my sophomore year of high school. That year was the last one that I can remember in which my life was stable. I had my old friends, my longtime school, lots of time to spend with my mom and with my cousins...there was a peace in that which I see now came from a fundamental understanding of God's care for me on a daily basis.
But once my junior year came and my parents and I moved out of our home, moved to Massachusetts, and prepared for a new life in the Northeast, I struggled to remember God's care. Our family had struggles, my senior year in public school was painful for lots of reasons, and I began to realize the profound sinfulness in my heart as I grew distant from God. I did not trust His care anymore; I worried about everything, I grew anxious socially and academically, and I forgot that God was present with me and ready to guide me through every circumstance.
That anxiety manifested itself physically and mentally once I entered college. I had anxiety attacks, I lost an unhealthy amount of weight, and my hair began thinning. I ate meals at crazy times, some semesters I worked two jobs while carrying a full courseload, I stressed about whether or not my professors were impressed by my work, and I fought to hang onto friends that ultimately weren't interested in being my friends. On top of those issues, my circumstances kept changing. I lived in 4 different buildings in 4 years, switched churches, switched my major, and threw myself into work with students at various grade levels, from various nations, through various schools and providers.
Oh, and I started dating, got engaged, and got married.
I began to think that I was controlling my life; I wouldn't have said it out loud, but I believed it. Because of that belief, I lost my joy. It was hard to smile, hard to make deep friendships, hard to treat my boyfriend (and eventually, fiance and husband) in the kind of spiritually encouraging way I knew I should be, and hard to forgive my family members for the often inadvertent ways they had hurt me. I knew something was wrong in my heart, but I felt that the pace of my life offered me no real ways to mend that broken place.
God knew what to do though. He took me out of my comfort zone this past May, moved me to Canada, and forced me to spend months alone with Him (and with my husband). He allowed my trust issues, my spiritual struggles, and my deep longing for security and affection to surface. In doing so, He forced me to acknowledge that His work in me was not dependent on my meeting His (or my own) standards. I finally realized that whatever plans He has for me are SO much better than the plans I have for myself.
This song, New Me, I wrote this morning as I sat at my Clavinova. I thought about how the Lord is using this season of my life, when I am not working or going to school, to change my dreams for the future. I wanted to introduce Him to someone who is willing to allow Him to change my heart, fill me with joy, and empower me to serve Him in ways I never planned for. Despite how personal this song is to me (and likely to other post-grads), I hope it will resonate with you and encourage you to seek God's plan and not the plans that would merely gratify yourself or others.
New Me
Four years gone by, diploma in hand
And life is just not what I had planned
Lots of laughter but lots more tears
Thought I'd feel safe once I faced my fears
But now I'm back to the girl I once was
And I think we grew apart
I don't even know where to start
Everybody asks, "What's the next step?
Where will you go? What is your dream?"
Why don't they ask, "With the time you have left,
Who are you going to be?"
Yeah I know it may seem like that time was a waste
Now that the account's running dry
But Lord, meet the new me
And where I want to be
Is living before it's time to die
Summer's gone by, cold settling in
And my life is so full I can't even begin
To describe all the love and the peace that I've found
In knowing that He keeps my feet on the ground
Every step of my way, God is holding my hand
And meeting my every need
Even though we grew apart
He knows where I need to start
Everybody asks, "What's the next step?
Where on the ladder do you wanna climb?"
Why don't they ask, "With the time you have left
How is your light gonna shine?"
Yeah I know it might seem like I've thrown dreams away
But maybe those dreams just weren't true
Lord, meet the new me
And who I want to be
Is anyone walking with you
Put that spring in my step
Put that joy on my face
Put that song on my lips
Let me sing of your grace
Break the chains of the dark
Clothe me with light
There's a world that needs love
Let my heart flow like Christ's (2x)
Everybody asks, "What's the next step?
How high can you get? What will it take?"
Why don't they ask, "With the time you have left
What difference are you going to make?" (2x)
Yeah I know it might seem like I gave my life up
But God is more precious than pearls
Lord, meet the new me
And what I want to be
Is a servant who's changing the world
A lover, a writer, a mother, a fighter,
A servant who's changing the world.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)