Archive for January, 2010

Snow Day

Sunday, January 31st, 2010

January 31, 2010.  We’ve canceled church and all the activities because of the snow and ice.   It’s Sunday,  but there’s no Sunday School, no Service of Worship, and no coffee and donuts in between services.  I woke up feeling out of sorts.  Isn’t today Sunday?  Shouldn’t I be at the church?  Isn’t this a day of worship and activities.   What about Children’s Ministry?   All kinds of stuff flooded my mind.  I was feeling off balance, out of kilter.   In my head I kept hearing a little voice say, “Even though it snowed and ice is on the roads – it’s still Sunday.  It’s still a day to worship.”  I have been a minister for 28 years.  It just feels wrong not to be worshipping on Sunday, even though there is ice and snow.

But why is today any different than any other day?  Isn’t every day a day to worship the Lord?  Why is Sunday different than Monday?  Isn’t God’s presence is in our lives every day of the week?  Isn’t God’s grace offered every day of the week?   I’m wrong about Sunday.   Yes, I should feel out of sorts because we are not worshipping today.  But I should feel out of sorts every day I don’t worship God.  For every day is a day made by the Lord.   Every day is a day I should be giving Him praise and glory.   Every day is a day I need to give Him my thanks and praise.  This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Chad

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Who is this?

Tuesday, January 26th, 2010

I found a post-it note on my desk with the name Haley scrawled on it, and a phone number.  I’ve thought about it a bit, and I have no clue who Haley is.  I’ve known a couple Haley’s, but not in North Carolina.  So I’m at a loss.  Now, if you’ve seen my desk, you probably are amazed I haven’t found many more notes, books, half eaten sandwiches and the like.  Well, I’m not going to justify such thoughts with an answer – although if someone could tell me the last time I had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I’d appreciate it.  It still smells OK.

Well, let’s get back to Haley, or at least her name.  I really don’t know who Haley is.  I also  just had good news to share with you on the prayer email.  My brain combined the two things.  And I began to wonder if there are times people pray and God wonders, “Who is this?”   I know God knows all things, and knows who we are when we pray.  He is a great and mighty God who knows the number of hairs on our head.  He knit us together in our mother’s womb.  He knows us intimately.  God knows who we are when we pray.

For some of us, prayer is a regular thing.  We call out to God in the morning and in the evening.  We say, “Lord, it’s me again.”  And while some people may think God gets tired of hearing us over and over again, I believe it’s a good thing that He can recognize our voice.

Psalm 5 says

1 Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.

2 Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.

3 In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation.

Let’s make today a day of prayer.  Make it so the Lord recognizes your voice.  It can’t hurt.

Chad

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