Mountain State Fair Ministry

Church volunteers had a great time working at the Mountain State Fair this year! In the Break Tent we made coffee and sandwiches for fair workers to have for free, at the Ministry Booth we gave out teddy bears and offered prayer support to folks walking by, and in courtesy carts we gave rides to people with mobility needs. In everything, we got to show the love of Jesus! 

The Prayer Ministry Team Needs You!

After a pandemic hiatus, we’re ready to restart our Prayer Ministry. It is such helpful work that shares support, love, and encouragement with so many people—through prayers, notes, cards, and concern. Were you on a care team in the past? Then sign up again! If you weren’t, then now’s the time to learn about it. Everyone can do it; it only takes a heart that cares about helping other people. We provide instructions, guides, supplies, and information about current needs. And as we restart it now, we’ll be thinking of ways to get creative—if your schedule didn’t allow you to participate in the past; don’t let that hold you back this time.

Anyone who is interested in signing up or learning more about the Prayer Ministry can contact Sandra Bishop-Ray (call the church office at 645-6720 if you need her contact info).

Book recommendation - I Have Called You Friends, by Fisher Humphreys

Do you see yourself as a friend of Jesus? Picture yourself as a guest in God’s house. Or a traveler. If you are a Christ follower, you are all of these and more. Using 10 images from the New Testament, I Have Called You Friends invites us to grasp the unique dimensions of our identity as believers. Author Fisher Humphreys has written this important book for Christians who are interested in understanding themselves and the life God is calling them to live. Presented in an easy-to-read format, this book will draw you into the depths of what it means to be a disciple of Christ. Highly recommended!

Come by the Fellowship Hall weekdays 8am-3pm to check out this book or any of the other good reads we have available!

Book recommendation - Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, by Richard Foster

Do you ever feel unworthy, selfish, lost, confused in coming to God in prayer, not knowing how or what to pray? Richard Foster in his book, Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home, writes, “We do not have to be bright, or pure, or filled with faith, or anything. That is what grace means, and not only are we saved by grace, we live by it as well. And we pray by it.”

Come by the Fellowship Hall weekdays 8am-3pm to check out this book or any of the other good reads we have available!

A poem to bless times of transition

"Trust in the Slow Work of God" by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Above all, trust in the slow work of God.
We are quite naturally impatient in everything to reach the end without delay.
We should like to skip the intermediate stages.
We are impatient of being on the way to something unknown, something new.

And yet it is the law of all progress
that it is made by passing through some stages of instability—
and that it may take a very long time.

And so I think it is with you;
your ideas mature gradually—let them grow,
let them shape themselves, without undue haste.
Don’t try to force them on,
as though you could be today what time
(that is to say, grace and circumstances acting on your own good will)
will make of you tomorrow.

Only God could say what this new spirit
gradually forming within you will be.
Give Our Lord the benefit of believing
that his hand is leading you,
and accept the anxiety of feeling yourself
in suspense and incomplete.

A Prayer Song to Start Every Day – “I Arise Today (The Deer’s Cry)”

The lyrics of this song are attributed to a prayer by St. Patrick. Sometimes referred to as “St. Patrick’s Breastplate,” it is a beautiful prayer acknowledging God’s presence all around us, and inviting it into our lives. It also invites the life of Christ to fill up every part of our day, our body, and our spirit. (The words of the prayer were put to music by the Irish composer Shaun Davey, and sung by Rita Connolly.)

“I Arise Today (The Deer’s Cry)”

I arise today, through the strength of heaven;
Light of sun, radiance of moon,
Splendor of fire, speed of lightning,
Swiftness of wind, depth of the sea,
Stability of earth, firmness of rock.

I arise today, through God’s strength to pilot me;
God’s eye to look before me, God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s way to lie before me, God’s shield to protect me,
From all who shall wish me ill, afar and a-near,
Alone and in a multitude.

Against every cruel merciless power
That may oppose my body and soul.

Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ in me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise, Christ to shield me.

Christ in the heart of every one who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks of me.
I arise today.

A Song of Honesty and Determination – “All I Can Say” by David Crowder

When we pretend that we can always do everything ourselves, we eventually run out and realize that’s not true. Even though God promises to help us through everything in life, we often don’t turn to God until we’ve run out of energy trying to handle everything with our own willpower. So at that point, when we’re finally tired enough to ask God for help, we realize that God’s comfort and strength were there waiting for us all along.

“All I Can Say” by David Crowder

Lord I'm tired.
So tired from walking.
And Lord I'm so alone.
And Lord the dark is creeping in,
Creeping up to swallow me.
I think I'll stop, rest here a while.

[Chorus:]
And this is all that I can say right now. I know it’s not much.
This is all that I can give. That’s my everything.

And didn't you see me crying?
And didn't you hear me call your name?
Wasn't it you I gave my heart to?
I wish you'd remember where you sat it down.

[chorus]

I didn't notice you were standing here.
I didn't know that that was you holding me.
I didn't notice you were crying too.
I didn't know that that was you washing my feet.

A Song of Invitation – “Lord, I Come” by Michael John Clement

Sometimes we need a simple invitation to do something powerful. This song invites us, simply, to do the most powerful thing and connect with the presence of the Lord. It calls us to invite God’s Holy Spirit to wash us clean as we see Jesus, even though we are fallen and broken. And because we are, we cannot help but cry holy.

“Lord, I Come” by Michael John Clement

Lord, I come in worship.
Let me see Jesus.
Fall on me, Spirit, wash me clean.
Let me come fallen,
Let me bow broken,
Touch my heart, Spirit, pour on me.

Let me come into your presence and cry holy.
Let me rise upon your mountain and cry holy, holy.
Holy, holy. Holy is the Lamb.

A Song to Remind Us – “He is the Love” by David Crowder

Sometimes it’s the simple thing that we need to reminded of the most. This simple song reminds us of the simple but infinitely deep truth that God is the Love that holds us when we are broken, supports us when we are needy, and can always reach us no matter how far we run away.

“He is the Love” by David Crowder

This is the place I've known.
Here in the arms of one who loves
Deeper than anyone.
For His are the hands I've grown to trust.

And this is the place I've known.
Here in the arms of one who loves
Further than I could run.
For His are the hands I've grown to trust.

And I believe...
His are the hands that spread the sky.
And His is the love that gives me life.
And His are the broken, the needy ones.
And He is the love.

His are the hands that spread to die.
And His is the love that sacrificed.
And we are the broken, the needy ones.
And He is the love.

A Poem to Guide Your Prayers – “A Blessing for Traveling in the Dark” by Jan Richardson

We continue to live in hard scary times. It’s tempting to try and rush through them, wildly pushing our way to the other side. But that will not get us anywhere; it will only result in more people getting pushed. Instead of lashing out in denial or anger, we can be at peace even during this time of dark shadow. Peace because God loves us, knows us, and is with us, even in the cloud.

“A Blessing for Traveling in the Dark” by Jan Richardson

Go slow
if you can.
Slower.
More slowly still.
Friendly dark or fearsome,
this is no place to break your neck
by rushing,
by running,
by crashing into what you cannot see.

Then again, it is true:
different darks
have different tasks,
and if you have arrived here unawares,
if you have come
in peril
or in pain,
this might be no place you should dawdle.

I do not know
what these shadows ask of you,
what they might hold
that means you good
or ill.
It is not for me to reckon
whether you should linger
or you should leave.

But this is what I can ask for you:

That in the darkness there be a blessing.
That in the shadows there be a welcome.
That in the night you be encompassed
by the Love that knows your name.

Christmas Eve and New Year’s Message

Our Christmas Eve drive-thru setting was a wonderful evening (albeit cold and wet at the end). Everyone who drove through received a Christmas message and blessing. We’ve adapted it here for New Year’s, and for everyone to receive who wasn’t able to come on Christmas Eve:

We are so glad that you have been a part of this year with us. It was a challenging year, but sharing strength and encouragement throughout was a blessing. Know that this year, we are thankful for you!

We wish things were safe enough to celebrate our normal traditions and worship, of course. We wish that we could stand together inside, sweetly huddled close, warming each other from the cold. We wish we could linger together, talking and catching up, sharing candles and Communion, connecting and seeing smiles.

We couldn’t do those good things, but celebrating together is still important. You are important. The love of God that burst forth into our world and shone through the life of Jesus is important. Let it shine through you.

While the Christmas carol “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear” is heard often each year, its specific message isn’t always noticed. But it feels like the third verse of that hymn resonates for us in a deeper way this year. Maybe it’s singing to you:

All ye, beneath life's crushing load, whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way with painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours come swiftly on the wing:
O rest beside the weary road, and hear the angels sing.

We pray that you will rest and notice songs of angels next year. We pray that it will be a year of healing—of bodies, souls, families, systems, and divisions. Let us start fresh, and establish a new better standard that we want to be as people. Letting go of old patterns that encouraged prejudice and sowed disagreements. Let them go, so that we may all be better next year.

Whatever happens in the days, weeks, and months ahead, do not forget the most important things: that you are loved by God, and by us. No matter what. No matter who you are. You are loved. And that is what we want you to carry with you next year. You are loved. And that’s the truth.

A New Year’s Blessing

The candles of Advent felt pertinent and needed this year more than ever: Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love. We keep holding them in our hearts as we wait for more of God’s light in Jesus to shine. We wait as we hope for peace and to feel the joy that comes from love.

Advent was a season of waiting, and we did a lot of waiting this year. Waiting to hear about jobs or test results, hoping for vaccines. So here is a New Year’s devotion for you to read by yourself or with others on New Year’s Eve night, to bless our waiting and our hopes:
(bold = all read together, * = change readers)

* God of the waiting ones, give us your good word for our souls.

* God of the watching ones, give us your blessing.

* God of the watching and waiting ones, the slow and suffering ones, give us the good word of your blessing, that we might rest.

* God of the watching and waiting ones, and the angels in heaven, and the wise peoples of earth, and shepherds in fields, and of the child who was born,

Give us the good word of your blessing, to warm our cold souls on this last night, that we might rest in your love.

* This is the last night on the eve of new beginnings, when those who are longing wait for new life.

* We wait with watchful hearts.

* We listen carefully, in the stillness, straining to hear songs of angels—the good news that new life and new light has come.

* Watch and pray, the Lord is near. Listen and wait. He is here.

Shine on us, O God of justice. Guide our path through gloom of night. Bear within us Wisdom's glory. Come to us, O Christ the Light.

A Song of Awareness – “If I Stand” by Rich Mullins

This song reminds us that life is bigger than just the things we see in front of us, because God’s Spirit flows deep. And this song helps us recognize that when we are able to remain standing during hard times, it is because of God’s strength. But it also admits that sometimes we fall, so when we do, we can fall into God’s grace. So whether we sing or weep, let us do so with the awareness that God surrounds and fills us no matter what.

“If I Stand” by Rich Mullins

There's more that rises in the morning than the sun,
And more that shines in the night than just the moon.
It's more than just this fire here that keeps me warm
In a shelter that is larger than this room.

And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments,
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing.
The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things.

chorus:
So if I stand let me stand on the promise
That you will pull me through.
And if I can't let me fall on the grace
That first brought me to You.
And if I sing let me sing for the joy
That has born in me these songs.
And if I weep let it be as a man who is longing for his home.

There's more that dances on the prairies than the wind.
More that pulses in the ocean than the tide.
There's a love that is fiercer than the love between friends,
More gentle than a mother's when her baby's at her side.

And there's a loyalty that's deeper than mere sentiments,
And a music higher than the songs that I can sing.
The stuff of earth competes for the allegiance
I owe only to the Giver of all good things.

[chorus]

A Song to Pray in Hard Times - “Hold Me Jesus” by Rich Mullins

This is an honest song for honest prayers. When we fall apart and can’t take it anymore, these are the prayers that we pray. God always hears us and always comforts us, even during painful uncertain nights. Let this song help you get your most honest prayers out to God, and let yourself by comforted by God’s grace in return.

“Hold Me Jesus”

Sometimes my life just don't make sense at all.
When the mountains look so big,
And my faith just seems so small.

[chorus:]
So hold me Jesus, ‘cause I'm shaking like a leaf.
You have been King of my glory, won't You be my Prince of Peace.

I wake up in the night and feel the dark.
It's so hot inside my soul,
I swear there must be blisters on my heart.

[chorus]

Surrender don't come natural to me.
I'd rather fight you for something I don't really want
Than to take what you give that I need.
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees.

And the Salvation Army band’s playing this hymn.
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin.

So hold me Jesus, ‘cause I'm shaking like a leaf.
You have been King of my glory, won't You be my Prince of Peace.

A Prayer about What to Do

By Thomas Merton, from his book Thoughts in Solitude:

My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think that I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to love as Christ loved does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore, I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me and you will never leave me to face my perils alone. Amen.

A Song of Devotion – “You Are My God”

Sometimes we need simple reminders of deep truths. We also need simple encouragements to do important things. This song helps us with both. It is a reminder that we do not deserve God’s unconditional forgiveness. And it’s an encouragement for us to wake up every morning and rise to meet God’s Spirit—in the world and in our lives.

“You Are My God”

As long as the rivers flow, as long as the wind blows, my heart belongs to You.
As long as the seasons change, as long as the farmer needs the rain, my heart belongs to You.
 
Lord, I know I don't deserve the grace You give.
So I will give my heart to You that I might live.
 
You are my God, early in the morning will I rise to meet You, rise to meet You.
You are my God, early in the morning will I rise to meet You, rise to meet You.

A Prayer Song of Yearning – “Refine Me” by Jennifer Knapp

So often, we know what we want ourselves to be, but then we let ourselves get pulled away toward so many distractions. We know we want to be close to and connected with God’s Spirit, but we end up going in other directions out of fear or selfishness. This song helps us pray for God to refine our souls so that we can be purified, cleansed, and freed.

“Refine Me” by Jennifer Knapp 

I come into this place
Burning to receive your peace.
I come with my own chains
From wars I've fought for my own selfish gain.
You're my God and my Father;
I've accepted your Son,
But my soul feels so empty now
What have I become?
 
[chorus:]
Lord, come with your fire,
Burn my desires; refine me.
Lord, my will has deceived me,
Please come and free me; refine me.
 
My heart can't see
When I only look at me.
My soul can't hear
When I only think of my own fears.
They are gone in a moment
You're forever the same.
Why did I look away from You?
How can I speak Your name?
 
[chorus]
Come rescue this child.
For I long to be reconciled to You.
 
It's all I can do
To give my heart and soul to You
And pray, and pray, oh I will pray.
 
[chorus]
Come rescue this child
For I long to be reconciled to You.
Refine me, refine me.

A Prayer Song to Start Your Days – “The Day Is Dawning” by Jill Phillips

This song repeats its prayer over and over, with slight variations, as it prays for strength, love, and hope for the day. Those are all things that we desperately need help with these days, so this is a good song to listen to and a simple prayer to echo as you rise and begin each day.

“The Day Is Dawning” by Jill Phillips

Give me a chance; I want to change my ways,
‘Cause I can't live here and look the same.
Let me look up, let me look to your face,
And set me in my place, oh Lord, set me in my place.
 
The day is dawning and I am just rising
I pray my strength won't fail, I pray my strength won't fail. (x 2)
 
My strength won’t fail. My strength won’t fail.
The day is dawning and I am just rising,
I pray my strength won't fail, my strength.
 
The day is dawning and I am just rising.
I pray my love won't fail, I pray my love won't fail. (x 2)
 
My love won’t fail. My love won’t fail.
The day is dawning and I am just rising.
I pray my love won't fail, my love.
 
The day is dawning and I am just rising.
I pray my hope won't fail, I pray my hope won't fail. (x 2)
 
My hope won’t fail. My hope won’t fail.
The day is dawning and I am just rising.
I pray my hope won't fail, my hope.
 
Give me a chance; I want to change my ways,
‘Cause I can't live here and look the same.

A Song of Confession - "We Will Run" by Gungor

This song confesses how much we have turned away from God, and prays for healing in our world. Things we definitely need to express these days. The song starts slowly and quietly, and builds into a passionate expression of crying out to God.

“We Will Run” by Gungor

Create in me a clean heart, a clean heart.
For I have turned my face from You.
Save us from our ways oh God, oh God.
For we have turned away from You.
Lord have mercy.
 
chorus:
We will run to you, we will run to You.
Turning from our sin we return to You.
Father heal your world, make all things new.
Make all things new.
 
Your love and mercy build and shape us.
Break down and recreate us now.
Lord have mercy.
 
[chorus]
 
Oh oh oh, bring us back to You!

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