Harambee Church: Worship

Benevolence Offering: Prayer of hope and Thanksgiving

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday on June 29th, 2008

My name is Cherie Trondson, and today the benevolence offering will be used to support my friend, Christine Francisco, and her children. After I take a short moment to tell you more of her story, I will pray for her family while the offering is collected.

Remember that this offering is in addition to the regular offering which will be collected at the end of the service

Christine’s name may be familiar to you. Maybe you have heard it on the news, seen it in the papers or glanced at it on the Harambee prayer request sheet you get when you come to church on Sunday morning. If you do not know who I am talking about, let me share a bit about her with you.

On February 13 of this year, Nicholas Francisco, Christine’s husband, called her from his job on Queen Anne, mentioned that he would be making a short stop on his way home from work, but would get home to SeaTac in time to make cookies with their young daughter.

Nicholas never came home…there is no word as to where he is today.

Christine’s responsibilities have changed tremendously since Nicholas disappeared. She is the abruptly appointed leader in her home over her two small children, and is carrying her third child, a son, who is due in October.

The internet is swarming with people who have their own ideas as to where Nicholas is, what happened, even going so far as to speculate on how Christine may have been a participant in his disappearance. Not only does she bear the instantaneous burden of being the sole caregiver in her home, but she carries a burden placed there by public opinion on how she responds to every aspect of Nicholas’ disappearance.

Christine’s former home in SeaTac is very close to where I live, and being in such close proximity allowed my family to be able to care for Christine’s bunny until a family was found for him, to rally the very willing people of Harambee for a night of yard work and to do upkeep on her overgrown yard. Coming up this Saturday, there will be another opportunity for more yard work for those who can help. (Please see Megan VanHouten for more details) And, the NE Tacoma/federal Way home group will be hosting a yard sale in just a couple of weeks as was mentioned earlier in the announcements.

In addition to the needs surrounding her former home in SeaTac, Christine is facing another challenge as she has been placed on bed rest at only 26 weeks along in her pregnancy. The opportunities to help are limitless and diverse.

In the midst of the growing number of challenges in Christine’s life, God has continuously provided in amazing ways for her family. He has kept her children healthy, has provided her with a good family and friends to support her, has given her a free place to live, has stirred the hearts of those in the community to help by donating treasure and talents, has provided food and clothes for her kids and homes for her pets, neighbors who keep an eye on her vacant property in SeaTac, and lots of prayer and support.

So I would like to pray for the Francisco family, not only with hope for healing and provision, but in thanksgiving for all that God has provided already. While I pray, the offering will be collected so you will need to keep an eye out for the basket as it comes your way.

Telling the Story

Presented by Nadia Moore as part of our corporate worship on Sunday May 11th, 2008

Hi, my name is Nadia Moore and I've been a member here at Harambee for several years. Sandy Smith who works with liturgy and prayer asked me to talk about how the Lord has blessed me with my new job, and with that I have to briefly mention the whole job thing over the past year.

This story really began the end of last Spring when I became the main provider in my home for myself and my children. Since then, several amazing events have happened.

In the beginning, I had a plan, and was confident that I’d be okay, because of it, until my plan didn’t work out. I had to question if I had confidence because I had a plan or because I had God. I literally was in the position of being steps away from being out of my house, without a provisional job when some pivotal things happened. And though delving into that subject is a whole other story, I will say, I’ll never forget what that felt like, and I do feel a pull to some type of ministry down the road with women in those circumstances.

But as for the work story, the first part is that 7 years ago, I took on teaching a friend of mine, my business of doing film and photography make-up and hair styling. She really wanted to get into it, so I worked with her for awhile, did some jobs with her, had her work for me etc... So, life went on and we stayed in touch now and then while she built her business and I raised youngsters and still worked occasionally. Well last summer when I was mulling over my options, I called her and told her what had happened and let her know if she had any extra jobs I’d be up for taking some on. Since then she’s given me clients and jobs consistently every month. It’s been truly humbling and amazing, that all these years later God used my help for her, to turn around and support me and my children. This work along with financial provision from family who were able and willing to share it, has helped me to pay my bills and stay in our house and maintain my home with my children. In addition to the financial provisions, friendships and mentoring and prayer with friends here from church and my Harambee group has also been amazing to see and be a part of. In a time when some days feel like you’re watching life slip away, I’ve been supplied with a living faithfully every month, and every day. It’s been a trial, but one that has hope none the less, and good days with the bad, just like everyone else.

My goal during that time was to find a job that provided some consistency and had more freedom to work from home, so I could better arrange time with my children. Years ago another single mom friend of mine went through a similar situation. God had provided a year at home with her child and though she was blessed, she told me she wished she'd grasped more of the blessing of that specific time by not worrying about the big or long-term picture so much, when God was providing daily. I remembered that, and it was also on my heart to find the job I believed would be best for my children. I decided to give myself a year to explore what would be best, through prayer and trying things that fit what I wanted for my family.

I did try to get into publishing or writing, and God did provide some success but nothing consistent as a career. The end of the year was looming and I did feel like I was on the right path, but during one of the more financially challenging days I was frustrated - not mad at God, but the rubber was hitting the road and I was like “Okay, I’m trying here, I’m doing resumes, I’m going out there and I’m not getting anything, what are you going to do. I can’t do anything else here, if this is the way I'm going to go, what are you going to do?”

And no kidding, not 2 hours later, I get this phone call for this newspaper advertising job that will let me work from home, still do some freelance work, has benefits, commission plus salary and the opportunity to later write for the paper. And with all that, the people there are great, and bring lots of yummy snacks to share at the office.

I know enough to know things can change, but as this new path continues, I’m trying to stay level headed about it and appreciate the opportunities every day. It’s given me a lot of hope for my dreams for myself and my children and taught me that when things are far from perfect, to still keep trying. I believe God honored my hopes for my family life because eventually, after all the time trying things and sending out résumé’s, what needed to happen did. I did get writing jobs and eventually the publishing job. The Lord did it for sure, but I'd tried to keep living in the belief that He would, up until that day, even though I had been rejected so many times.

So what I’ve learned thus far is to lean on the Lord in struggles, as he knows it all anyway, and be open to the struggles myself. They'll happen, and tough as it might be sometimes, better to face them head on. I’ve learned that God really is watching over me and my family and I’ve learned to let good people truly into my life, as it really does make all the difference.

Prayer of Hope for Native Americans

Presented by Sandy Smith as part of our corporate worship on Sunday December 29th, 2007

Prayer of Hope for Native Americans

 Teen suicide in Native American communities is the highest in the Western Hemisphere

 Alcoholism is 10 times greater than all ethnic groups combined.

 With alcoholism comes destructive abuse of all kinds, high crime, poverty and despair.

 Unemployment on some Reservations is 90%. Poverty is rampant.
 Native youth have the highest school dropout rates at every level of education.

 Cycles of family dysfunction remain unbroken, children grow up with despair of a better future and children become parents long before they’re ready.

This is the time in our service where we pray for hope for those who need it, here at home or around the world. My name is Sandy Smith and today I would like to pray for Native Americans.

Several years ago while I was working at World Vision, a Native American man came and spoke during our weekly chapel service. His name was Richard Twiss.

Richard is a Lakota/Sioux American who was born on the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. He and his wife, Katherine began a ministry to native peoples in 1997 called Wiconi International. Wiconi means Life in the Lakota/Sioux language. Richard said many things that really impacted me that day. One of the things he brought to our attention was that although Christian people have been trying to evangelize Native Americans since Europeans first arrived in North America, there has been very little fruit from those efforts. He also reminded us that the Body of Christ will not be complete until there are representatives from every tribe, tongue and nation. Every people group has a part to play in the mission of God. I grew up in a small town in Montana and had several classmates who were Indians but I had never cared about the fact that so few of them if any were Christians. I’d never stopped to think that the church is lacking if they are not with us.

The following information is from Wiconi’s web-site www.wiconi.com. In John 10:10, Jesus tells us that The thief comes only to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10

Indigenous or First Nations people know what it means to suffer the loss of land, dignity, self-respect, life and a way of living. Though this has sadly become the normal every day reality for many of these people, the aim of Wiconi International is to find ways to help them experience the promise of hope Jesus has painted with his words – the abundant life.

That is what Jesus brings. He does not bring religion, legalism, shame, oppression or paternalism, though sadly, Christianity often does. The prayer of Wiconi is that these people may live, and live in abundance, spirit, soul and body!

They want to see Indigenous people come to know and experience ultimate freedom, and deliverance from the powers of darkness that still prevail in their lands and communities; this evil is seen in the alcohol and drug abuse, incest, suicide, poverty and despair that are rampant. There are dark and evil spirits that are stealing, killing and destroying Native people every day. In addition, there are oppressive and unjust economic and political systems that continue to prolong dependency and control.

At Wiconi International, they are diligently working and praying hard to find better ways to communicate this opportunity to find true freedom in Christ for their people. It is a freedom that affirms, embraces and respects the unique and God-given cultural realities of people, not rejecting or demonizing them.

The Wiconi Web-site is an endeavor to inspire in Christians a fresh vision about the possibilities that exist to make a dynamic positive impact for Christ by walking among Native American and Indigenous peoples worldwide “in a good way.” Their "living color dream" is to see First Nations/Indigenous believers recognized and embraced as vitally needed, coequal servant leaders in the Body of Christ throughout the Americas and around the world.

On their site you will find some of the best teaching resources available for those interested in walking among Native people in a good way that represents Jesus Christ in a culturally relevant and contextual way. They have books, cassette tapes, videos, CDs, VBS curriculum workbooks and youth comics to help reach out affectively.

The Mission of Wiconi International is:
• Equipping Indigenous people to fulfill their God-given destiny through faith in Jesus Christ.
Their purpose is:
• To glorify God the Father – the Ancient of Days – among all tribes, tongues and nations, by exalting the Lord Jesus Christ – Bright and Morning Star – creator and sustainer of all things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.
• To network with Native and non-Native leaders to develop a Christ-centered, culturally appropriate style of ministry that upholds Biblical Truth while honoring the cultural expressions of Christian faith for First Nations peoples.
• To see the Indigenous expression of Jesus Christ and His Kingdom recognized and embraced as an integral contributing participant in Christendom throughout the Americas and nations.
• To serve the global Church as a bridge builder and consulting resource for developing genuine community, unity, consciousness of social justice and mutuality among diverse peoples.
Dear Lord,
We pray for your hope and blessing on the Native peoples of our country and around the world. Please open their eyes to Your presence in their lives and Your salvation through Jesus Christ. Please deliver them from the high incidences of suicide, alcoholism, crime and poverty that plague them. Help us to have insight, discernment and wisdom to reach out to them in ways that are culturally appropriate. Help us as Your Body on earth to recognize that we are not complete until every tribe, tongue and nation is represented in our midst and to value their unique contributions to Your Kingdom . Continue to bless the ministry of Wiconi International and provide resources and opportunities for them to affectively minister to these people that You love.
Amen

Prayer of Hope by

Presented by Clay Davis as part of our corporate worship on Sunday December 7th, 2007

Hi, my name is Clay Davis and I’m interning with Harambee to help our international pastors and to be a reminder for you that we are working in others parts of the world and to be in prayer for that.

I’m also working with Acts29. For those here who are fairly new, Acts29 is a network of churches including Harambee church, that have a vision for training-up and facilitating pastors to plant churches and replant dead and dying churches in North America. This vision was started several years ago with Mars Hill church in Seattle as its base and today has grown to over 100 churches in the U.S. alone.
About a year ago something kind of unexpected happened; emails started coming in from pastors all over the world that wanted to plant churches and be trained, until Acts29 was just swamped with these emails. About the time that the Acts29 leadership began asking themselves “how the heck are we going to process these emails and handle the applications,” I unwittingly came along and got trapped, I mean took the job. And so now Acts29 has a major international focus as well. Mike Gunn is the director of Acts29 international and you’ll hear more about this in the future, but Mike is primarily doing conferences in different countries where we have contacts; he just got back this week from doing a conference in Pakistan with some native pastors there. The main focus for the international work is to partner with existing ministries that are run by local and native people, to plant churches.

One question to ask is: Why does Acts29 international and Harambee Church care so much about God’s global work and why do we send 10% of all Harambee money to international church planters? Since the gospel is already in China, and in the countries of Africa, and nearly every geographical nation; isn’t it possible that the local churches can spread the gospel on their own?
To answer this in short, Harambee and Acts29 realize that there are great cultural gaps, not only in our country but throughout the world that the gospel hasn’t reached. What I mean by this is that even though the gospel has gone into all the national boarders, it hasn’t gone into all the cultures within those national borders. To illustrate just how big this is, if all the individuals of the world who live in a culture that doesn’t have the gospel were put on a chunk of land and made into a country, that country would have double the population of China. And so the task is surprisingly large and Harambee and Acts29 don’t overlook the fact that the gospel should be in every people group.

So I’ll give a quick summary of what we are doing internationally as a church and then we’ll pray about it. Right now Harambee is supporting Vision Nationals in India, which is a theological college and children’s home. Harambee supports Bidur Singh and Pemba Sherpa who are currently at the Vision National’s college and will be returning to Nepal to plant churches, with Samuel. We also support Gabriel Kisanga in the Congo as well as two new guys Gerald Mwebe and George Paolo who are also indigenous pastors in Africa.

PRAYER: If you’ll bow your heads, I’ll say a quick prayer.
Lord Jesus, we remember that you have work to do both here and around the world. Lord we thank you for our internationals pastors in India, Nepal, and Africa. We pray that you would work through their lives and help them plant churches in their countries and cultures that you’ve called them to, and that you would help us at Harambee to be missionaries along with them, to places and people you’ve called us to, so that we could love people well and magnify Christ greatly. In Jesus name, Amen.

World Aids Day is December 1

Presented by Eline Nelson as part of our corporate worship on Sunday November 18th, 2007

Every day, 6,000 children lose a parent to AIDS. Imagine living without mom or dad. For many children, it's both — all because of this killer called AIDS.
World Vision is planning a 24-hour worldwide vigil in advance of World AIDS Day to read the names of 6,000 children who have lost a parent to AIDS. Powerpoint

A Stone, A Tomb, An Angel By Matt Vermeulen

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 23rd, 2007

I remember the day in missing pieces. Was it raining? A mist. My father
walking up the driveway—garbage-
can trailing like a victim—
a slip and his big body falls like a mudslide;
lumbering and terrible, like the world being swept away.
Sharp cuss. The garbage-can wheels spinning
in the air. I closed my eyes, in case he saw me
staring through the window.
Or the night asleep
a noise so loud and sudden
that the goose bumps hurt,
and I thought, for half a second
that my mouth was bleeding,
and the other half, just a dream.
Neither of which the claw hammer
could stop from happening again,
clutched in my warm hand,
long after I fell back asleep.
But then again, with cut-up pianos
and xylophones playing their ether music
and candle flames swaying in the aisles,
orange light pouring down from stained windows:
my bride, adorned in sunbeams and announced in incense,
turned a corner, resplendent in diamonds and ivory,
love seeping from the wooden arches and apses like warmed amber,
came to me.
And maybe the same, or a little bit more
the time I saw stars falling;
my heart swelled so big
I could see it beating through my fingertips
and my eyes felt too big and laughter was
a part of breathing; and I heard the words,
"Not for you, but I Am."
Which is to say, that must have been what
it was like to see the stone rolled away,
an empty tomb,
and an angel.

Prayer of Repentance by Sandi Youngren

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday on August 19th, 2007

How dare I come into Your holy presence
With any offering or praise
How dare I face a Holy Holy God
When I’m not walking in Your way

Matthew 7:1-5
1"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

Forgive me, Forgive me
Hearing words that give me life
Doing what my flesh delights
Forgive me, forgive me
Foolish houses on the sand
Built with my own sinful hands

Forgive me, forgive me
Dancing through the gate so wide
Can you forgive my pious pride?
Forgive me

Mathew 7:21-23 21
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

How dare I come into Your holy presence
With any offering or praise
How dare I face a Holy Holy God
When I’m not walking in Your way
Forgive me, Forgive me

Hearing words that give me life
Doing what my flesh delights
Forgive me, forgive me
Foolish houses on the sand
Built with my own sinful hands
Forgive me, forgive me
Dancing through the gate so wide
Can you forgive my pious pride?
Forgive me

Prayer of Repentance by Cherie Trondson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday April 22nd, 2007

Dear Lord,
We confess that though we have eyes, we do not see the needs around us.
We confess that though you have brought us out of the darkness and into your light, we often choose to hide in the darkness.
We confess that though we have ears, we do not listen to Your Holy Spirit as You instruct us in pursuing righteousness and forsaking sin.
We confess that though we have hearts that have been filled with Your love, we don’t give it freely back to You and to those around us. Please forgive us for choosing to be blind, disobedient, deaf and unloving.
We praise You that You always see, always forgive, always hear and always love us.

Amen

Prayer of Hope by Sandy Smith

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday on August 12th, 2007

Prayer requests for Persecuted Christians
TURKEY
Turkish Prosecutor Demands Christians' Acquittal - Compass Direct News
On July 18, a Turkish prosecutor demanded the acquittal of two Christians on trial for "insulting Turkishness," under the nation's controversial Article 301. State Prosecutor Ahmet Demirhuyuk told the court there was "not a single concrete credible piece of evidence" to support the accusations filed against Hakan Tastan and Turan Topal, former Muslims who converted to Christianity more than a decade ago. In court Demirhuyuk said, "There is absolutely no system or practice to consider it a crime for Christians to learn or spread their religion or gather for worship. Exactly the contrary, within the scope of freedom of religion and belief, everyone is guaranteed the right under the constitution and laws of Turkey, to live and spread his chosen faith." Pray the charges against these believers are dropped. Ask God to touch the lives of Christians in Turkey and that their lives would be a testimony to their accusers. Isaiah 26:3, Philippians 4:6,7
INDIA
Christians Beaten by Police Inspector; Pastor Beheaded - VOM Sources
• KARNATAKA - On July 15, while a group of Christians were gathered for worship in Thadesa, a police inspector assaulted two believers and took them to the police station. The police inspector continued to beat them for another three hours there. Pray for healing. Ask God to encourage believers in India and for their love to draw non-believers into the knowledge of Christ.
• MANIPUR - On July 5, Pastor Pau Za Khen, a Burmese pastor of the Upper Myanmar Evangelical Lutheran Church, was beheaded by an unidentified group in the town of Churachanpur, Manipur. Pastor Khen was abducted from his daughter's home by four men on July 4. His decapitated body was found in a field outside of town the next morning. His hands were tied behind his back and he was blindfolded. Pray for Pastor Khen's family and ask God to touch the lives of the killers so they can find forgiveness in Christ like Saul did. Acts 9:1-19, Romans 8:11
CAMBODIA
Christian Evangelism Banned - VOM Sources
On July 10, Cambodia's Ministry of Cults and Religions, distributed a directive banning Christian groups from door-to-door evangelism on the grounds that it "disrupts society." The directive also said distribution of religious literature should be confined to church buildings, which can only be built with government approval. Government officials said the ruling was aimed at reducing Christian evangelism thought Cambodia. Pray Christians in Cambodia will remain steadfast in their faith despite government opposition. Pray the testimony of believers will draw non-believers to Christ. Joshua 1:9, Isaiah 54:14
KAZAKHSTAN
Home Confiscations to Follow Massive Fines - Forum 18 News
On June 22, a mother and her young child were barred from their home as court executors sealed the Baptist church premises in Shymkent where they live to prevent the church from meeting. According to Forum 18 News Service, the move followed the church's refusal to abide by a court order halting its activity merely because it does not wish to undergo state registration. In Semey, Baptist Pastor Viktor Kandyba, his wife and their 12 children were threatened with the seizure of half their home after the pastor refused to pay a fine for leading unregistered worship. Pray for Christians in Kazakhstan. Ask God to give them courage and encouragement to remain steadfast in their faith despite pressure from authorities. Pray for safety and provision for the families. Psalm 27:1, Psalm 91

Material provided by The Voice of the Martyrs
PO Box 443
Bartlesville, OK 74003
1-918-337-8015

www.persecution.com
thevoice@vom-usa.org

Prayer of Faith by Charles de Foucauld

Presented as part of our corporate worship on July 15th, 2007

Lord, grant us faith, the faith that removes the mask from the world and manifests God in all things, the faith that shows us Christ where our eyes see only a poor person, the faith the shows us the Savior where we feel only pain.

Lord, grant us faith

Lord, grant us faith that inspires us to undertake everything that God wants without hesitation, without shame, without fear, and without ever retreating; the faith that knows how to go through life with calm, peace, and profound joy, and that makes the soul completely indifferent to everything that is not You.

Lord, grant us faith.

Prayer of Repentance by Jennifer Kennedy Dean from the book “Heart’s Cry”

Presented as part of our corporate worship by Jalene Johnson on July 8th

Lord, we are Your body on this earth. Your physical body was not sleek and pampered, but broken and spilled out for us. Forgive us for assuming that we are to be comfortable and rich and spoiled. Forgive us for not wanting to be bothered with that which concerns You. Forgive us for trying to put you on display instead of taking You into the world. Forgive us for using You as a marketing tool, and not being willing to be broken and spilled out too.

Prayer of Thanksgiving by Kayla Youngren

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday April 15th, 2007

Father God,
We were dead in our transgressions and sins in which we lived when we followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

But because of Your great love for us, You who are rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in sin – it is by grace we have been saved. You have raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in order that in the coming ages You might show the incomparable riches of Your grace, expressed in kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace we have been saved, through faith and this is not from ourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. Thank you.

I bow before my King by Nancy Cassell

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday March 11th, 2007

I bow before my King on the eve of battle, humbled by my own lack.
Besides my allegiance, I have nothing to offer.
I have heard that the Lord, my King, values human hearts.
I willingly give my heart to you.
Though broken, sick, weak and faint, I entrust my heart to you.
I am hollow, dark and empty inside.
Shed your Light in my darkness.
In your mercy, fill my emptiness with your Spirit.
With my armor on, I ride into battle carrying His light within me.
My heart is in safe keeping with my Father in Heaven.
If the enemy should strike me, to destroy my heart,
he will come face to face with the Spirit of God--who will strike terror
into my enemy
And if I should fall in battle,
I trust in God to resurrect me and bring me into His Kingdom.

Not about me by Charin Youngren

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday February 18th, 2007

PowerPoint Presentation: Download

A Conversation with God

Do you really think you should have said that?

Ya, I know I probably shouldn’t have… but come on, you know it’s true.

Where was your heart at when you said that?

Uh… I don’t know…

Did you ever stop to forgive that person? To trust me? I am stronger I could have Read More

Adapted by Kayla Youngren from “Brokenness” by John Collinson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday February 11th, 2007

Leader:
When to do the will of God means that even my Christian brothers and sisters will not understand I forget that "Neither did His brethren believe in Him" (John 7:5)
Forgive me Lord for failing to bow my head and obey and accept the misunderstanding

Leader:
When I am misrepresented or deliberately misinterpreted, I forget how Jesus was falsely accused but He "held His peace"
Congregation:
Forgive me Lord for failing to bow my head and accept the accusation without trying to justify myself
When another is preferred before me and I am deliberately passed over, I forget that they cried, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas" (Luke 23:18)
Congregation:
Forgive me Lord for failing to bow my head and accept the rejection
When my plans are brushed aside and I see the work of years brought to ruins by the ambitions of others I forget that Jesus allowed them to lead Him away to crucify Him (Matt. 27:31) and he accepted that place of failure
Congregation:
Forgive me Lord for failing to bow my head and accept the injustice without bitterness

When in order to be right with my God it is necessary to take the humbling path of confession and restitution, I forget that Jesus "made Himself of no reputation" and "humbled Himself unto death, even the death of the cross" (Phil. 2:8)
Congregation:
Forgive me Lord for failing to bow my head and readily to accept the shame of exposure

When others take unfair advantage of my being a Christian and treat my belongings as public property, I forget how "they stripped Him and parted His garments, casting lots" (Matt. 27:28,35)
Congregation:
Forgive me Lord for failing to bow my head and accept "joyfully the spoiling of my goods" for His sake (Hebrews 10:34)

When one acts towards me in an unforgivable way, I forget that when He was crucified Jesus prayed, "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34)
Congregation:
Forgive me for failing to bow my head and accept any behavior towards me as permitted by my loving Father
When people expect the impossible of me and more than time or human strength can give, I forget that Jesus said, "This is My body which is given for you." (Luke 22:19)
Congregation:
I repent of my self-indulgence and lack of self-giving for others

Congregation:
Forgive us Lord for forgetting the work you did on the cross and the way you have shown us to live. Continue to transform us by the power of your spirit and the strength of your word. Read More

Father, The clouds in the sky today by Eline Nelson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday January 28th, 2007

Father,
The clouds in the sky today looked like the contours of sand at the bottom of the ocean floor.
We praise You Lord for Your wisdom in creation.
Your love endures forever.

Rainier is majestic today too and it is only a hint, a forecast of Your grandeur size.
We love Your Lord today.
Thank you for opening the door to heaven and giving us access to Your Father.
Your love endures forever.

The heavens declare Your glory, the skies proclaim the works of Your hands. You will be praised with the rising of the sun and the setting of the sun, and all the time in between.
We praise Your Lord for Your mercy in giving us time.
Your love endures forever.

Inherent in the nature of Your creations is the ability to image,
with our highest glory to image You!
We praise You for renewing us in Your image.
Your love endures forever.

Worthy are You to receive honor and power and glory because You created all things by your will. In your will, we have our being. You sit on the throne and You live forever!
Worthy is the lamb who was slain and whose blood purchased men to be a kingdom and priests for You.
Thank you for the creatures, elders, angels, all of heaven and earth that entreat and sing praise to You.

Truly, all the earth will be filled with the knowledge of Your glory. Every knee will bow, every tongue confess that You, Lord Jesus, are Lord!
Let us give thanks to the Lord for He is good.
His love endures forever.

The Face of God by Nancy J. Cassell

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday December 10, 2006

I stare into this clay pot
My eyes cannot withdraw
I behold such beauty, such light,
Perfection without flaw

This pot has cracks and holes in it
of no value to the world
but it contains the colors
of precious gems and pearls

A light so brilliant, a love so pure
It captivates my heart
To think a jar so used and worn
Could be such a piece of art

This fragile work of dust
Is more than enough
To hold the precious promises
of God’s unfailing love

When darkness swirls around me
And pain rolls in like fog
I place my gaze inside my heart
To see the Face of God.

Weeping in the Underbrush by Nancy J.Cassell

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday November 12, 2006

There is weeping in the underbrush
On the sides of the road
Where travelers have crawled
Weighted down by their loads

There are blood-stained rocks
Leading to souls
Who’ve been attacked and wounded
By friend and by foe

The wounds are the same
They bleed and they hurt
There is no strength left
So they hide in the dirt

Unheard pleas
And prayers unspoken
From the weight of their curse
Their spirits are broken

Hope is not to be found
Under leaves of despair
Only weak, desperate souls
Battered and bare

“Oh end, come quickly.
I’m tired of breathing.”

But there is One whose breath
Bears the Words of Life
Whose Spirit rises
At dawn to fight

Who sends out His servants
With aide and supplies
To search and to rescue
With fire in their eyes

They pierce through the brush
Each person they find
For God has a motto
“No saint left behind”

Wake up! Oh sleepers!
Come out from the shame
Open your eyes!
For God calls you by name

Restoration and healing
Have come to your heart
Breathe in the Spirit
And make a new start!

“Oh Jesus, come quickly.
I’m living for you.”

Prayer of Thanksgiving by Eline Nelson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday November 5, 2006

PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING
(A reading from the Psalms)

O Lord our Lord,
How majestic is your Name in all the earth!

You have set Your glory above the heavens
From the lips of children and infants
You have ordained praise
Because of Your enemies
To silence the foe and the avenger

O Lord our Lord
How majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

When we consider the heavens
And the work of Your fingers
The moon and the stars that You have set in place
What is man that You are mindful of him?
The son of man that You care for him?

O Lord our Lord,
How majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

Where can we go from Your spirit?
Where can we flee from Your presence
If we go up to the heavens,
You are there.
If we make our bed in the depths,
You are there.
If we rise on the wings of the wind,
And settle on the far side of the sea,
Even there Your hand will guide us,
Your right hand will hold us fast

O Lord our Lord,
How majestic is Your Name in all the earth!

We will praise You O Lord with all our heart
We will tell of all Your wonders
We will be glad and rejoice in You
We will sing praise to Your Name O Most High!

Poem by Heather Merrils

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday October 29, 2006

The squishy soil
Brown from its roots of knowing
Embraced me in the fall
At a time when I,
(When the brown earth crackled with the shattering of defeated leaves)
Lie there lonely and afraid
Sandwiched between the forlorn sky
And the moody earth
I lie there
Afraid to move
Afraid that the earth might somehow
Betray my silence and my unwillingness
To speak
Betray my inadequate failures
That swallowed me whole
And left me there wantonly
In silence
And unwilling to speak

But sometimes
Sometimes something whispers to me
Once
And comes back again
And blends in with the rain
And the sound of the rain
And the rain soaks in
And the whisper begins
And the whisper soaks in
And begins again
You are here declares whisper
You are here because I made you
And I’m starting to think
That it’s true.

Obedience Without Understanding by Jalene Johnson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday October 22, 2006

Me: God I want to pray for Zoe, that she would keep gaining weight like she needs to. I pray for Jenny that she would have patience and wisdom, also that she would be able to have time for herself…..

God: You don’t seem sincere.

Me: Oh? I do want all those things, but…. It’s just that…. Well, who am I to be praying to You? Everything I say You already know. I could pray for the oppressed, for the grieving, for all the sadness in the world, but You already want what’s best for them. What could my simple words add to their aid, to put Your grace and mercy into action?

God: Prayer is for peace and guarding of your heart and mind. Prayer is for your relationship with me and with others.

Me: I know what you say in Your Word. I know what you did. But I don’t get it. Sending Your Son for the likes of me? How is it that You can love me so faithfully? So beautifully? I am a betrayer, a liar, a cheater… I am an empty shell. There is no life left in me.

God: You are a sinner. Let me be the life in you.

Me: Yeah, I know I am a sinner. That’s what I was saying. And yet… You still pursue me with relentless love. It’s so overwhelming and because of my sin it’s uncomfortable. I don’t deserve your love. I can’t give you what You deserve.

God: What is it you think I deserve?

Me: Someone who can love You with all their heart. Someone who won’t lie to You or cheat on You or betray You.

God: But that is not what I am asking for.

Me: What do you want from me?

God: I want IT.

Me: What? That? I gave that to You.

God: I want it ALL.

Me: But it’s nothing now, not anymore. The reasons why it happened aren’t issues anymore. You answered that prayer. I know that my identity is in You and not in the lies that I use to believe. Besides, if I say anything now it could hurt my business… You know, the one that YOU wanted me to start? And people will judge me… they won’t understand. Besides, there are kids that look up to me, what about them huh? ….. why do you want this now?

God: I have wanted it all along. If you gave it to me, as you said before, then it is mine to do with as I please. If it really is nothing, why do you fight against me so hard?

Me: I don’t want people to judge me. I don’t understand why this is so important to You.

God: My ways are not for your understanding. Is it only when you have things figured out that you trust Me? You have kept some of it, withholding it from me. That is what is causing your feeling of emptiness.

Me: But how can it be doing that?

God: My creation of man is no simple thing. There is more to every aspect of man than man will ever understand. I don’t expect you to get it.

Me: What do You expect?

God: Obedience.

Me: OK.

(I walk up to the podium and address the congregation.)

Hi, my name is Jalene. There is a quote I like from Piper’s book Desiring God, “Sin is like spiritual leprosy. It deadens your spiritual senses so that you rip your soul to shreds and don’t even feel it.” That is what has happened to me, a process that began when I was 12. I stand before you scared witless, but out of obedience… obedience without understanding why telling you about this is so important. I have struggled with an addiction to pornography. Actually, I believe it was more an addiction to a lie and pornography was just the vehicle used to continually deliver it. The lie was about my identity, that I wasn’t good for anything but to be used at the whim of men. The more God pursued me with His Truth, the more I ran to what I believed for so long. It was easier to be comfortably numb than to go through the pain of getting healthy. God chased me with a persistent love, relentless like water smoothing out a jagged rock over many years. I can look back on the past and see God’s stepping stones of sovereignty that brought me to this place. God’s timing is perfect and I hold to his promise that He will finish the work He began in me. His omniscience is where I rest.

Please bow with me as I pray……God I am sorry for turning to pornography to validate who I thought I was, what I thought I deserved. I am sorry for not believing that You love me or that Your love is strong enough to diffuse those lies. Thank You for delivering me from the addiction that supported those lies. I thank you for your sovereign timing and I ask You to help me remember it as I enter this season of healing in my life. I pray that my confession would bless others. Please use it to Your glory. Amen.

Truth Speak Challenge By Jalene Johnson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday October 6, 2006

Hi, my name is Jalene… Good morning! I want to share something with you that has been on my heart lately. In recent months I have been in conversations with different members of my Harambee family and a theme of sorts has presented itself. Lies creating doubt and fear. I wondered what I could do about it. Obviously I prayed, but when I would pray lies flooded my mind. Lies that asked why bother praying when my prayers are useless. Lies that say I am a horrible parent and I should use my time to become a better one. I am the only one that sees a problem and I should mind my own business. As I prayed I envisioned our Harambee family sitting in the very seats you sit with black oozy stuff separating everybody from each other. It then seemed imperative I needed to create a liturgy piece about it. I heard more lies, stronger this time. “No one cares! People will think you are stupid!”

Satan likes us separated! If I am separated and feeling alone I am more likely to feel defeated. As I thought about this my busy life came to mind. I don’t know how many times I have been doing something and someone pops into my mind for no reason at all. I think about calling, but stuff gets in the way and by the time I remember I wanted to call, I figure it is pointless. About a month ago Jenny Rygel popped to mind. I almost didn’t call her at all. I decided regardless of how much time had passed I was going to call her. So I called her. She wasn’t home and I left a message. The following week I still hadn’t received a call back so I called her again. Again, left a message. She called me the next day. I reminded her that God doesn’t make mistakes, He does what pleases Him and He wants her to be Andrews’s mom. The conversation was less than five minutes and I figured for sure she thought I was a loon! I found out later she REALLY needed to hear that Truth on that particular day.

Imagine for a moment what would happen if when we heard a lie, we chose Truth! I am not talking about simply deciding to remember Truth, (said ho-hum, not really believing it) “OK, so I’m not worthless. Yeah…. I’m co-heir with Christ.” I don’t know if it is the same for you, but I hear so many lies that when I finally hear Truth, it thuds flat in the emptiness that is left over. What can we do about it? What does the bible say? I found many verses, but I will summarize with three of them.

Zech 8:16 “These are the things you are to do: Speak the truth to each other and render true and sound judgment.

Ecc 4:12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”

Ephesians 4:15-16 says, “… speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament grows and builds itself up in love as each part does its work.”

We need to work together to hear Truth more. My challenge for all of us is this: Call someone this week and tell them truth. It doesn’t have to seem profound, it just has to be truth. Remind someone that God knew who they were before they were born, that nothing passes by God without His approval, that God doesn’t make mistakes! If someone calls to bless you with a tidbit of truth, then be encouraged to do the same for someone else. Maybe someone has blessed you, call and tell them about it! I hope Truth Speak becomes a big part of our community of people fighting to be “together pushing forward.”

A Poem by Erin Bell

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 24, 2006

I’m avoiding you even though I’m not quite sure why. I feel like if I don’t speak to you long enough that maybe I won’t feel anymore. This pain looming within not wanting to be touched. The cause; only a distant memory. The scar; fading into the background but still always there. A wall stands firm, on guard so that even you can’t see what lies beyond. And yet you know my inner most being.

No, I don’t want you to understand, I want you to fix it. Either fulfill my yearning or take it away. I’m tired of feeling this way. I’m tired of crying myself to sleep at night.

So thankful for what I don’t have, and yet desiring for what didn’t come to pass. Feeling like Adam in a garden all alone surrounded by everything I need. Afraid to go forward and not willing to go back. I pray and hear “wait,” I sing and hear, “wait.” I get on my knees and hear, “patience my child.”

Like a melancholy daughter, I choose not to speak, not knowing what else to say. And yet I know and trust your perfect timing. You chisel my heart, sculpting me out of miry clay. A shapeless form designed into beauty created to do your will. Each scratch, chip, or notch collected along an ever winding road. So that, by avoiding you, I’ve ended up back in your arms as you carry me through every impassable step.

Jeremiah 29:11-14a

For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the LORD… Read More

Prayer of Smugness by Greg Wright

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 17, 2006

Hi! My name is Greg, and this is the Prayer of Smugness, the part of
our liturgy in which we congratulate ourselves on how superior we are
to everyone who isn't just like us. And obviously, I'm up here
talking to you because I'm far more righteous than all of you
(except, perhaps, Pastor Mike, since he gets to talk a lot longer
than I do). Otherwise, you'd be up here and I'd be down there. But
that would look pretty silly. There's a reason that stages, podiums,
and soapboxes are small.

Ordinarily, for the Prayer of Smugness, I would lead you through the
text of something along the lines of Luke 18:11: "God, I thank you
that I am not like other men -- robbers, evildoers, adulterers -- or
even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of
all I get."

Don't laugh. It's biblical.

But since the righteous are pretty much in a state of constant
communion with God, prayer often looks less like a conversation than
a monologue. So today I will share with you the top five things
about people that come really close to making me use potty language.

Number one. I hate greedy people. I hate selfish people in all
their forms. I hate people with 10,000 square foot vaction homes. I
hate people with stretch Hummers. I hate people with private jets,
two swimming pools, classic car collections, a spare Rolex watch,
funded annuities for three kids in Ivy League schools, and maids who
polish the doorknobs. I hate people who take 25-day excursions to
Antarctica and drive down to Portland to pick up a new Lamborghini.
Greed, Mr. Gekko, is NOT good.

Number two. I hate people who want my stuff. Back off, man!

Number three. I hate people who don't say what's really on their
minds. "Oh, I just love your hat!" "No, that's okay. It really
didn't hurt when you poked me in the eye." "How am I today? Oh, I'm
fine!" "What's happening in Darfur just makes me sick!" "Yes, oh,
yes! Jesus is LOOOOORD!"

Number four. I hate talking heads on cable news networks, precisely
BECAUSE they say everything that's on their pathetic little minds.

Number five. I hate people who interfere with my own precious little
plans, whether it's the cell-phone addicted driver who cuts me off so
that I miss the light, the airhead activity assistant who wants me to
plant precious little handmade Burma-shave signs in the lawn when
I've got two yards of mulch to get down before quitting time, the old
coot with bad eyesight who runs his mower over the sprinkler heads
just two hours after I've left the jobsite, or the supposed editor
who mangles my prose and uses two hypens where there ought to be an
em-dash.

Yes, it's a good thing I'm not God. If I were, some heads would
roll, I can tell you.

Prayer of Hope by Gayle Silagyi

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 17, 2006

“This is the time in our service where we pray for hope for those who need it here at home or around the world. Today I am going to be talking about bul-ly-ing.
To BULLY is to intimidate or subject a person to hostility or ill treatment. It involves actions which cause another person to feel afraid, humiliated, embarrassed, threatened or shamed. Bul-ly-ing is an abuse of power.
Bullying has reached epidemic proportions in American schools and communities.
• nearly one-third of today’s youth are bullied at least once every month.
• 60% of American teens witness bullying at least once each day.
• Approximately 3.2 million children in grades 6–10 are victims of bullying each year (this is nearly one in six children)
Bullying is linked to prejudice and ignorance.
• Over the course of a year, nearly one-fourth of students across all grades reported being harassed or bullied on school property because of their race, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation or their disability.
• Studies show that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students are at disproportionate risk for bullying and harassment. They hear anti-gay slurs such as “HOMO,” “FAGGOT” and “SISSY” about 26 times a day, or once every 14 minutes.
• For every gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender student who reported being harassed, four straight students said they were harassed for being perceived as gay or lesbian.
Bullying has serious physical and mental health consequences for youth.
• An estimated 160,000 children miss school every day out of fear of attack or intimidation by other students.
• 10% of students who drop out of school do so because of repeated bullying.
• Victims of bullying are more likely to suffer physical problems such as common colds and coughs, sore throats, poor appetite and night waking.
• Those who are bullied are five times more likely to be depressed and far more likely to be suicidal.
• The effects of bullying can be long-lasting. By age 23, children who were bullied in middle school were more depressed and had lower self-esteem than their peers who had not been bullied. Unchecked bullying can escalate to more serious violence.
• Harassment and bullying have been linked to 75 percent of school-shooting incidents, including the fatal shootings at Columbine High School near Littleton, Colorado, and Santana High School in Santee, California.
• Nearly 60 percent of boys who were classified as bullies in grades 6–9 were convicted of at least one crime by the age of 24 (40% of them had three or more convictions by this age).
• Among boys who said that they had bullied others at least once a week in school, more than half had carried a weapon in the past month, 43 percent had carried a weapon in school, 39 percent were involved in frequent fighting, and 46 percent reported having been injured in a fight.

In preparing this piece for today, I communicated to my roommate that “bullying” seemed so miniscule when I considered the hardships of children in other countries. Her response to me was that ‘not all kids have positive reinforcement at home and to get hit again at school breaks them.’ And then I was reminded of Proverbs 15:4 which says, “A soothing tongue is a tree of life but a deceitful tongue crushes the spirit.” In addition, James 3:5-6 says, “So also, the tongue is a small thing, but what enormous damage it can do. A tiny spark can set a great forest on fire. And the tongue is a flame of fire. It is full of wickedness that can ruin your whole life. It can turn the entire course of your life into a blazing flame of destruction, for it is set on fire by hell itself.”
Please pray with me.
Dear God:
You hate bullying. Help us to hate it too. Help us to be aware of bullying and protect our children who are recipients of it. Cause school administrators to take bullying more seriously and be proactive in guarding against it. Help us to raise children who know You and who they are in You. Help us to love our children so that they may love others and comfort those who need it. Please turn the hearts of bullies to You, God. Grace them to see the death of their words and the death of their actions toward others. Bring adults into their lives, O God, who will love them and teach them well. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen.

Prayer of Hope for Students by Brad Pratt

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 10, 2006

Hello, for those of you who don’t know me I’m Kim’s Husband and my name is Brad Pratt. I work at Foster High School as a math and physics teacher. I’m here this morning to talk about the youth of our community. Although I am most familiar with the students of Tukwila, their needs mirror those of Renton’s youth and some of the surrounding area’s.

According to Maslow and his hierarchical needs:
“a person’s basic needs, security, food, shelter, health, need to be met before they’re able to learn,” –, with struggling families, single-family homes, parents working multiple jobs, kids run the risk of not having their needs met. As a teacher, we struggle to not simply teach, but help meet those needs.

The youth or our community face challenges that most of us can’t imagine. But the saddest thing about what the youth of our community are facing is the age at which they are facing them. The following are quotes gathered by our own Gayle Silagyi who is a Middle School teacher at McKnight middle school.
• “Can you take me to get a pregnancy test (8th grader)?”
• “Her mom died of breast cancer this weekend (about a 7th grader).”
• “She’s been seeing the drug counselor for drug abuse (about a 7th grader).”
• “One of our 7th graders died last night playing the choking game.”
• “My dad’s in jail.”
• “We can’t afford to buy Kleenex for the classroom. I’m sorry.”
• “I’m stupid. I can’t do this.”
• “I went to the cemetery for Mother’s Day (7th grader).”
• “I’m gay (from the mouth of an 8th grader).”
• “My mom will beat me so bad if I fail this.”
The older a child is the harder they become to reach. As they enter high school, their minds are going through a chemical change that will begin to enable them to move from a child’s mind to an adult’s mind. The adolescent begins to search for what it means to be an adult. They begin modeling behaviors of whom they perceive to be adults. Youth start modeling behaviors of people from many different sources; media, movies, TV, magazines, parents, classmates, and teachers.

I once heard an influential person say on national television that in the time of crisis, it is important for the teachers to discus what is happening because the teachers typically spend more time with the children than the parents do. That’s messed up.

A local principal in our community recently said this to a staff member,

 “In order to be a good teacher at this school, you also have to be a parent to these kids”.

Our youth need role models. They need to see adults being Godly adults, and men and women being involved in Godly relationships, and marriages where men are Godly husbands and women are Godly wives, and fathers and mothers are Godly parents. They need Godly role models.

Please join me in prayer . . .

Father God . . . we thank you for the way you are moving in our community. We praise you for the many individuals and organizations that are beginning to dedicate their attention to the needs in this area. We pray for wisdom for the adults working with the teens who are struggling from emotional and physical abuse, parents in prison, parents with addictions, their own addictions and anything else that weighs heavy on their hearts. We would like to pray for the kids in the area that are feeling lost and alone, that they would come into contact with peers or adults that they can trust and would be a positive influence in their lives. Most of all we pray for your will to be done. God, thank you for sending your Son Jesus to show us how to live and die on the cross for our sins, and thank you for sending Your Holy Spirit to guide us and comfort us. In Your name, God, we pray . . . Amen.

Prayer of Hope for Teachers by Sandy Smith

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 3, 2006

This is the time in our service where we pray for hope for those who need it here at home or around the world. I’m Sandy Smith and today on this week-end before the beginning of a new school year, I’d like to pray for hope for teachers.

This profession is becoming increasingly difficult especially in public schools to the point that there is actually a shortage of qualified people for the openings that are available.

Teachers must achieve a high level of education and then deal with long hours of extra work preparing lessons and grading assignments for pay that is often not commensurate with their educational status. Many teachers also coach or over-see extra-curricular programs on their own time and spend money from their own pockets to supplement classroom needs.

And for their efforts they are woefully under-appreciated. Many kids are disrespectful and even vulgar and belligerent. Parents often not only do not support the teachers but actually encourage the disrespectful attitudes of their students.
According to Vicki Caruana, an education writer consultant and speaker:
“Teachers many times wonder if they maintain the balance expected of them. Teaching to the state test dissatisfies some parents. Not teaching to the state test dissatisfies the principal, district and state. Enforcing discipline in the classroom brings parental complaints. Not enforcing discipline results in lower student achievement. Teachers are discouraged due to a variety of factors, but student behavior, the attitudes of others and little, if any, support rank at the top of the list.”
Most teachers recognize that they have a very important responsibility in the education of our youth but Ms Caruana further notes that:
“Often teachers go through their days never quite sure if they did what needed to be done. Did they reach all their students with their lessons? Did they respond to certain parents the way they should have? Does their principal value their efforts? Do their colleagues respect them?”
This profession more than many others requires dedicated, self-sacrificing people who feel called by God to serve in this way. And yet, it is often a hostile environment for Christians who aspire to these qualities. Every word and action is scrutinized by students, parents and other teachers. Any mention of God can bring on a back-lash of criticism and complaints. They stand daily before a generation that desperately needs to hear the words of comfort and truth that they possess but they are in most cases prohibited from speaking them.
I am very proud of the fact that we have several teachers who attend church here. I’d like to take this opportunity to pray for them as well as those who are in the process of becoming teachers. Would all teachers, including home school teachers, retired teachers, school administrators and people in the process of becoming teachers please stand where you are? And would those of you who are seated near them please place a hand on him or her as I lead in prayer. If you are not seated close to one of these educators, please feel free to extend your hand in their direction as we pray.
Lord, thank you for these people who are dedicating their lives to this important endeavor. Please help them to grow and mature in their relationship with you and in their teaching abilities. Help them to be good witnesses of You in their relationships with their students, colleagues and principals. Help them to turn to you to alleviate the stress that comes with their job. Give teachable spirits to the students they will have this year. And give them wisdom for dealing with difficult parents and co-workers in a way that honors and glorifies You so that their actions will speak volumes about Your grace and goodness.
In Jesus, name. Amen.

Out Of The Box by Cherie Trondson

Presented as part of our corporate worship on Sunday September 3, 2006

(Read by Cherie) “What you are about to witness is a battle, a wrestling for the control of the mind of a believer.”
(Voice of condemnation – VOC) “Ah yes, another day. It’s a wonder you found your way out of bed this morning. After a day like yesterday, haven’t you had enough? Why did you even get up? Nothing will ever change…same people, same crap, same issues.”
(Voice of Truth – VOT)
“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; I wait in expectation.”
Psalm 5:2-3
“His compassions never fail. They are new every morning.”
Lamentations 3:23
(VOC) “Today will be different. Yesterday got started on the wrong foot. What can I do to make today be what I want it to be? I’ll make a list, organize, stay on track.”
(VOT) “For I know the plans I have for you.” Jeremiah 29:11
(VOC) “They’re right, you know. You are really capable of so much more. What kind of a “calling” is this anyway? You wasted a college degree to do this?”
(VOT) “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” Colossians 3:23
(VOC) “No matter what I do, I can’t make this work the way I want it to. And I can’t help but wonder if I have created this mess myself. After all, it’s obvious I don’t have a clue what I’m doing. And everyone else knows that, they see that, they sense that. This certainly doesn’t fit into my plans for today…I’m losing control quickly…if you would just cooperate…I’m so bad at this. This wasn’t the way that I planned it to go today, the way my life was supposed to be.
(VOT) “But the wisdom that comes from God is first of all pure; then peace loving, submissive…Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.” James 3:17, 4:10
(VOC-with much sarcasm!) “Yeah, brilliant idea! What good is calling anyone going to do? They’ll probably laugh or shake their heads. Or they’ll empathize on the outside but be so fed up on the inside. After all, how many times are you going to get to this place? You’ve dumped enough. They probably won’t even answer once they see your number flash on their caller ID. No, no, no, this is not the answer. These people are dealing with problems you couldn’t even begin to handle, so you need to learn how to deal with yours and let them deal with theirs.”
(VOT) “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord will be kept safe.” Proverbs 29:25
(VOC) “Now you’re on the right track. Distraction is good…don’t even think about it. Just do it! You need relief from this maddening life you’ve got goin’. Numb the pain, feed the pain. Finally, a refuge…a place to hide…it’s quiet and inviting and dark and away and…You deserve this after all you’ve been through today.”
(VOT) “My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promise preserves my life.” Psalm 119:50
(VOC) “This is too much!” “I can’t take this!” “You deserve more!” “Try harder!” “Too afraid to die, too afraid to live!”
“Wait…are you listening to me?! Do you hear me?!”
(VOT) “Oh people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will weep no more. How gracious he will be when you cry for help ! As soon as he hears, he will answer you. Although the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, you teachers will be hidden no more; with your own eyes you will see them. Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it.” Isaiah 30: 19-21
Therefore this is what the Lord says:

“If you repent, I will restore you (fade to woman reading Bible – color)
that you may serve Me.” Jeremiah 15:19
“He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those with young.” Isaiah 40:11
“If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.” I Peter 4:11b
“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
“In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:2-3
(VOC) “Ah yes, another day!...”

“We will choose the way of truth; we will set our hearts on your laws.
We will hold fast to your statutes, O Lord; do not let us be put to shame.
We will run in the path of your commands, for you have set our hearts free.” Psalm 119: 30-32

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