Communion

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Have you ever served communion?  Today I helped serve communion.  There is something incredibly powerful in placing communion in someone’s hand and saying, “The Bread of Life given for you.”  See, I was raised Catholic, and the only person allowed to serve the bread and wine was the priest.  It was the actual embodiment of the body and blood of Christ.  I believe to a certain extent this is true.  When we accept communion, we accept the fact that Christ endured agonizing pain for us.  When we accept Him, we are called to be like Him.  Communion is a way to remind ourselves that Christ is forever connected to us.  We are taking in His presence in our lives.  It is that reminder I cherish.

It is strange for me to give communion.  I find myself offering this symbol of Christ to those in our congregation.  Some of them are my good friends.  It is no longer a friendship when I offer The Bread of Life, but a deeper relationship that connects us.  It is a God connection.  People who I laugh with about the antics of our children are now serious.

Then there are the elderly people.  Who am I to serve these people who have forged a lifetime of faith?  I am humbled in their presence.  I am even more humbled when I place this life giving symbol into gnarled hands that have experienced a life time of work.  As different as we may be, we are more alike in our love for Christ.

I have to hold back my smile and laughter with our children that come to kneel at the railing.  They are so serious, and yet moments before they were whispering in the pews about all kinds of kid things.  My son and his friend have been in deep conversation throughout worship, yet here at the railing, that has gone.  My son simply says, “Hi mom”, gives me a smile and accepts this simple offering.

In the midst of giving communion, are people who I do not always like.  In fact they irritate me.  We agree to disagree and stay out of each other’s way.  And yet, at this railing, there are no disagreements.  This is God’s railing and not ours.  It is this act of communion, of coming together, that makes us His children.

Each person accepts communion differently.  There are those that make no eye contact.  Their hands are open to accept the offering and not once do they look up to see who is giving the offering.  They are in their own space and time with God.  But there are those that make direct eye contact with me as I am saying to them, “This is the Body of Christ given for you.”  And I feel something more than just eye contact.

There is a God connection.  I am the giver of something greater than I have a right to give.  Yet here I am giving this precious gift that God, that Christ, has generously offered.  I am humbled.  I am truly His servent in this time and place.  He has blessed me and given me grace.  He is my Lord and Saviour.

Giving communion is a giving, an offering, a connection to God that we need.  I am honored to have given this gift today.

 

 

 

God’s Blessings

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God is so good.  I went and worked out this morning and came back to weigh in on my scale, and it was down.  It his me like a ton of bricks; I am being faithful to God and He is blessing me.  No, it’s not just about the weight.  Before the new year came, I had time to really talk with God.  He made it clear that changes were going to happen in my life this year.  Change is coming, be faithful.

This does not mean I sit back and do nothing and wait.  No, this means I have to follow God’s plan for me.  Funny thing is, it’s not always my plan.  Here is what I know God wants me to do:  Pray fervently, lose weight – hand over the eating to HIM, write abundantly.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a praying girl, but He’s asking me for more of the quiet, meditative prayer rather than the rush requesting prayers.  I exercise, but I have rebelled when it comes to food.  I allowed food to rule over me and I was losing the battle.  And of course I write, but this is writing beyond me.  This is writing to share.

God is good.  He wants to bless us, if we let Him.  I am ready to let Him bless me even more.  How about you?  Will you join me at His banquet table.

God’s Bless

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God is so good.  I went and worked out this morning and came back to weigh in on my scale, and it was down.  It his me like a ton of bricks; I am being faithful to God and He is blessing me.  No, it’s not just about the weight.  Before the new year came, I had time to really talk with God.  He made it clear that changes were going to happen in my life this year.  Change is coming, be faithful. 

This does not mean I sit back and do nothing and wait.  No, this means I have to follow God’s plan for me.  Funny thing is, it’s not always my plan.  Here is what I know God wants me to do:  Pray fervently, lose weight – hand over the eating to HIM, write abundantly.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I am a praying girl, but He’s asking me for more of the quiet, meditative prayer rather than the rush requesting prayers.  I exercise, but I have rebelled when it comes to food.  I allowed food to rule over me and I was losing the battle.  And of course I write, but this is writing beyond me.  This is writing to share.

God is good.  He wants to bless us, if we let Him.  I am ready to let Him bless me even more.  How about you?  Will you join me at His banquet table.

God is so good….

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God is so good.  I went and worked out this morning and came back to weigh in on my scale, and it was down.  It his me like a ton of bricks; I am being faithful to God and He is blessing me.  No, it’s not just about the weight.  Before the new year came, I had time to really talk with God.  He made it clear that changes were going to happen in my life this year.  Change is coming, be faithful. 

This does not mean I sit back and do nothing and wait.  No, this means I have to follow God’s plan for me.  Funny thing is, it’s not always my plan. 

God is so good….

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God is so good.  I went and worked out this morning and came back to weigh in on my scale, and it was down.  It his me like a ton of bricks; I am being faithful to God and He is blessing me.  No, it’s not just about the weight.  Before the new year came, I had time to really talk with God.  He made it clear that changes were going to happen in my life this year.  Change is coming, be faithful. 

My Beloved Daughter

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I quiet myself and come into the presence of the Lord.  I feel His smile reach me.  It is so warm and loving.  I look into Christ’s face and ask Him, “What do you want me to do?”

Be still my child, my beloved daughter.  Be still and bask in my embrace.  I know all you are going through.  You are my beloved daughter, and you are precious to me.  I want you to know I love you no matter what.  Whether you listen to me, walk away, deny me.  There is nothing you could ever do that would stop me from loving you. 

These are the kinds of conversations I have with God.  This one is about me, and I am willing to share it.  Lately, when I come to Him, I ask Him what He wants me to do.  Sometimes the question is different, but this is the one that has been popping up more frequently.  And usually I ask Him what He wants me to write.  Today has been no different.  So someone out there needs to here this message.  Take the time to stop and not just come at God with requests, but stop and bask in His presence.   Isn’t that what we want with our own children, spouses, partners, loved ones?  Don’t we just want them to bask in the love we have for them?  That’s what God wants for you today.  He is calling you, beloved child.

Quieting Myself

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In the noise, in the middle of the caucophnous words floating from the mixing and mingeling of people are moments, ever so minisucule moment of quiet.  It is in those small spaces of time I place myself.  And the quiet spaces expands and the noise rolls over me as though there is a focefield that surrounds me.  And I find myself in the middle of a dead zone of space, time and quiet.

I wait longer and know You are with me, whispering to me to be still, to let go.  If I relax my way into Your presence, You are right there.  I can see You, in all Your glory and You smile at me.  And it is in this moment I know You will speak to me.

I look at You and I tell You, “You are my God, my Creater, the Lover I have always sought.  You complete me and fill the empty spaces of my soul.  My search for something more is complete because You are right here, in front of me.  And before I can even speak the question I have, You answer me.

Stop watching t.v. and playing card games on your computer – Write.  I have words for you to share.  Write, or you will find other areas of your life falling apart – because you are avoiding what I want you to do.  When you are disobedient in one area of your life, you become disobidient in other areas of your life.  Write.

I know this is God.  So I write.  I turn off the tv, I move away from all of the distracting computer games.  I write.  And He is right.  If I am disobidient to Him in this, I will not be obedient in other areas.  I will not be able to partake in the banquet feast He has prepared me.

 

God loves you for who you are right now

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This was the message I gave this morning in church.  It amazed me how slowly time went this morning before walking into church.  I am so glad I decided to fast, my stomach had no room for the nerves.  But the amazing thing is, God was with me.  The inner core of me was calm while the outter part was shaking.  There is something calming about the Holy Spirit.  Here is my sermon with the Bible verses listed first.  May my words help you find God’s presence.

Matthew 19:26  With God all things are possible.

John 15:15-16  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.

Take out a pencil and the sermon notes and write down, God loves you for who you are right now.

One if by Land Two if by Sea

          I’ve known about standing up here for at least 6 months.  I left the idea ferment in my mind.  Something would come, and it did.

And I lost what I wrote.  A couple of weeks ago, I couldn’t sleep.  So, I got up and decided I would start my New Year’s Revolution; I would get up and pray.  I would write.  And I wrote, I thought I was done writing everything the Lord had to say to me, laid back in my chair to go to sleep, and I had this image of a lamp light being shown across the bay and Paul Revere riding through the towns crying, The British are coming.  There was no sleep for me!!!  God had more to impart.

Now when I was growing up, I thought the whole story of Paul Revere’s ride was just  Paul Revere alerting all the colonists.  Somehow, magically, a light appeared in the church steeple and Paul Revere went riding all through the night warning everyone that the British were coming by sea.

In actuality Joseph Warren told Paul Revere that the British would be crossing the Charles River and would be landing in Cambridge and heading to Lexington and then Concord where the ammunition was being stored.  Revere had Robert Newman, a fellow colonist; put the lamp signal to warn Charlestown the British would be coming by sea.  In order to alert the surrounding towns a plan had been created for riders to ride through the country side declaring the British were coming in order for the militia to be prepared.  Another patriot and rider, William Dawes took a southern route and Paul Revere took the northern route.  Away they rode to warn the colonists.

Here are some cool things I learned.  1) By the end of the night there were over 40 riders warning the colonists that the British were headed towards Lexington and Concord.  2) A warning system was in place to alert the militia in the surrounding towns.  This system included alarm guns, bells, bonfires, drums, and trumpets.  It was so effective that towns 25 miles away were alerted.  The system was so effective that the militia was ready and prepared before the British were off the ships.

What does this have to do with you?  First, God is doing everything He can to signal you.  He wants a relationship with you.  See He sent His son Jesus Christ to signal you.  He allowed His son to die on the cross for you.  This is a huge signal.  More than 2 lights in a church steeple signal.

In John 15 verses15-16 He is clearly telling us He wants us.  Listen to what He says again.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you.  He is speaking to us, right now!!!

God is calling you to have an intimate relationship with Him.  It is not a pew relationship, or a “I’m going to read the Upper Room relationship”, or a I’m going to be active in doing “things” relationship.  While these activities can build upon a foundational relationship with God, they do not create an intimate relationship with Him.  God wants to know you intimately, and He is using the lantern, bonfires, bells, trumpets, people and His word to get to know you.  This Bible is full of examples of people in relationship with God.  What’s fantastic is that these are stories of people who fall out of relationship with God, just like we do, just like we do and sin, horribly, just like we do, just like I do.  Yet when they come back to God, He is waiting, and they do great, powerful things with God.

George and I are studying 2 Samuel.  David, a man after God’s own heart, goes out of relationship with God to pursue his own desires, Bathsheba.  This is a very interesting story to explain to a nine year old.  Lots of prayers went into this one.  But I explained to George that David sinned when he met with Bathsheba, he sinned when he tried to trick Uriah to meet with his wife Bathsheba to cover her pregnancy, he sinned when he told Joab to pull away from Uriah while he was in battle so Uriah would be killed.  David sinned all the way through this.  David did what we all do.  When we do something wrong, we try to fix it ourselves, try to cover it up.  Nowhere in this chapter does David talk to God about what he has done.  At no time does David say, “Hey, God, I really messed up.  I am so sorry.  I need your help.”

Yet God still loved David.  David comes and talks to God, intimately.  Worships Him.  Yes, David sinned.  Yes David made mistakes, yes, there was a consequence, but God wanted a relationship with David, and forgave him.  And God blesses David.  Through the line of David comes Jesus.

God wants a relationship with you.  Do you want a relationship with Him?

The great thing this book, this Bible, it shows us that we are not alone in our faults and our weaknesses.  Story after story people fail, they sin – when they work by themselves.  When they come into relationship with God, when they come and ask for forgiveness, God blesses them.  And here’s the best part about being in sin; Are you ready for this?  God still loved them!!!  God still loves you!!!  There was nothing any of these people could do to keep God from loving them.  And the same is true for you.

It does not matter what we do or say or how we behave because God still loves us because with God all things are possible.  Oh, isn’t that a verse in the Bible.  I think it is.  Matthew 19:26  This is the story of the rich man trying to enter the kingdom of God.  Listen to the whole story.  (read 19:23-26)  God is telling us it is possible with Him.

When we are in relationship with God, we are able to see and hear and smell and touch and be in contact with Him – beyond our worldly senses.  We are awakened to the supernatural.  We are called to Him.  This is when we are able to do incredible works for God as the people of God.

It does not matter if you are a mature Christian or a brand new Christian or you have not asked Jesus to be your savior.  God wants to talk with you.  He wants to share His love with you.  Yes, you sitting right here in the church pew this morning.  I must tell you, though, there is one catch in this relationship with God.  He does not want you to keep His love to yourself.  He wants us, every one of us, to share this love.  And that can be scary.  It can be difficult to share who God is, how he has transformed your life, how much he loves you with strangers, with friends, with family members.  It is very scary.  Sometimes the person He calls you to share His love is with another mature Christian.

Now you might ask me, “Jozett, what do you know about this relationship with God that you are talking about?”  Well, the truth is, I fall in and out of relationship with Him on a regular basis.  Why?  Because when He calls me to do His will, I get scared.  It is outside of my comfort zone.  I think to myself, “I can’t do this.  This is a crazy idea.  What if I get hurt?  Worse yet, what if I fail?”  So in my mind, it is easier to put God off rather than follow Him.  I’ll let you in on a little secret, God has been calling me to write for the past two years.  He has called me to be healthier, specifically in what I eat and how I eat.  I have ignored that call.  Did God leave me or abandon me while I was shoving potato chips into my mouth, or when He would wake me in the night to write something and I ignored Him because my sleep was more important than His message?  No, He stayed with me, He loved me through my stubbornness and sin.

I decided in December I was going to hand it all over to God.  I asked for forgiveness and repented.  Because I have righted my relationship with God, I am being blessed in ways I do not have time to describe here today.  But what is clear to me, is that I am being called to share this same unconditional love with others.

This is where the 40 riders come into play.  If I intend to have this intimate relationship with my Father, I must reach out to others.  We must reach out to others

He chose us.  He appointed us to go and bear fruit.  He wants us to spread the love. In Paul Revere’s ride, it starts with one man giving information to Revere to spread the word.  Let’s see how this works.  We are going to practice reaching out to others right here and now.  This will not be easy for some people, but I believe we have to practice what we preach, in a safe environment. Before we do this, let’s pray.

Heavenly Father help to open our hearts to Your will.  Allow us to feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Holy Spirit, guide us to the people who need to hear of God’s love for them.  We pray this all through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, Amen.

I am going to model what I want you to do, and then I am going to ask for you to find someone here in this church and tell them sincerely, God loves you for who you are right now.  This means you may end up getting out of your seat.

So take out what I had you write down at the beginning, once I have given the message, I want you to go and find the person that God wants to hear this message.

Now if that weren’t enough, those of you who have cell phones, take them out, turn them on.  I want you to text, email, tweet, facebook people who are in your social network God loves you for who you are right now.

If 2 riders can go out and spread the news, The British are coming, The British are coming, and get 40 riders by dawn to spread the same messge, and towns can signal each other 25 miles away, certainly we can do the same.

God loves you.  God loves you.  God loves you.

It Begins

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I am now beginning to feel the time crunch.  I look at my calendar for just what I have to get done, and it is filling fast.  Yet at the same time, I know God is calling me and preparing me for something more.  But what if I don’t finish?  It happens often.  I start something and I don’t finish.  I think – no, I know – it’s because I try to do it all on my own, without God.  He starts me on a path, and I then decide I know what to do.  Or I come to a tree trunk thrown in my path, and I decide to try to move it my way.  God wants me to do it His way all the time.  This is my revolution for the year.  God is in every moment.  My focus must be on God.  He needs to be the air I breathe and the water I drink.

This is rushed tonight because I have had so much to do in a short time.  But I am choosing to be faithful to God.  He wants me to write, so here I am writing.

Spinning into God

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I love my spinning class.  Yesterday I was looking down at the rotating front silver wheel of the LiveStrong stationary bike I was riding, and I realized why I felt so close to God.  While I am riding, I don’t have to think.  My mind thoughts begin to dissolve, and all the outworldly parts of me are stripped away.  What is left is my soul ready to talk to and listen to God.  I am left with no thoughts.  My mind is clear.  There are no worries.  There is no “to do” list.  It’s just me and the silver tire rolling.

It’s in the quiet that I meet and find God.  He is powerful and joyful and gentle.  I am surrounded by love and grace.  There is nothing better than sitting at the feet of my Lord.  It is in this moment I understand that I am a child of God.  He loves me unconditionally.  He wants to bless me.  He wants me to attain what He has planned for me.  And in that small quiet moment, I am ready to do all He has for me to do.

Then I am pulled back into my class, moving onto the next phase, holding onto the remenants of the still, quiet space of God.  I hold onto it as I move through my day.  I remind myself that God is in all that I do and don’t do.  It is time that I step out and complete the tasks God has for me to accomplish.  Thank you Lord Jesus for saving me and providing me grace.  May I share that grace with others.