"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." - 1 John 4:16
His Eye Is on the Sparrow is a beautiful hymn written by Civilla D. Martin and composed by Charles H. Gabriel. This hymn was inspired by the scriptures, Matthew 6:26, 10:29-31, and a Christian couple, the Doolittle's.
Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? (Matthew 6:26)
Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)
"Early in the spring of 1905, my husband and I were sojourning in Elmira, New York. We contracted a deep friendship for a couple by the name of Mr. and Mrs. Doolittle—true saints of God. Mrs. Doolittle had been bedridden for nigh twenty years. Her husband was an incurable cripple who had to propel himself to and from his business in a wheel chair. Despite their afflictions, they lived happy Christian lives, bringing inspiration and comfort to all who knew them. One day while we were visiting with the Doolittles, my husband commented on their bright hopefulness and asked them for the secret of it. Mrs. Doolittle's reply was simple: "His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me." The beauty of this simple expression of boundless faith gripped the hearts and fired the imagination of Dr. Martin and me. The hymn "His Eye Is on the Sparrow" was the outcome of that experience."
- Civilla D. Martin
These words have brought me much comfort during my transition to college. I have been at Asbury for almost three months now and it has been 6 weeks since I last saw my family. Needless to say, homesickness has crept its way into my heart. I'm fine when I'm with friends or my mind is busy, so I try to avoid solitude, however, I am forced to spend 13 hours a week alone in a practice room. I started bringing my piano book of hymns and I came across His Eye Is on the Sparrow. I was familiar with the hymn, but I never really thought much about it. One line that struck me the most is, "Why should my heart be lonely... when Jesus is my portion?" Total dependence on God is something that I long for. Growing up with such wonderful parents, I was given everything I could possibly need. Now that I am away from them, I have to rely on Someone greater; Someone who is always with me (That is not to say my parents aren't still here for me, but it's different 8 hours away). So through this hymn and the words of God, I have discovered the beauty in homesickness and I would like to share with you the reasons why I am thankful for homesickness.
#1 I am thankful for a home and a family that I love so much, my heart literally feels heavy when we are separated. Many are not this fortunate. I'm thankful that I have something to miss.
#2 I am thankful that I am offered a deeper relationship with God through homesickness. He is teaching me that He is my portion, my constant Friend, my Guardian, my Leader, my Provider, and that I can depend on His love and care.
Read over these words and let them fill you with the hope and joy of a Savior who cares about us and let yourself be fully dependent on Him. It is through dependence/surrender that we are free.
Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heaven and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant friend is He:
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
I sing because I'm happy,
I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow,
And I know He watches me.
"Let not your heart be troubled," His tender words I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.
Peace and rest be with you all on this beautiful Sabbath.
“When the music fades
and all is stripped away and I simply come…”[1]
With these powerful lyrics written by Matt Redman, the essence of worship is
brought to light. Worship is not just
about the music, it is about entering into communion with God, the Creator. Without establishing the truth about worship,
the church misses the opportunity to participate with the eternal and, as a
result, the community suffers an agonizing separation from God. In the beginning, Adam and Eve lived in
perfect harmony with God in the Garden of Eden. At the Fall, the relationship
between God and man was mortally wounded.
In The Pursuit of God, A.W.
Tozer emphasizes how crucial it is for Christians to strive for a restored
relationship with the Creator.[2] The world, in a fallen state, is in a
chaotic, downward spiral; man exalts himself and walks his own way. Man
pretends that the world is his stage and God is a mere puppet that he can close
the curtain on whenever it is convenient.
However, Jeremiah 10:23 states that, “Man’s way is not in himself,nor is it in a man who walks to direct
his steps.”[3] Without the Creator, mankind is lost. Therefore, man must implement a “voluntary
exalting of God to His proper station over us and a willing surrender of our
whole being to the place of worshipful submission which the Creator-creature
circumstance makes proper”.[4]
Many people acknowledge
that a problem exists with worship in the church, but they attempt to address
it in different ways. Some pursue the
modern, contemporary way of worship, while others fall back on the
liturgy. Worship should bring the
creature into proper relationship with the Creator and this is done most
effectively through the four major parts of the liturgy: the Entrance, the
Proclamation of the Word, the Eucharist, and the Dismissal.[5]
Definitions
Before discussing the different
elements of the liturgy, a few terms need defining. First, worship is defined most simply as the
act of offering something pleasing to God.[6]Litourgia,
translated from the Greek, means “the work of the people. And this work of the people—the people of God—is to
offer themselves and their substance and their praises as an oblation
(offering) to God, made acceptable by virtue of the One Offering, namely the
sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ.”[7] To be clearer, liturgy is a form or
arrangement of different worship elements that some churches have retained
through the ages. Truly, definitions are
like the stepping stones to the garden where the farmer works, and so the
foundation is set and the work begins!
The Entrance
Upon entering the church, one begins the liturgical
journey. The liturgy allows worship to take place the moment one enters the
house of God. The Entrance is when
Christians leave the world and gather together in a sanctuary of peace. This “assembly or gathering constitutes the
most basic symbol of Christian worship”.[8]After
a long, wearisome week, Sunday is a day to set aside for fellowship with other
believers, and rest for the upcoming week.
The essentialness of the Sabbath is embedded in the finite nature of
humans. Acknowledging that a day of rest is needed recognizes the frailty of
humans and that the Lord is the only Provider of peace and strength. Peace comes from God and not from man. The Entrance is an act of worship because it
unseats the pride of man and points toward the need of a Supreme Being.
The
Greeting
There are four
sub-elements within the Entrance: The Greeting, the Adoration, the Confession,
and the Absolution.[9] In the Greeting, the
church-goers welcome one another with a salutation. The pastor often uses the salutation, “The
peace of the Lord be with you,” and the congregation replies, “And with you
also.”[10] This salutation offers the gift of peace to
one another and prepares the congregation for worship. The Greeting could even act as a kind of
pretense. C.S. Lewis writes on this kind of pretense in Mere Christianity: “The rule for all of us is perfectly
simple. Do not waste time bothering
whether you ‘love’ your neighbor; act as if you did. As soon as we do this we
find one of the great secrets. When you
are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him.”[11] Whether the people feel affection for one
another the Greeting provides the opportunity for the congregants to love as an
act of the will and as C.S. Lewis reveals, authentic love will soon follow.
The Adoration
The Song of Adoration
begins the musical portion of the liturgy.
Pastor David Cloud articulates the discouraging state in which many
churches are in today: “There is an
intense war being waged today for the heart and soul of Bible-believing
churches, and one of the Devil’s most effective Trojan horses is music.”[12] He is proposing that Satan is manipulating
music surreptitiously as a way to divide the church, most often through the
prideful opinions of Traditionalists and Modernists. This does not mean that music is a corrupt
vehicle to worship. On the contrary, music
is a wonderful gift from God that can and should be used for His glory
alone. However, when the music choice
for worship becomes a debate on whatever pleases the individual, the point of
worship is forgotten and fellowship is broken by the inward-curvedness of
man. Evidently, the song of adoration easily
strays from an adoration of God to an adoration of man. So often the lyrics are written about how God
loves man rather than how man loves God, and thus desecrates the definition of
worship. What arrogance is demonstrated when man enters into the house of God
and says to Him, “Oh, you love me! You are jealous for me!” In this case, the
Church is like the suitors in Homer’s, The
Odyssey, by abusing the rule of hospitality and over-stepping boundaries.
God welcomes His people into His house and instead of receiving thankful,
humble servants, He receives boasting swine.[13] One way to correct this prideful approach to
worship is to employ a humble worship leader who will be intentional in
selecting music that adores God. The
Adoration was instituted into the liturgy to humble the creature through
praising the Creator. If the worship
leader leads the congregation in true songs of adoration, the stage is set for
a transformation to take place in the hearts of the people.
The
Confession
The
Protestant Reformation began when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the All
Saints Church in Wittenberg in 1517.[14] The Reformation was an opportunity to discard
the fallacious doctrines of the Catholic Church and pursue the Truth, but instead
both the good and bad of Catholicism was rejected and detested. O pendulum of reform, you swing too far! The Confession is one of many elements that lost
its importance through the Reformation.
The Protestants main issue with confession is when the priest acts as the
intermediary.[15] However, in refuting the Catholic process,
the entire practice of confession is minimized. James 5:16 instructs, “Confess
your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.
The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”[16] The Confession is incorporated into the
Sunday liturgy because, like the Greeting, the church must be reconciled with
God and with each other in order to worship.
All sins must be dealt with so the body of Christ can function properly. Evelyn Underhill defines worship as “the response
of the creature to the eternal”.[17]
Confession is the response to a perfect God; it identifies man as a sinful
creature contrasted by the absolute holiness of God. Therefore, confession is
another instrument that plays in the joyful song of worship.
The
Absolution
The Confession exposes the depravity of man,
and thus, he is given an opportunity for redemption.[18] The
Absolution is a reminder, given by the pastor, of the words of forgiveness offered
by Christ for those who repent of their sins.[19] Protestantism, once again overreacting to
Catholicism, cast out the Absolution in rebellion to the notion that a priest
could grant or deny forgiveness. There
is no need of an intermediary because Jesus stretched out His hands to the
world via the cross and became the ultimate Mediator. For this reason, the Absolution is best
accomplished by reading 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and
just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”[20]
The “if” indicates the condition for receiving forgiveness. In this way, the pastor neither grants nor
denies forgiveness, but reminds the congregation of the opportunity offered by
Christ. Les Schofield admonishes
believers that, “the death of Christ provides us with the gift of confession to
gain forgiveness and the cleansing that brings holiness so we can stand in the
Presence of God without dying on the spot”.[21] After the first part of the liturgical
journey, the Entrance, the Church is one step closer to becoming the Body of
Christ. Each member is at peace with one
another, and with God, so the worship continues.
The Proclamation of the Word
The next major element
is the Proclamation of the Word and it includes the Reading of the Scripture,
the Sermon, the Creed, Intercession, and the Sign of Reconciliation and Peace.[22] The value of the Proclamation of the Word
increases tremendously when one understands that the Bible is the “speak of God”.[23] The eternal God of the earth authored a
timeless book, the Bible, which speaks to all who devote themselves to its
teachings. Furthermore, these two
principles of spiritual exegesis[24]
are presented in Susan K. Wood’s Spiritual
Exegesis and the Church in the Theology of Henri de Lubac:
Spiritual
exegesis, which is supposed by the whole liturgy, is an exegesis dominated by
two principles. The first principle is
that the Bible is the Word of God, not a dead word, imprisoned in the past, but
a living word addressed immediately to the man of today taking part in the
celebration of the liturgy. The second
principle is that the Old Testament is illumined by the New, just as the New
only discloses its profundity once it is illumined by the Old.[25]
Wood is asserting that the Word of God
is not dead; it is alive and speaking to all who will listen. So, as the Proclamation of the Word begins,
the believer inclines his ear to receive the Word of an ageless Savior.
The
Reading of the Scripture
Liturgically,
the Reading of the Scripture is a celebration.
Many expect God to be an unreachable Deity, much like the gods in other
religions, but the truth is that He is ever-present and desires an intimate
relationship with the creature. The
Bible describes the Church as the Bride of Christ.[26]
The language itself illumines the intimacy that God intends for His
people. The necessity of reading the
scriptures is found most simply through marriage. For a marriage to be complete, the two must
become one. That unity originates in
knowing each other’s character completely.
In the end, the Bride will be united with Christ and what better way to
prepare for marriage than to learn the Groom’s character. The Reading of the Scripture reveals God’s
character, which sanctions the joining together of the Bride and Groom and
allows the worshiper to identify the nature of God and respond appropriately.
The
Sermon
The
Sermon is the part of the Sunday Liturgy where the minister seeks to bring
about a greater understanding of the Scriptures with the help of the Holy
Spirit. The minister should understand
the magnitude of this responsibility to be fully submitted to the Spirit of God
before he utters the first word. This is a time when the transforming power of
God can be realized and accomplished through the spoken word. Something is wrong when the word is preached
and the congregation remains complacent and without challenge and conviction.[27] Modern sermons are often characterized by the
nefarious rise of individualism. When
community is forgotten in the midst of pleasing the needs of the individual,
the church is not the Church. Unlike the
Confession and Absolution, the Sermon remains integrated in the Sunday service,
but in an attempt to serve man, the Church often wavers from the liturgical
foundation.
The
Creed
The
recitation of the Nicene or the Apostles’ Creed introduces the basic tenets of
the Christian faith. “When the church
professes the creed in its worship, it too is testifying to its separate
identity from the world.”[28] The Creed singlehandedly marks the
set-apartness of the Church, affirms the faith of the believer, and equips the
believer with the answer to the intimidating question, “What do you believe?”
Intercession
In
the world today, the need for prayer cannot be denied. Intercession is a corporate prayer to God
beseeching Him to intervene in the debauchery of the world. The intercessor voices the petitions for
prayer and the congregants respond with, “Lord, hear our prayer.”[29] The Protestants often exclude this element of
the liturgy because of its rote nature.
However, prayer draws the creature into proper relationship with the
Creator and establishes the identity of the Church. Therefore, intercession is an indispensable
component in the worship service. “May
we learn to intercede so wholeheartedly that Jesus Christ will be completely
and overwhelmingly satisfied with us as intercessors.”[30]
Signs
of Reconciliation and Peace
This
is the last element of the Proclamation of the Word and thus serves as a bridge
to the Eucharist. The Bible warns that,
“whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner,
shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord”.[31] For that reason, the partaker must examine
his heart fully and repent of all sins before the Eucharist. The Signs of Reconciliation and Peace is
confirmation of the absolution received and perpetuates the peace among the
congregation in preparation for the Holy Communion.
The Eucharist
Alexander Schmemann
defines the Eucharist as, “the state of the perfect man. Eucharist is the life of paradise. Eucharist is the only full and real response
of man to God’s creation, redemption, and gift of heaven.”[32] The Eucharist embodies the Offertory, The
Great Thanksgiving, The Lord’s Prayer and the Holy Communion and is the apogee
of the Sunday liturgy.[33] Before continuing, let it be known that the
profundity of the Eucharist is immense and cannot be explained fully without
years of study and a blank canvas on which to paint the masterpiece of the
Eucharist.[34]
The
Offertory
In
a materialistic world, the symbolism of the Offertory is obscured. The Offering includes not only offering money
and tithes for the furtherance of God’s kingdom, but also offering oneself in
submission to God’s will.[35] The liturgy capitalizes the relationship between
the Offertory and Communion. There is a
mutual interdependency between all of the elements and only through active
participation of the liturgy as a whole will the journey of worship be
complete.
The
Great Thanksgiving
The
Great Thanksgiving leads up to receiving Holy Communion and is a time to
address God the Father in a prayer that recognizes all of His works in creation
and His establishing of the covenant between Himself and man. Through praise and adoration the congregation
acknowledges God’s sovereignty. “The prayer provides a majestic vision that
takes in the triune God’s eternal purpose actualized in the coming of Christ
and the creation of the Church by the power of the Spirit, and finding its
final perfection in the new creation epitomized in the heavenly banquet.”[36]
The
Lord’s Prayer
“This,
then, is how you should pray…” Matthew 6 instructs the Church how to pray
properly with the Lord’s Prayer.[37] The opening line in the Lord’s Prayer
addresses God as, “Our Father,” and not, “My Father,” making it clear that
Jesus is teaching the Church to pray corporately.This corporate prayer is included in the liturgy to
unite the Body of Christ.
The
Holy Communion
The
Holy Communion begins with the breaking of the bread, after which the minister
invites the pure in heart to partake of the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The Eucharist is not an insouciant event, but
a powerful, humbling encounter with the One who died on the cross for the sins
of mankind. The Invitation beckons only
those who have been made holy by the Holy Spirit. “Holy things are meant for holy people.”[38] Jesus’ death on the cross provides the answer
for the broken relationship between man and God. The Eucharistic celebration is
best described by Alexander Schmemann:
He
[Jesus] became man and lived in this world.
He ate and drank, and this means that the world of which he partook, the
very food of our world became His body, His life. But His life was totally, absolutely Eucharistic—all of it was transformed
into communion with God and all of it ascended into heaven. And now [through the Holy Communion] He
shares this glorified life with us.[39]
One must enter into Holy Communion
intentionally mindful of the magnitude of what takes place in this part of the
liturgy, but also with a sense of joyous anticipation.
The Dismissal
The
liturgical journey now comes to an end as the benedictory prayer is
imparted. The Benediction is given at
the end of the service as a blessing from God before the people must leave the
sanctuary and reenter the world. Part of
the purpose of the Dismissal is to prepare the congregants to bless others as
they go about their daily lives throughout the week. The impact of the Eucharist remains imprinted
on the heart of man as he is dismissed back into the world; all of his actions
seek to serve the one, true God in anticipation of entering into worship again
on the next Sabbath.This is not to
say that worship only takes place within the walls of the church, but it is
where the Body of Christ together encounters the triune God in all of His
glory.
The Church Set Apart
The
Church would universally agree that worship should bring the creature into
proper relationship with the Creator; however, some contemporary churches try
to accomplish this without using the liturgy, and thus, miss the transformative
powers of true worship. In the minds of
modernists, creating a more attractive worship service is a means to obtain a
larger congregation, and, as a result, there are more ears to hear the
gospel. In a society of tolerance,
acceptance, and individualism, the church is swept up into appealing to the
individual and their sins, even at the cost of altering the truth. The contemporary church is passionate about
bringing people to Christ and being “in the world” so as to share the love of
Christ with others. Unfortunately, these
passions are evolving into the church being “of the world”.[40] In an attempt to entreat the world, the
church is becoming assimilated with the world.
Liturgy pronounces the set-apartness of the Church through worship that
acknowledges the gravity of sin, the necessity of repentance and the
significance of sharing in the life and death of Christ through the partaking
of the Eucharist.
Conclusion
The
Sunday liturgy encompasses four major parts, the Entrance, the Proclamation of
the Word, the Eucharist and the Dismissal, each including multiple elements
which collectively bring the creature into proper relationship with the
Creator. Worship should be a defining
characteristic of the Church rather than of the world. Worship is the Church “bending the knee”
while the world is standing.[41] To the Christian Church: Take these words to
heart and waste no time establishing a Sunday liturgy for the reward of being
an authentic worshipping community is beyond the riches of gold. May the Church no longer be “a conflicted
people living in a land of conflicted people,” but a community identified by
the Creator and by the world as the Church on bended knee.[42]
1. Redman, Matt, “The Heart of
Worship,” On The Heart of Worship, CD
(London, England: Sta Song Publishers, 2005).
2.
Tozer, A.W., “Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation,” in The Pursuit of God. (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Christian
Publications, 1948), 93.
3.
“Jeremiah 10:23 - New American Standard,” Bible
Gateway, Accessed April 13th, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah%2010:23&version=NASB
4.
Tozer, A.W., The Pursuit of God,
96.
5.
Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology: The
Church as Worshiping Community (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity
Press, 2006), 129-130.
6.
Matt Bianco (CCMM Director of Education and Events) in discussion with the
author, April 5, 2013.
7.
Robert Webber, The Renewal of Sunday
Worship. (Nashville, Tennessee: Star Song Publishing Group, 1993), 112.
8. Simon Chan, Liturgical
Theology, 130.
9. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.
10. Ibid., 131.
11. C.S. Lewis. Mere Christianity. (New York:
HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 2001), 131.
12. Billy Hallowell, “Worship
Wars: Is the Worst Fight in Your Church Over the Style of Music?” The Blaze,
November 27, 2011.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2011/11/27/worship-wars-is-the-worst-fight-in-your-church-over-the-style-of-music/.
13. Homer, The Odyssey,
Translated by Robert Fagles (6th Printing. Penguin Books, 1997).
14. Daniel J. Boorstin. The Discoverers. (New York: Random House, Inc., 1983), 69.
15. Nancy Veatch (Teacher and
Mother) in discussion with the author, April 13, 2013.
16. “James 5:16 - New American
Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed
April 13, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%205:16&version=NASB
(Accessed April 13, 2013).
17. Evelyn Underhill, Lent with Evelyn Underhill (London,
England: Continuum International Publishing, 2006), 62, quoted in Robert E.
Webber, The Renewal of Sunday Worship
(Tennessee: Star Song Publishing, 1993), 99.
18. Philip Veatch (General
Internist, B.A. Bible Major, and Father) spoken through Ryan Owens
(Pharmaceutical Representative and Youth Leader), 2009. Exposure equals an
opportunity for redemption.
19. Robert E. Webber, The Renewal of Sunday Worship, 232.
20. “1 John 1:9 - New American
Standard,” Bible Gateway, Accessed on
April 13, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+John+1%3A9&version=NIV
21. Leslie N. Schofield Jr.
“Toward Authentic Christianity: The Kingdom Congregation in the 21st
Century: SCCC Ministry Guidelines” (2006), 15-16.
22. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.
23. Philip Veatch, in discussion
with the author, 2013.
24. Spiritual exegesis is defined
as “a theological term used to describe an approach to interpreting a passage
in the Bible by critical analysis.” Quoted from "Definition of
Exegesis." The Bible Study Site.
Accessed April 14, 2013. http://www.biblestudy.org/beginner/definition-of-christian-terms/exegesis.html
25. Susan K. Wood, Spiritual Exegesis and the Church in the
Theology of Henri de Lubac (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998), quoted in Simon
Chan, Liturgical Theology (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2006), 137.
26. “Revelation 21:2 - New
American Standard,” Bible Gateway,
Accessed on April 14th, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelation%2021:2&version=NASB
27. Marva J. Dawn, Reaching Out Without Dumbing Down: A
Theology of Worship for This Urgent Time, (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B.
Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1995), 205-206.
28. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 111.
29. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 139.
30. Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest (Grand Rapids,
Michigan: Discovery House Publishers, 1992), March 31.
31. “1 Corinthians 11:27 - New
American Standard,” Bible Gateway,
Accessed on April 13, 2013 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20corinthians%2011:27&version=NASB
32. Alexander Schmemann quoted in Ann Voskamp, One
Thousand Gifts (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2010.), 24.
33. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 130.
34. See The Eucharist Is, a poetic compilation of Alexander Schmemann’s
quotes on the Eucharist by Father John Finley, http://ancientfaith.com/podcasts/triumphalhymn/the_eucharist_is_._._
35. Simon Chan, Liturgical
Theology, 141.
36. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 143-144.
28. “Matthew 6:9 - New
International Version,” Bible Gateway,
Accessed on April 15, 2013 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%206:9&version=NIV
38. Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 144.
39. Alexander Schmemann, For the Life of the World (2nd
Ed., St. Vladimir’s Seminary Press, 1973), 42-43 quoted in Simon Chan, Liturgical Theology, 145.
40. “John 17:13-18 – New
American Standard,” Bible Gateway,
Accessed on April 15, 2013, http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+17&version=NASB
41. Leslie N. Schofield Jr.
“Toward Authentic Christianity: The Kingdom Congregation in the 21st
Century: SCCC Ministry Guidelines” (2006), 20.
42. Leslie N. Schofield Jr.“Toward
Authentic Christianity: The Kingdom Congregation in the 21st
Century: SCCC Ministry Guidelines,” 20.
I am in utter disbelief that summer is coming to an end in less than two weeks. The clock ticks by too fast... I have been supremely surprised by my floods of excitement and lack of anxiety. I keep waiting for it to really hit and sink in. I guarantee you it's not going to be pretty when that happens. I have little moments when I think about my "last" Sunday at Shepchap, or my "last" piano lesson, or my "last" band/choir practice, but then I'll talk to someone from Asbury & I get excited again. This is the week of all my "last"s and I don't know if I'm ready for them. But it's happening, whether I'm ready or not. I am so lucky to have a home that I love and care for deeply. Everyone complains about poor ol' Stanco, but it's honestly my favorite place in the world. I like running into people I know everywhere I go. I like that our movie theater only costs $4.50 for a matinee. I like how excited Stanco is when we get new things like a Cookout or a Sweet Frog. I like that the ladies at Belk or Jcpenney have watched me grow up and now share in my excitement for college. I like that Goodo's Putt Putt, just a shabby hole in the wall, has the best ice cream in the world. I like that I consider the waiters at Mazatlan my friends. Most of all, I like that my family, friends, and church are in Stanco. It's just the little things that make this town so special to me. A promise that I made and fully intend to keep is that I will always love my ground.
I have ten more days here and I am determined to make them count. I ask that you be in prayer for my family and I as I fear we will be displaying the ugly cry for all to see on campus next week. I am full of anticipation for the days ahead, but dreading the never-pleasant "see you soon"s. Pray for comfort and easy transitions; I would greatly appreciate it.
"When worshipers arrive at church, they are welcomed to the worship. There are different ways in which this welcoming is achieved, just as there are different ways of welcoming guests to one's home. But the first thing to remember is that worshipers are not in church primarily to welcome one another, nor should it be thought that the minister is playing host to the congregation. They are gathered to meet God; God is, in a sense, the host, and we are being welcomed into his presence. This is why the greeting is not "How are you this morning?"--which is often heard in churches that seek to make the service friendly to the visitor. The appropriate greeting is a mutual salutation, "The Lord [or, The peace of the Lord] be with you," and the congregation responds, "And also with you." When the minister says, "The peace of the Lord be with you," and the congregation responds, "And also with you," they are joined together in peace. "The Salutation joins the participants in the action through the gift transmitted through it." The state that defines the community that gathers in the name of Jesus to worship the triune God is peace, that is, reconciliation. If there is no reconciliation between God and people and between people, there can be no true worshiping community."
Twenty thirteen is nearing & I must say I'm rather terrified. This is going to be a big year. I graduate from high school in like five months. Then I will most likely proceed to go to college in August.
Needless to say, it's scary & I need to prepare myself physically, mentally, spiritually, & emotionally. Here are my resolutions!
Physical Resolutions
I'm joining the rest of the world and getting back into the gym. I plan to run a 5k with my sisters in the summer & I want to do it well.
First semester of college: DON'T GAIN THE FRESHMAN 15.
Mental Resolutions
READ MORE. These are some books I would like to have read come 2014.
Try not to give in to senioritis and finish with a BANG! Don't just cover the material, allow the material to cover me ;)
Spiritual Resolutions
We were discussing in Sunday School this morning about being a more intentional people and so I would like to make it a resolution to become more intentional; intentional about reading God's Word, studying it, praying, journaling and just taking time to spend with God everyday. It has been a goal of mine since freshman year to read the entire Bible. It's sad and frustrating that I have not completed it. My ultimate goal, though, has been to complete the Bible before I go away to college. In a way, that's been my excuse every year: "Well, I don't go to college for another year or two, so I have time to finish it." And now here I am, 8 months away from that big step!! No more procrastination, it's time to do it!
Emotional Resolutions
Love, love, love, love, love & cherish each moment.
I am one of those fortunate enough to have a mama who does my laundry for me. So I figured I better start learning how to do laundry NOW to avoid future emotional breakdowns in college :)
This is not really an emotional resolution, but I'm terrible in the kitchen. (It's a known fact...) Therefore, I need to learn how to cook. It'd be a shame if I didn't take advantage of learning now while under my Mama's wing. <3
If I had to describe what I think 2013 is going to be like...
Hope everyone is having a fantastic week so far! I came down with a little cold last week, so that's why this recording is overdue. I picked a short, simple, hymn today. It is called, "I Have Decided To Follow Jesus." At first, it doesn't seem to have much depth. It is repetitive and rather straight-forward. But that's why I like it.
Take a listen and see what you think & don't forget my commentary is right below (This one is really worth reading, promise!)
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though I may wander, I still will follow;
Though I may wander, I still will follow;
Though I may wander, I still will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
No turning back, no turning back.
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
Though none go with me, still I will follow;
No turning back, no turning back.
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
Will you decide now to follow Jesus?
No turning back, no turning back.
In an attempt to search the seemingly nonexistent depths of this hymn and to find the beauty rooted within, I found the most incredible story that it originates from.* This hymn was formed by the lips of man from India. He and his family found the Lord and converted to Christianity in the mid-19th century when some Welsh missionaries came to share the message with the community. This, of course, was not acceptable in the Eastern Indian society. The chief asked him to renounce his newly found faith or face execution and he replied, "I have decided to follow Jesus. No turning back, no turning back..." Enraged, the chief ordered an archer to shoot down his two sons. Then again, he asked him to renounce his faith or see his wife dealt the same fate. He just sang, "Though none go with me, still I will follow. No turning back, no turning back..." Then he watched his wife fall to the ground from an arrow. The chief gave him one more opportunity and he replied, "The world behind me, the cross before me. No turning back, no turning back..." Following after his family, this extraordinary man was killed. This right here, this story, this is why I am studying hymns. They have substance, they have beauty, they have history. Now when you sing those words over and over again, you have an entirely different mindset. It is also worth noting that because of this man's display of such great faith, the chief spontaneously confessed that he too belonged to Jesus and the entire tribe followed in his footsteps. Because one man was willing to die for Jesus (as He did for us), an entire tribe accepted the Lord as their Savior. This story is just amazing. Something my youth leader said a long time ago has always stuck with me; we must decideeach day to follow Jesus. Each morning when you wake up you have to make that choice. Am I going to live like a follower of Christ today? Make that decision and live accordingly.
Hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. I'm running on 4 hours of sleep and being gone from 7am-9pm and yet it's midnight and I'm still typing. That should say something!! I really hope you took the time to read this and I hope it blesses you as it did me. Have a lovely rest of the week!
*The origin is actually indefinite concerning whether it was from an Indian missionary, an Indian prince, or just an ordinary Indian man. Each story is very similar, but I chose to share the one of the ordinary man.
