David’s Bucket

This morning I’m excited to be heading to Muskogee, Oklahoma to spend the week with our High School students during their annual mission trip. Over the next five days, these students will be working in groups of 6-8 students and 2 adults on small construction projects for many families who find themselves in need in the Muskogee area. I’m honored to be going as the “camp pastor” for the week.

When I worked with HS students full time, I always reminded parents that Mission Trip was the most important event of the year for our youth ministry. What I discovered was that I could preach something 40 times to my students, but when they had the opportunity to provide a tangible blessing to someone else in need, it was a transforming moment in their lives.

No other opportunity led to more profound change in my student’s life than mission trip.

So I hope you will join with me this week in praying for these kids. It’s going to be a hard week of work, but it’s an amazing opportunity for God’s spirit to work in their lives. Specifically, would you pray for these five things.

• Pray for Safety! Power tools will be involved! Our kids will be traveling in fifteen passenger vans. There are lots of “moving parts” to the week. Pray for safety throughout the trip for our students.
• Pray for our Adults! The work week is hard on our teenagers and even more so on the adults who are serving as sponsors for these trips. They will be richly rewarded to share this time with our students, but it will be a physically demanding week for them!
• Pray for Muskogee! You can only imagine the impact that a group like ours has on a community. Pray that as our students seek to complete their construction projects, God would use that work to continue reconstructing lives and all those who live in this area.
• Pray for our Kids! We want God’s spirit to move in their lives! Pray for God to reveal himself to these young people in an amazing way this week. For some, it may be the first time they say, “God I want to serve you with my life.” For others, this week may be another step in deepening their relationship with God!
• Pray for me! I’m really thrilled to have the chance to speak to our kids each night. I’ll be talking to them each night about how God “redefines” us. Would you pray for God to lead me as I share with them?

Thank you so much for lifting up our kids in prayer this week.

Yesterday, in my post about my plans for Lent this year, I mentioned that I was going to be using a book called Eastertide which is a prayer book put together by Phyllis Tickle. I promised to write more today about what is called The Daily Office, a pattern of praying at certain hours of the day, which provides the framework for Eastertide.

I actually wrote a bit about the Daily Office several years ago in preparation for Lent. Here is some of what I shared in that post dated February 13th, 2008.

Throughout the Judeo-Christian story, both Christians and Jews have participated in certain practices that have taken place at certain times of the day. Going back to the days of the Jerusalem temple, there were certain sacrifices, prayers, and liturgy that were specific to the hour of the day. The Psalmist writes, “Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances.” [Psalm 119:164]

In the New Testament, we read several references to the hour of the day and the significant things that happen in this life of Jesus and his disciples at these specific times of prayer. The most notable is Peter’s vision in Acts 10 which happens when, “About noon the next day, as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.” [Acts 10:9] What was Peter doing? The same thing he did everyday at noon… Praying!

The best way to describe the Daily Office is that it is fixed hour prayer book [also called The Canonical Hours]. Working with a prayer book, you set aside time during certain times of the day to work through some readings and prayers. The book that I use has four prayer times during the day; The Morning Office to be observed between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., The Midday Office to be observed between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., the Vespers Office to be observed between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. and Compline which is observed before retiring before bed.

Each of the Office times take about 10-15 minutes and include prayers, scripture reading, and other portions of sacred writings from all parts of Christian history. Sometimes this is a thought from a 13th century theologian. Sometimes it’s the words to a hymn written in the 19th century. Each office incorporates the Lord’s Prayer and the Gloria which those who attend one of our traditional services would know. [Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and forever, AMEN.]

If you have never worked with a prayer book like this before, I will warn you that it will feel a bit strange at first. It has a set pattern, and you basically read through all the sections for that particular time. We tend to overvalue spontaneity in our prayer life and so reading through a prayer book might feel a little dry. If you do try it out, I encourage you to do a couple of things.

• Don’t give up too quickly. Try it out for a few weeks. It may not fit you, but since it is so different from what many of us are used to, it may just take some time to adjust.
• Read out loud. I have found that in doing this, it makes me slow down the pace of my reading and really focus in on what I’m saying.
• When you are finished, record your reflections in a journal. As I said, each office only takes you 10-15 minutes. Take 5 minutes to check in with yourself in your journal.

If you’re interested in learning more about using The Daily Office in your prayer time or have any other questions, feel free to leave a comment below or email me.

Our 2010 Confirmation class kicked off this weekend, and we have a great group of kids signed up! I think we have about 65 young men and women who will be a part of this year’s class. These 6th graders will be gathering each Sunday afternoon for lunch, a time of teaching from one of our pastors, and small group discussion with their peers and our confirmation mentors. Confirmation will conclude with a weekend retreat and the Confirmation service where they will be baptized if they have not already been baptized, profess their faith in Christ, and become full members of our church family.

It’s an exciting time in their lives and in the life of our church.

This weekend in all our services we distributed cards that had a special prayer we are encouraging every member of our church to pray over the next 10-12 weeks for these students. If you were not able to be in church this weekend, here is that prayer. Thanks for lifting up these special young men and women during this important time!

Lord, I thank you for the young men and women participating in Confirmation. In this time, I pray that you would reveal to them your love and grace at work in their lives. Guide them, Lord, as they confirm their faith in Christ and commit their lives to membership in your church. AMEN.

One of our church staff members, Charlene McKinzey will be having surgery today in Dallas. Last Friday, Charlene was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Today, they hope to remove that cancer.

Charlene is one of our longest tenured staff members serving our church in multiple ways. Currently she works with our 5th & 6th grade program which means that Confirmation, something she cares very deeply about, will have to start this weekend without her. Charlene has helped lead our music program and for a very long time gave direction to our youth choir.

Charlene is a servant, a spirited and committed follower of Christ, and a dear friend and mentor to many in our congregation.

Today, I will be praying for her and I want to encourage you to do so as well.

If you find yourself searching for the words, here’s a sense of my prayer for this family today.

Lord, I pray your blessings upon Charlene today and ask that your peace would surround her in this hour. May your grace calm all her anxiety and remind her of the many who gather around her in prayer today lifting her up. We give you thanks God for the hospital that provides her care and the doctors and nurses who will serve Charlene today. Lead them Lord as they seek to bring healing to Charlene.

Bless her husband Kyle and their two children as they support Charlene. Surround them with your presence in this difficult time. God, we thank you for this family, for their faith and life which has served many, and their dedication to one another in all seasons of life. Bless them Lord, in Jesus Name. AMEN.

I received word today that one of my roommates from college is heading to Haiti. The year that we lived together, I rarely saw Kevin. He had a part time job as a phlebotomist [the people who stick you for an IV] at one of the local hospitals. When Kevin was not working, he was in the library studying. I was always amazed that he could spend the entire day at the library on a Saturday.

Why was Kevin so dedicated to studying? Kevin had a dream of becoming a doctor.

That dream came true for Kevin, and now that calling has led him to bring healing and hope to the people of Haiti.

When I received word this morning about Kevin’s trip, I couldn’t help but think about all those hours he invested so long ago.

Here’s just a small portion of what Kevin shared about his recent trip.

We are excited for all that God wants to do in comforting the people of Haiti and revealing His love to them. May His Kingdom come more fully in the wake of this devastation. I prayed for God to give me His heart of compassion for the people there, and as I was weeping at World Mandate, He gave me the sense that no one is hurting more than Him for the people of Haiti. I don’t feel that I have much to offer, but am thrilled at the opportunity to trust Him and allow Him to work through me. Please pray that I would not grow weary in doing good, and that I would present the Gospel clearly to the all, especially to the hearts God already has been working in to respond to His love and salvation. I am in a desperate place for Him as it should be!

I appreciate your prayers for my friend Kevin.

Last weekend we kicked off our SYNC message series. The heart of this series is really about investing in our prayer life… the time we give to listening to God’s heart and sharing our heart with God.

At the end of the message, I shared the prayer below. Wherever we find ourselves on our journey, I think it appropriately expresses our desire to stay in sync with God.

God, help me to hear your voice, to recognize your presence in my life, and follow you wherever you may lead. Help me God to remain in you all the days of my life.

Last spring, I had the opportunity to attend the Catalyst One Day event with several members of our staff. One of the speakers at the luncheon I attended who was also a part of an afternoon panel was Matt Chandler, pastor of Village Church, a church with three campuses in the DFW area. A few weeks ago, Matt suffered a seizure and a large tumor was found in his brain. On December 4th, Matt underwent surgery to remove the mass. At the time of this writing, they have not yet figured out whether the tumor is malignant or not.

Before entering surgery, Matt, a young pastor in his 30’s, recorded a video to share with the entire Village Church family. I want to encourage to take a few minutes today to listen to Matt’s heart as he seeks to encourage his congregation and at the same time, witness to the deep faith he has in God.

Click here to watch the video.

I hope after watching you will pause to pray for Matt, his family, and the entire Village Church family as well.

During my reading of Ephesians last week, I was really blown away by the request Paul shares with the church at Ephesus near the end of his letter. In the sixth chapter, Paul writes this.

Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should. Ephesians 6:19-20

Paul asked Ephesus to pray that he would have courage… From prison, Paul prays for courage. It’s helpful for me to remember that Paul was a human being like me. I sometimes forget that in the midst of the passion and boldness in which he writes to the churches he so dearly loved. It helps keep me focused on the idea that Paul was a pastor at heart, just like me, who loved his people and desperately wanted them to discover and dwell in “the Truth.”

I wonder if it would be too much for me to ask you to pray Ephesians 6:19 for me and our pastors?

God, whenever [name] open [his/her] mouth, I pray that words may be given [him/her] so that [he/she] will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel.