For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I with them.
If my people who are called my name would humble themselves and pray, then will I hear from heaven and I will heal their land.
These two verses are quoted all the time and completely out of context. I heard the first one yesterday in a prayer twice. I even heard it from a high ranking person in the Missouri Baptist Convention at the annual meeting. It made me think poorly of this person, it even caused me to stumble. And we know all about abstinence from things that cause people to stumble.
We say, "God you have promised that whereve two or three are gathered you will be with us, so God we ask you to be here with us." It is like when I am alone and want to pray or hang out with God I can't. Do I need to go and find a friend? If I am with three other people do I need to tell one of them go home so that we can have two or three?
Ridiculous! The context is Matthew 18 and conflict resolution and bringing two people to try to bring a friend out of sin. It has nothing to do with prayer or a worship service.
The "heal their land verse" is quoted alot when american churches climb up on the patriotism mountain. It happens alot over the fourth of July and Veterans Day holidays and during election times. It is is also ridiculous and out of context. The statement is made by God and he talking to Jews in Israel. He is not talking to the USA.
This one is not as bad, because from a conceptual standpoint it is a good idea to humble yourself and pray to God. But, this is not a promise by God to the USA. In fact, there are no promises by God to the USA in all of scripture. Gasp!
So stop praying these things. Please.
Hello Friends. Since Rik does not have a secretary and he is a bit on the unorganized side, we are going to do a sign up here to avoid hundreds of emails back and forth. These are the items that we will need to sign up for. Turkey and Gravy will be provided. Please feel free to sign up for more than one. Also remember, when signing up - there are several single men out there that we may ALL like to bring paper products if you know what I mean! We need food for about 45-50 people.
Dressing - Tonya
Dressing - Kuntz
Mashed Potatoes - Wagners of the Travis & Megan type
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes - Rachel Wright
Corn - Steph
Green Beans - Kuntz
Cranberry Sauce - Tonya
Dinner Rolls - Brian Howdeshell
Dinner Rolls - Walton
Butter - Mama Sue
Pumpkin Pie/Cool Whip - Megan
Peach Cobbler - Rachel Wright
Dessert - Apple Pie - Wagners of the Ryan & Jamie type
Dessert - Walton
Heavy Duty Plastic Plates
Utencils
Plastic Cups
Ice
Napkins - Mama Sue
Iced Tea - Papa Baker
Iced Tea - Papa Baker
Lemonade - Mama Sue
Lemonade - Mama Sue
Never mind the diet coke - it is TEA that Charlie needs - my bad.
Dressing - Tonya
Dressing - Kuntz
Mashed Potatoes - Wagners of the Travis & Megan type
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes - Rachel Wright
Corn - Steph
Green Beans - Kuntz
Cranberry Sauce - Tonya
Dinner Rolls - Brian Howdeshell
Dinner Rolls - Walton
Butter - Mama Sue
Pumpkin Pie/Cool Whip - Megan
Peach Cobbler - Rachel Wright
Dessert - Apple Pie - Wagners of the Ryan & Jamie type
Dessert - Walton
Heavy Duty Plastic Plates
Utencils
Plastic Cups
Ice
Napkins - Mama Sue
Iced Tea - Papa Baker
Iced Tea - Papa Baker
Lemonade - Mama Sue
Lemonade - Mama Sue
Never mind the diet coke - it is TEA that Charlie needs - my bad.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
I got a book from the library Called the Cost of Moral Leadership, the Spirituality of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, all quotes come from this book. In the first chapter I found these gems from his last days before his execution in the Nazi extermination camp called Flossenburg, that have captured my thoughts since I read them:
On his execution day Bonhoeffer was asked to conduct a prayer service. "On April 8, 1945, Bonhoeffer, pastor to the end, meditated briefly on two...texts for the day, Isaiah 53:5 ("By His wounds we are healed") and I Peter 1:3 ("Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead")
A person in the room that day would later recall this "Bonhoeffer reached the hearts of all, finding just the right words to express the spirit of our imprisonment, and the thoughts and resolutions which it had brought. The calm that ensued was interupted by the arrival of two evil looking Gestapo agents take Bonhoeffer away to his court martial and execution."
"The only account of Bonhoeffer's death was given by the prison doctor, who wrote that, after the sentences had been read out to the condemned men, he saw 'Pasor Bonhoeffer, before taking off his prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying fervently to his God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer.' he added, 'at the place of execution he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed...in the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man so entirely submissive to the will of God.'"
Thirteen years prior to Bonhoeffer's execution he offered this in a sermon, "we must not be surprised if once again times return for our Church when the blood of martyrs will be required. But even if we have the courage and faith to spill it, this blood will not be as innocent or as clear of that of the first martyrs."
On his execution day Bonhoeffer was asked to conduct a prayer service. "On April 8, 1945, Bonhoeffer, pastor to the end, meditated briefly on two...texts for the day, Isaiah 53:5 ("By His wounds we are healed") and I Peter 1:3 ("Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead")
A person in the room that day would later recall this "Bonhoeffer reached the hearts of all, finding just the right words to express the spirit of our imprisonment, and the thoughts and resolutions which it had brought. The calm that ensued was interupted by the arrival of two evil looking Gestapo agents take Bonhoeffer away to his court martial and execution."
"The only account of Bonhoeffer's death was given by the prison doctor, who wrote that, after the sentences had been read out to the condemned men, he saw 'Pasor Bonhoeffer, before taking off his prison garb, kneeling on the floor praying fervently to his God. I was most deeply moved by the way this lovable man prayed, so devout and so certain that God heard his prayer.' he added, 'at the place of execution he again said a short prayer and then climbed the steps to the gallows, brave and composed...in the almost fifty years that I worked as a doctor, I have hardly ever seen a man so entirely submissive to the will of God.'"
Thirteen years prior to Bonhoeffer's execution he offered this in a sermon, "we must not be surprised if once again times return for our Church when the blood of martyrs will be required. But even if we have the courage and faith to spill it, this blood will not be as innocent or as clear of that of the first martyrs."
North Church Has a New Home
This is a big time in the life of our church. We have secured a new home that we expect to be our home for a while.
We have entered into an agreement with Florissant Valley Baptist Church to use their building on Sunday evenings at 6:00 with the possibility to transition into Sunday Mornings. Florissant Valley Baptist Church is located at 1025 North Hwy 67 at the entrance to St. Ferdinand Park.
We will be meeting there this Sunday morning to share with their church body about who we are and our vision to reach North County and participate in a prayer service with them. The following week (November 18) we will begin in our new home.
There are some plusses and some minuses about meeting on Sunday evenings. We would like to invite you come and give North Church and Sunday evenings a look.
We have entered into an agreement with Florissant Valley Baptist Church to use their building on Sunday evenings at 6:00 with the possibility to transition into Sunday Mornings. Florissant Valley Baptist Church is located at 1025 North Hwy 67 at the entrance to St. Ferdinand Park.
We will be meeting there this Sunday morning to share with their church body about who we are and our vision to reach North County and participate in a prayer service with them. The following week (November 18) we will begin in our new home.
There are some plusses and some minuses about meeting on Sunday evenings. We would like to invite you come and give North Church and Sunday evenings a look.
