Boldly acting, without fear
a stranger, on the dangerous road
stopping, making himself vulnerable
reaching out to the man
lying, bleeding, dying on the ground
risking so much, this enemy of the people
Through him, his example,
the Messiah, the one told of in the prophets,
through this outcast the Lord bears witness
Be bold to help your neighbors,
risking to heal, to love, to care
even your enemy, you are to love them all,
just as the ancient words said
Just as God commanded.
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
Showing posts with label Leviticus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Leviticus. Show all posts
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Be Obedient
Obey the law
and you will live
So were the words of the savior,
the messiah to a people who would not hear
Easy words of instruction, clear on their face
contorted, twisted, the words more important
than the love they were to share
A lesson in living the law of God,
to love your neighbor as yourself
Piety and stricture, puffing
deflated in the example of the stranger
the unclean Samaritan
obeying the law
in ways they would not
breathing the spirit of the law
doing the will of God
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
and you will live
So were the words of the savior,
the messiah to a people who would not hear
Easy words of instruction, clear on their face
contorted, twisted, the words more important
than the love they were to share
A lesson in living the law of God,
to love your neighbor as yourself
Piety and stricture, puffing
deflated in the example of the stranger
the unclean Samaritan
obeying the law
in ways they would not
breathing the spirit of the law
doing the will of God
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
Be Kind
Be kind, that is the rule,
the ancient rule of the people,
the words of the law, repeated by memory
from the lips of the scribe, the teacher of the law
Jesus affirmed these words, that is where life is
But the story of that dying man’
on the Jericho Road an indictment
the hypocrisy of the people of the word
A Samaritan, a people of ill repute
He was the one who demonstrated caring,
kindness to a stranger, an enemy
a man dying, unclean on the ground
He ministered in the way
the scripture envisioned,
the spirit of the words
in his acts revealed
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
the ancient rule of the people,
the words of the law, repeated by memory
from the lips of the scribe, the teacher of the law
Jesus affirmed these words, that is where life is
But the story of that dying man’
on the Jericho Road an indictment
the hypocrisy of the people of the word
A Samaritan, a people of ill repute
He was the one who demonstrated caring,
kindness to a stranger, an enemy
a man dying, unclean on the ground
He ministered in the way
the scripture envisioned,
the spirit of the words
in his acts revealed
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
Be Forgiving
A Samaritan on the Jericho Road
an outcast, unwanted, finding a Jew,
bleeding, dying on the way
forgiving the hurt, the scorn
the prejudice on his people
showing mercy to one in need
doing what others would not do
risking becoming unclean
touching a sick man,
in his time of trial,
before he would have died
forgiving the past, focused on
the one who was lying in the dust
reaching out in compassion
to offer his aid, relieving his pain
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
an outcast, unwanted, finding a Jew,
bleeding, dying on the way
forgiving the hurt, the scorn
the prejudice on his people
showing mercy to one in need
doing what others would not do
risking becoming unclean
touching a sick man,
in his time of trial,
before he would have died
forgiving the past, focused on
the one who was lying in the dust
reaching out in compassion
to offer his aid, relieving his pain
August 17, 2008
Luke 10:25-37 and
sermon “Let us love, not in word or speech alone. Let us
love in truth and action”, by
Reverend Huntley Halvorson
and Vacation Bible School,
Suncook United Methodist Church
http://www.cokesburyvbs.com/beachparty/
Sunday, March 16, 2008
More Promise than Order
Oh, if we could but follow these simple words,
to love our neighbor, to love our God,
so much more promise than order
these are the words of the ancient law,
the rules of the covenant written on tablets of stone
words boiled down to their essence, not a numbered list;
but two golden rules, echoed by the living God
God with us, in the flesh, teaching on the mountain
in the temple, by the sea, going to the people
to impart the spirit, not merely the letter of the law
to give meaning, life to the words chiseled by God
inscribing them in the good news of the savior
walking with the disciples here on earth
connecting us with the divine
leaving lessons of simple truth
we struggle to live each day
so we aspire, out of love, out of recognition
of the gifts he bestowed on us
to change, to grow, to preach
to reach to the ends of the earth
to change the world, for his glory
March 16, 2008
Walk to Emmaus
Sanctifying Grace
Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18,
Luke 10:25-37
to love our neighbor, to love our God,
so much more promise than order
these are the words of the ancient law,
the rules of the covenant written on tablets of stone
words boiled down to their essence, not a numbered list;
but two golden rules, echoed by the living God
God with us, in the flesh, teaching on the mountain
in the temple, by the sea, going to the people
to impart the spirit, not merely the letter of the law
to give meaning, life to the words chiseled by God
inscribing them in the good news of the savior
walking with the disciples here on earth
connecting us with the divine
leaving lessons of simple truth
we struggle to live each day
so we aspire, out of love, out of recognition
of the gifts he bestowed on us
to change, to grow, to preach
to reach to the ends of the earth
to change the world, for his glory
March 16, 2008
Walk to Emmaus
Sanctifying Grace
Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18,
Luke 10:25-37
You Shall
You shall, love the Lord, your neighbor
reconciliation in the words
to the father, the creator,
to our brother, our sister
a way to live our lives,
different from our past
the ways of the world
to be holy, humble
in our walk on the earth
you shall, a promise
more than an order
a hope for the world
March 16, 2008
Walk to Emmaus
Sanctifying Grace
Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18,
Luke 10:25-37
reconciliation in the words
to the father, the creator,
to our brother, our sister
a way to live our lives,
different from our past
the ways of the world
to be holy, humble
in our walk on the earth
you shall, a promise
more than an order
a hope for the world
March 16, 2008
Walk to Emmaus
Sanctifying Grace
Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18,
Luke 10:25-37
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Authentic Prayer - sermon by Ray Foss for Basic Lay Speaker class, September 29, 2007, Warren United Methodist Church
The passage from 1st Timothy 2:1-7, is a rich piece of scripture, because it speaks of the need to pray, so as to be at peace with the world, a holy peace so as to go on to make disciples, as we are all called in the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-19, disciples of the one true God, who loved us enough to sacrifice his son.
As Paul himself said in 1 Timothy 1:15, when he was still Saul, he had persecuted the followers of Christ. Now he himself knew the struggle of spreading the Good News throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Like the Attorney in Luke 10:25-37, Paul had tried to live the pious life Jews were called to in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 (to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself); but it was only the saving grace of Jesus Christ who gave him the tools to be the Good Neighbor, to bring the balm, the healing of Christ, to the Gentiles.
But what of Timothy the young pastor in Ephesus, the recipient of these instructions, these teachings? We know quite a bit about him, again through the Book of Acts, where we learn of his growing up, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice, herself the daughter of Lois, a believer in Christ, a follower of the Risen Lord.
But, what kind of prayer was Paul calling Timothy to, in his personal letter to his protégé? This peace, to allow him to be the servant he was called to be? How can we make the same plea to other followers, perhaps to other followers who, might be newer in their faith than we, just like Timothy was when compared to Paul, the Billy Graham of his time. What can we say to help them know the Good News, and to bring it to others themselves, to remove the clutter?
This was part of the challenge I faced in my Middle High Sunday School class last week. We too had this same lectionary. And, as with Paul, there was a distance between me and the kids in where we are in our faith journeys. Though there are times when they stretch my faith, and show me a trust that many of us adults have lost.
I sat in the circle in the Parlor, thinking, “So what was I going to tell them about this letter, the meaning and importance of Paul’s words to Timothy, for us now?”
As Methodists, we believe in the ministry of all believers, the Great Commission; but, do we spend enough time in prayer to be centered and ready to do that work, truly loving our neighbors, even our enemies, as ourselves?
When our church was beginning a strategic planning effort a couple of years ago now, Penny Thurston, a widow of a retired United Methodist pastor, was often asked to lead us in centering prayer. I wrote this poem about one of her prayers.
Spirit
We sat silent in centering prayer
my diaphragm and chest rose and fell
silently, in time with my heart
your word, the one you put in my mind
It was Spirit, Your Holy Spirit
living in the room with us
flickering in the Christ candle before us.
A call for your spirit to act,
guide us, be present in each one
leading us in prayer and action
Do we trust God for everything in our lives? Do we pray for neighbors, for leaders, for others? Or do we merely pray for our own small troubles? Do we even know how to pray, to really pray, as Paul was describing.
Paul reminded Timothy of the context of prayer, the kinds of prayer, the way he should pray, and the state of grace from which he could live his call, in these few words in this 1st letter to Timothy.
I told my Middle High Sunday School class about my first experience with the five-finger prayer, as taught to me by Rolling Ridge Director, Rev. Larry J. Peacock, at Wesley United Methodist Church. It is a simple way of praying, that puts the pieces that Paul was describing in this passage from 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
Our hand, our fingers, give us a wonderful way to remember how to pray as Paul instructed Timothy. Look at your hand, your fingers,
- Praise – the one true God, Creator, Sustainer, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Thanksgiving – for all He has done and is doing in the life of the world, in our lives
- Confession – for where we all have fallen short, individually and as the human race
- Supplication – prayers for others, including the leaders, even your enemies
- Intercession – prayers for yourself, for your needs, to clear the clutter and help you do God’s will, to follow his call.
What would we pray for, how would we take this lesson from Paul, the five fingers of prayer, consistent with Paul’s call to a prayer that leads to peace? What would the children say, those young and growing in their faith?
How can we as Christians be mentors and examples to those, like my middle high school class?
What are the authentic prayers of the children? Listen to the wisdom, the truth, the faith in their words. Like Paul, we want them to succeed in their journey. We want them to make disciples, as we must. Listen to the words of prayer of the children. Listen to their authentic words.
Caleb Hawkins
“We give you thanks, O God:
for friends that help me
for food that tastes good
for a good, fun family
for a house to live in
for Education
for My health and fitness
God be near and help us:
for my focus at school
for my family’s problems
for my injuries and sickness
for my friend’s mom and her cancer
for my friends and whatever they’re needing
Amen”
--
Dear God,
I thank you for my guinea pig, my dog, and my hermit crabs.
I thank you for my friends and family
I give you thanks for horses
And all the wild animals
And all the domestic animals
I Am sorry for all the paper and plastic and
aluminum that I throw away instead of
recycling it. I am sorry for the water I’ve wasted
and the pollution I have caused. I know it is
important to preserve your Earth because it is a
gift to us.
Help people realize that slaughtering horses for pet
food is cruel, and protect them from the trouble they
get themselves into. Help them understand that
animals are a gift and they should be kind to them
Also help them to understand that Earth is a
gift from You as well and they shouldn’t trash such
a precious gift.
And please, help me to achieve good grades in
school and high marks on my tests and quizzes
Finally, keep my pets, family, and friends safe and
healthy. Peace Out. Amen.
Jessa Fogel
---
Dear God,
Thank you God for coming down to earth
and saving us. Thank you for friends and family
who love me and support me. Thank you for
food and shelter that my parents provide for me.
God, we give you great thanks. For life and happiness,
we give you thanks o’ God. Thank you for baby
back ribs that come right off the grill. And most
of all, thank you for you. In your name I pray,
Amen
--
I am thankful for all that you have
done for me. I am sorry about
your family loss and I am sad about
it too. My Gia Gia (gramma in Greek)
was very close to me and she must
be with you. I really miss her So please
take good care of here. Thank you for
my family, friends, my sisters, my dads,
my mom, and my friends.
Love,
from your servant
Erica
--
A Prayer from Timothy
Holy God,
Creator and sustainer
of the earth, I offer this prayer
for myself and the world.
I thank you Lord, for my family,
for this beautiful Sunday, for this church
and church family, for the changing seasons
this season of fall, and especially for your presence.
Lord, I confess that I have fallen short of your grace,
that I have not communicated with my family,
that I have struggled in my work and I have not
put my whole trust in you.
I pray for this torn world, where strife and poverty
are too common, where one in seven Americans
are without health insurance, and where
too many know war and disease.
Lord, I pray for President Bush and the Congress,
may they find a way to end war
I pray also for this church, as we prepare for
a capital campaign and budget,
for the Iraqi government and its people
I ask for your peace for them and for
those who seeks after peace in the Middle East.
I pray Lord too, for the world, for global warming
and the melting ice caps. May we come to grips
with these challenges before it is too late.
Lord, I ask for your guidance, your strength
to get more done, to be more available to Ruth,
and to help the girls more.
I ask all these things in Your son’s precious name.
Amen
Okay, so that last one was the prayer I wrote last Sunday morning, when we were all centering, quieting ourselves in prayer, when we were at peace, in God’s house, thinking about ourselves and others, and seeking God’s Peace, His Strength.
What about you? Right now? In this place, this house of God? Remember, we all are to be ministers like Timothy; that is what we as United Methodists believe.
What prayers for peace in the world, for supplication, for intercession, for thanksgiving, and for praise do these words of 1st Timothy call you? What joys or concerns do you need to bring to the Lord this day? What is standing in the way of your getting on with the work you feel God has called you to do, to minister to his flock and to go out and make disciples of all the nations?
AMEN.
As Paul himself said in 1 Timothy 1:15, when he was still Saul, he had persecuted the followers of Christ. Now he himself knew the struggle of spreading the Good News throughout the Middle East and beyond.
Like the Attorney in Luke 10:25-37, Paul had tried to live the pious life Jews were called to in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 (to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself); but it was only the saving grace of Jesus Christ who gave him the tools to be the Good Neighbor, to bring the balm, the healing of Christ, to the Gentiles.
But what of Timothy the young pastor in Ephesus, the recipient of these instructions, these teachings? We know quite a bit about him, again through the Book of Acts, where we learn of his growing up, the son of a Greek father and a Jewish mother, Eunice, herself the daughter of Lois, a believer in Christ, a follower of the Risen Lord.
But, what kind of prayer was Paul calling Timothy to, in his personal letter to his protégé? This peace, to allow him to be the servant he was called to be? How can we make the same plea to other followers, perhaps to other followers who, might be newer in their faith than we, just like Timothy was when compared to Paul, the Billy Graham of his time. What can we say to help them know the Good News, and to bring it to others themselves, to remove the clutter?
This was part of the challenge I faced in my Middle High Sunday School class last week. We too had this same lectionary. And, as with Paul, there was a distance between me and the kids in where we are in our faith journeys. Though there are times when they stretch my faith, and show me a trust that many of us adults have lost.
I sat in the circle in the Parlor, thinking, “So what was I going to tell them about this letter, the meaning and importance of Paul’s words to Timothy, for us now?”
As Methodists, we believe in the ministry of all believers, the Great Commission; but, do we spend enough time in prayer to be centered and ready to do that work, truly loving our neighbors, even our enemies, as ourselves?
When our church was beginning a strategic planning effort a couple of years ago now, Penny Thurston, a widow of a retired United Methodist pastor, was often asked to lead us in centering prayer. I wrote this poem about one of her prayers.
Spirit
We sat silent in centering prayer
my diaphragm and chest rose and fell
silently, in time with my heart
your word, the one you put in my mind
It was Spirit, Your Holy Spirit
living in the room with us
flickering in the Christ candle before us.
A call for your spirit to act,
guide us, be present in each one
leading us in prayer and action
Do we trust God for everything in our lives? Do we pray for neighbors, for leaders, for others? Or do we merely pray for our own small troubles? Do we even know how to pray, to really pray, as Paul was describing.
Paul reminded Timothy of the context of prayer, the kinds of prayer, the way he should pray, and the state of grace from which he could live his call, in these few words in this 1st letter to Timothy.
I told my Middle High Sunday School class about my first experience with the five-finger prayer, as taught to me by Rolling Ridge Director, Rev. Larry J. Peacock, at Wesley United Methodist Church. It is a simple way of praying, that puts the pieces that Paul was describing in this passage from 1 Timothy 2:1-7.
Our hand, our fingers, give us a wonderful way to remember how to pray as Paul instructed Timothy. Look at your hand, your fingers,
- Praise – the one true God, Creator, Sustainer, Father, Son and Holy Spirit
- Thanksgiving – for all He has done and is doing in the life of the world, in our lives
- Confession – for where we all have fallen short, individually and as the human race
- Supplication – prayers for others, including the leaders, even your enemies
- Intercession – prayers for yourself, for your needs, to clear the clutter and help you do God’s will, to follow his call.
What would we pray for, how would we take this lesson from Paul, the five fingers of prayer, consistent with Paul’s call to a prayer that leads to peace? What would the children say, those young and growing in their faith?
How can we as Christians be mentors and examples to those, like my middle high school class?
What are the authentic prayers of the children? Listen to the wisdom, the truth, the faith in their words. Like Paul, we want them to succeed in their journey. We want them to make disciples, as we must. Listen to the words of prayer of the children. Listen to their authentic words.
Caleb Hawkins
“We give you thanks, O God:
for friends that help me
for food that tastes good
for a good, fun family
for a house to live in
for Education
for My health and fitness
God be near and help us:
for my focus at school
for my family’s problems
for my injuries and sickness
for my friend’s mom and her cancer
for my friends and whatever they’re needing
Amen”
--
Dear God,
I thank you for my guinea pig, my dog, and my hermit crabs.
I thank you for my friends and family
I give you thanks for horses
And all the wild animals
And all the domestic animals
I Am sorry for all the paper and plastic and
aluminum that I throw away instead of
recycling it. I am sorry for the water I’ve wasted
and the pollution I have caused. I know it is
important to preserve your Earth because it is a
gift to us.
Help people realize that slaughtering horses for pet
food is cruel, and protect them from the trouble they
get themselves into. Help them understand that
animals are a gift and they should be kind to them
Also help them to understand that Earth is a
gift from You as well and they shouldn’t trash such
a precious gift.
And please, help me to achieve good grades in
school and high marks on my tests and quizzes
Finally, keep my pets, family, and friends safe and
healthy. Peace Out. Amen.
Jessa Fogel
---
Dear God,
Thank you God for coming down to earth
and saving us. Thank you for friends and family
who love me and support me. Thank you for
food and shelter that my parents provide for me.
God, we give you great thanks. For life and happiness,
we give you thanks o’ God. Thank you for baby
back ribs that come right off the grill. And most
of all, thank you for you. In your name I pray,
Amen
--
I am thankful for all that you have
done for me. I am sorry about
your family loss and I am sad about
it too. My Gia Gia (gramma in Greek)
was very close to me and she must
be with you. I really miss her So please
take good care of here. Thank you for
my family, friends, my sisters, my dads,
my mom, and my friends.
Love,
from your servant
Erica
--
A Prayer from Timothy
Holy God,
Creator and sustainer
of the earth, I offer this prayer
for myself and the world.
I thank you Lord, for my family,
for this beautiful Sunday, for this church
and church family, for the changing seasons
this season of fall, and especially for your presence.
Lord, I confess that I have fallen short of your grace,
that I have not communicated with my family,
that I have struggled in my work and I have not
put my whole trust in you.
I pray for this torn world, where strife and poverty
are too common, where one in seven Americans
are without health insurance, and where
too many know war and disease.
Lord, I pray for President Bush and the Congress,
may they find a way to end war
I pray also for this church, as we prepare for
a capital campaign and budget,
for the Iraqi government and its people
I ask for your peace for them and for
those who seeks after peace in the Middle East.
I pray Lord too, for the world, for global warming
and the melting ice caps. May we come to grips
with these challenges before it is too late.
Lord, I ask for your guidance, your strength
to get more done, to be more available to Ruth,
and to help the girls more.
I ask all these things in Your son’s precious name.
Amen
Okay, so that last one was the prayer I wrote last Sunday morning, when we were all centering, quieting ourselves in prayer, when we were at peace, in God’s house, thinking about ourselves and others, and seeking God’s Peace, His Strength.
What about you? Right now? In this place, this house of God? Remember, we all are to be ministers like Timothy; that is what we as United Methodists believe.
What prayers for peace in the world, for supplication, for intercession, for thanksgiving, and for praise do these words of 1st Timothy call you? What joys or concerns do you need to bring to the Lord this day? What is standing in the way of your getting on with the work you feel God has called you to do, to minister to his flock and to go out and make disciples of all the nations?
AMEN.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
But, We Wouldn’t Do That
If I were to put my feet,
into the sandals of the listeners,
the first audience for these stories,
I can imagine the response,
why they are called parables perhaps
explained by the response they would make.
“But, we wouldn’t do that.” Emphatically,
we wouldn’t leave our flock out in the wilderness,
no that wouldn’t be prudent at all,
we would husband our resources,
be good stewards of
the ninety-nine who remain
We couldn’t go out there, into the unknown
to find the hundredth, the lost sheep
What would happen to the rest, the loyal ones,
living by the law, the prophets even,
living by Exodus, Leviticus, by the Numbers.
Oh we wouldn’t go out there. We wouldn’t waste
money to find money, to burn our oil
to find the one coin. We would watch what we had
more closely, save out money, invest perhaps;
but oh we would not waste so.
And there is the point, the closed ears, the slow feet
stuck in place, missing the point of the parables,
that God’s energy, his compassion, his love
for each one of us is so strong,
each is worth searching for
must be found, whatever the cost
September 15, 2007 20:55
Luke 15:1-10
All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
into the sandals of the listeners,
the first audience for these stories,
I can imagine the response,
why they are called parables perhaps
explained by the response they would make.
“But, we wouldn’t do that.” Emphatically,
we wouldn’t leave our flock out in the wilderness,
no that wouldn’t be prudent at all,
we would husband our resources,
be good stewards of
the ninety-nine who remain
We couldn’t go out there, into the unknown
to find the hundredth, the lost sheep
What would happen to the rest, the loyal ones,
living by the law, the prophets even,
living by Exodus, Leviticus, by the Numbers.
Oh we wouldn’t go out there. We wouldn’t waste
money to find money, to burn our oil
to find the one coin. We would watch what we had
more closely, save out money, invest perhaps;
but oh we would not waste so.
And there is the point, the closed ears, the slow feet
stuck in place, missing the point of the parables,
that God’s energy, his compassion, his love
for each one of us is so strong,
each is worth searching for
must be found, whatever the cost
September 15, 2007 20:55
Luke 15:1-10
All of my poems are copyrighted by Raymond A. Foss, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. All rights reserved. Contact me at Ray Foss for usage. See all 19,720+ of my poems at http://www.raymondafoss.blogspot.com Poetry Where You Live.
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