Pass Me Not O Gentle Savior
October 23, 2009
For some sweet relief on this Friday try this hymn…
Words: Fanny Crosby, 1868. Music: Howard Doane, 1870
Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Refrain
Savior, Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.
Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief,
Kneeling there in deep contrition;
Help my unbelief.
Refrain
Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.
Refrain
Thou the Spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me,
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in Heav’n but Thee?
For a good temporary rendition go to Red Mountain Church or Bart Millard
350, a number to know (October 24, 2009)
October 23, 2009
350.org spearheaded by author, speaker, and fellow brother in the Lord, Bill McKibben, is getting the word out about parts per million as it relates to climate change.
350 parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.
On October 24, 2009, people, families, and communities will unite behind the 350 goal in a planetary day of action
To learn more, read, watch, laugh or find events in your neighborhood click here.
National Day of Prayer for Creation (Renewal’s 2nd Annual)
October 21, 2009
Christian young people from around the country are calling the church to a day of prayer and fasting on the care of creation! Facilitated by Renewal: Students Caring for Creation, these Christians college students and many others are saying that we have to get our stewardship of creation right. They want Christ proclaimed in the field of the environment, indeed they want all people to realize that yes Christ is indeed sovereign over all creation. That the gospel brings good news to all creation and that as his people, his new creation, we can rediscover the Father’s heart for all that he has made.
I’ll be celebrating this National Day of Prayer by attending a morning prayer breakfast on creation care, followed by a day where I am privleged to present these sort of prospectives before our national leaders.
My prayer for today is that we would humble ourselves before God for our stewardship of creation and that we would be bold by the Spirit to proclaim the name of Christ, as the true sovereign over all creation, in all realms and before all peoples.
Sunday Worship
October 18, 2009
Check out these new renditions from High Street Hymns based in Charlottesville, VA. Be sure to catch their rendition of “All Creatures of Our God and King.”
Deep Green Evangelism
October 16, 2009
by Rev. Mitch Hescox
Something we’re missing. Riding in a cab after two consecutive days of coast-to-coast flying with six hours of presentations and meetings tossed between, I started a conversation with my young driver. We chatted over the area, weather, coffee (which I was in desperate need), local jobs, and the economy. “People around here take the environment seriously, we’re sort of an outdoors kinda’ people,” shared Michael. “I went to the local book-store a while back and found something called the Green Bible.” My younger brother died not too long ago, and I’m trying to figure things out,” Michael continued. “I gotten through the Genesis part, but so far I have more questions than answers.” As Michael paused and looked over with a glancing gaze with maybe you think I’m crazy expression, I admit to a little chuckle. “Michael, in my briefcase is my Green Bible. “ Michael, I spent the last 20 years being a pastor and now help churches and our government understand how important it is to care for God’s creation,” I replied to a very surprised taxi-driver. Michael shared a little more of his live, his hurt, his confession. How a friends were turning to God and others away from God. “I spend some time in church as a kid, but I don’t have much use for church,” Michael stated. “Let’s start with your questions and try to build a relationship with God before we worry about the church,” I replied.
We spent the next 20 minutes discussing Scripture, his questions and his feelings. As we arrived at my destination, I simply asked Michael if I could pray for him. After laying hands on my new friend and praying, I offered him my card and asked him to email his questions so our conversation might continue. However, the story isn’t over. The next day on my return trip with some colleagues. Our now woman cab driver wanted to know if anyone had travelled alone by taxi the day before. I confessed! She immediately shared how her son Michael had come home yesterday waving my card and telling his mom about our conversation. Only the Lord knows the outcome of this serendipitous moment, but without the Green Bible inspired by Dr. Cal DeWitt a connection would have never happened.
Creation care and our stewardship for the earth are not only a Biblical mandate, but also perhaps the greatest 21st century evangelism gift. Are we awake enough to make the connection?
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Rev. Mitch Hescox, President/C.E.O. – EEN
Renewal Hosts 2nd Annual Prayer for Creation
October 12, 2009
Renewal is hosting its second annual Day of Prayer for God’s Creation. EEN invites you to join Christian students around North America as we stand together and pray for the renewal of God’s creation! Find out more by visiting Renewal’s website here.
This year’s focus is on Energy Stewardship & Climate Change: Recognizing the severe degradation of human and environmental health caused by poor stewardship of energy resources, Renewal’s student leaders have chosen to focus this year’s Day of Prayer for God’s Creation on energy stewardship & climate change.
Where: Christian colleges, churches, and communities across North America!
Why: Prayer is central to who we are as Christians. Through this simple and powerful practice, we express gratitude to God and communicate our need for guidance, grace, and forgiveness.
Renewal believes that prayer is an important practice for all of us as we seek to reclaim and renew our Biblical calling to care for God’s creation. Once a year, in the fall, Renewal calls on Christians to participate in a day of prayer to seek forgiveness, wisdom, and leadership in caring for the whole of God’s creation. Renewal issues this call every year as an open invitation to all Christians.
This year, Renewal is calling on Christians to pray for energy stewardship and climate change. Renewal believes this expression of unity in prayer is vital during an age wherein our careless and irresponsible stewardship of energy resources has led to severe harm such as: air and water pollution, climate change, mountaintop removal, environmental injustice, and violence and economic instability.
By coming together in prayer, we stand in solidarity with the people and places that are being harmed by poor stewardship of energy resources. On October 21st 2009, we will collectively express our concern as Christians, acknowledge our participation in this broken and destructive system, and ask for grace, forgiveness, and guidance as we seek God’s help to address this crisis.
As Christians, we’re called to be “the light of the world,” and to demonstrate Christ’s vision of hope. In this time of darkness, we are called to pray for guidance, present solutions, and reach out to our neighbors who have been harmed by poor energy stewardship and climate change.
Overconsumption of our energy resources has led to great harm, but with God’s help we can make needed changes and offer practical solutions that offer hope to the people and places affected. The 2009 Day of Prayer for God’s Creation is an opportunity to shine a new kind of light, and demonstrate Christ’s hope for the world in this important area.
How: On October 21st, join Christian students around North America as we gather to fast and pray for God’s creation.
The students of Renewal are inviting all Christians to join us in fasting from one source of energy use for the day. Examples include: not driving for the day, shutting off lights, fasting from cell phones, television, computers, or other sources of electricity, eating vegetarian for the day, etc.
In the evening, Christian students on campuses across North America will demonstrate their unity and solidarity by turning off the lights for one hour, and hosting prayer vigils for a time of prayer for the people, places, and wildlife that are harmed through poor stewardship of energy resources. These prayer vigils should reflect your community and could include: a candle-lit service, a prayer meeting under the stars, a chapel or church service, a prayer walk, etc. Use your God-given creativity!
Renewal is inviting all Christians to participate in this day of prayer and fasting. We encourage you to join in the personal fast and organize a prayer event in your community!
Sen. Graham and Kerry offer a way forward on climate legislation
October 12, 2009
In case you missed this Saturday’s NY Times
You Shall Have No Other Gods Before Me
October 12, 2009
By Alexei Laushkin (part 1 of 5 on Idolatry)
At first glance, old Fashion idolatry, it would seem, has fallen out of fashion in this age. The idea that someone would spend his time and energy making a graven image to place at the center of his home seems a bit absurd, even foolish, as unpopular of a word as that may be.
Imagine an urbanite rushing, in his four-door Sedan, to the nearest forest to the chop down the strongest and tallest tree in order that he might spend the rest of his day carving out his own image. The man takes the oversized tree and ties it to the top of his poorly suited car. He takes the tree home and spends the rest of the afternoon disturbing his neighbors only to come out with a few one to two foot images of himself. The man proceeds to take these images and place them throughout his house. The image is used for regular praise and worship, and is a constant reminder of his trust in these gods he has created.
Even more foolish if that same man spent his days selling these images for the comfort and good fortune of others. Foolishness we would say! The height of absurdity!! In today’s culture such people would be fools, maybe newsworthy fools, and if done on mass certainly a youtube sensation, but still such people would be largely dismissed. After all, who would spend all their waking hours seeking the comfort and praise of a hallow image??
It reminds me of a catchy tune Psalm 20:7, “some trust in chariots, some trust in horses.” Or if you prefer you can take it in with the lyrics of this 1994 song from Steve Green.
As catchy as the song is, modern idolatry is a serious and deadly business.
Isaiah 44:17 puts the desperation and emphasis rather adequately, when the idol worship declares of a self made image “Deliver me, for you are my God!” Stark enough. Idolatry betrays the reality of the spiritual death that overpowers the individuals. From dust to dust. You become what you worship.
Idolatry animates this age and feeds the environmental crisis. We have fashioned ourselves golden calves in money, fame, power, sex, and prestige. Calves that animate modern life. These idols do a funny thing to the modern man; they force him to consume more and more gadgets and trinkets to ordain self-made temples, to make these empty temples appear to be more holy than hallowed; a place to be desired rather than abhorred.
This idolatry does not just impact the rich and wealthy, but permeates all of life. It can be seen from our greatest halls of power to the billboards that adorn our highways and byways. We have fashioned ourselves an image of ourselves to worship and we desperately work to keep those images as close to home as possible. They line our bookshelves, occupy our movie collections, adorn our tables, and make their homes in our hearts. They overflow into our closest relationships and frame our working relationships. They are for what we spend hours of toil and work to obtain and without them we cannot imagine how/what would occupy our time.
For those of us who care about the environment, there is a real and substantial cost to these idols. There is no place on earth were our (meaning mankind’s) worship is not felt. We stride the world like a colossus looking for the next place to feed our appetite. It’s a rather unseemly process that impacts families, communities, geopolitics, and the health and realm of nations.
Take modern China, a nation that straddles the globe looking for more oil in Sudan, zinc from Australia and Peru, and copper from the Congo to feed its growing economic and material needs. Even unsavory dictatorships like Iran are courting Chinese money, for they understand that the human need for the material world is insatiable.
We rejoice when this sort of worship unintentionally lifts millions out of poverty, but as Christians we must pray that we not deliver people out of material poverty only to damn them to an everlasting spiritual poverty, one from which they will surely not recover.
Americans consume more per capita than any other people in the world, not because we are any worse than other peoples but because we can, meaning we have the means and increasingly without any moral restraints we do. We import some of the finest and most wonderful bounties of creation to feed our ever increasing broken societies, and for what. When will it ever be enough? At what point will the material idols stop demanding their temple sacrifice?
In an era of increased connectivity and ability to worship and connect communities of believers across great distances, we must be careful what we export to others. We dare not export our greatest shame and commodity (idolatry) least we cause others to stumble.
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Alexei Laushkin is the Director of Major Projects & Church Relations for the Evangelical Environmental Network. The views expressed on this post are his. He and his wife live in Alexandria, VA
