Collect for Lord's Day, Feb. 15th

God our Father, before the suffering of your only Son Jesus you revealed his glory upon the holy mountain – grant to us that we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Recently Hired

My dear brothers and sisters of our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of recent God has graciously provided that I be hired as the worship leader of Trinity United Methodist Church in Hartford City, IN. Such an opportunity to serve God's people and kingdom gives me great joy, and I already love my job. My duties include: weekly song selection, planning worship services, leading in prayer, working with the choir, praise team, and passionate worship committee, and above all getting to know God's people better that I may love and serve them as Christ would have me do. I am superbly excited, and eagerly expect God to do marvelous things for, in and through Trinity Church. I pray you will rejoice with me for God's gracious gifts.

More than anything, I ask for your holy prayers:
+ that God would increase my faith, hope and love, that they may overflow to the many,
+ that God would give me all the grace necessary for salvation and ministry,
+ that I would hear God's voice and follow his lead in leading his people in worship, and
+ that integrity and uprightness would protect me, and I would be delivered from the evil one.

On this website I will be posting things related to ministry for the benefit of our congregation.

The Lord give you his peace,
brother Scott

Collect for February 1, at Trinity U.M.C., Hartford City IN

A collect is a short prayer usually said before the scripture readings in the western church liturgy.

"God of all creation, through your beloved Son Jesus Christ you have called all people to yourself. Grant that we may follow the example of Christ and his apostles by opening our arms, offering ourselves, and proclaiming the truth to our neighbors, and by carrying your good news across social borders, so that your salvation may be known among all peoples. All this we ask through Jesus Christ your Son, our Lord, who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen."

Hesychasm

Two weeks ago I finished reading The Way of a Pilgrim and The Pilgrim Continues His Way, that contemporary classic of Russian Orthodoxy. It was a short book, delightful to read, very pious in spirit. The author of the book was desiring to know how he might pray continually, without ceasing. After seeking out many instructors, he finally came upon a wise spiritual man who told him to pray the following prayer again and again, not losing heart: ‘Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me.’ It was not long before the pilgrim became quite accustomed to and fond of the prayer, for it brought him inner peace of mind and heart, as he trusted Christ’s mercy. Meeting foes and friends along the way, another wise man instructed him that while we may not always be disposed to the best attitude of the mind or heart when we pray, we certainly have good control over how often we pray. And so, it is quite within reach that we might bring ourselves to say it as often as possible. This prayer tradition is called hesychasm, from the Greek word for rest or repose. Saint Augustine said, “God, you have made us for yourself, and our hearts are unquiet until they find their rest in You.” In faith we bring ourselves to the place of God’s grace, and the blessed Paul says in Romans that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). And so if we bring ourselves to say the prayer, either aloud or in our hearts, we come to the place of hearing, where faith is born. Without doubt the name of Jesus is our salvation, and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).

Not long after I had finished this book, I began praying that prayer. It quickly brought me to humility and to concern for my neighbor. I trust that Christ had comforted my soul, and so I was able to offer kindness to my neighbors. I found that when I stopped praying, selfishness and indifference would raise their ugly heads, but when I said the prayer they were put to rest, and I cared again about my neighbor. Praying this prayer gave me an acute awareness of my own spiritual poverty, and my great need for God’s grace. For Christ himself, though he was rich, became poor for our sakes, so that we, through his poverty, might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9).

It would be rather arrogant of me to presume that this particular form of prayer is suitable for everyone, and I do not. If you do not find it helpful, then by all means discard it and make haste in discovering some other regular habit that works for you.

Thanksgiving

I'm thankful for: all the people in my life who love me. those who hate me, or at least don't like me. God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Creation. agriculture. wind amidst silence. squash. women. well-written, melodic music. beards. long hair on women. the Christian hope of resurrection, of the life of the world to come. church. holy scripture. baptism and communion. prophets, like Wendell Berry, Shane Claiborne, Mother Teresa, St. Francis of Assisi, Isaiah, Jesus, Ghandi, John Howard Yoder, John Wesley, Adam Thada. good theology. ratatouille. good friends. good listeners. the insights of modern psychology. medicine. female vocalists. education. saints, real people (now and then) who imitate Jesus Christ, especially his love. any human source of truth. all my friends who are doing things that I am not yet doing, but want desperately to do. peacemakers. farmers. technology. those who serve and live with the poor (I want to join you). humor and laughter. the government, when they serve the common good. tomatoes, onions and peppers. cabbage. beans. things that keep us warm. bicycles. feet. public transportation. libraries. learning other languages. locks. open doors. common trust. generosity. answered prayers. unanswered prayers. colors. artists. poetry. words expressing previously unspoken realities. martyrs. beds, couches, chairs, mats and cushions. simplicity. self-denial. order. flowers. pineapple, strawberry, banana, grape. rain. quiet. peace. struggle. emergency services. water.

Dear Friends,

It has been a while since I have posted.  I'm not very good at having anything worth writing from week to week.  I hope you might enjoy a brief reflection on the boring haps and mishaps of my current life.

I am still studying for my fifth (and hopefully final) year at Indiana Wesleyan University.  I am still struggling to learn how to live life well, and most weeks I only hope to come away with some sense of survival.  I am attempting to try my best at school, despite my frequent failures (small and large), in hopes of improving my overall skill at these beloved academics.  I think I am too comfortable.  If I am to succeed, I will be stretched by the work school requires of me.  Maybe I have been taking life too easy?

I have lost quite a bit of confidence as pertains to my future in ministry.  I suspect this has to do with my lack of present involvement in ministry.  I seem to have lost a vision for God's call on my life.  This I must recover, by God's grace.  

I am also trying to open myself up to the fullness of grace the Lord has to offer us.  Though I often fail, I desperately desire to experience and share God's immeasurable love.  I want a deeper, joy-filled life, animated by the Holy Spirit, full of grace and good fruit.  So I suppose I need a lesson in abiding in Christ.  Perhaps I ought to focus on serving others, so as to take the attention off my own growth.

I also work about 15 hrs. per week at Steak n Shake.

That's it -- my life, for now.

Lord, have mercy.  

at the hands of soldiers

Jesus my savior was patient, suffered and died at the hands of soldiers doing their duty. And he forgave them and prayed for them.