christianity

talking trees

Posted on by Grace Day

Have you heard them recently? The trees, that is. I know you must have, as they are impossible to miss this time of year. These days the trees are practically shouting their praises to God all day long. At least that’s how it is here in the Midwest, where the trees celebrate autumn by turning their leaves every shade imaginable, including multiple shades of yellows, golds, oranges, reds, russets and colors I don’t even have names for, that manifest themselves when the sunlight hits their leaves. It’s as if the trees are participating in one last choral festival of celebration and worship before they lose their leaves and fall silent until spring comes to wake them up again.

In Psalms I read – “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

However, the trees are definitely getting in on the action of declaring God’s glory and they are giving the heavens some stiff competition. I can’t help but notice that the trees have become especially vocal as they glorify God with their vibrant, breath-taking array of colors, with every leaf on every branch declaring their Maker’s praises! It is beautiful to behold! And the heavens are participating by providing the perfect backdrop to display these multicolored talking trees. The skies are turning the most beautiful shade of clear, bright blue – nothing like an October sky!

Everywhere I look, I see trees displaying their colors, their branches lifted to heaven, leaves laughing in the wind. I see them, I hear them, I am drawn into their celebration of God who created them. The chatter of the trees seems only to increase as more and more of their leaves turn from green to the bright colors of autumn, until their praise and worship symphony are at full volume, drawing me completely into their celebration of joy and thanksgiving. It is inescapable. (not that I want to escape) I go outside and my spirits are lifted into joy, as I walk in the presence of God’s talking trees. I can’t help but offer up my own praise, worship and thanksgiving to God, following the example of the talking trees that seem to be everywhere I look, each one more glorious than the last.

So today, I say “thank you talking trees” – thank you for letting your lights/leaves shine, giving glory to Your Creator, my Heavenly Father. Thank you for reminding me of God’s constant, glorious presence and for inviting me to join with you in thanking Him and in praising His name. Truly, the talking trees of autumn are one of the best, of God’s many “good and perfect” gifts. Surely, these words ring true –

“This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears, all nature sings and ’round me rings, the music of the spheres. (and of the talking trees) This is my Father’s world; I rest me in the thought, of rocks and trees, of skies and seas – His hand the wonders wrought.”

Thank You God for the talking trees of autumn!

sincerely, Grace Day

the influencer

Posted on by Grace Day

Full disclosure or necessary disclaimer, before I begin. I am not, nor have I ever been, on Facebook or TikTok or Twitter (now X, I guess) or Instagram or anything else, so I don’t know a lot about this, but I hear the term “influencer” often these days. It seems to be the new cool thing to be. So I’m wondering if “influencer” is now like a career choice or is it just a side gig that some people choose to do? Is “influencer” something you can put on your resume under “work experience”?

If you are an influencer, are you self-employed or does someone hire you to influence other people? Now something occurs to me. Isn’t this what we used to call “spokespersons?”, who were people, such as famous athletes, who were hired to promote certain products? They would get paid to endorse particular brands or products. Well, that’s been going on for years – well-known actors or athletes hired for the purpose of selling us stuff. Maybe just the name has changed. We now call them “influencers.”

Sounds so important, doesn’t it? When asked what you do for a living, you simply reply – “I’m an influencer.” (I wonder if that requires a four-year degree or if you need a masters degree to be an influencer?) Something to ponder. Just how does one become an influencer anyway? Although, it occurs to me that we are all influencers at times, while at other times we are “the influenced.”

I find myself wondering, who or what do I allow to influence me? And who am I influencing for better or for worse? Social media provides a plethora of platforms a person can use to become an influencer. In fact, I have a nephew who is a successful influencer on social media in the world of competitive swimming. He’s so good at what he does, he was sent to Paris to cover the Olympic swimming events. Being an influencer has its perks!

Turns out, being an influencer is no longer just for the famous Hollywood or sports icons. Everyday people can become influencers by gaining a following on social media spaces such as YouTube, with podcasts etc. There are even categories of influencers based on number of social media followers such as mega influencer, macro influencer, micro influencer, and nano influencer. But even the nano influencer can have up to ten thousand followers. And that’s considered a small sphere of influence.

While the name “influencer” sounds very cool and cutting edge to me, I think it is a job title I can never aspire to given my lack of involvement with technology in general (I have a flip phone) and the fact that I only come into contact with a very small number of people on a daily, weekly, yearly or even a lifetime basis. Perhaps I would do better to stick with what I’m already doing or consider something less glamorous than “influencer” for my next career move.

BUT – there’s always a “but” right? It occurs to me that I’ve already been given the job of “influencer” by my Heavenly Father, my Creator, my Redeemer. He redeemed me for a purpose and as it turns out, that purpose is for me to be an influencer. I can find my job description recorded in Matthew, when Jesus told His disciples –

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Make disciples, teach others – these certainly seem like things an influencer would do. But there’s more to this gig of influencing others. Here’s how Jesus described to His followers what He wanted them to be doing as they went about their daily lives –

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled by men. You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16)

Salt and light – two very influential elements in our world. And Jesus tells me I am both of these! Salt was a preservative necessary before refrigeration and it is something which enhances the flavor of our food. Salt makes life better. Maybe that’s why saying about someone, “He/she is the salt of the earth” is a compliment meaning they are a kind, good, trustworthy person who is highly valued.

Likewise, light is essential for life. The sunlight causes all things to grow while warming the earth. It’s no coincidence that Jesus said of Himself –

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

You and I are invited to be influencers every day of our lives if we accept Jesus’s declaration over us that we indeed are “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.” You and I don’t need a social media platform to be influencers for God’s kingdom, to be salt and light in an otherwise tasteless and dark world. The personal touch is needed to be a hand holder, a burden bearer, a helper, a healer, a candle lighter, a friend who “loveth at all times.”

The truth is – you and I are influencers, whether we realize it or not. We may not have signed up for it or sought the title of “influencer” but we do influence those around us, either positively or negatively. It is inevitable. We have an impact on those we interact with each day. That impact is called influence. I want to be an intentional influencer – an influencer with a positive purpose given to me by my Heavenly Father.

I have already received the assignment, as have you, dear readers, to be His salt and light in this world. We are the influencers chosen for this time in history, so let’s not “lose our saltiness” nor “hide our lights under a bowl.” Being this kind of an influencer would be an impossible challenge for me, if I were not myself wholly and solely influenced by the one and only Influencer that truly matters, my Heavenly Father, Creator of the Universe, Almighty God.

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever; wisdom and power are His. He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning. He reveals deep and hidden things; He knows what lies in darkness, and light dwells with Him.” (Daniel 2:20-22)

Now that’s influence! So’s this –

“Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” (Proverbs 19:21)

“The Lord loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of His unfailing love. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars; He puts the deep into storehouses. Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the people of the world revere Him. . . . From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth – He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do.” (Psalm 33:5-8 & 13-15)

That’s influence! The earth is full of God’s influence – His “unfailing love”, His righteousness and justice, His glory –

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.” (Psalm 19:1-4)

That’s complete and total influence! That’s what the Creator of the universe has. God is the Influencer. There are other influences and influencers vying for my attention and my allegiance, but God is the One whose influence I trust and who I want to guide me. He alone has my best interests at heart. He said so –

” ‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’ ” (Jeremiah 29:11)

If I am to be God’s influencer, I must be influenced by Him alone, my trusted Heavenly Father. To that end, these words are my daily prayer – that I will –

“Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways I will acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

living life under the influence of the One and only Sovereign Influencer,

sincerely, Grace Day

revisiting the crime scene

Posted on by Grace Day

I do this often – return to the scene of the crime that is. It is unavoidable unless I want to find a new grocery store, and I don’t. So every time I need to purchase food, like today for instance, I encounter them, smiling cheerfully, alluringly, innocently at all the passersby, including me. The sight of the sunflowers, there among all the other flowers for sale, triggers me every time. I can’t help it. I clutch my credit card a little tighter as I pass by, experiencing perhaps PTSD from the time they, the sunflowers, hid my credit card deep in the recesses of their water bucket, while I frantically searched the whole store looking for said credit card.

Now I know the sunflowers I see today are not the same sunflowers that took temporary custody of my credit card on that fateful day. Still, I can’t help myself. Call it stereotyping, profiling, guilt by association – but the sight of those cheerful sunflowers feigning innocence triggers me every time. I am remined of the panic and fear I experienced at their hands. (well, ok, their petals)

I didn’t realize until today that PTSD can be so persistent, or that I may be transferring my distrust of sunflowers to other varieties of flowers as well. This makes no sense, but feelings often prevail over facts and logic. I wonder if I will ever pass by the sunflowers again, without experiencing some uneasiness associated with the memory of the panic they caused me.

As I write this, it occurs to me that I need to forgive the sunflowers. Forgiveness may well be the cure for my PTSD. I need to forgive and forget in order to be set free. But can I do this? I’m reminded that God does this with me. God is not “triggered” by my past sins, my present sins, nor my future sins. He sees and knows them all – and yet He chooses something truly remarkable – forgiveness. I read in Jeremiah what God says,

“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” (Jeremiah 31:34)

This is great news! God forgives me and forgets my sins. The prophet Micah understood this about God, writing –

“Who is a God like You, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; You will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea.” (Micah 7:18-19)

If God can do all that for me, surely I can forgive the sunflowers their one and only transgression against me. God’s assurance of His forgiveness, gives me the freedom to live for Him, knowing He is not holding my past sins against me. He tells me this in Isaiah, saying –

“I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (Isaiah 43:25)

Shouldn’t I do the same for the sunflowers and remember their crime no more? After all, I want the PTSD to stop. And there’s no reason to wait for an apology. The current sunflowers have no idea what their predecessors did to me. They weren’t even in the store when my missing credit card incident occurred. They were probably still unplanted seeds at that time. (see post – “it was the sunflowers”) So the choice is mine alone. The sunflowers are clueless. Kind of like I am sometimes. How grateful I am that these words are true –

“He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:10-12)

I’m so grateful to be the recipient of forgiveness that I want to be the giver of forgiveness, too. In fact, I will try to carry out Paul’s instructions in Ephesians, when he says –

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

I guess I can extend that to sunflowers, too.

sincerely, Grace Day

the detour

Posted on by Grace Day

I didn’t expect it yesterday and I definitely didn’t expect it again today – but there it was, again – the detour. The road was blocked. I couldn’t get through. I would have to find another way to get to my destination. Maybe not a huge problem for people with GPS, which is most everyone, actually. But for me, being GPSless, and in unfamiliar territory, an unexpected detour is a problem.

Being forced to make a quick decision, I turned left, no longer heading toward my destination, no longer in familiar territory. Searching for the first opportunity to turn right and head again in my desired direction, I found no such opportunity for quite some distance. When I did finally turn, I felt like I was pretty far off course. I was driving by a large park, which I entered at the next turn, promptly becoming even more lost, if that is possible? Are there degrees of lost? Can you be only a little lost as opposed to completely lost? At any rate, I didn’t know which way to take to get me back on the road I was on originally – the road that would eventually lead me to my desired destination.

But at least my surroundings were beautiful. I was in a park on a sunny fall day. Maybe I should just enjoy the detour and forget about my intended destination? Detours can do that, you know. If they are distracting enough, detours can cause you to forget where it was you were headed in the first place. But not today. I was determined. I would not let this unforeseen, unplanned detour, deter me from my desired destination. So what now?

I was at a “T” in the road, unsure which way to turn. (did I mention that I am naturally directionally challenged?) Fortunately, some people were walking by just then, so I rolled my window down and asked them for directions. They were happy to oblige and thanks to their good directions, I was able to find my way through and out of the park and back onto the road I needed to take me to my destination.

No longer lost, I felt relieved to be back on a familiar road. But I had some time to make up. After all, a detour is -“a long or roundabout route taken to avoid something . . .” I had avoided the runners/walkers participating in the charity event taking place, which is why the road was blocked off in the first place. However, my alternate route proved to be the very definition of “detour” – being both long and roundabout.

At the time, I thought this was just a one day event. So I was very surprised to encounter the same roadblock, at the same place, necessitating another detour the next day. I was put to the test. Would I remember the route I had taken only yesterday, which, though longer and definitely roundabout, did eventually get me back to my original road? I entered the park, recognized soon the place where I had asked directions the day before, remembered what those directions were, followed them again and – success! I came out on the road I recognized! I was no longer lost!

I felt like a conqueror. I think that’s because I didn’t panic, or give up, or turn around and go home due to my fear of getting lost. I didn’t let the detour deter me from reaching my ultimate destination. That’s how I feel about life’s detours – those obstacles, (life’s roadblocks) challenges, hardships, changes in circumstances, all those unforeseen, unplanned things that happen in life, which force me to take detours that I did not choose – I don’t want these detours to keep me from my intended, ultimate destination.

This is a continual challenge for me, because my life is full of detours. Maybe yours is too? But I have decided not to let any of these detours deter me from my destination. Not easy for someone directionally challenged, like myself. I so easily lose my way. It doesn’t take much of a detour to confuse me, confound me and carry me away from where I am desiring to go. When I was lost in the park, I wasn’t sure which way to go. All the roads looked equally inviting on such a beautiful fall day. I felt I was experiencing what the writer of Proverbs meant when he said –

“There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” (Proverbs 14:12)

How could I possibly know the outcome of each road? Only God knows “the end from the beginning.” I’m glad I humbled myself that day and asked someone who was familiar with the park for directions. I might have gone further off course if I hadn’t asked for help when I did. Reminds me of some more good advice from Proverbs. I am told to –

“Trust in the Lord with all my heart and lean not on my own understanding; in all my ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct my paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I may not have GPS (which I hear can sometimes give less than the best directions?) but I do have God’s word to guide me through all of life’s detours. I can let Him “direct my paths.” When I lose my way, I turn to the One who is “the Way” –

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’ ” (John 14:6)

And that’s where I’m headed. That’s my destination, the Father – my Father, my Heavenly Father. I’m headed to His house. He’s preparing a place for me there. I have accepted His invitation. I don’t want any detour to keep me from showing up. I don’t want to get lost, distracted, deceived, captured, or waylaid in any way while on my life’s journey to my home in heaven. He’s waiting for me there. He’s expecting me. Jesus promised –

“In My Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

I’m definitely headed home, but so many detours seem to slow my progress, whether by distracting me or by causing me to become hopelessly lost. Then I can end up wandering aimlessly, kind of like the Israelites wandering in the desert all those years. Still, I know that even in life’s detours, I am not alone. King David knew this to be true – must be why he wrote these words –

“Where can I go from Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? If I go up to the heavens, You are there; if I make my bed in the depths, You are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there Your hand will guide me, Your right hand will hold me fast.” (Psalm 139:7-10)

Truly comforting, my Heavenly Father travels with me on each and every detour I take. Sometimes I may be lost, but as Job says –

“He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I will come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10)

I feel like I encounter at least one detour daily, but often multiple detours. Not all are detours of the physical road experienced in a car. There are detours of the mind, heart, will, time and treasure which leave me equally lost, alone and afraid. Remembering that my Heavenly Father is with me during these detours, gives me the courage to continue in order to find my way back to Him.

During these detours, I find myself agreeing with Job. I don’t panic and lose hope because I remember this promise from Romans –

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

God works all things for good! even detours! I’ll try and remember that next time I have to take the longer, more roundabout route, aka. “the detour”

sincerely, Grace Day

the offering

Posted on by Grace Day

How did one boy’s lunch become a feast that fed five thousand men, plus all the women and children that were with them? Simple. He gave all he had, his whole lunch – five small barley loaves and two small fish – these he gave to Jesus. It was not nearly enough to meet the need of feeding the hungry crowd gathered to hear what Jesus had to say. But the boy surrendered his lunch anyway, though it seemed as nothing compared with so great a need.

BUT – “Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, He said to His disciples, ‘Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.’ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.” (John 6:11-13)

They all had “enough to eat” and there were leftovers! That’s what I meant by “a feast.” There was plenty for everyone. A miracle! Could it be miracles happen when we give everything to God? when we hold nothing back? The boy that day gave his whole lunch to Jesus. He held nothing back for himself. Am I brave enough to do likewise?

That young boy didn’t have much to give that day on the hillside. I don’t feel like I do either, most days – have much to give that is. Jesus took that boy’s little and turned it into a lot. He turned it into not just enough, but more than enough. Truly a miracle amid the mundane of the day. Maybe that’s how it works – the offering precedes the miracle? I give myself to God – then He takes the offering of my life and does the impossible – complete transformation – a miracle!

Lord, I don’t have much to offer You. I give You my brokenness. I offer You all of me, all that I am, trusting You to put me back together – to make me whole.

Lord, I give You all my fears, trusting You to make me courageous.

“For God did not give us a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

Lord, I give all my pain and sadness to You, trusting Your presence to be my comfort and my joy.

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” (Psalm 34:10)

“You turned my wailing into dancing; You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,” (Psalm 30:11)

Lord, I’ve been burned. I bring You the ashes of my life, knowing only You can make something beautiful out of ugly ashes.

“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord . . . has sent me . . . to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes,” (Isaiah 61:3)

Lord, I give you my despair, knowing only You can replace it with hope.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13)

Lord, I give you all my doubts, asking You to fill me with faith, for You have said –

“I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21)

Lord, it doesn’t seem like I have much to offer to You, besides my sin and my shame. But still, You invite me to offer even this to You, saying –

” ‘Come now, let us reason together,’ says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

There’s that miraculous transformation that only You can do Lord. Just like the little boy and his lunch – it wasn’t nearly enough but You made it more than enough. Today, I offer you my broken, weary, doubtful, fearful, sinful self – knowing only You, Lord, can make something eternal and good out of what is temporal and sinful. You are the miracle worker, so I bring my offering to You alone. You invite me to do just this with these words –

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

today I offer you myself, all that I have, all that I am – not nearly enough – trusting You to take what I offer and make it into something beautiful for eternity –

“being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry in on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

sincerely, Grace Day

every breath a prayer

Posted on by Grace Day

“Pray without ceasing” – “pray continually” – “never stop praying” – these are all translations of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 from the KJV, the NIV, and the NLT respectively. But no matter the translation, the message is clear. Prayer is meant to be more than just something on my “to-do” list that I give twenty minutes out of my day, then check it off my list without another thought. Prayer is meant to be a twenty-four/seven life-line – a line that is always open, a line continually in use. I am given this instruction in Ephesians –

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” (Ephesians 6:18)

Does prayer seem elusive or futile or too difficult for us mere mortals to even attempt? I am told in Hebrews that I can –

“approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that I may receive mercy and find grace to help me in my time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)

That is pretty much an open invitation to talk to my Heavenly Father any time I want without the fear that I will be turned away or denied access to an audience with my Creator. Esther, who wanted to speak with the king, her own husband, risked being put to death for simply asking permission to come into his presence, if the king didn’t feel like seeing her at that particular time. Unlike Esther, I have all the assurance I need to encourage me to come boldly into God’s presence through prayer. I have God’s promise that I will be received, that I will be heard, I will be given mercy, and I will find His grace sufficient for my need. In fact, I have this open invitation –

“Cast all your cares on Him because He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7)

When I “vent” to friends I worry that I may be overloading them with my burdens when they already have more than enough troubles of their own. With God, I need not have this fear because nothing is too hard for God, nothing surprises Him – He already knows my hurts, my fears, my worries. God knows what challenges I am facing and what I need in order to live this day in a way that honors Him.

“Before a word is on my tongue, You know it completely, O Lord.” (Psalm 139:4)

However, I don’t want to take advantage of my Heavenly Father’s offer to “cast all my cares on Him” – prayer is meant to be more than just a complaint session, although God is more than able to handle anything and everything I bring to Him in prayer. I am told to praise God and to thank Him. After all, He is worthy of my praise and my gratitude because –

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17) The psalmist reminds us –

“Let them give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of His works with songs of joy.” (Psalm 107:21-22)

Just thanking God and praising Him would take up more time than there is in a day – there is not enough time for me to properly praise and truly thank Him for who He is and all that He has done and is doing. I guess that’s why we need eternity. Praising and thanking an infinitely good God takes more time than I have now! And that’s with praying twenty-four/seven.

But the privilege of prayer extends to something more – more than requests and complaints, more than confession and repentance, more than praise and thanksgiving – I am also given the privilege of praying for others. I can pray the prayers of an intercessor. In fact, I am charged with doing this –

“I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.” (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

and I am to “always keep on praying for all the saints.” But there’s more. Not only am I to pray for kings and leaders and other believers (the saints) BUT – here’s a surprise –

“I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:44-45)

Luke 6:28 tells me to – “pray for those who mistreat you.”

As if my list of things and people to pray about and for isn’t long enough already, now I have to add people who are mean to me to my list? This hardly seems fair. But then I remember that Jesus is praying for me, making intercession for me, continuously, never missing a moment, no matter whether I am acting rightly or wrongly towards Him and towards other people. Jesus prays for me when I am His friend. He prays for me when I am His enemy.

Jesus gave me the ultimate example of praying for my enemies when He spoke these words from the cross –

“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34)

Jesus is still praying for each and every one today, including you and me. Hebrews confirms this saying,

“because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24-25)

Romans confirms this saying – “Jesus Christ . . . is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” (Romans 8:34)

Jesus is interceding for me, and I am given the privilege of interceding for others, even my enemies, through prayer. Between that and “casting all my cares” or giving all my worries to God through prayer and praising Him and thanking Him and worshiping Him through prayer – I can literally spend my days in prayer to God.

I want to spend my days in my Heavenly Father’s presence and it is prayer that ushers me into His presence. Prayer is the reason I enter boldly into God’s throne room. Prayer is what keeps me there. As the song says – “I need thee every hour.”

As the psalmist says – “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.” (Psalm 150:6)

as for me – may my every breath be a prayer to God – whether prayers of praise, prayers of thanksgiving, prayers of petition, prayers of confession, cries of complaint and lament, cries of repentance, cries for help, or prayers of intercession for my friends and my foes alike –

let my every breath be a prayer!

sincerely, Grace Day

legacies left

Posted on by Grace Day

The music is modern, meaning loud, amplified electronically, the words are on a screen generated by a computer, as is the music, the dress is casual – sneakers, jeans – no hats or high heels here – all this perhaps incongruous with the high, vaulted ceiling, the rows of wooden pews, and the tall stained-glass windows on both sides of this sacred space we call a sanctuary. Time has brought about many changes, but this old church building still stands despite more than a century of changes and challenges all around her.

Today, we tend to worship in auditoriums or auditorium like buildings, perhaps making us feel more like spectators than participants in worship. However, this old church’s sanctuary lives up to its name. Typically, a sanctuary is a place set apart as sacred or holy. It is a place where we come together to worship God. A sanctuary is a safe place, a place of refuge and rest, a place of protection and peace. A sanctuary is the place we go to meet with God.

Such is the sanctuary in this church built in the 1890’s. The neighborhood surrounding the church has changed often, but the church still stands, a constant in this ever evolving culture. As I sit in the pew, I find myself wondering about the people who occupied these pews a century ago. Who were they? What were their lives like? Do they know their legacy of faith continues to this very day?

I found some clues in the writing on some of the stained-glass panels. There are names and dates such as – “World War Heroes 1917-1919, Company 128th Infantry A.E.F.” (interesting that it doesn’t say “World War 1”, but at that time people did not foresee that there would too soon be another world war). Another pane contains “Mr. Campbell W. Parker and Mrs. Mary M. Parker and daughter Nettie”, while another reads, “Rev. and Mrs. John Bushong/ Rev. and Mrs. David O. Darling” and another with the names “Rev. and Mrs. Charles T. Price”.

These people and so many others have passed on years ago, but they left us a legacy that lives on in this sanctuary, a sanctuary which today is a place of hope, of protection, of safety, peace and worship. This century old sanctuary is truly a place set apart in this world full of despair, violence, worry and chaos.

However, I think the world today is not so different as I imagine it to be from the world the people who worshiped in this sanctuary before us inhabited a century or half a century ago. At least in regard to those things that truly matter, I don’t think all that much has changed. As King Solomon correctly observed –

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, ‘Look! This is something new’? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9-10)

So true! The human drama that is this life really hasn’t changed, even though clothing styles, music, food, pastimes, modes of travel, ways of earning a living, and so on have changed over time. However, we still face the same struggles that those before us faced, such as having to deal with crime and violence. The first murder happened quite early in human history, in the first family actually. It took place between brothers. Cain murdered his brother Abel out of jealousy, because Abel found favor with God, while Cain did not.

“Nothing new under the sun.” We human beings continue to deal with jealousy, greed, selfishness, pride, comparison, hatred – all of which lead us down a path that too often ends in violence, crime, harm and hurt, and sometimes murder. We deal with the hurt of broken relationships, whether that be within marriages, families or friendships – the pain is real. Ever since sin severed our relationship with our Heavenly Father, our other relationships have been subject to fracture as well.

Our human quest for identity, meaning, purpose and value in this life hasn’t changed with the centuries. We still want to know that we matter. We still search for a place to belong. We still desire connection and acceptance. We find these things in the sanctuary of God’s house when we come together to meet with Him there. This has not changed over time.

Perhaps it is only the outward form of things that has changed. A century ago, among those who entered the sanctuary there might have been blacksmiths, pony express riders, newspaper reporters, – instead of today’s car mechanics, mail truck drivers, podcasters. Jobs may have changed, but our need to be productive through meaningful work remains unchanged. Likewise, our need to connect with and to know our Creator God remains constant throughout our human history. King Solomon described it in this way –

“He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

Created in God’s image, we were made to know and to worship Him. To this end King Solomon built a temple for God to inhabit and we are told – “the glory of the Lord filled the temple of God.” (2 Chronicles 5:14)

For centuries men have been building churches, cathedrals, sanctuaries – places where God’s people could gather together to worship Him. As I sit in this particular sanctuary Sunday after Sunday, I am grateful for the people who built this sacred space over one hundred years ago and for those whose faithfulness has preserved this old sanctuary even as all around it, buildings have deteriorated with the passage of time.

Those whose names are mentioned on the stained glass and countless others whose names I do not know, have left us the legacy of this sacred space, a beautiful space, still standing in the middle of a profane world, a world that desperately needs to meet with God. I am thankful for the legacy their faithfulness has left to us today – this space in which to worship God.

Someday, when we are worshiping God together in that sanctuary not built by human hands, I will get a chance to meet all those who have worshiped in this sacred sanctuary over the past century. I will get the chance to thank them for their faithfulness in preserving this sacred space and passing it down through the generations. I will thank them for leaving us this legacy.

sincerely, Grace Day

it was the sunflowers

Posted on by Grace Day

I suspected the sunflowers from the very beginning, and in the end, it turned out to be true, my suspicions proved to be correct – it had been the sunflowers all along. Now sunflowers probably seem like they should be the least likely suspects when any type of wrongdoing or crime occurs. After all, they are so cheerful. They don’t seem capable of deceit or malice of any kind. At least that’s what I’ve always thought, until now. I believed sunflowers to be a trustworthy flower.

But that all changed with tonight’s unexpected mystery drama. It started as an ordinary errand – me running into Meijer to pick up just a few things before heading home. It ended with me at the self-checkout scanner, discovering that I no longer had my credit card in my hand. Ok, that requires some explanation.

I entered the store, car keys and credit card in hand. Normally those two items are in a pocket of whatever I’m wearing at the moment, but my attire was void of pockets and it was just a quick stop, not major grocery shopping. I made my rounds quickly and was headed for self-checkout. At this point I passed the flower/plant area located right across from the checkout and seeing a large selection of beautiful sunflowers there, I decided to treat myself to some sunflowers to brighten my kitchen and keep me company. (sunflowers are supposed to be good company, being known as a friendly flower and all)

So I began pulling out different bunches of sunflowers from the black buckets of water that held them, so as to better compare the blooms and decide which bouquet I wanted to take home. My decision finally made after some brief agonizing over which was the prettiest, the freshest, of all the bunches of sunflowers, I proceeded to the checkout line. There I relaxed, pleased with my impulse purchase, as well as with the speed with which I had navigated my way through the large store, successfully selecting all the items on my list, thereby completing my task. I could cross it off my to-do list. However, my relaxed and self-satisfied state of being was abruptly cut short.

Imagine my shock when I wheeled my cart up to the scanner and discovered only my car keys in my left hand, no credit card! I could not check out. I needed to backtrack, to retrace my steps in order to see where I had dropped my card. Of course, the sunflowers were my first stop, but I did not find my card there. So next I went to produce, specifically the strawberries. There I had had a brief conversation with a stranger, a fellow shopper. We lamented together the lower quality and the higher price of the strawberries currently, as they are not really “in season” anymore.

She and her husband were still in this area as I sped through, and she became aware of my situation. She was very kind and concerned, looking with me in the area where we had stood and talked. Then I was off to continue my reverse route in the store. Not finding my card, I began to worry that it would fall into unscrupulous hands who would then use it to purchase all kinds of things that I could in no way afford. I thought of the melting ice cream in my shopping cart. (priorities?) I thought about checking with the store to see if a good Samaritan had perhaps found my card and turned it in.

Then I came to my senses and made a plan. Leaving my cart at the checkout place in the care of an attendant, I went to my car to get my phone and a different credit card. I called to report my card lost and put a “lock” on it. Then I got back in an even longer line to check out. After checking out, I couldn’t give up the feeling that my card was still somewhere in the store, as yet undiscovered. So I decided to take one last tour of the store in search of my lost card.

This time my search was calmer because my card was already “locked”, no one could use it. I definitely got my steps in as I walked again everywhere I had been previously. You can cover a lot of ground in big stores like Meijer. I’ll never know my step count because I don’t have one of those devices, but I’m guessing it would have been an impressive number if a count were kept. So I’ll count extra steps as an extra blessing for the day.

Then, because my eyes were on the ground, I found a penny! Somehow that’s always a big deal to me. Don’t ask me why, must be a childhood thing. Also, I ran into the kind lady and her husband again, as they were still in the store. I thanked her and assured her that things were taken care of even though I was still searching. This time I went in the order in which I had shopped, instead of the reverse order, which means my very last stop of my very last search, was – you guessed it – the sunflowers.

I scanned the floor and the tables on which the black buckets of water filled with the bouquets of fresh flowers sat. I had looked into the two buckets holding the sunflowers previously, but this time I stuck my hand down into the water among the stalks of the sunflowers. Nothing in the first bucket, BUT – in the second bucket as I felt around, reaching all the way to the bottom of the bucket, I felt it! My credit card! I was right all along. It had slipped out of my hand when I was pulling out sunflowers to examine before deciding which ones I wanted to buy. This was the last thing I did before entering the checkout line.

The sunflowers were harboring, actually hiding my credit card all this time. But they did proffer a peace offering of sorts. When I pulled my credit card out of the water, a packet of that stuff you put in the water to keep your flowers fresh longer, came out with it! The sunflowers I had purchased, didn’t have one of those packets attached, so perhaps this was their attempt at appeasement, their apology for pick pocketing my credit card? (and for melting my ice cream, for causing me stress, panic and worry)

As I write this, the guilty sunflowers have been cut down to size and are sitting in a ball jar on my kitchen table. They certainly are a cheerful, friendly flower but I don’t know if I can ever look at them the same way again. We’ll see how I feel about them in the morning. Right now they remind me of the short-lived panic I experienced when I realized I had lost my credit card. How easily my peace and composure were shattered – until I came to my senses and realized there were readily available solutions to this problem. I was not in danger, no one was hurt.

It was a minor, unexpected inconvenience – a mystery that was rather quickly solved. My Heavenly Father is with me in the deep hurts and tough circumstances of this life. But He also cares about my mundane mystery of the missing credit card – He provided the kindness of a stranger, a penny, extra steps and that stuff for the water to help keep my guilty sunflowers living and lovely longer. (although, if I had not decided last minute to buy sunflowers, none of this would have happened – maybe there’s something to be said for sticking to one’s list with no deviation? – no, what fun would that be?)

I sure was filled with all kinds of worry and panic though, when I first realized my credit card was no longer in my hand but somewhere in the very large, very full of people store. In fact, I was surprised at how quickly I became fearful and anxious. And in this life, there is always something, usually many things, that can make you and me fearful and anxious. But our Heavenly Father does not want us to live full of fear and worry. Jesus told us this –

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your Heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:25-34)

The sunflowers sitting on my kitchen table are God’s “lilies of the field”, clothed in perfect splendor. When I look at my sunflowers, instead of remembering my temporarily misplaced credit card and my accompanying panic and worry – I will enjoy their cheerful beauty and the peace their presence brings me because they proclaim God’s infinite care for all of His creation, including me. God takes care of them. He is taking care of me day by day.

It was the sunflowers who hid my credit card – it is the sunflowers who shout God’s goodness and glory from my kitchen table –

sincerely, Grace Day

a seat at the King’s table

Posted on by Grace Day

I sat at the King’s table today. Actually, there was no table in the room. Our chairs formed a circle around the room where we had come together for study and fellowship. During this time, we took communion together, fulfilling the scripture which says –

“For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” (1 Corinthians 11:26)

Proclaiming both Jesus’s death and His return? This might not make sense, given that if someone is dead, why would you be expecting their return. BUT – these disciples who were at the table of the Last Supper with Jesus, (which also turned out to be the first communion observance) witnessed not only Jesus’s death, but they also witnessed His resurrection and His subsequent ascension into heaven, with the promise that He would one day return. Luke gives an account of this in Acts, saying –

“After He (Jesus) said this, He was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid Him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as He was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven.’ ” (Acts 1:9-11)

When I come to the Lord’s table for communion, I am celebrating and commemorating Jesus’s death, burial, resurrection, ascension and promised return, all simultaneously. It is definitely a table full of hope, hope because Jesus is coming back! Jesus told His disciples –

“if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:3)

A seat at the King’s table – this is what is offered to me and to you – now and in eternity.

“Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9)

That’s us! Something to look forward to, but in the meantime, God’s provision is never lacking. A seat at my Heavenly Father’s table is always available to me and to you, too, dear readers, even in our darkest, most difficult, dangerous times. King David knew this to be true personally. He wrote about his experience of God’s presence, protection and provision, made manifest through a seat at God’s table – King David wrote in Psalm 23 –

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (Psalm 23:4-5)

My Heavenly Father is present with me in each and every valley I travel through on this earthly journey. And just like He did for David, God prepares a table just for me, right where I am, when I am tired, discouraged, fearful, anxious, defeated, doubtful – surrounded by my enemies – both physical and spiritual – feeling unable to take even one more step of faith – it is then God bids me “take a seat at His table” where “my cup overflows” – even while I am still in the valley, still surrounded by my enemies.

At God’s table, in His presence, I experience His abundant provision for me and His protection surrounding me, even when I am in this most dangerous of places – “the valley of the shadow of death.” You know what I find most comforting and encouraging about this truth from God’s word? It doesn’t say “when I have fought my way through the valley on my own, when I have scaled the mountain and arrived at the top – then He will prepare a feast for me as a reward.”

No. Like God did for David, my Heavenly Father prepares a table of provision for me at my moment of greatest need, when I am too weary to continue, when the circumstances in my valley have filled me with fear, with doubt, with despair – it is then God prepares my place and bids me sit at His table, and my cup overflows right there in the valley while my enemies look on. (maybe with wonderment, surprise, even envy?)

At God’s table I experience renewal and restoration, just like David experienced when he said this –

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, He restores my soul.” (Psalm 23:1-2)

David understood the honor, the provision, the protection, the restoration that comes from having a seat at the King’s table. When he was king, this conversation took place –

“The king asked, ‘Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?’ Ziba answered the king, ‘There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.’ . . . When Mephibosheth son of Jonathan, son of Saul, came to David, he bowed down to pay him honor. . . . ‘Don’t be afraid,’ David said to him, ‘for I will surely show you kindness for the sake of your father Jonathan. I will restore to you all the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will always eat at my table.’ . . . So Mephibosheth ate at David’s table like one of the king’s sons. . . . And Mephibosheth lived in Jerusalem, because he always ate at the king’s table, and he was crippled in both feet.” (2 Samuel 9:3-13)

What a beautiful picture of the protection and the provision that a seat at a king’s table provides for the one who is fortunate enough to receive an invitation to dine at the table of the king. Like Mephibosheth, you and I are extended such an invitation. There is a seat at the King’s table prepared specifically for me and one specifically for you, dear reader. And like Mephibosheth, our invitation is permanent, we can always eat at the King’s table “like one of the King’s sons (or daughters) ” because that is what we are.

“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1)

When I am walking through the valley, even the valley of the shadow of death, I will remember that I have a seat at the King’s table. He has already prepared it for me and His table is present even in the valley, right here, right now, not later, not someday – my Heavenly Father’s table is fully prepared before me today. Why would I not take my seat at the King’s table? There I always experience rest, renewal, restoration and the truth of these words –

“but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

grateful to have a seat at the King’s table today and every day –

sincerely, Grace Day

churching?

Posted on by Grace Day

Is that even a thing? churching? If defined as the act of going to church, churching has been taking place for centuries. But I have to think that churching looks very different today than it did in era’s past. Actually, my experience in attending church today is markedly different from the experiences I had as a child going to church. Perhaps this could be explained by the fact that times change and the church has changed along with the “times” or along with current culture.

The music certainly has changed. I remember singing from hymnals accompanied by piano and organ. Nothing was plugged in or amplified. Now we sing from a large screen up front, drowned out by drums and electric guitars. Fog fills the air and lights are flashing. Oh, I forgot to mention that it’s dark, like a movie theater. That’s why the stage lights are so dramatic.

No wonder the pastor’s words stuck with me when he said from the pulpit on a recent Sunday morning, “this is not an entertainment center. You want entertainment, go to AMC or a football stadium etc.” (this church service was taking place in daylight, no fog, no stage lights, no band) His words got me to thinking about myself, about my own attitude when I go to church. Do I attend church on a Sunday morning as a passive spectator, expecting to be entertained? Do I come as a consumer, shopping around in search of the “best experience” that meets my criteria or needs.

Or do I show up as an active participant, ready to engage in worship and in learning from the hearing of God’s word? Do I show up desiring to serve or expecting to be served?

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

Do I come to give or to receive?

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus Himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” (Acts 20:35)

All good questions I would do well to ask myself. What does God’s word say about “churching”?

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

“Ascribe to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come into His courts. Worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.” (Psalm 96:8-9)

“Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool -” (Psalm 132:7)

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. . . . Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name.” (Psalm 100:2 & 4)

These verses give me some clues as to what might be involved in the activity of “churching.” I am to come into His presence with “joyful songs.” I am to “bring an offering”, I am to “give thanks to Him and praise His name.” I am to worship God and give Him His due – “the glory due His name.” I am to do this in community with others. I am told “not to give up meeting together.”

So maybe the purpose of “churching” is to meet with others and to meet with God – both simultaneously? King David said –

“I rejoiced with those who said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the Lord.’ ” (Psalm 122:1)

In fact, at that time, God’s gift of His Holy Spirit hadn’t been given to everyone, only to selected prophets such as Isaiah or kings such as David. The Israelites made a tabernacle to house God’s presence during the years they wandered in the desert. Later, King Solomon built a temple in Jerusalem to house God’s presence. In both instances, something remarkable took place.

“Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.” (Exodus 40:34-35)

“When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled His temple.” (1 Kings 810-11)

God showed up! God showed up so much that He filled the tabernacle in the desert and later, He filled the temple in Jerusalem too! God wanted to meet with His people then. God still wants to meet with people today. But today things are a little different. Then, God’s holy presence filled the building that human hands had built for Him. Today God’s Holy Spirit presence fills a temple not built by human hands, but by Himself – individual people, created in His own image – that’s you and me, that’s anyone who invites God’s presence into their hearts and lives. God’s word confirms this truth –

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” (1 Corinthians 6:19)

Jesus told the woman at the well that “churching” was going to be different than it had been in the past.

“Jesus declared, ‘Believe Me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. . . . Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.’ ” (John 4:21-24)

So location wasn’t going to be the important part of worship anymore. Sounds like what I was taught as a child – that “church” isn’t the building, it’s the people. Jesus confirmed this when He said –

“For where two or three come together in My name, there am I with them.” (Matthew 18:20)

I like the translation which says, “there am I in the midst of them.”

It is both exciting and comforting to realize that through His omnipresence, Jesus is right there in the middle of things when we come together to worship God, to pray, to sing, to thank Him, to give to Him, to serve Him, to hear His word proclaimed and taught, to repent, to confess, to encourage each other, to bear each other’s burdens, to take communion together – “churching” involves much more than what any particular culture attempts to reduce it to at any point in history.

Governments and civilizations have tried to interfere with and to eradicate true churching over the centuries. But they have not succeeded. Today, “churching” in China may take place on the “down-low” so to speak, BUT make no mistake, “churching” is going on big time in China! It is taking place secretly, in homes, in small numbers – but “where two or three are gathered” – God is right there in the middle of it all. And that’s where God should be – in the middle, at the center of our “churching” experience. We come together to meet with God and give Him glory.

In our western culture, true “churching” may not be as visible as the mega-church, very public production we have come to call “church”, but it is happening, nonetheless. Every time two or three gather together to read God’s word, to pray, to serve, to sing, to worship – God is in the midst and “churching” is going on! Which brings me to a further description of “churching” from God’s word –

” ‘It is written,’ He said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer’ ” (Matthew 21:13)

Prayer – that’s “churching” in action! Calling on the name of the Living God, Creator and Sustainer of the universe – that’s what God said we should be doing when we enter into His house, His gates, His courts – as the psalmists called them. Jesus drove the money changers out of the temple saying His Father’s house was for prayer, not commerce. I’m thinking the pastor who said “this is not an entertainment center” would concur that amusement is what the world offers. Something different is needed from the church – truth, hope, redemption, forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation, healing . . .

The true church is more akin to a hospital than an entertainment center. After all, it was Jesus who said –

“It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:31-32)

We are all in need of healing, we are all walking wounded in this world. I know I need to be bandaged up daily from the hurts and hurdles that inflict pain and suffering on my soul and my spirit. With broken hearts and shattered dreams, we limp through life apart from our Creator, when all the while healing and abundance awaits us. Jesus said –

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” (John 10:10)

That’s the truth. That’s the Good News. Abundance awaits. The mission of the church is to proclaim God’s truth – truth which will set the captives (us, you and me) free. True worship, true “churching” can take place anywhere, anytime because, as Jesus told the woman at the well, “God is Spirit and true worshipers are to worship Him in spirit and in truth.” The result of true “churching”?

“The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:5)

true churching says – ” ‘Come now, let us reason together’, says the Lord. ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’ ” (Isaiah 1:18)

not entertainment, not commerce – “churching” is not a spectator sport. It is the living out of all Christ has called me to, shared with other believers also called to this higher calling.

“you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)

that’s churching at its best!

sincerely, Grace Day