Two Prayers Based on John 20-21

Posted on August 28, 2020 by revlisad

For the past few months, a couple of thousand folks have been reading and discussing a chapter a day from the Gospels as part of Summer in the Scriptures, sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church.

I’ve been supplying a prayer for each day’s reading. 98 chapters = 98 prayers. Wow! Some have been brand new, but many were curated from prayers written over the last eleven years of this blog’s life. Again, wow! It’s not often I have a chance to see what seems to me small, isolated offerings come together like this.

Thanks for going on this journey with me. I pray it was blessing and goodness for you. Postings will be less frequent now that the project is finished.

Thanks also for being part of our community here. You are always welcome, wanted, and appreciated. – Lisa <><

Based on John 20:24-29
Thomas and Jesus

Jesus, you give me what I need
What I need to believe
What I need to live

Like my brother Thomas,
I lay the doubting down
You come for me
You want me as well
You want us all

The gift of your presence is for me
The gift of your peace is for me
So too the power of your Spirit
The very Breath of Life
Abundant Life in your name

Jesus, you give me what I need
Seeing
Signs
Spirit
Wounds
Words
Wonder
Peace
Power
Sending

Oh, My Jesus
My Lord and My God

Based on John 21

Cast your net again,
We know this familiar foolishness
So we cast it…
we cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
Suddenly! So many fish!

The cry goes up with our hope
It is the Lord! It is Jesus!

He sank down to the bottom
Down to the mud and the darkness
Down to the pain and the brokenness
Down to our level

Until he was lifted up- lifted up on a cross
Up went the fists
Up went the mocks
Up went the stares
Up went the sign
King of the Jews

Down came the hammer
Down came the tears
Down came the blood
Down came the love
Down to our level
buried beneath waves of fear and injustice and sin
Buried beneath earth

He did as he promised!
He is lifted up from the earth!
Up from the grave
Up goes the shout
Up goes the sun with the Son

Cast your net again, my Jesus
Cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
Draw us up from the bottom with you
Draw us up from the mud and the darkness
Draw us up from the pain and the brokenness
Draw us up from the selfishness and the loneliness
Draw us up from the fear and the hate and the sin and the death
Draw us up from the bottom with you

Cast your net again into the sea of humanity
Cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
Draw us up
Draw us in
We are caught in your saving embrace

Jesus says, “Now follow me.”
“Come, cast the net
Cast the net again and again and again and we will find some more
Cast it wide, drag it deep, sweep it around the sea
So many, so different, so beautiful
Use all your strength to bring them in
Have no fear, the net will not break.”

______________

What I Need © 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Cast Your Net Again © 2000 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Two Prayers Based on John 16-17

Posted on August 24, 2020 by revlisad

John 16:20 reminded me of Elijah in the cave. (1 Kings 19) I circle back to this story again and again for its honesty and compassion. Jesus fills his table talk with the disciples with the same honesty and compassion. We can trust God again and again to meet us in our pain with understanding and remind of what is true and what is to come.

John 16:20
Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.”

When the pain is deep, I cannot see
Everything closes in like the dark, damp walls of a cave
All is stone and I am alone

But you do not leave me in the shadows.
You are with me,
Calling me out of the cave
Speaking in smallness and stillness
Speaking hope into my hopelessness
Reminding me of all the possibilities

Thank you, Faithful One
My Light and Life
Who opens the crypt of my broken heart
Who draws me forth from my too soon tomb
Who leaves no one in the dark

John 17:15, 18
Jesus prayed, “I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one… As you have sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world.”

The world is full of evil
The world is full of need
The world is full of people
who do not understand your love and saving power
and those who do

Psalm 28:7a
The Lord is my strength and my shield
In him my heart trusts…

Jesus, Son and Savior
We follow you out into the world
Recognizing the sacrifice and danger
Recognizing you are greater

Psalm 28:7a
The Lord is my strength and my shield
In him my heart trusts…

We claim your promises of protection and leadership
Watch over us as we love our neighbors and enemies
Defend us as we build up the poor and discouraged
Guard us as we shield the vulnerable and oppressed
Pray for us as we block those who would prey upon others

Psalm 28:7a
The Lord is my strength and my shield
In him my heart trusts…

May your Glory shine in every eye
May your Kingdom come in every heart
Amen
______________

For the next few months, I’m reading a chapter from the Gospels each day. This is part of the Summer in the Scriptures reading plan sponsored by the Florida Conference of the United Methodist Church. Click Here for the reading plan.

You’re most welcome to read along and to join the Facebook discussion group, Summer in the Scriptures. You don’t need to be a Methodist or attend a Methodist church. All are welcome and all means all.

As part of the Facebook group, I’ve been supplying prayers based on the day’s reading. Feel free to post your prayers and observations based on the readings here or there as well.

May the grace of the Gospels, the challenge, and the call, inspire us to great faith and great good works in Jesus’ name. – Lisa <

Prayer for Pain © 2020 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Prayer for Protection © 2000 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Please leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

Sermon Recording- Send Me (Isaiah 6.1-8)

Posted on August 16, 2018 by revlisad

Sermon Series World missions 1110 x 624

Sermon Series: Hometown Missionary
Message 5 of 5: Send Me
Scriptures: Isaiah 6:1-8
This message was offered Sunday, 8/5/18 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota Florida.

Isaiah encounters the One True Living God. I imagine it would be like standing in the middle of a holy circus: spectacular, blindingly colorful and bright. Yet the presence of God is so thick the light is coming through a milky veil of smoke and incense.

Next comes the magnificent creatures. God is surrounded by Seraphs: powerful, awe-full creatures. The highest order of angelic beings, associated with light, passion, and purity.

The creatures are praising God, calling out who God is. (That’s what praise is) Holy, Holy, Holy… Lord of the Hosts Heaven… the Earth full of God’s glory. The power and glory of God are over both heaven and earth.

The call is so loud, everything is shaking. The call is so loud you feel it in your chest, it rattles your teeth and your bones.

How could Isaiah think, breathe, let alone speak?

Isaiah can’t help himself. He is undone. He is fully self-aware. He knows he’s not worthy of being in God’s holy presence. None of us are.

Verse 5: And I said: “Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

Can Isaiah cleanse himself? – No!
Forgive himself? – No!
Save himself? – No!
Can any of us? – No!

God knows this and acts

Verse 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. 7 The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: “Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.”

Notice God takes care of both the guilt and the sin. But look at what it takes! For Isaiah to be forgiven it takes a terrifying angel holding an equally terrifying coal coming straight for Isaiah’s mouth. Thank God for Jesus that we don’t have to go through that!

We could stop the story right here.

Isaiah’s story is mystical and dramatic and unique, yet, we can still connect with it. It’s a classic salvation story.

Our eyes are opened to the presence of God, to the beauty and power and love of God
We are undone
We realize we cannot save ourselves. We are separated from God by sin and everything we try to bridge the gap falls short. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
We speak the truth. We confess who we are and our deep need. God comes with mercy, healing, forgiveness in Jesus. We are saved. If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised him from the dead you will be saved.

Lord Jesus, thank you for seeking me and welcoming me. Thank you for your life, death, and resurrection. I place my trust in you as the leader and forgiver of my life. Forgive me, cleanse me, save me.

We can stop the story right there, and far too many of us do. Undone and done.

This isn’t the end of the story. God doesn’t just come with mercy, healing, forgiveness, and salvation. God comes with coal.

With that fiery coal comes…

tongues of fire dancing on our heads, like Pentecost. We are filled with the Holy Spirit in order to share who God is and how God saves.
a fire in the belly to join God in saving the world. A new life with new meaning, a new purpose, and new priorities
a fire in our hearts, a longing for the kingdom of God on earth as it is in heaven
a call to action

Verse 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I; send me!”

After Isaiah is saved God calls. God doesn’t look at Isaiah or mention his name. God sends out a call across the heavens and it’s available for anyone to respond.

Isaiah makes the courageous decision to draw God’s attention again, “Here am I; send me!” It’s an immediate response- no apathy, no excuses. “Here am I; send me!”

Singing: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine… Wait! I’m not holy enough. I’m not trained enough. Go anyway- God provides the forgiveness and you will learn as you go.

Singing: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine... Wait! I’m not brave enough. I’m not strong enough. Go anyway- You don’t have to do this in your own strength God fills you with the power of the Holy Spirit. And you don’t have to do it alone. God sends companions to go with you.

Singing: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine... Wait! What if I fail? You’ve already failed if you don’t try. God’s just asking you to try.

Singing: This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine/ This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine… Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

God sends out a call across the heavens and it is available for anyone to respond. Respond, “Here am I, send me.”

*****************
I’m excited to now offer mp3’s of my Sunday messages. A huge thank you to Sean and my brothers and sisters at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota for all their help in making this possible. If you’re ever in Sarasota, please drop by for worship Sundays at 9:00 am or 10:30 am, or join us live on our Facebook page at 9:00 am Sundays or drop by during the week for a chat or small group. You and those you love are always welcome.

sermon © 2018 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
Contact Lisa for posting and publication considerations.

Sermon Recording- Sharing the Gospel (Acts 10.34-48)

Posted on August 9, 2018 by revlisad

Sermon Series: Hometown Missionary
Message 4 of 5: Sharing the Gospel
Scriptures: Acts 10:34-48
This message was offered Sunday, 7/29/18 at Trinity United Methodist Church, Sarasota Florida.

Summary and reading of Acts 10, the story of Peter sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with Cornelius

This is a classic missionary story from the Bible

Peter is well trained. He’s been walking with Jesus for 3 years and is now a leader of the early church. He prays and receives visions from God.
Peter has a clear calling from God and has received an in-person invitation to travel to a foreign territory to share the Good News with people from another culture.
Peter arrives and is immediately welcomed and accepted. He immediately proclaims the good news in a beautiful, eloquent, and theologically perfect way.
The people immediately place their trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They are immediately filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized.
Peter and the believers who came with him stay a few days to further disciple the new believers.

This is like a 30-minute sitcom. Everything works out perfectly with a happy ending. It doesn’t usually work this way.

Often we are one small part of a long chain of spiritual encounters. Every part is important and valuable.

Maybe we plant seeds, building relationship, and trust.
Maybe we have the change to pray with someone or share a testimony.
Maybe we are the ones to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Maybe we are the ones who encourage and disciple a person after they come to faith.

We need to know how to help at every point in the process, including how to share the Good News in graceful and simple ways.

Below you will find the drawings which accompany the explanation on the recording. This method of sharing the Good News is called The Bridge.

If you want to add scriptures to your explanation, consider using these passages from the book of Romans. They’re often called The Roman Road.

Romans 3:23
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

Romans 5:8
God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 10:9
If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

For a slightly different version of The Bridge by the Navigators entitled One Verse Evangelism, click here

Blessing for a Ministry Event or Initiative

Posted on July 30, 2018 by revlisad

This blessing includes prayers for the initiative/event itself, the volunteers for the event, the leaders organizing the event, the resources to be distributed at the event, and any community partners helping with the event. Feel free to adapt it for your needs.

Consider offering this blessing the Sunday before the event during worship and/or at the volunteer orientation for the event.

If you are distributing a resource at the event (backpacks of school supplies, Operation Christmas Child Shoe Boxes, shoes and socks for the homeless, relief supplies for storm survivors, etc.) distribute them around the meeting place before the service/orientation so those present can reach them easily during the blessing.

Reader 1
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Reader 2
Lord, our needs and the needs of our community are deep and complicated. We confess they are beyond our strength, wisdom, and skill.

Yet, we accept your calling to meet these needs, to work for the common good, and to faithfully join you in your love and saving work.

Reader 1
Zechariah 4:6
Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord of hosts.

Reader 2
Lord, we claim your promise and provision, believing our community will change for the better because of you working through our resolve and efforts. We accept this God-sized calling, understanding it requires sacrifice, generosity, humility, action, and fervent prayer.

Reader 3
Will all the NAME OF EVENT/INITIATIVE volunteers please stand. Please place a hand of blessing and support on those standing.

Holy Spirit, fill us and strengthen us so we may be faithful – faithful in listening for your direction, faithful in following you in your saving work, faithful to one another as we serve together, faithful in welcoming and loving those we are serving. We call on your power to bring our entire neighborhood to saving faith, caring relationship, and joyful service to one another in Jesus’ Name.

Reader 4
Grant wisdom and strength to the NAME OF EVENT/INITIATIVE coordinators, NAME THE COORDINATORS. They have planned well so we may serve well.

Second Option for Reader 4: Grant wisdom and strength to our regional/national event coordinators NAME THE ORGANIZATION and our local coordinations NAME THE COORDINATORS. They have planned well so we may serve well.

Reader 5
Please be seated

We call for your blessing and provision for the many partners who make NAME OF EVENT/INITIATIVE possible- NAME THE PARTNERS. Continue to draw us together across our community and inspire us in this holy and noble effort.

Pastor
Please pick up a NAME THE RESOURCE FOR DISTRIBUTION near you. Imagine the child/person/family who will receive it. Offer your own blessing silently or aloud.

Pause for responses

Encourage and bless the children/persons/families as they receive. Dispel anxiousness and help us to build up one another in hope and love. We ask this, trusting in the coming of your kingdom. We ask this for the honor of your name. Amen.

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Blessing for a Ministry Event or Initiative © 2018 Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia
You are welcome to use this work in a worship setting with proper attribution.
Leave a comment for information and permission to publish this work in any form.

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Tag Archives: missions

Sermon Recording- Send Me (Isaiah 6.1-8)

Sermon Recording- Sharing the Gospel (Acts 10.34-48)