(Based on Ps. 23 & 19)
LORD, because of your devotion to us, there is no item this morning on our “I-need” list. Yes, we have many items on our “I-want” list. We want much. But because you have dedicated yourself to us, we need nothing.
Read More »Pre-Sermon Prayer of Adoration for Sunday AM 2/1/09
My earliest memory of facing an environmental issue is from my 5th or 6th grade year. My mom had moved to Las Cruces, NM with my step-dad. Las Cruces was a thirty minute drive from El Paso, TX which sat across the Rio Grande from Juarez, Mexico. When I visited my mom (I was living with my dad elsewhere) we would often drive to El Paso. There were shops there which we didn’t have in Las Cruces. Each drive to El Paso took us past a large industrial factory on the outskirts of El Paso. The factory was located near the homes of thousands of the poor in Juarez, Mexico who lived in cinder block homes. From miles in any direction you could see thick colored smoke pouring out of the smoke stack of the factory. Day and night smoke spewed out of the factory.Read More »Taking the Environment Captive (Psalms)
My earliest memory of facing an environmental issue is from my 5th or 6th grade year. My mom had moved to Las Cruces, NM with my step-dad. Las Cruces was a thirty minute drive from El Paso, TX which sat across the Rio Grande from Juarez, Mexico. When I visited my mom (I was living with my dad elsewhere) we would often drive to El Paso. There were shops there which we didn’t have in Las Cruces. Each drive to El Paso took us past a large industrial factory on the outskirts of El Paso. The factory was located near the homes of thousands of the poor in Juarez, Mexico who lived in cinder block homes. From miles in any direction you could see thick colored smoke pouring out of the smoke stack of the factory. Day and night smoke spewed out of the factory. Read More »A Poet’s Look at the Environment
45 From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. 46 About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” [ee’ly-ee’ly-lah’muh-suh-bahk’thuh-nee] (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). 47 When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.” 48 Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. 49 The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” 50 And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit.” (Matt. 27:45-50 TNIV)
In our text we find Jesus in the worst circumstances which life could bring a human upon earth. They are the darkest circumstances possible. Just look at this darkness.Read More »Learning to Pray From Jesus #1