Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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Services every Sunday at 7:00 P.M.
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"To Follow Thee More Nearly" – 3/29/09 - Mark 8:35-39 Day by Day, O dear Lord, three things I pray: To see thee more clearly, To love thee more dearly, To follow thee more nearly, Day by day, by day, by day. Tonight we come to the last part of the song Day by Day that we have been using to help define commitment in our lives. We began by acknowledging the importance of God being a part our daily lives. We saw how seeing God in every part of our lives was a reflection of God's great care. To love God more dearly we began by accepting the great love God has for us and then our desire to faithfully love God in all aspects of our lives. We come now to the final words "To follow thee more nearly" day by day. To acknowledge that we are followers on the Christ Way is to say that God is the most important reality in our lives. Nothing can come before our commitment to follow God all of the days of our lives. In baptism many of our parents dedicated us to God long before we knew it. And then somewhere along our journey as adults we made the decision to commit our lives into God's care. For some that is one big turning that you can remember. For others it is something that continues to happen along the way as we recognize that something or some part of our life is still outside of God's care. Many times we hold back those things that we value most because we don't want God interfering with our plans. And yet we soon come to learn that because God wants the best for us, our lives are better off in God's hands than our own. That were the daily commitment of our lives to follow the Christ Way is so important. Many times we give something to God and then take it back again. Sometimes that is a relationship, other times it is our finances, and it can be any part of our life that we think we can manage better. In our daily decision to follow God we can begin the day by seeking God's will for that day and giving our lives into God's hands. At the end of our day we can reflect back and see how well we did in following Christ. Ask forgiveness for mistakes and begin the day anew the next morning. Our desire to follow Christ, I am convinced is a life long journey. Because we are human we want our way and we let our self will replace God's will and desire for us. To follow Christ more nearly day by day is to always do a reality check to see whose will be are following that day. We can be sure that we are following God's wiII when peace, love, hope, reconciliation, and faith are the motives that guide us. Following Christ each day means we have the continual recognition that all we are and all that we have is a gift form our loving Creator. It follows then how we use the gifts of time, money, talents, is a reflection of the Christ we follow. How we interact with other people echoes the ways that Christ dealt with people on his life's journey. The decisions that we are called to make are guided by "What would Jesus Do". As we grow in our prayer life we can more clearly know what God wants for us. Sometimes that will come through the still small voice in our hearts. At other times we will gain insight from our Bible study or devotional readings. And many times we will see God's will for us spoken through a trusted friend or support group. Our part as we learned earlier is to seek God's wisdom and vision and be attentive to seeing it more clearly in our lives. As we continue to grow in our relationship with our Creator we begin to really understand that who we are and what we have is entrusted to us for God's use not our own. And finally in our commitment to follow Christ more nearly we recognize that we don't go on this journey alone. We have fellow travelers who walk the journey with us. They offer support and guidance, a sounding board, and a listening ear. And in return we do the same for them. No longer individuals alone, but united with others to be the Body of Christ in our world. When one of us falls, another is there to pick him up. When someone goes down the road, another traveler comes along to bring her back on the right road. Together we keep each one accountable to be growing and faithful and committed to following Christ. And with the power of the Holy Spirit to fill us and encourage us we have the strength and determination to keep on the road. No matter the cost, no matter the words from the world around us. We know that if our eyes are on the one who created us and sustains us - we're on the right track. I invite you as you go into this new week to pray about the ways you follow Christ in your life. Is Christ more important than anything or anyone in your life? Do you remember in all your decision, interaction, and the use of your time, money, and talents to keep God's desire for you at the forefront? And lastly, remember you are not alone on this journey. We have the companionship of fellow travelers who are on the Christ Way with us. May God’s Spirit empower us to always follow “Christ more nearly” day by day. Amen. |
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