Almighty God, whose command is over all

and whose love never fails,

make us aware of thy presence here and now.

May our obedience to Thy will, Thy way and Thy truth,

be like breathing for us.

Guard us against missing the mark,

keep us true to Thee and to our best selves.

Sustain us in our loyalties to our family and friends

while in service to Thee and to this land of pilgrims and patriots.

If we are inclined to doubt, steady our faith.

If we are tempted, make us strong to stand fast.

If we miss the goal, grant us courage for the facing of the hour, and

for carrying our load to make this world pleasing in Thy sight.

Guide us with the Light of your Holy Spirit,

and fashion us in Thy image.

May we lead by example, live by prayer,

and be steadfast in discipline, service and love.

We pray in Thy Holy Name.

Amen.

Adapted from “The Marine’s Prayer”

I believe in God the Father whose love breaks our bounds to sin and pours out grace beyond measure so that we might be God’s instruments of love and reconciliation. This God is revealed in the Word written in Scripture, the Word proclaimed and prophesied by human instruments, and the Word made flesh in Jesus Christ. The Word of God calls us to shape our priorities around worship and within communities of faith. The Bible addresses our deepest need for salvation and redemption, and helps us to move beyond ourselves to work for wholeness and freedom for all.

I affirm the one triune God. I am in awe of God’s presence which transforms us and shapes our history. Our history reveals that justice does triumph to lift up the powerless and to cast down the power hungry. I affirm the Creeds and thank God for their power to make me feel one with Christians and God’s people in every time and place. I believe in Jesus Christ as Lord of this Kingdom on earth and the one in heaven. I serve a risen Lord, Jesus of Nazareth, who is fully God and yet born of Mary. I celebrate

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Faith is the hope for a better world even when war or turmoil seems to have an upper hand in our world.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11: 1, RSV, Thomas Nelson & Sons, Toronto, 1952.)

What’s a cup? The obvious answer is a cup is either 8 ounces or 225ml of something.

A cup for me is that coffee with God while I conduct my morning devotions and prayers. A cup is a wonderful remembrance of a beloved friend with whom I would talk and visit. A cup filled with tea is an afternoon event, or a measure of sugar to a neighbor in need.

A cup of faith is whatever needed that helps us be the friends of God to the people of God. A cup of faith is both given and received as we share our faith stories

Continue reading 12 Cups of Faith: Devotions for everyday

The Evening Meal was ready and at the Table, Jesus knowing full well the powers He possessed, also knew the extent of Judas’ betrayal and the disciples in ability to stay with him through thick and thin. He entered fully into the table conversation, his last meal on earth.

He took a towel, and wrapped it around his waist, and washed the feet of Peter, Judas, James and John, taking the role of a servant, a Father, a Mother, all of the above wrapped into One. He showed the Love of God for the people of God. As only he could do, as the Perfect Savior for all time,

Towel Basin, A sign of Jesus, How many Kings…

Sandals, How many Kings went to where their subjects lived…

Staff, How many Kings saw their kingdom without walls…

And with

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To respond in some way different than you could ever imagine.

In November, 2004 I lost a beloved friend my cat Bagel, who never woke up from his slumbers.

This was huge for me, Bagel had accompanied me through good times and sad.

Ministered to me when no one else even knew I was hurting.

So after his death and burial, friends would call and tell me about this kitten or cat they had found or knew about…

I waited, Bagel the cat had been so good, so true, living half of his life with three legs, he epitomized faith to me, at least, one really good example of it. He seemed part feline,and part Sphinx and part human.

Then, I asked God to put the cat he wanted me to have, put that critter right in my life. How direct may one be in one’s prayer life?

One day God did just that, I was walking on a brisk October day in Williamsport through one of the oldest sections of town. Something came propelling out of nowhere and I caught it mid-air. A bone thin kitten, grey-stripped nondescript, an ordinary cat, in an ordinary predicament,

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Repentance is…

1. Desire to turn away from past negative behaviors 2. The condition of being filled with remorse for some wrongdoing 3. The short story by Leo Tolstoy, on the human condition. 4. All of the above

The answer is “d: all of the above.” We are fast approaching Ash Wednesday, February 17th, 2010. This is a service that may be unfamiliar to some, especially as a service offered in a Presbyterian Church. Ash Wednesday is the first day of Lent, and a day where you receive a cross on your forehead from ashes and water. The minister proclaims to you: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

In the days of the first disciples of Jesus, ashes were used along with sackcloth to express mourning. Wearing funeral garb and dusting oneself with ashes, was a common way to express grief and remorse for feeling alienated from God by behavior or circumstances. During Lent, we spend forty days in reflection and special services and devote additional time to prayers, to fasting and to almsgiving.

Why forty days? This is a symbolic number, and is analogous to Jesus time of withdrawal and temptation in the desert. Many people give something up

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Martin Bucer (1491-1551)

A native of Strassburg,Martin Bucer championed protestant unity and fostered ecumenical goodwill. Bucer impacted many lives and profoundly influenced John Calvin. Martin Bucer stressed the importance of love and church discipline in his writings.

Heinrich Bullinger (1504-1575)

Heinrich Bullinger was a famous theologian who emphasized the essential place of Christ in the doctrines of election and predestination. According to Bullinger, preaching should focus on Christ. Finally, while seriously ill with the plague he penned the Second Helvitic Confession, still considered a classic theological statement.

John Calvin (1509-1564)

Calvin was and still is the most renown of the Reformed leaders. His  Institutes of the Christian Religion contained the most comprehensive of Christian beliefs. It s required reading for most seminarians, and a wonderful addition to any library. Calvin never ceased extolling God s greatness and God s electing love in Jesus Christ. We would do well to follow his example and witness.

John Knox (ca.1514-1572)

Born in Scotland, John Knox encountered John Calvin in Geneva, and was deeply

Continue reading Faith Trek: From the Pastor’s Window

Jesus was God’s chosen one, and the One who in all seasons preached the Kingdom of God, available to all who can perceive it unfolding around us. Even in the dead of winter, as snow falls and the sun melts the snow, we will observe Lent. Despite our concerns about weather, we can’t alter it in the least! Only God can. I read Psalm 147: 15-16, which accurately proclaims:

“He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. He gives snow like

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Also, I am reminded of God’s great providential care as I am reflecting on this week’s event of Resurrection and Renewal in every moment. A hymn worth reflecting upon this month would be “All Creatures of our God and King.”

Reading the poems of Grace O’Malley, I rediscover from Grace’s observations the wonder and majesty of God’s masterpiece: our world and all creatures, this planet and all other planets. As we experience the wonder of each day, let us take time deeply ponder God’s greatness and care for us. Reflect on the life King Jesus led; so that we all might live fully and deeply in God’s will and witness.

The Source

When e’er I need A moment’s peace I bow my head And find release. Beyond the sun’s glaring light Oft I cringe in shade of night.

Only he can lift the veil That clouds the view And course unease On thoughts anew; Erase the frown Upon the worried face, The healing touch Of God’s embrace.

May you experience the embrace of God, in your daily time with Him! Reflect on Psalm 91, and see how King David experienced God and

Continue reading Armchair Travelers

Thought this was pretty amazing and interesting!

For all the scientists out there, and for all the students who have a hard time convincing these people regarding the truth of the Bible, here’s something that shows God’s awesome creation, and that He is still in control.

Did you know that the space program is busy proving that what has been called “myth” in the Bible is true?

Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore, Maryland, and a consultant in the space program, relates the following development.

I think one of the most amazing things that God has done for us today happened recently to our astronauts and space scientists at Green Belt, Maryland.

They were checking out where the positions of the sun, moon, and planets would be 100 years and 1,000 years from now. We have to know this so we won’t send up a satellite and have it bump into something later on in its orbits.

We have to lay out the orbits in terms of the life of the satellite and where the planets will be so the whole thing will not bog down.

They ran the computer measurement back and forth over the centuries,

Continue reading NASA and the Bible