Pearl of Great Price
Forgiveness
“He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass.” – George Herbert
How important is it to forgive? Eternally important.
The past is consuming to the person who doesn’t forgive.
We become stuck.
We fantasize vindication.
We look at relationships surrounding the offense in a possessive manner.
We cling to bitterness as our beverage of choice.
We talk about it to people who have no business hearing of it.
We dream going back, doing things differently, saying something more damaging, and avoiding the offense.
My unwillingness to love and forgive makes life about me and NOT the Incarnation of Jesus who longs to abide in me. God silences His voice because He sees only one thing in the past: The Cross-the ultimate iconoclast of unforgiveness.
Prayer:
Lord, when You were on trial, You would not speak to save Your life. Teach me the art of trust and forgiveness even when I am in the midst of wrongs done to me. Teach me to speak grace and truth, not so much in a desire to be seen as right, but rather to humbly participate in the ministry of reconciliation.
The One who created life became obedient unto death.
When we forgive we forfeit our miseries and choose to live in the presence. We no longer have the need to marinade in the poison of nurtured malice. We lose our self-important disappointments. We embrace everything that Jesus, on the cross, suffered to apprehend.
Reflect
Who have you harmed?
Who has harmed you?
Are you willing to forgive today?
Understanding Forgiveness
Choosing not to forgive is choosing to live backwards. Forgiveness frees up the energy it takes to bear the burden of anger indefinitely. Because God has forgiven all our sins, we should not withhold forgiveness from others.
He is fathering me
He is fathering me
even in the days I cannot see
Through every trial I face.
He is there even in my disgrace.
Every lonely, broken place.
I am held together bone by bone
and I do not walk alone.
How my neediness has grown.
In my aging days I have come to see
how completely dependent I must be.
Audio Devotionals for Easter!
He Came for the Rest of Us
A new Christmas book of 20 readings for devotionals and poems which can be used as worship readings, personal devotionals, and even sermons.
The story of Jesus rings true as a divine romp, full of messiness, wedding wine, feasting, sweat, blood, betrayal, passion, resurrection and reckless, inexplicable grace. God doesn’t sanitize the details because grace nestles into every phrase of the Gospel. Luke 2 and, well, every verse of the New Testament speaks of love personified through the immaculate descent of a loving Savior. This is the story of an only Son who reached out to the rest of us. All the misfits, vagabonds, fugitives, and beggars who wander in circles, cowering in fear at the sight of the angels of Eden, receive a second chance to love.
A Number of Delivery Options
Distribly 5.00
(.doc) great for pastors and Bible Study leaders. Cut & Paste. Reproduction rights for bulletins, performances in Christmas programs. Great for adaptation.
Paperback: (With reproduction rights) 5.99
Just West of Bethlehem
This works well as a dramatic vignette or a simple reader’s theater piece. Fun to perform with the country accent of your region.
Cast: Josiah, Henry, Jake, Angel Gabriel
Josiah: And before I knew it, that wolf done snuck up behind me and started carryin’ the sheep off by the scruff of the neck, one by one.
Josiah: And before I knew it, that wolf done snuck up behind me and started carryin’ the sheep off by the scruff of the neck, one by one.
Henry: That ain’t right, and you know it! You were out like a light! How would you know? You were snorin’ so loud that I couldn’t sleep, and it was your watch that night.
Josiah: I wasn’t snorin’—I was clearin’ my sinuses.
Henry: For 15 minutes!?
Jake: You got some sinus problem, boy!
Josiah: Well, you sure didn’t seem like you were in too much of a hurry to help.
Henry: I woke you up, didn’t I?
Josiah: How many times do I have to tell you? I wasn’t sleepin’!
Henry: Well, tell Jake about what you did after that.
Jake: Hold it.
(Pause. Light angelic music is heard, and its volume slowly increases.)
Henry: What was that?
Josiah: Sounds like . . .
Jake: Music! And . . .
Josiah: What’s that light?
Henry: Angels! Great heavens!
Josiah: “Great heavens” is right!
Henry: Boy! Are we in trouble now!
Jake: Head for cover!
Josiah: Come back here, Jake! This ain’t no thunderstorm!
Henry: (trembling with fear) Jehovah, forgive me for breakin’ the Sabbath two weeks ago. Forgive me for eating that bacon when I went to Samaria! And for yelling at my wife last Thursday, and for—
Jake: Will you cut it out? That angel is trying to say something to us.
Gabriel: Don’t be afraid!
Josiah: You ain’t gonna kill us?
Gabriel: I bring you the most joyful news ever announced, and it is for everyone! The Savior, yes, the Messiah, the Lord has been born tonight in Bethlehem.
Henry: The Messiah? Our Savior? Well, uh, that’s great!
Jake: How’re we gonna know who He is?
Gabriel: You will find the baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.
(Heavenly music.)
Josiah: Wow! Listen to all those angels!
Henry: Praise God! The Messiah is here!
Josiah: What’s “Messiah” mean?
Henry: I’ll tell you later. Would you look at all those angels!
(Sudden silence.)
Jake: Hey! Where’d they go?
Josiah: They plum vanished into thin air!
Henry: Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s go see this baby!
Josiah: You never did tell me about who the Messiah is!
Jake: We’ll tell you on the way.
Josiah: What about the sheep?
Henry: Forget the sheep! We just saw angels flyin’ round in the sky, and you’re worried about sheep!
Song Introduction to “Away in a Manger”
Here is an easy, informal reading to be performed before “Away in the Manger”
Reader 1: away
Reader 2: but so near to the outcast
Reader 1: near to the blood of the innocents
Reader 2: near to life, a dangerous mystery
Reader 1: no crib for a bed
Reader 2: 1st century squalor of animals
Both: away
Reader 1: alone
Reader 2: no turning back
Reader 1: the little Lord Jesus
Reader 2: God meshed in skin
Reader 1: helpless Master Infant
Reader 2: laid down His sweet head
Reader 1: the brow of thorns
Reader 2: smitten by bandits, spit upon, mocked
Reader 1: yet eyes still fixed on His love
Reader 2: the stars in the sky
Reader 1: each fixed in place
Reader 2: bold, mighty, universe
Reader 1: the Author: this Infant
Reader 2: full of wonder
Reader 1: as angels, and Abba
Reader 2: proudly, sadly
Reader 1: looked down where He lay
Both: away
Reader 2: relentlessly committed
Both: away
Reader 1: vacating the thrones and crowns of glory
Both: away
Reader 1: the glory of His love
Both: away
Reader 2: humble
Reader 1: Master
Reader 2: Creator
Both: away
Reader 1: matchless mysterious Ruler
Both: Away
The Cradle and the Cross
Worship leaders start early with some creative tools to enhance your Christmas worship. Here is a simple reading that contrasts the Christ’s Birth and Crucifixion. Works great as an introduction to a song.
Reader #1: Mankind had wrapped Him in swaddling clothes,
Reader #2: And now they stripped him.
Reader #3: Wise men had sought Him, to worship Him at His birth.
Reader #2: Now men of earthly wisdom sought only to kill Him.
Reader #1: And the shepherds who left their sheep in the fields that night to see Him as a baby . . .
Reader #2: Now? Now they saw Him as a man who was like a lamb led to the slaughter.
Reader #3: They had bowed to worship Him in that humble manger,
Reader #1: And now they spit upon Him and mocked Him as King of the Jews.
Reader #2: Mankind had seen the glorious presence of angels, heard our music and joy,
Reader #3: And now they turned their backs on Him.
Reader #1: This same Jesus, once lavished with gold, frankincense, and myrrh was now shamed by a crown of thorns and a wooden reed.
Reader #2: The Bethlehem star seemed to be only a distant memory as Jesus hung on that cross.
Reader #3: The angels wept to see the King of kings and the Lord of lords mocked and betrayed and unjustly slain for the sins of man. And as He said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do,” He was looking through the hall of eternity where time is of no significance and He saw you. He came down for you.
This is the perfect picture for this year!
I saw the lines on my face and realized that i am no less than halfway home.
the hard, brilliantly woven road continues.
strewn with elation, wonder and tears.
destination sure.
sweet land that bears no night.
arrival time unknown.
Today is for tomorrow
We are recording our first interview/workshop in the new studio. I’m excited for all that is ahead. Dr. Waylon Bailey (pictured) will be presenting some teaching from Deuteronomy. I should be sleeping but I’m still up…. The first test went well. Now for the grading and recording of grades.
I tried in vain to help Darlene with a App for her new job but only to find out it only works with a cel number. So a little time in vain.
San Francisco is clobbering the Royals. Not watching. Don’t care.
Tomorrow will be a huge day of work, recording and church.