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Discontent in the Outer Court

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful to him, and bless his name." - Psalm 100:4

The picture here is of the tabernacle. There is at least a sense of awareness that people are gathering in the Name of Yahweh. I imagine busyness, the noise of people, the noise and smell of animals being brought for sacrifice, commotion, much activity and, perhaps an atmosphere of celebration as people draw near with thanksgiving and praise. This was good. This was necessary.

This was the outer court.

There was and is another place, a holy place, the Holiest of Places, where none of those outer court practices will be tolerated. The Overwhelming Presence demands, requires, compels: silence, reverence, a breathtaking sense of awe as we approach with holy fear... the very throne of God. There... the Almighty speaks to us and we are... broken so we can be made whole, humbled so we can be raised up, made to see our sinfulness so we can fully appreciate and experience His forgiveness. In that Place and only in that Place we are truly... changed.

The veil of separation has been torn asunder; access has been granted; the Father, with outstretched hands, beckons us to "Come."

May we and our churches never be content with mere "outer court" worship.

A Revival of What?

You often hear about the need for revival. Preachers call their congregations to pray for revival. Though not as common as a few years ago, we have revival meetings. (The church world is now flooded with "conferences," but still no revival.) There are multitudes of books, CD's, and DVD's about revival. Revival, revival, revival!

The question I ask is, a revival of what? Signs and wonders? Passion and fervor? Real prayer and true worship? Service? Holiness?

When it all boils down, when we get to the bottom line, what we need a revival of, what the world needs to see a revival of in the Church and in individual Christians, what the Father longs to see in His children is a revival of... Christlikeness.

"Revive us, O Lord. Do not simply give us a hunger and desire for Christlikeness, for a hunger is not satisfied, and a desire shows something lacking and unfulfilled. Mold us and shape us into the image of Christ, not just as a testimony to the world, but for Your glory. Revive in us, a true spirit of the likeness of Your Son. Send revival, O Lord."

Trisagion Prayer

The following is a variation of what is known as the Trisagion Prayer. Trisagion means "thrice holy." It is laid out for use in a group setting.

Leader - O Heavenly King, Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, You Who are everywhere present and fill all things, the Treasury of all that is good and Giver of life: Come, and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.

All - Holy God. Holy Mighty. Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Leader - All Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive our sins.

All - Holy God. Holy Mighty. Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Leader - Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for the glory of Your Name.

All - Holy God. Holy Mighty. Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.

Glory to the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and will be forever. Amen

Collect for Holy Saturday

From the Book of Common Prayer:

O God, Creator of heaven and earth: Grant that, as the crucified body of your dear Son was laid in the tomb and rested on his holy Sabbath, so we may await with him the coming of the third day, and rise with him to newness of life; who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Good Friday Prayer

On this Good Friday, the following Apochryphal canticle was part of my morning reading and prayer. What a great prayer for today's occasion or for any other time of confession and repentance.

14 A Song of Penitence, Kyrie Pantokrator
Prayer of Manasseh 1-2, 4, 6-7, 11-15

O Lord and Ruler of the hosts of heaven,
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and of all their righteous offspring:

You made the heavens and the earth,
with all their vast array.

All things quake with fear at your presence;
they tremble because of your power.

But your merciful promise is beyond all measure;
it surpasses all that our minds can fathom.

O Lord, you are full of compassion,
long-suffering, and abounding in mercy.

You hold back your hand;
you do not punish as we deserve.

In your great goodness, Lord,
you have promised forgiveness to sinners,
that they may repent of their sin and be saved.

And now, O Lord, I bend the knee of my heart,
and make my appeal, sure of your gracious goodness.

I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned,
and I know my wickedness only too well.

Therefore I make this prayer to you:
Forgive me, Lord, forgive me.

Do not let me perish in my sin,
nor condemn me to the depths of the earth.

For you, O Lord, are the God of those who repent,
and in me you will show forth your goodness.

Unworthy as I am, you will save me,
in accordance with your great mercy,
and I will praise you without ceasing all the days of my life.

For all the powers of heaven sing your praises,
and yours is the glory to ages of ages. Amen.


IT'S FRIDAY, BUT SUNDAY'S COMING!

Maundy Thursday

Today is Maundy Thursday, the Holy Day that we commemorate the institution of the Eucharist, Holy Communion or the Lord's Supper, by the Lord Jesus at the Last Supper. This happened "on the night He was betrayed," on the evening before His crucifixion.

Maundy Thursday is known by different names, depending on the faith tradition that is commemorating it.

In most churches in the West, Maundy Thursday is called Holy Thursday.
In the Easter Orthodox Tradition you might see - Great and Holy Thursday
In the Coptic (Egyptian) Church - Covenant Thursday
In the Syriac Orthodox Church - Thursday of Mysteries

Whatever your faith tradition, or by whatever name you call today, may you be blessed on this Holy Day.

Prayer for Holy Thursday from the Book of Common Prayer:

Almighty Father, whose dear Son, on the night before he suffered,
instituted the Sacrament of his Body and Blood:
Mercifully grant that we may receive it thankfully
in remembrance of Jesus Christ our Lord,
who in these holy mysteries gives us a pledge of eternal life;
and who now lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Facebook Fan Page

For those of you who are on Facebook, type in "Liturgicostal Worship" and become a fan.

Here's a description I put in the info section:
This page was created for Pentecostal believers in Jesus Christ who have discovered or rediscovered the joy of liturgical worship. Are you a “classical” Pentecostal or Charismatic follower of Christ who has an interest in any of the following?:
Liturgy; monasticism; lectio divina; Christ-centered meditation; silent prayer; fixed-hour prayer; use of the lectionary; a more sacramental view of communion and water baptism; regular fasting; Lenten observances; chanting; the use of worship aids such as: prayer books, icons, incense, candles, prayer beads, etc.
If you answered, “Yes!” to any of the above, then perhaps this fan page is for you.

If you are a Pentecostal believer and have a strong passion, a growing interest or just a budding curiosity toward liturgical worship and practices, you are invited to join in. Perhaps you just want to sit back and quietly observe, you, too, are welcome.

Though you will be free to share your thoughts, ideas and questions, divisiveness, profanity, the belittling of another's worship practices will not be tolerated. The goal is to encourage one another as we seek to worship the Triune God in more meaningful ways that may be different from the “typical” ways Pentecostals usually worship. Please try to keep you comments/discussions on-topic.

Posts deemed too far off-topic will be deleted.

I hope to see you there!

Fasting and Feasting During Lent

I came across the following list and thought it would be of interest to the readers of this blog as we approach this Lenten season. We often think of giving something up for Lent, which is fine and can have great spiritual value. Others speak of adding a discipline rather than giving something up. A discipline might be an additional time of daily prayer and meditation or Scripture reading. It might be a community service activity of some kind, or volunteering for some worthwhile cause.

Whether you add or subtract during this Lenten season, may do it with the goal of becoming more like Jesus. The list that follows may give you some ideas for Lent that, hopefully, will continue on past the Lenten season and help you to reshape and redirect your life in the areas where needed.

Fast and Feasting During Lent

Fast from judging others; feast on the Christ indwelling them.
Fast from emphasis on differences; feast on the unity of all life.
Fast from apparent darkness; feast on the reality of light.
Fast from thoughts of illness; feast on the healing power of God.
Fast from words that pollute; feast on phrases that purify.
Fast from discontent; feast on gratitude.
Fast from anger; feast on patience.
Fast from pessimism; feast on optimism.
Fast from worry; feast on divine order.
Fast from complaining; feast on appreciation.
Fast from negatives; feast on affirmatives.
Fast from unrelenting pressures; feast on unceasing prayer.
Fast from hostility; feast on non-resistance.
Fast from bitterness; feast on forgiveness.
Fast from self-concern; feast on compassion for others.
Fast from personal anxiety; feast on eternal Truth.
Fast from discouragement; feast on hope.
Fast from facts that depress; feast on truths that uplift.
Fast from lethargy; feast on enthusiasm.
Fast from suspicion; feast on truth.
Fast from thoughts that weaken; feast on promises that inspire.
Fast from shadows of sorrow; feast on the sunlight of serenity.
Fast from idle gossip; feast on purposeful silence.
Fast from problems that overwhelm; feast on prayer that undergirds.

-
William Arthur Ward
(American author, teacher and pastor, 1921-1994.)

Wesley's Covenant Prayer

I am no longer my own, but Thine.
Put me to what Thou wilt, rank me with whom Thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for Thee or laid aside for Thee,
exalted for Thee or brought low for Thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to Thy pleasure and disposal.

And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
Thou art mine, and I am Thine.
So be it.
And the covenant which I have made on earth,
let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

A Franciscan Benediction

I came across this today and found it worthy of sharing. It is called a Franciscan Benediction.

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression and exploitation of people
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy

May God bless you with foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor

Discomfort, anger, tears, foolishness... not often thought of as blessings. May God bless you in ways you wouldn't expect.

Just a Thought

Mark 12:30-31 (See also Matthew 22:37-40)

These are the words of Jesus -

"'And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment.
And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love you neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

Think of it a "Full-contact Christianity."

It's just a thought.