Prayer for the Leading of the Holy Spirit

Jesus our God, our guide, our leader, we surrender ourselves to you; asking that you release us from any fears; any selfish ambitions; and any sins that hinder us from seeking and serving you. We cry out to you saying: "Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us. Melt us, mold us, fill us, use us, Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on us."

Living God we confess our need for you, we confess our need for your Spirit to dwell in us. Jesus, we remember the promise of your Word, “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth”. Because of your promise we believe we can lead, love and serve in this world with confidence through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, as we pursue your truth and guide all with ears to hear to your truth. We your children live with assurance that because of you we have power to overcome the devil who walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he can devour. Therefore, we can live victoriously through the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus reminds: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you”.    

Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Us. We give you thanks dear God, through the Holy Spirit, we are without limitations. Again we remember the words of Jesus, “humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” Hence, we give glory to God as we strive to live faithfully and as we humble ourselves, we ask the Holy Spirit to open our hearts and eyes to the sins we have committed against our God and our neighbor. We invite the Holy Spirit to fill us with compassion so that we might: “bring good news to the poor; proclaim that the captives will be released; that the blind will see; that the oppressed will be set free; and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come”.

Spirit of the Living God, Fall Afresh on Us. In submission to your will, we strive to forsake the ways of the world, which is why we invite the Holy Spirit to continually fall afresh on us. As we prepare to face this day and the next, our prayer is that we discover and rediscover the gift and power of the Holy Spirit that melts us, molds us and fills us with love and determination to follow, lead, learn, love and serve effectively for God’s Glory.

May the words of Paul constantly remind us of our need for the Holy Spirit - “But it was to us that God revealed these things by His spirit. For His spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets”.  With each rising sun, may we avail and submit ourselves to the leading of the Spirit that we know how to love, how to pray and how to serve. O Lord hear our prayer, it is in Jesus’ name we pray. Spirit of the Living God Fall a fresh on us, Amen!

Prayer: Remembering the Holiness of God

Holy God we humbly lift your name High, we your creation, confess in your presence we struggle with submitting ourselves to you.  Remind us that you are God of the universe, maker of heaven and earth. Amid a culture that exalts everything above you, we pause to remember that you are God; you are holy; you are present among us and yet, you are beyond this physical world and our intellectual sensibilities. Oh God we cry out to you, help us remember, that you dwell with us and that we are not to take your holiness for granted. We recall what you told Moses, that we are to honor your holiness – (Exodus 3:5 – 6) “Do not come any closer, take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” So, like Moses, with fear and deference to your holiness, in humility we too, cover our faces from your glory to receive the gift of your presence.

We give thanks to you merciful God for meeting us where we are – in the messiness of life – as we strive to live, love and follow you – you meet us right in our messiness, calling us to remember that you, God, are greater than our circumstances. You invite us to remember and consider like the Psalmist (Psalm 77), “O God, your ways are holy, Is there any god as mighty as you? You are the God of great wonders! You demonstrated your awesome power among the nations”. Right now God we reject the ways of the world and bow before you, submitting ourselves to your majesty and your holiness that beckons us to live and love like you.

We dare to remember with Peter who said to Jesus, (John 6:69) “Lord to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. We believe, and know you are the Holy One of God.” Jesus we exalt your name, for there is none like you, (Colossians 1:16-17) “for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see… He existed before anything else and he holds all creation together”. Help us, Holy God to remember in all aspects of our lives to exalt you, because you are holy and life-giving, remind us as we serve, as we follow, and as we lead to do so in reverence to you remembering your Word points us to you and challenges us to live for you stating: (I Peter 1:16) "Be ye holy because I am holy!" O Lord hear our prayer, it is in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen!

As we consider the holiness of God and that God invites us to "Be holy because I am holy", we are challenged to consider:

                    (1) How does my life reflect the holiness of God? 

                    (2) What does it mean to be in relationship with a God that is holy? 
                    (3) What does the culture ask of me? What does God asks of me? 

                    Which leads me toward holiness?

"Do You Know When People Really Become Spiritual?"

From Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila

"Oh, my sisters, how little one should think about resting, and how little one should care about honors, and how far ought to be from wishing to be esteemed in the very least if the Lord makes his special abode in the soul. For if the soul is much with him, as it is right it should be, it will very seldom think of itself; its whole thought will be concentrated upon finding ways to please him and upon showing him how it loves him.  This, my daughters, is the aim of prayer; this is the purpose of the Spiritual Marriage, of which are born good works and good works alone. . . .

Reflect carefully on this, for it is so important that I can hardly lay too much stress on it. Fix your eyes on the Crucified and nothing else will be of much importance to you. If his Majesty revealed his love to us by doing and suffering such amazing things, how can you expect to please him by words alone? 

Do you know when people become really become spiritual? 

It is when they become the slaves of God and are branded with his sign, which is the sign of the Cross, in token that they have given him their freedom. Then he can sell them as slaves to the whole world, as himself was sold, and if he does this he will be doing them no wrong but showing them no slight favor. Unless they resolve to do this, they need not expect to make great progress. For the foundation of this whole edifice, as I have said, is humility, and if you have not true humility, the Lord will not wish it to reach any great height; in fact, it is for your own good that it should not; if it did, it would fall to the ground.

Therefore, sisters, if you wish to lay good foundations, each of you must try to be the least of all, and the slave of God, and must seek a way and means to please and serve all your companions.  If you do that, it will be of more value to you than to them and your foundation will be so firmly laid that your Castle will not fall."

Picture Perfect!

Picture Perfect! "A picture is worth a thousand words!" Reflecting on both political conventions what stands out are still pictures capturing the crowds in attendance. There were stark contrasts one audience lacked chromatic variation while the other could claim a cascade of hues. Neither were picture perfect.

As I thought about these differences, political affinity aside my focal point became Sunday mornings and my heart ached. Filled with sadness, I had to admit if taken, photographs of the majority of 21st century churches are confined to black or white. Why does some 40+ years later MLK's words:  "11am on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the country" remain representative of the majority of our worship experiences? True, we are drawn to those and what is most familiar and comfortable to us. 

But familiarity and comfort are not descriptors befitting the Jesus movement. Jesus constantly challenged dogmatic religious constructs that were exclusionary and elitist. Jesus intentionally embraced and invited "the Other" (women, children, the poor, physically and psychologically challenged, the foreigner, etc.) to participate in community and "in power". Jesus had little patience with the gate keepers, the political and religious leaders that pursued a narrow vision. The "powers" were more determined to minimize the diversity within its landscapes then to extended opportunities; therefore, "the Other" continually found themselves on the margins and cropped out of the picture.

What kind a crowd would the camera capture at Jesus' convention? Would the pictures reveal a continuously stretching canvass bent on inclusivity? Would we gaze in wonderment at the host's intentionality of: (1) Extending invitations to folks with vibrant tones, diverse tongues? (2) Taking positions ensuring gender equality, rights for traditional and same sex couples? (3) Providing opportunity for both "legal  and illegal", poor, working, middle, and upper socioeconomic classes, the uneducated and educated? (4) Creating tax reform committed to win-win for all? (5) Uniting the nations? to name a few.  Jesus' decision are never centered on the number of votes he might garner; how many people would join his movement; or if he would gain favor. Could this lead to picture perfect?

If so, this picture continues to allude us in our political practices and unfortunately too often escapes our ecclesial and faith pursuits. We, Christians, like others before us have given greater premium to our politics and culture over and above our honest and devout engagement in Jesus-like intentionality of inviting "the Other".

Although, Jesus has told us: "Then the King will say, I'm telling the solemn truth: 

Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, 

that was me--you did it to me." Matthew 25:40 (Message Bible)

Some of us have such ardent political positions believing Jesus espouses only democrat or republican virtues; even when Scripture clearly states Jesus despised imperialism and had only one position, "to do the will of Him who sent me"! For Jesus doing the will of Him (God) meant opening wide the doors of the Church, the Kingdom of Heaven to everyone, not only in name but in practice. Jesus went to uncomfortable places for religious people and invited unlikely people to an ever-expanding dinner table (the Kingdom) with Him.

Does the church lack the theological courage to follow the Christ and Cross of its purported convictions? Both our past and present history says yes. Our challenge is to cross sociological and traditional isles that have become chasms of distortions hindering the church from fulfilling and living into the truest picture of the Gospel. 

The Church's canvass has an untapped expanse awaiting splashes of inclusion of every group of people from: racial, ethnic, diverse sexual orientation, socioeconomic, gender, unchurched, etc.; thus, providing the world with hope and the truest expression of doing "the will of Him who sent us".                 

Until we do, the church will continue to offer 

a distorted picture of her intended self. 

Today, the current picture of the church exposes a lens of indifference and a shuttering rejection of the Gospel. We, the church, are just like our political affinities and conventions -- less than picture perfect. 

Will we commit like Jesus to being a beacon of hope through               

relationship with and invitation to "the Other"?

When we do so, we take steps toward "Picture Perfect!"

Hitting Rock Bottom

Hitting Rock Bottom a term associated with alcohol and drug addicts refers to the moment the addict becomes conscious. Hitting Rock Bottom implies an addict at their lowest low of addictive behavior experiences an awakening prompting a journey from harmful practices toward a quest for wholeness. Yet, Hitting Rock Bottom should not remain limited to addicts but expanded to include all people because in truth we all need an emergent consciousness signaling our search for and understanding of a Higher Being.

Limiting Rock Bottom to addicts overlooks the fact many of us are users: we use things, we use careers, we use people, we use relationships, we use substances, we use. . .consequently we all must Hit Rock Bottom.  Hitting Rock Bottom provides us a ground-zero, presenting the opportunity for renewal, repentance and recovery of what is lost.

Usually negatively connoted Hitting Rock Bottom serves as a signpost of hope.

Hitting Rock Bottom removes the blinders covering our hedonism, idolatry and sinfulness. Until we hit rock bottom we continue in our arrogance; suffering from self-deception as we deny our fulfillment through dependence on God alone. The more we deny God, the less we experience or become like God.

Until one hits rock bottom their habit consumes them; wanting more of it, unwittingly acquiring less peace, less power, less purpose they become fragmented, a distortion of the person God created. It’s not just the addict who is guilty of wanting more; remember the destination for all of us is Hitting Rock Bottom!

What or who have you chosen over Jesus; leaving you with feelings of

 powerlessness, insecurity, loneliness, unworthiness, shame, etc.?

The Good News is in Hitting Rock Bottom, in that void is discovery, discovering the absence of our reliance on a God that precisely promises:

“Look, I am making everything new!”

Revelation 21:5

Rock bottom becomes the door of possibility, an entrance into hope. Rock bottom becomes the foundation, a building block toward wholeness.  Rock bottom becomes the compass, pointing us to the Ultimate North Star – “Thou who has bought us thus far on the way”.

Hitting Rock Bottom we can find healing, wholeness, hope and new life. Through Jesus we can overcome every disappointment, rejection, shame, failure, sense of abandonment, etc. Just as God promises to make everything new, He also promises “His will to be done on earth as it is heaven”. As we Hit Rock Bottom trusting in Jesus, we experience earthly and eternal recovery:

“He will wipe every tear from our eyes,

and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.

All these things are gone forever.”

Revelation 21:4

My prayer is that we Hit Rock Bottom and live a life fully depending on Jesus alone!

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton

Butt, For Grace!

Do you have childhood (discipline) experiences peppered with these type of statements from your parents/guardians?: “If you don’t do what I say, you’re gonna get a whoopin’!”, “If you’re gonna live in my house, there are some rules you WILL follow”, “Didn’t I tell you to_______, since you didn’t I’m gonna beat your butt!”, etc. I did. . .my parents created an environment where the expectations were clear and the consequences for failure to comply were clearer and consistent. Mom and Dad often said, “This is gonna hurt me more than it hurts you” (I would think, then why am I the only one hollering, crying and feeling pain).  Perhaps, like me, you wondered, why the consequences targeted a specific portion of anatomy, “our butts?”

Many years have passed, now I am the one bellowing these parental orders, compelling my troops to obey their chain of command.  I, too, communicate clear expectations and the consequences for failure to comply are clearer and consistent.  One lazy, rainy afternoon while playing in the house, my restless kindergartner and his rambunctious little brother indiscriminately persisted on whining and skirmishing. Hearing enough I demanded to know, “what is going on?” After hearing their bestest (that’s my word) toddler explanations, on cue I responded; “Didn’t I tell you to play quietly and respectfully?”, they replied, “Yes sir”. “So, what should happen?” (Trained with clear expectations and understanding the consequences for failure to comply), they responded, “Consequences”.  In my drill daddy tone, I enlisted my boys to turn around because “you didn’t listen so I’m gonna beat your butt!”

But, an epiphany invaded the moment. The law of karma which says ‘for every cause there is an effect’ or ‘for every action, there is a reaction’ was active BUT it dawned on me to disrupt it.  Upon reflection, with stern discipline my parents guided me into adulthood and there were countless instances warranting consequences BUT many times my parents did not impose any.  Revisiting, my own parenting the occasions are numerous where I refrain from beating their butts.  BUT, I had not shared the reasons with my boys, nor had my parents with me – this aha moment – led me to once again refrain and instead; I taught them about grace.

I continued with “what should happen now?” In unison, they said, “consequences”. I said “yes BUT there is something called grace, do you know what that is?” “No sir”.  “Grace is when we deserve consequences BUT don’t receive them.  So, Daddy is going to extend grace to you.  Do you understand?” “Yes sir”! “What does grace mean?” “We’re not going to get consequences”. “That’s correct (hugs) now go play quietly and respectfully”.

As children of God, the occasions we receive grace are numerous.  Just as I was and my children were unaware; more often then we will ever recognize God refrains from imposing consequences for our sins. The Bible is replete with examples of God teaching us about and inviting our awareness of grace. In Psalm 130:3-4, the psalmist captures the essence of grace:

Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?

But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to worship you.

Grace simply put is God’s exception to the law of consequences for failure to comply.  Through grace, our butts aren’t the target, Jesus is seeking our hearts. Think about all of your own indiscriminate persistence of sinning (whining and skirmishing) and take a moment to recognize:

Butt, for Grace!

Everyday every one of us needs Grace! Everyday All of us receive Grace.

BUT

Hopefully, everyday we seek awareness of Grace and learn to worship Jesus.

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton

What Is Your DNA?

What Is Your DNA? Consider its scientific definition from genome.gov:  “a molecule called deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) containing the biological instructions that make each species unique. DNA, with the instructions it contains, is passed from adult organisms to their offspring during reproduction. DNA contains the instructions needed for an organism to develop, survive and reproduce”. 

To summarize, our DNA makes us unique, is derived from our parents, is found in the center of our     make-up and provides the instructions for our development, survival and reproduction. 

But, let’s contemplate DNA from a spiritual perspective.  What is your Spiritual DNA? What is unique about you? Who or what is guiding your development and survival?  What are you reproducing in the Spirit realm?

Hint, the elements of scientific and spiritual DNA are the same.  As we journey to discover our spiritual DNA, we can have comfort knowing – God is both creator of and disseminator of DNA!  Therefore we are seeking our spiritual DNA that was passed from God (the Creator) to us (the creation). For example, God says in Jeremiah 1:5 – “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.” God communicates instructions (his DNA) to Jeremiah – “he is set apart” and his uniqueness, “prophet to the nations”.

For determining our spiritual DNA, I offer this definition of DNA – Divine Niche Action. Further explained, Divine from God, Niche one’s gift or skill set and Action given to be used.  This definition juxtaposes the flaws of capitalism where material and monetary successes are elevated over pursuit of one’s life purpose.  Thus, many are trapped in miserable meaningless existences simply because they don’t know their DNA.

Imagine if Bill Gates and Steve Jobs settled for degrees from college. What if Fannie Lou Hamer, voter and civil rights activist believed she was set apart only as a farm worker? I’m not arguing for technology as evidence of spiritual DNA but clearly each are examples of divine instruction and uniqueness.

We all have a God-given DNA! We might not have technology guru or activist DNA but I am certain like Jeremiah – God knows why each of us is formed.

Do you know anyone that dreads facing the waking hour?  The moment they arise consternation ensues. Conversely, others filled with passion enter their mission fields (business, education, government, non-profit, activism, homemakers etc.) focused and inclined toward transformation.

Which one describes you, dread or passion?

God encourages Jeremiah that he is set apart and uniquely gifted to serve as prophet to the nations. Uncovering your spiritual DNA will provide you with purpose and inspiration adding meaning to your life.  As we discover our spiritual DNA, it serves as another reminder of our smallness and indebtedness to God, creator of all things. However, armed with our spiritual DNA God allows us to participate in His will being done on earth as it is in heaven.

God desires to guide your development, your survival, and work through you to

reproduce and guide others to discover their spiritual DNA.

What is your DNA?

__________________________________________

Much Love,

Pastor Singleton