Rainey Prays on Some Days

I'm reading the Daily Office Lectionary readings, a series of daily Bible readings in The Book of Common Prayer , this Advent, and am thinking I'll use it along with the Lectionary next year for my devotional readings. But I felt that I just received a warning in Isaiah 29:13, “their worship of me is a human commandment learned by rote.” It seems that churches that use the Lectionary for the Scripture readings in their worship services and use a catechism to teach their confirmees are particularly prone to this rote kind of worship where the heart is detached. This was what Isaiah warns against. I have often thought that Pentecostalism and Evangelicalism , with all of their emphases on the Word, would benefit from using the Lectionary since I have observed that the amount of Scripture read in our worship services is quite paltry compared to Roman Catholic masses, for example. Since they use the lectionary, each mass will have a psalm, Old Testament reading, New Testament ep...

The General Idea For a special Thanksgiving service, set up flipchart stations around the sanctuary. Have a slide projected that instructs parishioners as they enter the sanctuary to think of something or someone they are thankful for and why they are thankful. They should then go write it on a flipchart.   During the service, these will be read. Materials Needed ·   Flipchart stands ·   Flipchart pages ·   Flipchart markers Set Up Set up several “Thanksgiving” stations around the sanctuary with a flipchart stands where people can write on a blank flipchart page. You might want to write something like “I am thankful for . . .” at the top of the page. Also, prior to the service, assign one person per station to monitor the station, make sure the flipchart pages are collected, and that person can then share the responses for their station later during the service. Instructions Either in the five minutes leading up to the service or during a ...

I recently taught through the book, The Prodigal God , by Tim Keller. When teaching chapter five on The True Elder Brother (“My son, everything I have is yours”), I opened by playing the song " Highway Patrolman " by Bruce Springsteen.  The song is about an older brother who is a highway patrolman that frequently bails his younger brother Frankie out of trouble. The song portrays well a moral older brother with a wild living younger brother, expressed with the chorus: Me and Franky laughin' and drinkin' nothin' feels better than blood on blood Takin' turns dancin' with Maria as the band played "Night of the Johnstown Flood" I catch him when he's strayin' like any brother would Man turns his back on his family well he just ain't no good The older brother believes it is a moral obligation to look after family members in a way the elder brother in the biblical story does not, pointing out the need for a "true elder brother" tha...

The General Idea “99-seconds” is a special type of presentation format that features several speakers (usually 10 or more). Each speaker shares a brisk, self-contained testimony or informational presentation that lasts for up to 99 seconds. A 99-second timer will be counting from 99 to 0 on a screen behind the speakers. Set Up and Preparation Must be able to display a timer on a large screen. (The 99-second timer is available for free from http://www.thiagi.com/  or you may use some other software timer). Instructions When providing a special occasion for about 10 or more people in the congregation to speak, have a 99-second timer counting down to zero on the screen behind the speaker. This keeps the person from going too long and provides a fast-paced, energized series of presentations. Tips for This Activity (Organizer) Topics to consider for using this format: Congregational testimonies of God’s work. Missionaries at a missions convention or denominational eve...

       The Bergen Record recently reported another skirmish between a Korean church and a Bergen County community.   This time, it happened in Norwood .   If memory serves me correctly, it has also happened in recent years in Cliffside Park , Englewood Cliffs, Leonia, and Little Ferry.   It usually happens this way: the Korean congregation finds a property or an existing building in a community.   They make plans to convert or expand the property into a church building.   They submit plans to the borough, who then rejects the proposal, suggesting the proposed facility will “negatively affect the character of the borough” ( Norwood ), cause traffic problems, or some other reason.   In response, the Korean congregation cries “racism,” files a lawsuit, and off to court they go.   I personally think this issue is much deeper than one of anti-Korean sentiment.   As one who pastored a church that tried to find a suitable mee...

The General Idea This activity allows participants to share something unique or interesting they have done and lets them see if other people have done the same thing.  Materials Needed 3x5 cards Pens or pencils Instructions   Have participants write on a 3x5 index card, “Have you ever . . . “   Have each person think of something unique or interesting that they have done and have them write it on the card (e.g. “Have you ever . . . been on a trip to Bulgaria?” or . . . met [Famous Person]?”). It should be something they think few people have ever had a chance to do. Collect all of the cards and draw them out and read them one at a time. The person who wrote on the card and anyone else who has done what is listed on the card “confesses” by standing up. This gives people an opportunity to connect with each other who have had similar life experiences and allows people who have done some interesting things in life to share them.

The General Idea On weeks that the congregation has a communion service, the people in the congregation should also share meals together in each other’s homes following the worship service as an practical extension of the fellowship symbolized during Communion. Set Up and Instructions A coordinator can be assigned to oversee and organize the congregation with the various people who will host the meals. All people who attend the worship service should have an opportunity to participate. Thus the primary role of the coordinator is to ensure that this happens. The church might also consider using board members, elders, or ministry leaders to be the hosts initially. If the church has small groups, one of the monthly meetings could be held on Communion Sunday with an emphasis on sharing meals that week.