A Great Blog

Somewhere in the Middle

2010-02-09T08:15:00.000-08:00

This morning on the way to the office I heard a song on the radio (been using Pandora lately, it's awesome) that floored me. I had never heard it before, but it so aptly and so fully describes where I am. It is by the group Casting Crowns:

Somewhere between the hot and the cold
Somewhere between the new and the old
Somewhere between who I am and who I used to be
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Somewhere between the wrong and the right
Somewhere between the darkness and the light
Somewhere between who I was and who You're making me
Somewhere in the middle, You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Fearless warriors in a picket fence, reckless abandon wrapped in common sense
Deep water faith in the shallow end and we are caught in the middle
With eyes wide open to the differences, the God we want and the God who is
But will we trade our dreams for His or are we caught in the middle
Are we caught in the middle

Somewhere between my heart and my hands
Somewhere between my faith and my plans
Somewhere between the safety of the boat and the crashing waves

Somewhere between a whisper and a roar
Somewhere between the altar and the door
Somewhere between contented peace and always wanting more
Somewhere in the middle You'll find me

Just how close can I get, Lord, to my surrender without losing all control

Lord, I feel You in this place and I know You're by my side
Loving me even on these nights when I'm caught in the middle

Chambers on the Power of the Gospel

2010-02-06T06:47:00.000-08:00

"If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality." -Oswald Chambers

And yet, this is what happens over and over again. We make the gospel our pet, our servant. The history of the church is a history of taming the gospel. We fear it's power.

I want people to get on board with my cause, sign up for my class, propagate my philosophy, but come in contact with the raw power of the gospel? Without me controlling it and mediating it? Are you kidding?

Forgive me God. May your fire of love purify my ministry, burning off anything that stands between me and the power of the gospel for those that I lead.

Standing With...

2010-02-04T19:45:00.000-08:00

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up the other; but woe to one who is alone and falls and does not have another to help. Ecclesiastes 4:10

I have been reminded a couple of times this week of the importance of standing with someone. So many people go through a lot of very difficult times alone. As disciples of Jesus, who never leaves us, and as members of a faith community who claims to be Jesus' body, I believe we have the opportunity, dare I say the responsibility, to stand with those who have no one to stand with them.

It is often not easy. At times it is messy.

Standing with someone does not mean we have to have all of the answers for them. It just means being with them.

Standing with someone does not mean we have to fix them or change them. Transformation is God's work.

Standing with someone does not mean we condone their behavior. Just because we accept someone, does not mean we have to approve of what they are doing.

Standing with someone does not mean we enable them by rescuing them from the natural consequences of their actions. It might, however, mean we journey with them through those consequences.

Who have you stood with? Who stands with you?

Waste

2010-01-29T20:11:00.001-08:00

This is the trash created from Emerson and me eating at McDonald's tonight. I don't really consifer myself a green freak, but as I was gathering our trash from the table and the mountain kept getting bigger on the tray, I was thinking there was no way this could be good. I want to start being a bit more conscious.

I was at : 132 Riley Ave, Palm Springs, FL 33461,

OUR Father, who art in heaven...

2010-01-18T07:01:00.000-08:00

I have started utilizing Phyllis Tickle's Divine Hours as a resource for my spiritual journey. Of course, a consistent element of most daily prayers is the prayer Jesus taught.

As I was praying it this morning, I was reminded yet again that the prayer is prayed in first person plural. I know that. (You know that. We all know that and have heard at least a half-dozen sermons on the topic.) This morning, however, it dropped a bit from my head to my heart. When I pray that prayer, I am asking that God gives all of us our daily bread, that God leads each one of us away from temptation, that God forgives my debts and your debts. If the prayer doesn't change the way I live than it is just a collection of meaningless, superstitious words.

I want to live the prayer.

Carl F. Henry on Cultural Engagement

2010-01-17T16:01:00.000-08:00

Richard J. Mouw has written an insightful article on an interaction he had with Carl F. Henry, the first editor of Christianity Today, in that magazines January, 2010 issue (unfortunately, it does not appear to be online).

As I work with our local church to find a voice on social justice issues, I find Henry's "five principles of engagement" which Mauw quotes from Henry's biography Confessions of a Theologian helpful:

1. The Bible is critically relevant to the whole of modern life and culture-the social-political arena included.
2. The institutional church has no mandate, jurisdiction, or competence to endorse political legislation or military tactics or economic specifics in the name of Christ.
3. The institutional church is divinely obliged to proclaim God's entire revelation, including the standards or commandments by which men and nations are to be finally judged, and by which they ought now to live and maintain social stability.
4. The political achievement of a better society is the task of all citizens, and individual Christians ought to be politically engaged to the limit of their competence and opportunity.
5. The Bible limits the proper activity of both government and church for divinely stipulated objectives--the former, for the preservation of justice and order, and the latter, for the moral-spiritual task of evangelizing the earth.

The article goes into much greater detail. I would highly recommend it as a starting place for dialogue.

Two Views of God

2010-01-16T06:43:00.000-08:00

I was brought to tears twice this week, unusual for me. The tears, in both instances, were precipitated by a view of God.

Wednesday, as I was driving back from my weekly team meeting with the hospice team with which I am currently interning. At the meeting, we spent time being with and feeling helpless with the five Haitian members of the staff who hadn't yet heard from their families in Haiti. As I was driving, I heard Pat Robertson's comments about Haiti on the radio:

The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever, and they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other."

I had to pull over. The experience of just being with those who were suffering and then listening to Robertson smugly "explaining" the tragedy for us lay folks was too much. His is a view of God that we have all encountered at some point or another. God blesses those who are good and curses those who are bad. It is beneficial, at least in the short run. It keeps God in a box. It keeps us in control, keeps us confident that we are right. If we are the ones in the earthquake, however, it is useless.

Another experience of God I had was Friday morning. I went to an interfaith vigil service for the people of Haiti. We prayed and sang in Spanish, Creole, Hebrew, and English. We cried, some wailed. We praised God, we yelled at God. We didn't feel the need to explain. We didn't feel the need to be right. We just sat, with one another and with God. It was a glimpse of authentic community.

AIDS Memorial Quilt and Service

2009-12-06T19:30:00.000-08:00

Saturday night, I had the opportunity to participate in an interfaith memorial service at COMPASS Community Center. It was a moving experience. There were about 8 or 9 faith communities involved. It was also eye- and heart-opening to see the actual portion of the quilt that is currently installed at the center. The panels, representing the lives of those who have been lost to the virus, ooze sacredness.

Using Forced Labor to Build the Temple

2009-11-30T19:40:00.000-08:00

Solomon sent word to Hiram, saying, ‘You know that my father David could not build a house for the name of the Lord his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the Lord put them under the soles of his feet. But now the Lord my God has given me rest on every side; there is neither adversary nor misfortune. So I intend to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, as the Lord said to my father David, “Your son, whom I will set on your throne in your place, shall build the house for my name.”….. King Solomon conscripted forced labor out of all Israel; the levy numbered thirty thousand men. He sent them to the Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts; they would be a month in the Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the forced labor.

1 Kings 5:2-5, 13-14 (NRSV)

I came across this story in my scripture reading last week. I am sure I have read it before, but it hit me quite differently this time. King Solomon used forced labor to build the long-awaited temple, the symbol of Gods presence amidst the people of Israel. From the context it is apparent that Solomon had at least a couple of different motives in building the temple. One motive was a passion for the worship of who Solomon perceived as the one true God. Mixed in with that, I imagine, was the desire to create an awesome spectacle that would be the shrines and altars to other gods to shame. Another motive appears to be loyalty to his father David’s memory.

Whatever his motives, Solomon had an awesome ministry vision. It was a vision so big that it required him to force the people of Israel to work on it. I cannot for a moment imagine God, as I understand and experience God, being pleased with such a situation. It is the height of irony to use forced labor to build a shrine to a God who delivered those very laborers’ ancestors from slavery.

As I pursue my vision for ministry it is imperative that I constantly check my motives, constantly seek to be aware of why I am doing what I am doing. However, even when motives are right, it is so very easy to use people in pursuit of a great vision. Between King Solomon and now, institutional religion has been expert in using people to accomplish its purpose. Religion, at its best, can inspire one to become a part of something bigger than oneself. At its worst, it manipulates through dogma and fear, forcing people to labor for the good of the institution.

As I grow in my ministry, may I be ever mindful that my calling is to serve God by facilitating connection between God and individuals, inviting them into their adventure of life with God, not conscripting their labor for my vision alone.

In and Out of Gratitude

2009-11-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

Trish and Emerson and I are at my parent's house in Lake Lure, NC for Thanksgiving. As I was laying in bed last night, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.

I have a wonderful wife and a precious son. I have incredible, supportive parents that provided an awesome foundation and start for me. Trish and I have great jobs and the time off to come up here on vacation. We have a car that got us up here. God has provided a place of ministry for me, laying a path in front of me. I get to minister with and to incredible people. God has not only forgiven my mistakes, but in God's incredible grace, has even minimized the consequences and effects of many of those mistakes.

It is out of that gratitude that I live my life. Trying to be "spiritual," trying to "be good," to please God, for me anyway, just doesn't work. But when I think of the blessings I have, when I think of how good God has been to me, I just naturally want to live in relationship with the One to whom I am so grateful.

You Have Found Favor With God!

2009-11-18T06:44:00.000-08:00

This morning in my scripture reading I was in the first chapter of the Gospel of Luke, where the angel visits Mary. There is lots of theology and a lot at stake for many in the story of the virgin birth which creates a lot of tension. Setting that aside, a phrase jumped out at me:

Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. (Luke 1:30)

"Do not be afraid" is a typical (and, I imagine, necessary!) salutation when someone is approached by God or an angel of God in scripture. However, I love the way it is followed up: "for you have found favor with God."

From the context, there is nothing that indicates a reason why she found this favor. It seems that God just chose to bestow it it--and she found it. It was such an encouraging word to me this morning. I have found favor with God. I have found favor with God! There is nothing I have to do to earn it. There is nothing I can do to lose it.

The same is true for you. You have found favor with God. "God," as The Shack author William Paul Young puts it, "is especially fond of you." So you don't have to be afraid. No matter what happens today, no matter how bad you screw up, no matter what your coworkers say about you, never forget:

Do not be afraid, because you have found favor with God!

How would the world be different today if every child of God chose to live in that truth? What if each of us lived as if we had nothing to prove, nothing to grasp, no mask to hide behind? Therein lies the power of the Gospel.

The Forty-Year-Old Box of Jell-o

2009-11-13T05:06:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, two of our fantastic volunteers at church, Miriam and Pat, were cleaning out our food pantry in the office. Church food pantries require cleaning out periodically or else you end up with a closet full of canned beets. I don't believe anybody actually eats canned beats, so they get donated quite often. After all, the thinking goes, if the people that come to the pantry are hungry enough, they should eat what they get. At one point, Miriam asked me if Jell-O goes bad. She showed me a box of Jell-O that was in the pantry. There wasn't a date on it , but the box looked awfully old. Then we found the offer on the back. Ge $.50 if you buy 12 boxes. Must be postmarked by April 22, 1968!

Now I don't know if that box has been in our pantry for the past 40 years or if someone donated a forty-year-old box of Jell-O. I do know that I plan on keeping this box of Jell-O on my desk for as long as I stay in church ministry. It's a great reminder that we are not ministering in the 1960's anymore. It sounds obvious, but it's easy to forget, especially in a hundred-year old church that had its heydays in the 60's and 70's. We long to go back to there. Heck, I wasn't even around then and sometimes I even long for it! But what we did in the 60's does not touch people of the 21st century with the power of the gospel. 1960's strategies will not transform society and culture in 2009.

It's easy to say "We have some beets and Jell-O (it doesn't go bad does it?) Let's mix it up and serve it. If they're hungry enough, they'll take it." But we're finding out the hard way that they won't and our message of hop is being lost on those that are turning up their nose at our Jell-O and beet salad. May I always be reminded by my 1968 box of Jell-O.

Tearing Down the Altars

2009-10-04T15:23:00.000-07:00

That night the Lord said to him [Gideon], ‘Take your father’s bull, the second bull seven years old, and pull down the altar of Baal that belongs to your father, and cut down the sacred pole that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of the stronghold here, in proper order; then take the second bull, and offer it as a burnt-offering with the wood of the sacred pole that you shall cut down.’

Judges 6:25-26

I've read and heard and been taught this story numerous times, but this little incident has always escaped me. God told Gideon to go tear down the altar to Baal, the altar his father had built. In order to have our own authentic relationship with God, it may be necessary to tear down some of the altars we have been left.

Very often, those who have gone before us have left us altars to small, tribal gods like Baal. And even those of us who have received the awesome gift of an altar to a mighty, awesome God need to rebuild that altar for ourselves, based on our own experience with God.

And when we tear down old altars, others take notice. When it got back to Gideon's dad that Gideon had torn down the altar, his response was "If he is a god, let him contend for himself, because his altar has been pulled down." I love it!

It's time to pull down altars. It is time to engage God for ourselves.

Abundance

2009-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was surprised by an experience of pure abundance. I was given a bag of candy on the occasion of my second anniversary at the church. That afternoon, I opened up and began eating it.

Now, how often does an adult buy a bag of candy for him or herself? In my case, not too often. And when I do, it usually comes with at least some guilt. Here I had a bag of Dove Promises that were given to me as a gift. They were mine, given to me, with no guilt attached. They were a joy to eat.

It felt good. It felt abundant. I realized that I don't usually live with a sense of abundance. I'm always thinking about what I lack, always looking at the gap. However, the truth is I have been given so much by an awesome, generous God. I can be thankful. I can keep my eyes on the abundance rather than the lack.

From "respectable religion" to "evangelical faith"

2009-09-29T11:50:00.001-07:00

In his farewell address after 10 years of ministry, John Thomas, the outgoing General Minister and President of the United Church of Christ, the denomination to which I belong, said that he is "anxious but still hopeful" about what he describes as the transition from "respectable religion" to "evangelical faith."

It was great hearing that from a leader in a mainline denomination. The truth is that most church folk, from the most "liberal" United Church of Christer to the "conservative" Southern Baptist is a defender of respectable religion. They only differ on what respectable religion looks like. Jesus, on the other hand in his teaching and ministry, revealed respectable religion for what it is--impotent, nauseating, dangerous.

For the church to survive, for the church to be involved in what God is doing in the world, we have to do more than transition. We have to oppose respectable religion with the passion of Jesus himself because respectable religion opposes evangelical faith (something else revealed by Jesus in his death). We must choose one or the other.

A couple of days ago I was pulling up to my church. I had stuff I had to take to my office (at the south end of the campus) and to the kitchen (the north end of the campus). As I was pulling in to the parking lot I got confused as to which I wanted to do first. I ended up pulling in to the middle, resulting in me walking to one end and then the other. I was reminded that compromise rarely works.

I want to live a vitalized, evangelical faith. There are too many people hurting and confused. There is too much injustice, fighting, hunger and sorrow to allow respectable religion to have even a toe-hold.

So What About the Mirror?!

2009-09-28T18:34:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we talked about an Ordinary Day With Jesus, using different props to show how every aspect of our day can be lived in the presence of and infused with Jesus. One of the props on the altar was a large mirror. However, I completely forgot to talk about it!

The mirror represents the people that we will see in the course of a day--those we know and those we don't. When we look at people, we have the opportunity to look at them with Jesus. We can ask Jesus, what are you trying to do in this person’s life? Is there a way that I can be a part of that? Can I further your work in this person’s life? Could I encourage them? Could I listen to them? Could I speak bold truth to them? Could I love them? Could I touch them? Jesus, could I help you in what you are doing in this person’s life?

I find in my life that sometimes the presence of Christ is obvious in my life. Other times, he can be really hard to find. Turning to the words of Jesus himself, we find there is one place where he can always be found.

"Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.” Matthew 25:37-40

Jesus is present in the least of these, in other people. Frank Laubach, the modern Christian mystic had a simple prayer that he would repeat over and over as he was among people: "Can I help you? Can I help you?"

An ordinary day with Jesus will include many opportunities to see Jesus and people. Will I take every opportunity to do so? Probably not. But it is definitely something to practice.

Seth Godin on "The Problem With Non"

2009-09-15T04:40:00.000-07:00

Seth Godin's stuff is nearly always right on target for churches. However, today he writes specifically to nonprofits, the importance of our mission, and our paralyzing fear of change--good stuff!

Did you start or join this non-profit because of the non part? I doubt it. It's because you want to make change. The way the world is just isn't right or good enough for you... there's an emergency or an injustice or an opportunity and you want to make change.
These organizations exist solely to make change. That's why you joined, isn't it?
The problem facing your group, ironically, is the resistance to the very thing you are setting out to do. Non-profits, in my experience, abhor change.

Read the rest here.

Volunteering and Quality of Life

2009-09-01T04:39:00.000-07:00

Group's website has an interesting article on studies done with senior adult and teenage volunteers.

"A study published by Aging and Mental Health in 2003 showed that seniors who volunteered were significantly more likely than those who didn't to report having high energy, concentration, and engagement."

and

"A study published in The Science of Altruism and Health followed 1,000 teenagers over a five year period, tracking their attitudes and behaviors. Those who spent the most time in various community service efforts were least likely to be involved in violence and pregnancy. They also were least likely to express negative feelings (!) or describe themselves as feeling stressed. As described in Gross National Happiness, "Provocatively, the investigators found that charity and faith tended to interact for extra benefit. Religious, giving teens had higher self-esteem, confidence, and optimism than nonreligious, giving teens."

Good stuff, stuff that people of faith already know, but it is nice to see it verified.

You can read the whole article here.

Still Loving God, Loving Others, and Serving the World

2009-08-10T08:37:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking lately about the mission and purpose of our church: loving God, loving others, and serving the world. We didn't invent those. We simply pulled them from the instructions that Jesus gave his earliest followers.

As I observe my own life and the life of others with whom I come in contact, I am finding that Jesus was right (news, I am sure, that will be a great relief to him!). These three elements are what is important for a good life-- not a Christian life, or a religious life--but just a good life, a life that works.

We need to love God, we need to be spiritually formed. We need the assurance of love and acceptance even when the circumstances of our life and our world scream to us that we may not be loved and accepted. In loving God, and receiving God's love for us, we have a reason for living.

We long for community, to love others. We live in a society that is disjointed and isolated from one another. It is naive to think that all of our problems could be solved by just sitting down with one another, but I cannot think of a better place to start. We need each other.

And finally, we are called to serve the world. Somewhere along the over-2,000-year-long line, the idea developed that we come to church and watch the show and put our money in the plate to pay the staff to put on a good show and to do ministry for us. We imagine that our spirituality, our faith in God is for us--to comfort us, to inspire us, to help us through our week. That is a pitifully narrow, woefully unbiblical, and ultimately unfulfilling understanding of what the with-God life is all about. My faith is not just for me. From the prophets to Jesus to the early church, the teachings of those closest to the Divine reveal that faith results in action, in service.

Formation, community, service. Loving God, loving others, serving the world.

I am curious. Do you find those needs in your life? What other needs do you have that are met by your faith and/or participation in church? I would love to hear!

Sunday's Sermon, "The Holy Spirit Adventure"

2009-08-10T07:44:00.000-07:00

Jesus' teaching, ministry, and life revealed that the Holy Spirit is available to all. All we must do is avail ourselves to it.

The Holy Spirit Adventure 08-09-09 from Jason Fairbanks on Vimeo.

Sermon "So...What About Holiness?"

2009-08-03T03:47:00.000-07:00

The holiness of the scribes and the pharisees is based on outward acts or not doing what we really want to do. Jesus invites us into a change of heart, so that we begin to actually want what is good, and noble, and true, and beautiful.

"So...What About Holiness?" 08-02-09 from Jason Fairbanks on Vimeo.

The Example

2009-07-31T06:31:00.000-07:00

"The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the foremost. But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the foremost, Jesus might display the utmost patience, making me an example to those who would come to believe in him for eternal life." Paul to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:15-16

I am enjoying spending time in Timothy. I haven't read it in a while. It's good advice from a seasoned minister to a newbie. This passage from the first chapter just confirms what God has been communicating to me in so many different ways over the past few weeks. Paul got the whole Christ thing because he had experienced it and, as a result, his goal was to be an example to others of what Jesus Christ can do in a life--an example of Jesus' patience and love.

The Christ-following life is simple but not easy. It's practice is difficult, mainly because we make it difficult. Well, what's this we stuff, I guess. I make it difficult for myself.

Thank you, God, for your patience!

Doxis Vs. Praxis

2009-07-22T11:42:00.001-07:00

I have had the privilege of being raised in a conservative, evangelical Protestant tradition, of spending the past 15 years in a progressive mainline Protestant tradition, of marrying into a Roman Catholic family, and of spending the past year at seminary under the tutelage of a Greek Orthodox priest--four vastly different expressions of the Christian faith, almost four different religions. All four, I believe, have a piece of the puzzle that is a whole, complete understanding of our Christian faith. However, the adherents of each have irreconcilable doctrinal differences with one another. In addition, for convenience and practicality's sake, we each only participate in one of these traditions or, at least, one at a time, based on our cultural background or preference.

The question becomes; the question has been for me: "Which one is right?" Who has it right in this theologically, ecclesiologically beautiful mess? I have come to the conclusion that the question is unanswerable. In fact, it is the wrong question, even as it still tugs at me for an answer.

It is a question of doxis vs. praxis. I was raised in a tradition that was concerned with doxis, having our beliefs exactly, precisely correct because then, and only then, were we assured of our salvation. If we could make the intellectual leap, put the pieces of the puzzle together in our minds, then we were OK.

However, that does not seem to be the concern of scripture, or at least most of scripture. God called Abraham to trust and follow. The Israelites under Moses had laws, but those dealt with praxis, with practice, with what they were to do. Yes, they still had the directive of worshipping the one true God, but how that belief worked did not seem to be important. What was important to them was the practice of worship in the tabernacle. The prophets, again, were concerned with praxis, how the people of Israel acted, how they treated one another. Jesus himself was most assuredly not about doctrine and dogma. He boiled down the whole of the law to "love God and love your neighbor" he said "I am the way, follow me."

Of course, the apostles, including Peter and Paul, began to explain and contextualize the gospel for the benefit of their audiences. But, I think they were explaining their experience, not devising a doctrinal obstacle course for one to struggle through in order to get it right.

What difference does it make? I wouldn't waste the effort or bandwidth to work through this unless I thought it made a big difference. I believe our obsession with doxis over praxis is what has rendered the church impotent in the modern age. We have been so concerned with "getting it right" that we continuously argue with one another, obscuring the simple beauty of the Gospel to those on the outside. When we feel that we have gotten it right, we become smug and lazy, believing we have arrived, even as the world around us hungers, fights, and withers from lack of connection with the Divine.

So, the question must be, "What do we do?" In Francis Schaeffer's words "How should we then live?"

"Welcome Home" Lyrics

2009-07-20T19:16:00.000-07:00

A few people were curious about the song I sang this past Sunday. It is "Welcome Home" by Shaun Groves. I never get tired of listening to it--or praying it. Here is a video of him performing it. I also included the lyrics below.

Take, me, make me
All You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking

Welcome to this heart of mine
I've buried under prideful vines
Grown to hide the mess I've made
Inside of me
Come decorate, Lord
Open up the creaking door
And walk upon the dusty floor
Scrape away the guilty stains
Until no sin or shame remain
Spread Your love upon the walls
And occupy the empty halls
Until the man I am has faded
No more doors are barricaded

Chorus:
Come inside this heart of mine
It's not my own
Make it home
Come and take this heart and make it
All Your own
Welcome home

Take a seat, pull up a chair
Forgive me for the disrepair
And the souvenirs from floor to ceiling
Gathered on my search for meaning
Every closet's filled with clutter
Messes yet to be discovered
I'm overwhelmed, I understand
I can't make this place all that You can

repeat chorus

I took the space that You placed in me
Redecorated in shades of greed
And I made sure every door stayed locked
Every window blocked, and still You knocked

repeat chorus

Take me, make me
All You want me to be
That's all I'm asking, all I'm asking

Sermon: One Ordinary Day With God

2009-07-20T19:14:00.000-07:00

What we can learn from Jesus about the prayer-filled life: the importance of solitude, how to pray, the possibility that God speaks to us, and that we work together with God.

One Oridnary Day With God 7-19-09 from Jason Fairbanks on Vimeo.