2014/09/28
Christ Church, Mountain Top
Christ Church, Mountain Top
Prayer,
Psalm 23
Psalm 23
Children,
Matthew 4.1-11
Matthew 4.1-11
Message, James
1.1-27
1.1-27
Lord’s
Prayer – Our Father
Prayer – Our Father
Practice: how we are transformed
Practices:
Lord’s Prayer posted, prayed daily
Praying with our body, hands raised
Blessing prayers for work, for success
Meditative prayer: the Jesus Prayer
“Lead us not into temptation”
James 1 –
Temptation’s source is our own desire –
liking and loving
liking and loving
Temptation’s source is the human drive for
wealth, sex, power
wealth, sex, power
Wealth – the rich “will wither away”
“every generous act … from
above”
above”
Sex – “when desire has conceived, it
gives birth to sin”
gives birth to sin”
Power – “your anger does not produce
God’s righteousness”
God’s righteousness”
Jesus was tempted – has human desires –
“yet without sin”
“yet without sin”
(Hebrews 4.15)
Led into temptation through our desire
How does God “lead us not”?
Support our efforts at prevention
An alcoholic – stay out of
bars, not enter new relationships
bars, not enter new relationships
Create boundaries around our
impulses – spending, etc.
impulses – spending, etc.
Keep us from surprise opportunity at
a point of weakness
a point of weakness
Strengthen us to say “no”
Will Willimon, resisting temptation (story
from The Last Word)
from The Last Word)
“But deliver us from evil”
Evil in general, bad things, painful things
“keep me from harm so that I will be
free from pain” (1 Chron 4.10)
free from pain” (1 Chron 4.10)
So often unanswered?
How often is it answered, but we are
clueless?
clueless?
“used pre-eminently of the devil, the evil one” (Thayer)
Like
a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to
devour (1 Peter 5:8).
a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to
devour (1 Peter 5:8).
Do
not exaggerate (dog ate) or
underestimate.
not exaggerate (dog ate) or
underestimate.
Jo Slapinski, overturned boat on Wolf Lake
St Patrick’s breastplate (guide and guard)
St.
Patrick’s Breastplate
Patrick’s Breastplate
I
gird myself today with the might of heaven:
gird myself today with the might of heaven:
The
rays of the sun,
rays of the sun,
The
beams of the moon,
beams of the moon,
The
glory of fire,
glory of fire,
The
speed of wind,
speed of wind,
The
depth of sea,
depth of sea,
The
stability of earth,
stability of earth,
The
hardness of rock.
hardness of rock.
I
gird myself today with the power of God:
gird myself today with the power of God:
God’s
strength to comfort me,
strength to comfort me,
God’s
might to uphold me,
might to uphold me,
God’s
wisdom to guide me,
wisdom to guide me,
God’s
eye to look before me,
eye to look before me,
God’s
ear to hear me,
ear to hear me,
God’s
word to speak for me,
word to speak for me,
God’s
hand to lead me,
hand to lead me,
God’s
way to lie before me,
way to lie before me,
God’s
shield to protect me,
shield to protect me,
God’s
angels to save me
angels to save me
From
the snares of the Devil,
the snares of the Devil,
From
temptations to sin,
temptations to sin,
From
all who wish me ill,
all who wish me ill,
Both
far and near,
far and near,
Alone
and with others.
and with others.
May
Christ guard me today
Christ guard me today
From
poison and fire,
poison and fire,
From
drowning and wounding,
drowning and wounding,
So
my mission may bear
my mission may bear
Fruit
in abundance.
in abundance.
Christ
behind and before me,
behind and before me,
Christ
beneath and above me,
beneath and above me,
Christ
with me and in me,
with me and in me,
Christ
around and about me,
around and about me,
Christ
on my left and my right,
on my left and my right,
Christ
when I rise in the morning,
when I rise in the morning,
Christ
when I lie down at night,
when I lie down at night,
Christ
in each heart that thinks of me,
in each heart that thinks of me,
Christ
in each mouth that speaks of me,
in each mouth that speaks of me,
Christ
in each eye that sees me,
in each eye that sees me,
Christ
in each ear that hears me.
in each ear that hears me.
I
arise today through the power of the Trinity,
arise today through the power of the Trinity,
Through
faith in the threeness,
faith in the threeness,
Through
trust in the oneness,
trust in the oneness,
Of
the Maker of earth,
the Maker of earth,
And
the Maker of heaven.
the Maker of heaven.
