A season of gratitude

We started Sunday in church by looking up some Scriptures on thankfulness: (Psalm 107:1, Psalm 31:19, Psalm 145:7, 1 Chronicles 29:11-13, Psalm 100 and Psalm 95:1-6). We pulled out the things in those verses we have to be thankful for---God's faithfulness, He is our Refuge, etc.

The night before we went out and gather some branches and put them in a vase with river pebbles.  I  cut out circle and feather shaped tags and punched holes in them.  We used these pieces to write out our praises and thanksgivings and then we hung them on our tree.  We started with barren branches and finished with a harvest of thanksgiving. 

For prayer time, we gave out 5 kernels of candy corn and did circle prayers of thanksgiving for each kernel.  Even our littlest one participated. 

Kernel 1- God loves us.

Kernel 2- God provides for our needs

Kernel 3- Thankful for the friends God has given us.

Kernel 4- Thankful for the people God has given us who love us.

Kernel 5- God hears our prayers and answers us.

This is a wonderful idea for extending thanksgiving from only a single day into a season of gratitude. We even had friends over and invited them to join us by adding their words of praise and thanksgiving.  Our tree is brimming over and a constant reminder of what our response to Him should be. 

No We Haven't Disappeared...

We decided to try out a Bible Study book that I had sitting around. I picked it up years ago on a clearance table in a bookstore. After looking at it, we thought it would make a pretty good study guide and have been going through it since Easter. No we haven't lapsed into a traditional Sunday School class mode or anything. We took it and "simple churched" it! We used some of the object lessons but basically avoided most of the outline discussion guides. We did refer to the book if we needed some help with discussion starters when things got quiet or the conversation wandered but this was not usually necessary.

It's amazing what can happen when you simply let the scripture speak to each person. Even my eight year old finds some pretty profound truth to share (though he often takes a bit more prompting).

This Book went through some pretty basic understanding of relationships that most of us deal with throughout our lives. Using scriptures that tell the story of Jesus and his disciples, David and Jonathan or Paul and Mark, we discussed how Christians are to deal with various areas in the realm of friendships. We talked about what it means to have different degrees of intimacy with friends, what to do if relationships are threatened or are difficult to maintain, and how the Bible tells us to resolve conflict.

We had everyone try to build a house with playing cards (which is surprisingly difficult!) and then talk about how hard it is to build up relationships and how easy it is to tear them down. Another week we played the game "Sorry" and had everyone exaggerate apologies when they sent someone back to start. Then we discussed the importance of repentance and sincere communication with our friends. All in all it was a good framework for our Bible studies and discussions.

It never ceases to amaze me how, even a publication obviously meant for a traditional/institutional Church environment, describes degrees of intimacy that are rarely, if ever, obtained in that setting. After pastoring for five years and then working for a billion dollar manufacturing company, I have seen what similarities exist between the two. They share the corporate model for growth and therefore foster "business" types of relationships. These end up being relationships based on power, manipulation, secrets, and especially, material success in both the traditional church world and corporate world. When we were in a traditional church environment it was always the building that extended to wherever we were. If we visited another member's home, it was as if the building (the organization) followed us there and it overshadowed each and every relationship.We see simple church as a vehicle to develop the kind of intimacy that can foster real discipling and real building up of the Body of Christ. I am watching my family develop relationships in settings where real people live, our home, homeschooling groups, get-togethers at the homes of others and settings out in our community (restaurants, parks, museums, festivals, etc.).

Good Friday Tenebrae

During our years as traditional church pastors we loved any kind of service that was out of the ordinary and experiential. I suppose that is why we love Simple Church so much...every gathering is experiential! Good Friday, however, is one of those moments that is difficult to grasp. We so often carry our children and other family members either right from the brightness of Palm Sunday into a shiny and glorious Easter morning with bright colors and new clothes (not to mention eating enough food and junk to get sick on). We so often skip the darkness of the crucifixion and burial and forget that between the triumphal entry and the empty tomb there stood a cross on which our Lord was nailed and died and carried the weight of the sins of all time.

Tenebrae is one of the most intense and effective ways we have found to help us recapture the need to remember the cross and meaning of Good Friday. We start by marking out passages of scripture into eight parts and light eight candles (one of them being the Christ candle which we indicate by using a large white pillar candle). We also use a candle snuffer to extinguish them one at a time during the reading.

The readings from Matthew and order of extinguishing candles are as follows:

26:47-56

First candle extinguished

26:57-75

Second candle

27:1-5

Third candle

27:6-23

Fourth candle

27:24-31

Fifth candle

27:32-44

Sixth candle

27:45-50

Seventh candle

27:51-54

Christ candle is hidden

*this can be done by using some kind of shield like a foam board cut out that stands up in front of the candle or for this occasion we simply walked the candle out of the room and placed it on a bookshelf (be careful of flammable materials!)

*a song (we once used Were You There and stopped at the verse "Were you there when they laid him in the tomb?") on another occasion we just used a loud drum hit several times with a mallet to dramatize the time of Christ in the tomb.

Isaiah 53:4-9

(Song of the Suffering Servant)

Christ Candle is returned

Dismissal Blessing:

Go in Peace. May Jesus Christ who for our sake became obedient unto death, even death on the cross, keep you and strengthen you this night and forever more. Amen.

After this we moved silently out into the living room leaving the Christ candle burning on the dining room table. Then we quietly discussed how, though we usually have open discussion and questions during our regular meeting times, this time was a period of reflection and listening. We explained that sometimes we need to simply let the Holy Spirit speak to us through the scriptures and not interrupt. It was a little harder with a wiry two year old and an eight year old bursting with questions. But it really turned out neat and we look forward to doing it again with some minor changes. Perhaps a new stand to cover the Christ candle with (we lost the one we used at one time) and maybe a song or two throughout the reading.

Pentecost Prayer Stations

Pentecost Prayer Stations Taste and See Acts 2: 42-47
Spirit Move in Me- Acts 14-21

Tongues of Fire- Acts 2:3

Praise Him- Acts 2: 4-13

Set our Hearts on Fire- Acts 2: 36-39

Strong Storm-Acts 2 :1-2

Wind- Acts 2:1-2


The prayer stations at the end of our service:






These prayer stations were adapted by us from ideas found on the web as well as our own original ideas based upon the Scripture.
Here are two websites featuring prayer station ideas on Pentecost:
http://www.rethinkingyouthministry.com/2010/05/pentecost-ideas-for-youth-ministry.html
http://www.gavoweb.com/hit_the_back_button_to_mo/2007/05/contemplative_p.html

He is Risen...He is Risen Indeed!

Each year we have an Easter egg hunt in which we hide along with regular plastic eggs, our set of Resurrection Eggs. Resurrection Eggs tell the basic Easter story.

Starting with the donkey, as a symbol of the Triumphal Entry- Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem. (Mark 11: 1-10)

The next symbol are 3 coins, symbolizing Judas' betrayal of Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. (Mark 14:10,11; Luke 22:3-6)

Then the cup, which represents the Passover meal or the Last Supper in which Jesus broke the bread and passed the cup. (Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-23)

Next, the praying hands for the prayer in the Garden (Mark 14:32-42; Luke 22:39-46)

Then, a strip of leather which symbolizes the beatings Jesus received at the hands of the Roman soldiers. (John 19:1-3)

A crown of thorns for the one placed upon Jesus' head (Matthew 27:29)

Then 3 nails welded together to represent the three nails that pierced his hands and feet. (Matthew 27:32-56; Mark 15:21-41; Luke 23:26-49)

A die for the soldiers casting lots for Jesus' clothes (John 19:23-24)

Then the spear that they pierced Jesus' side. (John 19:31-37)

A linen piece of cloth to symbolize Jesus being wrapped in cloth for burial (Matthew 27:57-61)

A stone for the one rolled in front of the tomb. (Matthew 27:57-61)

Finally an empty egg- to symbolize the empty tomb and why we celebrate today and everyday. (Matthew 28:1-10)

We have our children open the eggs and tell us what each symbol stands for as we fill in the gaps of the story. This Easter we watched The Story of Jesus for Children, a great passion story for children that has a wonderful gospel presentation at the end. After lunch, we had a time of worship together. Our prayer is that next Easter will be shared with others who will be a part of our house church.

But for now we are being reminded that we must :

"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

1 Thessalonians 5: 17

These times alone are important for us to rejoice, give thanks and most of all to pray without ceasing.

Lenten Prayer Stations

Check out our Lenten Prayer Stations we set up for service last week:


http://eclecticmomma.blogspot.com/2010/03/lenten-prayer-stations.html