Prayer For 2009

Have been enjoying time with family in GA and FL over the last week. We don't get to see them that often, so it has been very nice. I think I have gained 10 pounds. Looking forward to getting back on the wagon.

One of the blogs that I regularly check out is Ben Witherington's. Here is his prayer for 2009. You may not fully agree with everything he says, but check it out. Overall, it is worth praying.

A NEW YEAR’S PRAYER FOR OUR NATION--- 2009

Lord God, maker of all that is good, and true and beautiful, all that is right, and righteous, and holy, all that is giving and forgiving and merciful, we entreat you on this day to have mercy on our nation America.

We confess to you that we have been self-centered, self-seeking, self-indulgent, self-absorbed. Sometimes we have even assumed that we are your favorite people, but Lord in our better moments we know that arrogance and ignorance dull our spiritual senses and cause us to over-estimate our standing with you, over-compensate for our own sense of being a young and inexperienced nation, and over-react to those who would do us harm.

How much of the bounty you have bestowed on us have we wasted in over-indulging ourselves, in greedy pursuits? How much of the largesse you have bequeathed have we wasted on fighting unnecessary wars, alienating both friend and foe, wasting our moral capital on pointless pursuits and vain strivings, all for little or naught. In the eyes of even our allies we need a complete makeover, but more importantly Lord, where do we stand in your eyes? Are you ashamed of your violent children who refuse to trust you and leave vengeance in your hands?

And now Lord we are experiencing correction, economically and otherwise. Help us to receive it as the discipline we need. Help us not to point fingers of blame at others, but ask ourselves--- Is it I Lord? Have I contributed to our being a debtor nation? Have I spent money like there was no tomorrow? Has my capital run through my hands like water through a sieve? Have I built my financial house on sand or on solid rock?

Forgive us Lord our sense of entitlement, our sense that it is ‘owed’ to us, often without hard work, without fulfilling the Genesis mandate. Forgive us for seeking short cuts to success, to wealth, to opulence—gambling, lotteries, and the like. Help us to remember Lord that work is a gift from you, and while ‘the workman is worthy of his hire’, we are not entitled to riches, or early retirement or pension, simply because we have worked hard. Forgive us our dishonesty Lord… for seeking ‘something for nothing’ for seeking compensation without real injury, for seeking good goods for little or no money, and thus driving out of our nation the artisans, the blue collar workers, the furniture makers, the textile experts, and many others. We are reaping what we have sowed Lord, and the fruit is bitter. We have not loved our neighbor as ourselves much less loved our enemies, but rather we have loved things more than we have loved people, and so we have used people to get the things we love, rather than the reverse.

And Lord what of our leaders? We remember the stories in Samuel about how Israel got the king that they deserved, rather than the leader that they needed. We ask Lord as we stand on the cusp of a new administration that we will have godly leaders equal to the awesome tasks we face with daunting troubles both at home and abroad. Give us patience with our leaders as they try to dig us out of the enormous holes we have dug ourselves into. Lord, remind us to pray for our leaders even when they exasperate us, perhaps especially when they exasperate us. Give us leaders that promote a culture of life, not death, peace not war, equity not privilege, justice and liberty for all, not just for privileged few. Give us leaders that will appeal to our best and most Christian instincts, not our worst ones, leaders who will make faith rather than fear based decisions about our drastic circumstances.

Lord we do hereby repent of all our sins as individuals and also as a nation, but help us to daily live out that repentance by actually turning away from the very things that made for debt, death, destruction, disaster, and the demise of our nation.
We know you are not finished with us yet, and there may yet be more painful corrections along the way, but Lord we take them all as tokens of your love, for we know you chasten those that you love so deeply, so that our relationship with you will not go forfeit, so that we will seek your face when all else around us is falling apart and the dark clouds loom.

We remember your promise ‘If my people who are called by my name will repent and turn to me….” and we cling to it, like a man clinging to a rope from a helicopter who is being rescued from a raging sea. Lord, teach us to truly put you first in all that we are and all that we have. Teach us the meaning of doing justice, loving loving kindness, and walking humbly with You.

Most of all, Lord, we ask in the New Year that your Son’s image might be better reflected in our demeanors, our behaviors, our beliefs. Lord we ask in the New Year that when the world looks at us, they may get a glimpse of you. And for us Lord we ask that we might see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly and follow thee more nearly every single day of 2009.

In Your Blessed Name we Pray these things,

Amen.

BW3

Great Quote

Recently I started collecting great quotes that inspire me. Here is one from Craig Groeschel.

“The difference between where you are and where God wants you to be, may be the painful decision you refuse to make.”—Craig Groeschel

Looking forward to our Christmas Eve service, December 24 @ 6 pm.

Worry and Stress

I recently finished the book, Crazy Love, and Francis Chan had some good thoughts on worry and stress. He writes:

"Worry implies that we don't quite trust that God is big enough, powerful enough, or loving enough to take care of what's happening in our lives.
Stress says that the things we are involved in are important enough to merit our impatience, our lack of grace towards others or our tight grip of control.

These two behaviors communicate that it is okay to sin and not trust God because the stuff in my life is somehow exceptional. Both worry and stress reek of arrogance. They declare our tendency to forget that we have been forgiven, that our lives here are brief, that we are headed to a place where we won't be lonely, afraid, or hurt ever again, and that in the context of God's strength, our problems are small indeed."

So in the midst of uncertainty and a season that tends to cause people stress, God would say to us, Trust in me with all of your heart, don't lean on your own understanding, in all your ways submit to me and I will direct your paths. What a great promise! May our lives be marked by trust, and not worry and stress.

Looking forward to our Christmas Eve service this Wednesday at 6 pm.

Upside Down Video

Upside Down from Pace Hartfield on Vimeo.

Inspired (Ironman Triathlon)


I watched the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii on TV today. Wow, I love watching this endurance event! In my opinion this is one of the most inspiring events on TV. The professionals are amazing, and the true life stories are incredible. There are people competing with no legs, cancer survivors, people in their 70s, and elite athletes. There are so many parallels that apply to me as a follower of Christ. It is all about endurance, persistence, training, overcoming obstacles, putting one foot in front of the other, and most important crossing the finish line-finishing the race.

I honestly tear up when I watch the coverage of this grueling event. I am challenged, inspired, and in awe of this race, 2.4 miles in the water, 112 mile on the bike, and a full marathon (26 miles).

Called To Worship

I am reading a book by Francis Chan called, Crazy Love. In chapter one he writes:
Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head? That's quite a few for a bug. The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it ... Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is? He didn't have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but He did. He didn't have to put 3000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle, but He did.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. (Psalm 19:1-4)

This is why we are called to worship Him. His art, His handiwork and His creation all echo the truth that He is glorious. There is no other like Him.

10 Reasons I Don't Like Most Christians

I was checking out different blogs that I normally read and I came across this one, and the title caught my eye probably like it did yours. Tony Morgan wrote this, and when I first saw the title, I thought, "Come on, quit being so negative toward Christianity", but then I read them. Pretty good stuff ... convicting too.

10 Reasons I Don’t Like Most Christians

1. They consistently seem angry and bitter and worried. I thought Christians were supposed to reflect joy and kindness and peace.

2. They don’t dream big dreams. That seems odd given the fact that we’re supposedly worshiping a God who is “able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare ask or hope.”

3. They seem to worship their theology more than Jesus. For whatever reason, this appears to be especially true for folks that come from a reformed theology.

4. They don’t like it when other people or ministries experience success. Think about it. There are Christians who would be overwhelmed with joy if NewSpring experienced fewer salvations, fewer baptisms and our attendance dropped.

5. They use prayer as an excuse for inaction. They’re waiting for God to do his thing, but they aren’t willing to step out in faith and obedience.

6. They’re more concerned with the BMW next door than the lost person who drives it. Christians hate people with money. They’re willing to sacrifice time and money for those without it, but they’re satisfied to let “rich” people go to Hell.

7. They would rather people live life without Jesus than give up their personal preferences. What happens when your preferred teacher doesn’t teach? What happens when your preferred worship leader doesn’t lead? What happens when you don’t like the music?

8. They are fake. They dress up a certain way on Sunday and they live as completely different people the rest of the week.

9. They think they’re better than other people. That’s why they create rules to follow. It helps differentiate why they are holy while others are not.

10. They’re comfortable with mediocrity. Doesn’t matter where. Think Christian music and movies. Think how we invest our time and money. You don’t seriously think God deserves our best do you?

Tony continues ...
The reality is that I’ve sinned in just about every one of these areas. It pains me to say that, but it’s true. If people hear the Gospel and reject Jesus, that’s one thing. If I’m the barrier to people accepting Christ because of me and my sin, that’s a completely different deal. Fortunately, God’s much bigger than my stupidity.

When does your humanness get in the way of people knowing the hope, forgiveness and love of Jesus? Does your life make people curious about the claims of Jesus or does it make them flee? What would you add to the list?