| New Book now Available Here is an anthology of over 1100 brief prayers and thought-starters, for each day of the year, with almost 400 original prayers by Bruce Prewer. Included is both a subject index and an index of authors-- an ecumenical collection of about 300 different sources. |
 |
| Title: Brief Prayers for Busy People. Author: Bruce D Prewer ISBN 978-1-62880-090-6 Available from Australian Church Resources, web site www.acresources.com.au email service@acresources.com.au or by order from your local book shop or online on amazon. |
(UCA, Australia: Last Sunday before Lent)
Mark 9:2-9
(Sermon
1: “Listen to him”)
2 Cor 4:3-6....
(Sermon 2: “The Light
and Artful Dodgers”)
2 Kings 2:1-12....
Psalm 50:1-6
ENTRY INTO WORSHIP
Today we are celebrating the holy light that illuminated Jesus.
We celebrate his tranfiguration on the mountain.
Light of light: transfusing & transforming light.
Divine light flooding out the shadows.
Light of love, light of delight.
Light that turns doubters into followers.
It is the same God who
at the beginning said: “Let there be light,”
who has shone in our hearts with an
understanding
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus
Christ.
The mightiest One of all, God the Eternal,
speaks and summons the whole earth
from the rising of the sun to its setting.
From God’s holy
mountain, God’s light,
the perfection of beauty, shines out.
OR
Jesus was transfigured before them;
his garments became iridescent,
brilliantly white such as no laundry powder can produce.
With the perfection of
Holy Beauty,
the light of God shines in our darkness.
And a cloud came over them on the mountain,
and from this cloud a Voice spoke:
“This is my beloved Son
Listen to him.”
From the rising of the
sun to its setting
the Awesome One, the Eternal,
speaks and summons the earth to adore.
PRAYER OF APPROACH
God of dazzling beauty, yours is the radiance that transfigured Christ Jesus. Please grant us, his 21st century disciples, a glimpse of your glory.
Within this house of praise, within this congregation, within our prayers and music, within our speaking and listening, within the holy Bread and Wine, may the radiance of Christ enthral our minds and hearts once more.
We do not pray for a massive burst of your glory; maybe we are yet able to cope with too much. So please give just enough light to bring us back again to that heart of things where wonder and praise begins and loving service never ceases.
Through Christ Jesus our most enlightened Brother.
Amen!
CONFESSION AND ASSURANCE
Let us confess our failures.
Let us pray.
Our days, Most Holy Friend, are spent between light and darkness. Often, as the result of our own sin, or the evil of others, we find ourselves in the darkness. On other precious occasions we find ourselves caught up in your light and love. More often we are in between, busy in the half light, trying to make the best of a compromising existence, stumbling and falling, rising and achieving. With your help we do make some headway, but still fall far short of the light of your glory in the face of Jesus Christ.
Most gracious God, please persist with your mission of saving us all. By your grace, banish our darkness and enlighten us today. Do not allow us to linger dolefully in the gloom of guilt or self pity. Make us bold to move out to where the shadows are fewer, even though the brighter light shows up our flaws. Please give us more of the light of Christ that our lives may declare your praise. In his name we so pray;
Amen!
FORGIVENESS
Fellow Christians, Cheer up!
Jesus says to you: “Your sins are forgiven.”
My friends,
permit God’s mercy to transfigure your lives. Be no longer ruled by doubt and
worry but by light and love. Walk as children of the light whose ultimate glory
is assured.
Amen!
The light of Christ Jesus be with you always.
And
also with you.
PRAYER FOR CHILDREN
God of sunshine and cloud,
of mountains and dark valleys,
it would be great to have been on that mountain
when Jesus shone like a dazzling light,
and when your clear Voice spoke
to Peter, James and John.
You know, God,
nothing spectacular like that
ever seems to happens to us?
Yet we thank you for those brighter moments
when, as we read about what Jesus said and did,
you do help us to see things more clearly,
and when, deep in our thoughts,
we do sort of hear you
like a very soft whisper
asking us to listen to him..
Please help us to listen
to Jesus as often as we can.
Amen.
PSALM 50: 1-6
The mighty Source of all things,
God the Eternal One,
speaks and summons the whole earth.
From the rising of the sun to its setting,
from God’s holy mountain,
God’s light, of sheer beauty, shines out.
***
When our God comes it will not go unnoticed;
light brighter than lightning precedes God,
a light-storm is raised up all around.
God calls on the starry heavens
and enlists the spinning earth
to rightly judge the people.
***
God says: “I will certainly embrace
my true people who sacrifice much
to maintain the holy covenant.”
Thus the heavens shall declare
the saving justice of God
who alone is the judge of us all.
© B.D. Prewer 2002
LIGHT AND SHADOW: A PARABLE
In the township of Frosty Creek
on the south of Mt Forlorn,
are some who’ve never seen
the sun rise up at dawn
***
There was a bloke named Tom Carew
who lived at the chill base
of that peak which in winter shadowed
‘til noon
all in that place.
***
From his childhood Tom had planned
to one morning early rise
and climb up to that lofty peak
to watch the rosette skies.
***
But civic matters pressed him hard
and he had ambitious hopes,
so alderman Tom never did
make it up those lofty slopes.
***
His heart gave out at forty six
when night fell all too soon.
Now the winter frost lies there
hard
on Tom’s grave until noon.
©
B.D. Prewer 2000
COLLECT
God our hope and joy, you transfigured Jesus on the holy mountain and strengthened him for the travail and death that was to come. Please shine in and through our lives, that in happiness or in travail, we may celebrate with faith and serve you with willing love. Through Christ Jesus our Saviour.
Amen!
SERMON 1: LISTEN
TO HIM
Mark 9:7-8
And a cloud enveloped them, and a
voice came out of the cloud: “This is my dearest Son, listen to him.” Then suddenly, as they looked around,
they saw no one with them but Jesus.
On a mountain Jesus was transfigured. His very clothing seemed to shine. He spoke with Moses and Elijah.
So? So….what ?
If there really is a Mr, Mrs --- or Ms--- “Average Citizen,” then I would like to know what they think of this story. More pertinently, I would like to know what Mr, Mrs or Ms Average Church Member thinks of this story. Is it something that speaks to us in this 21st century or does it seem unreal or maybe just irrelevant?
It certainly seemed important to the Christians of the first century. Three of the four Gospels have a version of it, and one letter (maybe two) in the N.T. refers to it. It mattered to them.
Maybe we would like to be able to time-travel back and get more details? But that’s a vain wish.
All we have is what is recorded. Mark, the first of the Gospel’s, wrote about 35 years after the event. Historically, we cannot get closer to the actual event than that. Those early, vigorous Christians treasured the story of how three of the disciples, Peter James and John, had an encounter of a third kind, up there with Jesus on the mountain. They witnessed a glory not glimpsed again until after the cross and resurrection.
MEANING?
What is it all about?
First, let me suggest that I do not think it would mean much to an unbeliever. I cannot see it is as a story that would bring people to faith. But certainly it meant plenty to those who already had faith in Christ Jesus as the genuine Child of God.
As it stands, the story seems to have been linked with what the Jews believed would be the “End Time”. The “end-time” would be the occasion when God would save his people and triumph over all evil.
Elijah and Moses, two people that the 1st century Jews believed had been taken up to heaven without dying, would be present when God inaugurated the “end time”. So Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah is a testimony that the end-time has arrived.
The shining clouds are in the Bible the signs of God’s special Presence. At the end-time God would come in clouds of glory. So the disciples enveloped with a shining cloud with Jesus, it meant that the end-time had come.
The shining white garments also suggest the same thing. Angels and resurrected people would, in the-end time, be dressed in shining white garments; whiteness such as no earthly chemical could bleach.
It was also said that in the end-time, the righteous people, those who had been faithful to God, would be transformed: “the righteous will be transfigured with a celestial beauty “
Added to these things, there is that voice from the cloud. For centuries the Jews lamented that God seemed to no longer speak to them. They longed for the end time when this painful silence would be broken. Now God speaks clearly to the disciples. The voice came out of the shining cloud of God’s Presence.
Peter wanted to build booths, to construct brushwood shelters for Moses and Elijah. He thought that these great heroes talking with Jesus were here to stay. This is the end-time, Peter reckoned.
From all these pointers in the story, it seems that the disciples knew they were caught up in the promised end-time when God would save his people irrevocably. It all fits the Jewish expectations.
But.... There’s always a ‘but,’ huh? Yep! In this story there comes a break with expectations, an unexpected twist. Suddenly the vision is gone. No more cloud of glory, no more Moses and Elijah. Just Jesus. Just normal Jesus up there on the mountain with three disciples.
And a cloud enveloped
them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my dearest Son, listen to
him.” Then suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but Jesus.
This must have seemed all wrong. What had happened to the end time? Where were Moses and Elijah? Where has the glory gone?
What is more, Jesus immediately begins to stress that the disciples must be ready for his arrest, humiliation and death and resurrection. What was going on? Surely that cannot happen to God’s “dearest Son ” wh has ushered in the end time?
APOSTOLIC PREACHING
This whole story seems in sync with the apostolic preaching of the young church. They had to come to terms with the fact that the Messiah had come, had done wonderful things, and yet he had gone from them but the world appeared to go on as much as it had before. In the very first years they expected the almost immediate return of Christ to complete the glory of the end-time.
But as the decades went on they had to adjust to the paradox: The end-time was here and yet it was not here.
They worked through the issue slowly. It took a few years. The end-time had come with Jesus, of this they were sure! There was nothing more final than him! But the salvation he brought had to do more with redemptive love and suffering for the sake of others, than in the wielding of supernatural power to scatter ones enemies. So they preached that the end-time had arrived. A few had been privileged to witness the glory of it in special moments, both before Easter and after, but it was not yet consummated.
The final climax was still to come. By their loving and
witnessing they were working towards that wonderful climax. In the meantime all
that the faithful could rely on was Jesus. “They
no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only.” Jesus only was what they
had to go on.
Jesus was the message. All that the church has to offer is Jesus. His is the end time which is now, but is yet is to be cosummated. The Holy Spirit at work in their lives was the foretaste of the fulfilment. This inspired them to go on preaching Jesus and living his way.
And a cloud enveloped
them, and a voice came out of the cloud: “This is my dearest Son, listen to
him.” Then suddenly, as they looked around, they saw no one with them but
Jesus.
THIS IS STILL OUR MESSAGE
There is no other message. Jesus only. Nothing more spectacular in the apostles’ bag of tricks, or in ours. Just Jesus, this person of incomparable love. Preach him, trust him, live him, and the glorious end time is among us yet also lies ahead of us.
We cannot conjure up mountain top experiences to convince
the wavering or to shake up the scornful. Just Jesus.
He is the clue. He is our future. In him the future is present and the end is
certain. “This is my dearest Son. Listen
to him.”
When we celebrate the transfiguration at this season each year, we celebrate the truth that the end-time, God’s ultimate era, has commenced with Christ Jesus. Look for no other way but his humble way, for no other power than his kind of love-power, for no other glory except his kind of inverse and humble glory. He is the stuff the future is made of, irrevocably.
It is Jesus the friend of sinners, who is transfigured and talks with Moses and Elijah. It is this Jesus who forgives his enemies and does good to those who persecute him, that is the final word. It is this same Jesus whom the young church preached and followed.
Love him, listen to him, serve him, and delight in this Lord
of supreme love who has launched the end-time. It is Jesus alone of whom God
says: “This is my beloved Son. Listen to
him” Miss that, and you suffer grave loss. Get that and you have everything
worth having.
SERMON 2: THE
LIGHT AND ARTFUL DOGGERS?
* Longer version.
2 Cor. 4: 3-4
If our Gospel is
obscured, it is obscure only to those who are set on self destruction. They
have allowed the false gods of this world to blind them, to keep them from
glimpsing the light within the good news of the radiant Christ, who reflects
the likeness of our God.
Paul seems to come down very hard on unbelievers. He seems to categorise them all as “artful dodgers” (thank you Mr Charlie Dickens!) who are too smart for their own good.
He says many have chosen to allow the false glitter of life to blind them to the true light. He maintains that they have deliberately chosen such a path. They are responsible for their unbelief. Moments of True Light have come to them, but many choose to ignore these moments or scorn them.
They may not have all done this in a one-off, momentous decision, but by a multitude of sneaky little evasions. Like death by a thousand cuts. They had the opportunities, the ability to choose faith, but they chose otherwise.
The Gospel of John takes a similar hard stand; Human beings judge themselves, by preferring the works of darkness to the works of light. Artful dodgers chose to walk with shut eyes, even in the presence of the wonderful light shining in the face of Christ Jesus.
IS THIS HARD LINE VALID IN ALL CASES?
Do we take an equally hard line stand against every unbeliever? Do we feel happy to categorise them all as artful dodgers?
I cannot answer for you, but I must confess that I am a bit more temperate in my dealings with those who cannot seem to believe. Whether this is an inexcusable wavering on my part, or a valid expression of my pastoral empathy with some doubters, I cannot objectively judge
However I do know some anxious souls who seem to have learned from a most unhappy childhood to be always on their guard; to be perpetually distrustful of any person. Such folk appear to find it difficult to have faith.
Then there are those who seem to be genetically predisposed to doubt everything and everybody. And yet others who are subject to such dark nights of depression that all light seems absent and faith an impossible dream.
I find I cannot take all unbelievers, heap them in one basket, and condemn them as wilful unbelievers, cursed by their own wilful choices. I tread softly and try not to judge. Nor am I alone in treading softly in some cases.
Even Paul and John, who make such hard generalisations, when dealing with particularities, show ample signs of a generosity towards lost souls. Paul expresses this in terms of the free grace of God to the sinner, and John in terms of love- God’s titanic love for us and our love for another.
SUPPORT FOR THE HARD LINE
Nevertheless, having admitted my departure from a rigid,
hard line towards unbelievers, I must hasten to add that I have encountered plenty
to support the hard line.
If our Gospel is
obscured, it is obscure only to those who are set on self destruction. They
have allowed the false gods of this world to blind them, to keep them from
glimpsing the light within the good news of the radiant Christ, who reflects
the likeness of our God.
There is a truth here that we ignore to our peril. Again and again I have had dealings with people who deliberately chose darkness to light, deceit instead of truth, and who are ruthlessly egocentric rather than being Godcentric.
I have encountered all kinds of arguments and every variety of excuse, often dressed up in grandiose intellectual rationalisations. I have encountered gross self-delusions, often now unrecognisable by the deluded soul, but which were once recognisable. There was a time when they knew the light but chose to hide from it, until they arrived at this grim stage of spiritual blindness.
The sight of a transfigured Jesus would have been of no benefit to such lost souls. If such people had been on the mount of transfiguration with Peter James and John, they would not have noticed the cloud of holiness, nor seen the transfigured Christ, nor heard the Voice that spoke out of the cloud of holiness. Inveterate “artful dodgers” would be oblivious to the event, and would most likely pour derision on those who see the glory and seize their moment in faith.
Such people have been given their times of opportunity, either tiny enlightening encounters with God, or maybe one massive one, but they did not want to know about it. They did not want their lives and selfish plans interfered with. They set their own course of self destruction.
This fact grieves my soul. I find it appalling. I wish it
were not so. Yet I cannot resile from this hard aspect of reality.
THE DEFINITIVE LIGHT
When I speak about the light of God, dawning in the human soul, I include many widespread experiences where this glimpse of light happens. I do not confine them to what is normally seen as orthodox Christian religion. Nor do I exclude those of other faiths, be they Moslem, Parsee, or Australian aboriginal spiritualty. The secular world is not impervious to the Divine, nor is the religious sphere of other cultures. God have never left himself without witness. The light has always shone in the darkness, and always will.
However for me, the crucial, ultimate blaze of light flames forth in the life of Jesus: from Bethlehem to Nazareth, Galilee to Jerusalem, from betrayal to the bloody cross, and from that cross to the vibrant Easter dawn. For a Christian, this Christ-light is the litmus test of our so-called spirituality. Any personal experiences of enlightenment must be stringently assessed and judged by this one definitive outpouring of the light of God.
I have been well taught by Paul and John, and many tutors, on this score. I hope you have also. For Paul and John the light of God has made one categorical appearance. One unmistakable and unadulterated revelation. The coming of Christ Jesus.
It is the same God who
at the beginning of creation said:”Let there be light!” who has shone into our
hearts, giving us the knowledge of Divine glory shining in the face of Jesus
Christ.
BELIEVERS HAVE THEIR TRANSFIGURED MOMENTS
Belief is saying “YES!” to the glory of Jesus. Those who catch a glimpse believe.
Believers are those folk who have their own mini-transfiguration moments. They have glimpsed the light of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and they have “yes” to it; placed their whole trust in it. Staked their lives on its beauty truth and love.
For many that light may have come through an accumulation of precious moments as they grew up in a Christian environment.
For some it has arrived with a burst of glory as they gave their lives to Jesus Christ, either in their Confirmation or at an evangelical mission.
For others the moments of transfiguration have happened when they have engaged in spiritual disciplines during a retreat, or when overwhelming tragedy has engulfed and left them at their wits end.
And there are some patient souls who, after years of dutiful attending church without much elevation of spirit, to their own surprise suddenly experience the mists lifted and they see more clearly the Light that they had dimly sensed all those long years.
The mountain top awaits those who are willing to climb there with Jesus, to watch and pray. Really pray. Pray with a mind and heart and soul that are sincerely open to God. There is no point in an artful dodger climbing the mountain. Waste of time and effort.
On our mountain, be it lofty a lofty peak or a modest hill, we can say “Yes” to our moments of Christ-Light, and find a joy that nothing can ever plunder. Or we can say “No” and live with the shadows and darkness that the junk of negativity accumulates around us and within us.
Hard line or not, Paul touched a raw nerve. If our Gospel is obscured, it is obscure
only to those who are set on self destruction. They have allowed the false gods
of this world to blind them, to keep them from glimpsing the light within the
good news of the radiant Christ, who reflects the likeness of our God.
Paul himself was caught up in his own darkness until something dramatic happened while he was on the Damascus road. He is not a-one-off. For some it still does happen dramatically like that.]
ONE MAN’S EXPERIENCE
Some of you may know a little of the story of the Aussie bloke named Bruce Kiehne.
These days, Bruce leads a highly creative and productive life. He is the inventor of special surgical equipment, including the safety scalpel and a safety hypodermic. He now works in partnership with some medicos in their own company.
Things were not always like this. Bruce left school with a dismal record. Became a tough young man, street wise and desperate. For a period his only accommodation was an old motor car. He was not at all religious. A hardened street fighter who soon wore the scars of many brawls.
Bruce Kiehne was not happy and he knew it. He did not hide from the mess he was making of his life.
His life changed when at about 3.00 am one night Bruce woke up to see his room filled with the light of Christ, and he experienced the miracle of the unconditional love of God.
He chose to embrace that light. He was not an artful dodger. .All things became new. His life drastically improved. From then on things started to work together for good. Many events, many happenings began to enrich his life.
These days Bruce Kiehne is a family man with a business to run. Bruce is a determined character and always hopeful. As he sees it, the future is an open door.
One close medical friend and partner in business, Dr John, wryly says “I don’t believe in God. But with my dealings with Bruce I must say there has been a number of what I would describe as “fortunate coincidences.”
Ah yes! Those “fortunate coincidences” happen when the light shines and is welcomed and totally trusted.
OUR STORY?
The story of my life, and of yours, is still being written. Our lives may not have experienced the dramatic, 3.00 am, turn-around that came to Bruce Kiehne. But the light does shine and we either respond positively and find a life of hope-full-nes, or we slide into a life of increasing doubts and darkness.
Big or little transfiguration moments do still happen. What we chose to do with them makes the difference between highest joy and deepest misery. The light of God still shines.
If there should be any artful dodgers present, I grieve for you. Yet if you have even glimpsed one fragment of light today, if there is some chink where it still gets through, there is still hope for you.
It is the same God who
at the beginning of creation said:”Let there be light!” who has shone into our
hearts, giving us the knowledge of Divine glory shining in the face of Jesus
Christ.
SERMON 2: THE LIGHT AND ARTFUL DOGGERS?
(Shorter version)
2 Cor. 4: 3-4
If our Gospel is obscured, it
is obscure only to those who are set on self destruction. They have allowed the
false gods of this world to blind them, to keep them from glimpsing the light
within the good news of the radiant Christ, who reflects the likeness of our
God.
Paul
seems to come down very hard on unbelievers. He seems
to categorise them all as “artful dodgers” (thank you Mr Charlie Dickens!) who
are too smart for their own good.
He
says many have chosen to allow the false glitter of life to blind them
to the true light. He maintains that they have deliberately chosen such a path.
They are responsible for their unbelief. Moments of True Light have come to
them, but many choose to ignore these moments or scorn them.
They
may not have all done this in a one-off, momentous decision, but by a multitude
of sneaky little evasions. Like death by a thousand cuts. They had the
opportunities, the ability to choose faith, but they chose otherwise.
The
Gospel of John takes a similar hard stand; Human beings judge themselves, by preferring the
works of darkness to the works of light. Artful dodgers chose to walk with shut
eyes, even in
the presence of the wonderful light shining in the face of Christ Jesus.
IS
THIS HARD LINE VALID IN ALL CASES?
Do
we take an equally hard line stand against every unbeliever? Do we feel happy to categorise them all as
artful dodgers?
I
cannot answer for you, but I must confess that I am a bit more temperate in
my dealings with those who cannot seem to believe. Whether this is an
inexcusable wavering on my part, or a valid expression of my pastoral empathy
with some doubters, I cannot objectively judge
However
I do know some anxious souls who seem to have learned from a most unhappy
childhood to be always on their guard; to be perpetually distrustful of any
person. Such folk appear to find it difficult to have faith.
Then
there are those who seem to be genetically predisposed to doubt
everything and everybody. And yet others who are subject to such dark nights of
depression that all light seems absent and faith an impossible dream.
I
find I cannot take all unbelievers, heap them in one basket, and condemn them
as wilful unbelievers, cursed by their own wilful choices. I tread softly and
try not to judge. Nor am I alone in treading softly in some cases.
Even
Paul and John, who
make such hard generalisations, when dealing with particularities, show
ample signs of a generosity towards lost souls. Paul expresses this in
terms of the free grace of God to the sinner, and John in terms of love- God’s titanic love for us
and our love for another.
SUPPORT
FOR THE HARD LINE
Nevertheless,
I hasten to add that I have encountered plenty of empirical evidence to
support the hard line.
If our Gospel is obscured, it
is obscure only to those who are set on self destruction.
There is a truth here that we ignore to our
peril. Again
and again I have had dealings with people who deliberately chose darkness to
light, deceit instead of truth, and who are ruthlessly egocentric rather than
being Godcentric.
I
have encountered all kinds of arguments and every variety of excuse, often
dressed up in grandiose intellectual rationalisations. I have encountered gross self-delusions,
now unrecognisable by the deluded soul but which were once recognisable. There
was a time when they knew the light but chose to hide from it, until they
arrived at this grim stage of spiritual blindness.
The
sight of a transfigured Jesus would have been of no benefit to such lost
souls. If such people had been on the mount of transfiguration with Peter
James and John, they would not have noticed the cloud of holiness, nor seen the
transfigured Christ, nor heard the Voice that spoke out of the cloud of
holiness. Inveterate “artful dodgers” would be oblivious to the event, and
would most likely pour derision on those who see the glory and seize their
moment in faith.
Such
people have been given their times of opportunity, either tiny
enlightening encounters with God, or maybe one massive one, but they did not
want to know about it. They did not want their lives and selfish plans
interfered with. They set their own course of self destruction.
This
fact grieves my soul. I find it appalling. I wish it were not so. Yet I cannot resile
from this hard aspect of reality.
THE
DEFINITIVE LIGHT
When
I speak about the light of God, dawning in the human soul, I include many
widespread experiences where this glimpse of light happens. I do not confine
them to what is normally seen as orthodox Christian religion. Nor do I
exclude those of other faiths, be they Moslem, Parsee, or Australian
aboriginal spiritualty. The secular world is not impervious to the
Divine, nor is the religious sphere of other cultures. God have never left
himself without witness. The light has always shone in the darkness, and always
will.
However
for me, the crucial, ultimate blaze of light flames forth in the life of Jesus: It is the same God who at the beginning of creation said:”Let there be
light!” who has shone into our hearts, giving us the knowledge of Divine glory
shining in the face of Jesus Christ.
BELIEVERS
HAVE THEIR TRANSFIGURED MOMENTS
Belief
is saying “YES!” to whatever light has come to us.
Believers
are those folk who have their own mini-transfiguration moments. They have
glimpsed the light of God in the face of Jesus Christ, and they have “yes” to
it; placed their whole trust in it. Be it much light on only tiny glimmers
they have staked their lives on its beauty truth and love.
The
mountain top is never far away for those willing to climb there with Jesus and be
ready. Really pray. Pray with a mind and heart and soul that are sincerely
open to God. There is no point in an artful dodger climbing the mountain. Waste
of time and effort.
ONE
MAN’S EXPERIENCE
Some
of you may know the story of the Aussie bloke named Bruce Kiehne.
These
days, Bruce leads a highly creative and productive life. He is the inventor
of special surgical equipment, including the safety scalpel and a safety
hypodermic. He now works in partnership with some medicos in their own company.
Things
were not always like this. Bruce left school with a dismal record. Became a tough young man, street wise and desperate. For a
period his only accommodation was an old motor car. He was not at all
religious. A hardened street fighter who soon wore the scars of many brawls.
Bruce
Kiehne was not happy and he knew it. He did not hide from the mess he
was making of his life.
His
life changed when at about 3.00 am one night Bruce woke up to see his room
filled with the light of Christ, and he experienced the miracle of the
unconditional love of God.
He
chose to embrace that light. He was not an artful dodger. .All things became new. His life
drastically improved. From then on things started to work together for good.
Many events, many happenings began to enrich his life.
These
days Bruce Kiehne is a family man with a business to run. Bruce is a determined
character and always hopeful. As he sees it, the future is an open door.
One
close medical friend and partner in business, Dr John, wryly says “I don’t believe in
God. But with my dealings with Bruce I must say there has been a number of what
I would describe as “fortunate coincidences.”
Ah
yes! Those “fortunate coincidences” happen when the light shines and is
welcomed and totally trusted.
OUR STORY?
The
story of my life, and of yours, is still being written. Our lives may not have
experienced the dramatic, 3.00 am, turn-around that came to Bruce Kiehne. But
the light does shine and we either respond positively and
find a life of hope-full-ness, or we slide into a life of increasing doubts and
darkness.
If
there should be any artful dodgers present, I grieve for you. Yet if you
have even glimpsed one fragment of light today, if there is some chink
where it still gets through, there is still hope
for you.
It is the same God who at the
beginning of creation said:”Let there be light!” who has shone into our hearts,
giving us the knowledge of Divine glory shining in the face of Jesus Christ.
We thank you, God of Light , for all that shines on our path, revealing beauty around us and a yet greater beauty ahead of us.
For the light that displays a crimson bottle brush, the sheen on a rainbow bird, the ochre of outback mountains, the translucent green of young ferns, the eagerness in a pet dog’s eyes, the flowing mane of a galloping horse, the white foam on rolling seas.
Give thanks to God who is always good: Whose love endures forever.
For the light that reveals the perfection of a baby’s hands, the pink cheeks of running child, the white teeth in a stranger’s smile, the silver in a grandmother’s hair, the affectionate glance of a friend, the forgiveness in the eyes of a loved one, the infectious grin of a teenage Christian.
Give thanks to God who is always good: Whose love endures forever.
For the light that enhances our worship: the rich colours of stained glass windows, the beauty in polished timber, the artistry in a vase of flowers, the glint on a silver chalice, the white of Communion cloths, the gentle flickering of wax candles, the clear letters on the pages of the Bible, and the distinctive mannerisms of a beloved pastor.
Give thanks to God who is always good: Whose love endures forever.
Best of all, we thank you for that inner light which flows from the Holy Spirit of God and transfigures all things: The light that flashes from the Scriptures and erupts gloriously from the words and deeds of Jesus. The inner light that strikes us in a moment of near despair, the light that guides us one step at a time, the light that gives our life direction and purpose, the light that both uncovers our sins and delivers to us a lazar cleansing of the soul, and the light that persists even in the valley of the shadow of death.
Give thanks to God who is always good: Whose love endures forever.
We thank you, God of Light, for all that shines on our way, revealing beauty around us and a yet greater beauty ahead of us. Through Christ Jesus our Redeemer.
Amen!
PRAYERS FOR OTHERS
**For 2 voices
Let us bring to God our concern for others.
Let us pray.
Because your love is all-inclusive, because your wisdom can bring beauty out of chaos, we bring our intercessions to you, most holy Friend. Please receive our compassion for our sisters and brothers and transfigure it with your seamless glory.
We pray for the end of
injustice and exploitation within society and among nations. Bless your hardy agents
who work on the political frontiers where tough decisions are made for the
transfiguring or maiming of millions of lives.
We pray for peace and well being among the peoples of the earth, for the banishment of the terrorism of the desperate, the arrogance of the strong. We pray for the transfiguring of whatever may seem to be hopeless situations. Bless your negotiators who work for reconciliation and a just peace.
We pray for the
victims of drought, flood, earthquake, fire, cyclone, famine or pestilence.
Bless your caring servants who work through agencies that limit sufferings and
who attempt to offer emergency aid and provide long term transfiguring
reconstruction.
We pray for neighbours, workmates, friends, family, strangers and enemies, who are in the throes of hardship, suffering or grief today. Bless your representatives who reach out to them with transfiguring encouragement. And where appropriate, please recruit us among those who serve.
We pray for the church
in many lands and under diverse conditions, especially where it lives under
political or social intimidation. Bless your people wherever they gather in the
name of Christ Jesus, and enable them to persist and transfigure adverse
conditions to your glory.
We pray for one another gathered in this fellowship here today. Encourage each according to their need, equip each according to the challenges of this new week, and bless each with that grace which knows no bounds and transfigures all circumstances. Through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Amen!
SENDING OUT
Go on your way with quiet confidence in the transfiguring light of Christ.
Amen!
It is the same God who at the beginning said: “Let there be light,”
who has shone in our hearts with an understanding
of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Amen!
The love of God encircle you,
the grace of Christ enthral you,
the friendship of the Spirit enliven you,
now and evermore.
Yes, now and evermore.
Amen!
