May we serve each other, as we love and obey You, Lord

Good Friday morning, my friends.

I have been back in Ottawa now for a few days, but my family is still in New Brunswick (I fly back in a few weeks to drive back with them).  This morning in searching for a prayer, I came across this prayer/poem for families.  I lift it up for my family and yours, and ask you to do the same.

Now, may we serve each other, 

As we love and obey You, Lord

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Where the Heart Is

Home is where the heart is, 

We've often heard recited— 

So we come to this family altar 

To keep our hearts united.

With thanks we come to worship, 

We offer up our praise— 

We marvel at Your goodness 

As mercy renews our days.

We cast our cares upon You, 

We bid You, take the lead— 

As You fill us with Your presence 

To more than meet our needs.

Now, may we serve each other, 

As we love and obey You, Lord— 

Help us grow in wisdom 

To hear and do Your Word.

(http://christianity.about.com/od/prayersforspecificneeds/qt/familyprayers.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

I can only imagine

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

This beautiful prayer was written by Dag Hammarskjöld.  Hammarskjöld was called "the greatest statesman of our century" by President John F. Kennedy. He served as the second Secretary General of the United Nations and gained a reputation as a peacemaker.

The last stanza of the prayer is the one that strikes my heart, particularly: "Give me a pure heart-that I may see you".  This is straight out of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount - "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8).  I cannot envision what that moment will look like, but the band MercyMe sings a song called  "I Can Only Imagine".  The lyrics go like this:

I can only imagine

What it will be like

When I walk

By Your side

I can only imagine

What my eyes will see

When Your face

Is before me

I can only imagine

{Chorus}:

Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel

Will I dance for You Jesus or in awe of You be still

Will I stand in Your presence or to my knees will I fall

Will I sing hallelujah, will I be able to speak at all

I can only imagine

I can only imagine

When that day comes

And I find myself

Standing in the Son

I can only imagine

When all I will do

Is forever

Forever worship You

I can only imagine

I love that.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

You who are over us,

You who are one of us,

You who are also within us,

May all see you in me also.

May I prepare the way for you,

May I thank you for all

that shall fall to my lot,

May I also not forget the needs of others.

Give me a pure heart-that I may see you,

A humble heart-that I may hear you,

A heart of love-that I may serve you,

A heart of faith-that I may abide in you. 

Amen.

- Dag Hammarskjøld

(http://praying.kansasbob.com/2010/07/beautiful-prayer.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Allow Jesus to love in us

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

Here is a beautiful prayer from Mother Teresa.  It calls for Jesus to work through us, and for us to pray for each other - what a great way to start the day!  

Spend a few minutes enjoying time with God this morning.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

God, here I am, 

at your disposal, 

your child. 

Use me to continue your loving the world, 

by giving Jesus to me 

and through me, 

to each other 

and to the world. 

Let us pray for each other 

that we allow Jesus to love in us 

and through us 

with the love with which 

his Father loves us. 

Amen.

Mother Teresa

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2010/07/mother-teresa-prayer.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows

Good Friday morning, my friends.

You may recognize some of the words of this prayer from the song "Day by Day" from the musical Godspell (or more recently, sung by DCTalk).  They are originally from this prayer penned by St. Richard of Chichester.

The prayer speaks of "all the pains and insults which you (Jesus) have borne for us".  Isaiah prophesied: 

  He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

       and like a root out of dry ground.

       He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

       nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

  He was despised and rejected by men,

       a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.

       Like one from whom men hide their faces

       he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

  Surely he took up our infirmities

       and carried our sorrows,

       yet we considered him stricken by God,

       smitten by him, and afflicted.

  But he was pierced for our transgressions,

       he was crushed for our iniquities;

       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,

       and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:2-5)

I am constantly grateful for the forgiveness of my sins, but rarely do I remember that Christ bore the punishment for those sins.  Perhaps it would do me (and all of us) good to remember this more often, as it speaks of His infinite love for us and help us to follow Him more nearly, day by day.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

Thanks be to you,
our Lord Jesus Christ,
for all the benefits
which you have given us,
for all the pains and insults
which you have borne for us.

Most merciful Redeemer,
Friend,
and Brother,
may we know you more clearly,
love you more dearly,
and follow you more nearly,
day by day.

Amen.   

Bruce MacPherson

macpherson@celtic.ca

If you love me, you will obey what I command

Good Thursday morning, my friends!

Attached you will find the "before and after" pictures of my baptism last weekend.  It was a wonderful, intimate experience and I am so grateful to Don and happy that his family were there.

I have been trying to figure out how to properly express both why I wanted to be baptized, and how it made me feel, but this morning in my inbox was an article by John Fischer that does this better than I ever could.  (John was rebaptized in the 70's so why he chose to write this today, God only knows!)  John writes:

Getting baptized again as an adult wasn't an issue of doctrine or theology; it was an issue of passion. I was watching all my friends and a whole bunch of new converts get baptized and I wanted to join them. I felt a little like Peter when he protested having Jesus wash his feet and Jesus said that he couldn't be a part of Him unless he let Him do this, to which Peter replied "Well then, give me a bath!" or something to that effect. I understand that. I wanted to get all wet. I wanted to identify with the death and resurrection of Jesus and I wanted to identify with my new family in Christ.

The entire article is well worth reading and can be found here.

Jesus said "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (John 14:15) and one of his commandments was to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit".  And that's how I feel - like I have obeyed His command as a way of loving Him.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Deliver me, Lord, from the way of sin and death.

Open my heart to your grace and truth.

Fill me with your holy and life-giving Spirit.

Keep me in the faith and communion of your holy Church.

Teach me to love others in the power of the Spirit.

Send me into the world in witness to your love.

Bring me to the fullness of your peace and glory.

- adapted from The Book of Common Prayer

 (http://trevinwax.wordpress.com/2008/09/07/a-baptismal-prayer/)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Baptism

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

This morning I read Chapters 18 and 19 of Acts.  Near the end of Chapter 18 we are introduced to Apollos, a Greek believer who is a powerful speaker for "The Way".  The text says that "Apollos was accurate in everything he taught about Jesus up to a point, but he only went as far as the baptism of John" (Acts 18:25, The Message paraphrase). The beginning of Chapter 19 goes on to explain what this means:

Now, it happened that while Apollos was away in Corinth, Paul made his way down through the mountains, came to Ephesus, and happened on some disciples there. The first thing he said was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?"

   "We've never even heard of that—a Holy Spirit? God within us?"

 "How were you baptized, then?" asked Paul.

   "In John's baptism."

 "That explains it," said Paul. "John preached a baptism of radical life-change so that people would be ready to receive the One coming after him, who turned out to be Jesus. If you've been baptized in John's baptism, you're ready now for the real thing, for Jesus."

 And they were. As soon as they heard of it, they were baptized in the name of the Master Jesus. Paul put his hands on their heads and the Holy Spirit entered them. (Acts 19:1-7)

"Did you take God into your mind only, or did you also embrace him with your heart? Did he get inside you?"  These are the questions I have been trying to answer for myself for several years now.  I have often wondered whether I skipped a step on my walk of faith - as an infant I was baptized, however I now liken that to the "Baptism of John".  What about "the real thing", the baptism of Jesus?  Well, this weekend my friend Don and his family will be visiting us.  Don is an ordained minister and Director of Ministry Advancement at the Canadian Bible Society in Ottawa.  Don has graciously agreed to baptize me in the Bay of Chaleur on Saturday!  I am excited about this, and would appreciate your prayers.

Perhaps you can reflect on your own baptism and what it means that God chose you to be in His family.  If you haven't been baptized, perhaps you will consider it.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Almighty God, 

you anointed Jesus at his baptism 

with the Holy Spirit, 

and revealed him as your beloved Son; 

grant that we who are baptised into his name 

may give up our lives to your service, 

and be found worthy of our calling; 

through Jesus Christ our Lord 

who is alive with you 

in the unity of the Holy Spirit, 

one God now and for ever. 

Amen. 

(http://www.liturgy.co.nz/reflection/561.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

No other has the power to make me whole

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

I just finished doing something I have not been doing enough lately - sitting quietly, reading my Bible.  I am enjoying thoroughly reading about Paul and his exploits in the book of Acts (in The Message paraphrase).  Do you have a regular time to just be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10)?

I found this beautiful prayer this morning on Bob Hostetler's Prayer Blog.  It is a prayer of anticipation of the return of our King.  I want Him to "be born in each of us who raises his face to thy face, not knowing fully who he is or who thou art, knowing only that thy love is beyond his knowing and that no other has the power to make him whole."  That line strikes a chord in my heart.

Amazing Grace and Peace the surpasses all understanding be yours,

Bruce

Thou Son of the Most High, Prince of Peace, be born again into our world. Wherever there is war in this world, wherever there is pain, wherever there is loneliness, wherever there is hope, come, thou long-expected one, with healing in thy wings.

Holy Child, whom the shepherds and the kings and the dumb beasts adored, be born again. Wherever there is boredom, wherever there is fear of failure, wherever there is temptation too strong to resist, wherever there is bitterness of heart, come, thou blessed one, with healing in thy wings. 

Saviour, be born in each of us who raises his face to thy face, not knowing fully who he is or who thou art, knowing only that thy love is beyond his knowing and that no other has the power to make him whole. Come, Lord Jesus, to each who longs for thee even though he has forgotten thy name. Come quickly. 

Amen.

(A prayer by Frederick Buechner, in Listening to Your Life, p. 341)

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2007/12/be-born-again.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca / Blog: The Celtic Christian / Home: 613.489.4174 Cell: 613.720.0821 You are receiving this email because you have requested it or I felt you would be interested in this material. If you would like to be removed from this email list, please do not hesitate to contact me at the above email address. Likewise, if you know of someone else who you believe would appreciate receiving these messages, please let me know.

The King of love my Shepherd is

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

My apologies for not getting a missive off to you yesterday.  Too many things on my to-do list.  I am likely to miss more next week, as Rosemary and I will be away (alone!) for a few days.

On Sunday, we were at a local church here in the Bathurst area, and the minister was starting a sermon series on the 23rd Psalm.  Wonderful stuff.  One of the hymns that was sung was a beautiful version of this scripture as written by Henry W. Baker to a tune written by St. Columba.  Below are the lyrics to "The King of love my Shepherd is", and it makes a great prayer.  My favourite, and personally felt verse is :

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love He sought me,

And on His shoulder gently laid,

And home, rejoicing, brought me.

Being laid on His shoulder like a lamb who was lost - a very comforting vision.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

The King of love my Shepherd is,

Whose goodness faileth never,

I nothing lack if I am His

And He is mine forever.

Where streams of living water flow

My ransomed soul He leadeth,

And where the verdant pastures grow,

With food celestial feedeth.

Perverse and foolish oft I strayed,

But yet in love He sought me,

And on His shoulder gently laid,

And home, rejoicing, brought me.

In death's dark vale I fear no ill

With Thee, dear Lord, beside me;

Thy rod and staff my comfort still,

Thy cross before to guide me.

Thou spread'st a table in my sight;

Thy unction grace bestoweth;

And O what transport of delight

From Thy pure chalice floweth!

And so through all the length of days

Thy goodness faileth never;

Good Shepherd, may I sing Thy praise

Within Thy house forever.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

The perfect freedom of God's service

Good Friday morning, my friends.

This is a beautiful morning prayer, a great way to start the day.  I want to be "in the perfect freedom" of God's service.  Have a great weekend.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

We give you hearty thanks, O God, 

for the rest of the past night and 

for the gift of a new day with 

its opportunities of pleasing you. 

Grant that we so pass its hours 

in the perfect freedom 

of your service, 

that at eventide we may again 

give thanks to you, 

through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen. 

(from the Daybreak Office of the Eastern Church) 

(http://bobhostetler.blogspot.com/2010/07/morning-prayer.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Serenity

Good Thursday morning, my friends.

This morning, I came across a copy of "The Serenity Prayer".  I am sure you are all familiar with it (and if you are like me, somewhat tired of it): "God grant me the serenity..." etc.  But what I found this morning was the original and somewhat longer text.  All I had ever heard or read was the first verse.  (I am curious if any of you have ever heard the full version?)  

Personally, I want to be "reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with You (God) forever in the next".

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you,

Bruce

God, give us grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things

which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish

the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971)

(http://www.thevoiceforlove.com/serenity-prayer.html)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Human nature vs. God nature

Good Wednesday morning, my friends.

As I was searching for a prayer this morning, I came across this definition of prayer by Catherine de Hueck Doherty:

Prayer is as infinite as God.  Prayer is constant.  Prayer is work.  Prayer is loving.  Prayer is dying.  Prayer is stripping onself of one's needs.  Prayer is serving the needs of others.  Prayer is conversation with God that never ceases. … Prayer is living in the presence of God.

I have experienced all of those attributes of prayer at different times, however all too often I find that "Prayer is work".

The prayer below was written almost a thousand years ago, and what struck me about it was that it applies as much to my situation as it did to the author, even across all those centuries.  I guess human nature hasn't changed much.  Thankfully, "God nature" doesn't change at all.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Lord, I sometimes wander away from you. But this is not because I am deliberately turning my back on you. It is because of the inconstancy of my mind.

I weaken in my intention to give my whole soul to you. I fall back into thinking of myself as my own master.

But when I wander from you, my life becomes a burden, and within me I find nothing but darkness and wretchedness, fear and anxiety.

So I come back to you, and confess that I have sinned against you. And I know you will forgive me.

Aelred of Rievaulx 1110 - 1167

(http://www.comeaside.com/quiet-harbor.html)

Bruce MacPherson   macpherson@celtic.ca

Make me a channel of your peace

Good Tuesday morning, my friends.

I was searching for a prayer this morning, and came across this familiar one from St Francis of Assisi.  I love the way this lays out how we are to live out our Christian faith.  Elsewhere, St. Francis summed it up with these words: "Preach the Gospel always, and if necessary, use words."  For me, the key here is that we ask for God's direction in carrying this out, rather than relying on our trying to do it on our own.

Ask God to show you where you can be a channel of His peace today.

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Make me a channel of your peace

Where there is hatred let me bring your love;

Where there is injury, your pardon, Lord

And where there's doubt the true faith in you.

O master, grant that I may never seek

So much to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand 

To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace

Where there is despair in life let me bring hope,

Where there is darkness only light

And where there's sadness ever joy.

O master, grant that I may never seek

So much to be consoled as to console

To be understood as to understand 

To be loved as to love with all my soul.

Make me a channel of your peace

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned

In giving to all men that we receive

And in dying that we are born to eternal life.

St Francis of Assisi

(http://www.prayer-and-prayers.info/favorite-prayers/inspirational-prayer.htm)

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca

Fathers and Sons

Good Monday morning, my friends.

I awoke early this morning from a very disconcerting dream.  I was helping my 13 year-old son, Elijah, to do something like bungee-jumping, except there was not bungee cord just a large inflatable that he would land on - about 45-50 feet below.  I came awake very afraid that he would miss the target or in some other way be hurt in the fall.  I did not want my son to be injured, let alone be the one to cause it.  (In the dream, just before helping Elijah, I helped one of my sisters do the same thing - that didn't bother me for some reason!  And I can't say which one since all 3 sisters are on this list ...)

Almost as soon as I was awake thinking about the dream, 2 distinct images came into my mind.  The first was Abraham with his knife-wielding hand raised over Isaac, ready to sacrifice him on the alter as per God's command.  Here was a father willing to take his own (and only) son's life out of faithfulness.

The second image was of God asking His own Son to die for me.  Literally for me, Bruce.  I have always struggled with the concept of God loving me personally, but this sure helped to put that into perspective.

Do you know, truly know, that He did it for you too?

Amazing Grace and Eternal Peace to you today,

Bruce

Heavenly Father, I am so thankful for Your incredible sacrifice.

You sent Your only Son to die in my place.

Your love for me overwhelms me, but shames me too that I cannot return it in kind.

Lord, help me to live every day in Your great love and mercy, and to extend it to others.

Amen.

Bruce MacPherson macpherson@celtic.ca