Fall Tapestry

Falls colors form amazing tapestry

Many colors blend and new colors be

The reds alight the whole like fire

More of them our hearts desire

The yellows bright places in the sea

Of the wondrous rolling tapestry

The green pockets here and there

Adding poignancy to trees when bare

The browns form the flowing sea

The most plentiful color of falls tree

God has a meaning to this tapestry

Each color God gave us eyes to see

The reds remind us sin and loss

Redeemed by Jesus on the cross

The green are from death set free

And will grow and live eternally

The yellows fro and too do toss

If go too far will grow bare by loss

What of the browns of tapestry

That dim the colors of the sea

They are dead though leaves see

Dead to live now and eternally

But the green trees red must share

For life to spread color everywhere

For only the red of Jesus’ blood

Can stem the browns dying flood

Receive the red and green can be

Set afire the flow of Fall’s Tapestry!

                                                                        7/19/2018

I Believe I posted this before but think God wants me to share this again.  I hope and pray you will come up with your own prayer list!

And is different each day

For Ecuador I often pray

For the Philippines I do pray

For China called to pray

For North Korea often pray

For persecuted called to pray

For sleeping Church I pray

For Christians alive I pray

For those lost I daily pray

For those hurting I do pray

For caregivers also do pray

For those abused daily pray

For those enslaved daily pray

For Muslims each day pray

Their hatred would go away

Killing for God is their way

God, break their heart I pray

For those who are against God

Fallen children of Your sod

Seeking to be their own god

Break their heart please God

For my family I do pray

Strengthen by the fray

Help them find Your way

To grow in You every day

Father I am so weary today

Pain seems to grow each day

I struggle to find Your way

I pray for strength every day

Whatever this day does bring

Give me strength praise to sing

Comfort me under Your Wing

No matter Your praise I will sing

To You Who’s sees our daily trial

The burden of our pain Your trial

Hurt and suffering by You file

May we with Love make You smile!                            4/7/18

A Worship Decoder

                All around you in the sanctuary are symbols that are codes to understanding the God we worship and how we should worship Him.  Here are the meanings of the codes you see every Sunday.

Colors:  The colors for the Altar clothes and other items have their own meaning.

White:  purity and holiness                          Red: redemption, salvation sacrifice

Purple: royalty and power                           Green: new life and provision

What do these colors teach you about Jesus?

The Altar

                The altar is a reminder that Jesus is the Lamb of God sacrificed for us so all items on the altar represents Jesus.  Everything on the Altar should say something about Jesus!

Cross: reminds us that Jesus gave Himself for us.  It also shows we should be firmly established with God (vertical post) in order to reach out to the lost and our brothers and sisters in Jesus (left and right arms).

Offering plates: reminds us that as God has given us everything He blesses us by allowing us to give!

Bible:  the written Word of God reveals to us the Living Word of God Jesus Christ

Candles: remind us that Jesus is the light of the world.  The number of candles teaches us too!

1 = “The Lord our God is One God!”; 2 = Jesus is fully God and fully man; 3 = the Trinity; 4 = four corners of the world and Gospel for the whole world; 6 = creation (seldom used); 7 = fullness of creation and the Sabbath; 12 = twelve tribes and twelve apostles the people of God

Altar cloth:  reminder of the Tabernacle made of curtains, the veil before the Holy of Holies and the cloth used to humiliate Jesus during the Passion. 

Communion elements: The Body and Blood of Jesus are presented in different ways in denominations.

The altar can also contain olive oil to show the healing power of Jesus, incense to remember the sweetness of the presence of Jesus and other items used by different denominations.

The altar rail

                The altar rail places us before the altar so we can meditate upon Jesus and spend time with Him in prayer!  The middle is usually open to show that as the sacrifice of Jesus rent the veil before the Holy of Holies we are now allowed to enter into the presence of God ourselves and do not need a priest.

Pulpits

                Pulpits are for the proclamation of the Word of God. The Bible is read and the Gospel proclaimed by the preacher from them.  Some have one while others have two.  With two pulpits the larger is usually used for preaching and the smaller for announcements.

Piano and Organ

                From our Jewish heritage music has been a part of worship. Many of the Psalms have choir and music notations on them.  Some denominations do not believe in music because it is not directly mentioned in the New Testament.  But the Apostles would have known music in their worship.

Choir loft

                The choir loft is usually around the altar area.  The choir is singing to God and so should be pointed at the altar.  In fact everyone in the sanctuary should be pointed at the altar directing their worship to God.

Audio/visual equipment

                Audio/visual equipment can be used to enhance worship with our video oriented society.  With audio/visual equipment has come a new problem, to not let worship degenerate into entertainment.

COME SPEND A DAY WITH ME

 

Come spend a day with me

A day that’s not care free

Seeing those in great pain

Whose life seems a strain

Whose today is dismembered

And only yesterday remembered

Where tomorrow will be found

In yesterdays unmerry-go-round

Where pain is a sign of life

And death holds hope of life

All that they cannot do

Each day is one thing new

Tears fall upon my face

Where is God’s amazing grace?

Is God in the nursing home?

Why won’t He take them home?

Then I see God’s amazing grace

In each of my members face

A faith that they are not alone

That God will take them home!

By Ronald Ramsey 2002