Twenty-Four -by Switchfoot

Twenty four oceans
Twenty four skies
Twenty four failures
Twenty four tries
Twenty four finds me
In twenty-fourth place
Twenty four drop outs
At the end of the day
Life is not what I thought it was
Twenty four hours ago

Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And I'm not who I thought I was twenty four hours ago
Still I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You

Twenty four reasons to admit that I'm wrong
With all my excuses still twenty four strong

See I'm not copping out not copping out not copping out
When You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now

And You're raising these twenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts
But I want to be one today
Centered and true
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
You're raising the dead in me
Oh, oh I am the second man
Oh, oh I am the second man now
Oh, oh I am the second man now
And You're raising the dead in me

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in meTwenty four voices
With twenty four hearts
With all of my symphonies
In twenty four parts.
I'm not copping out. Not copping out. Not copping out.

A Prayer

The love.
It captures me, surrounds me, fills me.
And it is so good, Lord.
That you would look upon me in my brokenness, my dirtiness,
and bless me like you have.
And love me.
And know me.
Oh, My God, you truly make beautiful things,
And I love you.
Even if you didn't love me,
Still would I love you.
Because you are too good, too beautiful, too worthy,
to have anything but my love, heart, and everything else that is me.
Why me?
I have to ask myself why you could love me, love us, in our sin.
But it doesn't really matter,
All that does is you.

Love Always and  Forever:)

R

Simply worship

 I've also concluded that whatever God does, that's the way it's going to be, always. No addition, no subtraction. God's done it and that's it. That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.
  Whatever was, is.
   Whatever will be, is.
   That's how it always is with God.

Eclesiastes 3:14-15 (MSG)

That's so we'll quit asking questions and simply worship in holy fear.

Words written for me. Me who wants to know it all, to have all the details. Me who wants to have it all together and know what's coming. That's not what I need.

Worship in holy fear is.

No questions. Just worship.

Hard for this first-born perfectionist of a girl.

Hard but good.

Whatever was, is.
   Whatever will be, is.
   That's how it always is with God.

God the I am. God who is  present.

Love:)

R

This is Church

Church was today. My church doesn't have a building. We meet in a building downtown, and in an elementary school lunchroom just down the road from my house.  Today, though, we met at the high school auditorium (the only auditorium in town) in one service. There were probably around three to four hundred people there. I don't know. I'm not a very good judge of amounts of people. What I do know, however, is that we met together as a body of believers to worship Christ.

  My friends, church is not where you meet. Church isn't about dressing up. Church is not simply going somewhere, listing to some music and the man up front, seeing your friends, and then going home. That isn't church. That is an empty, meaningless ritual. That is a reason people leave. It's boring. It's hollow. But it is not church, friend.
  Church is the fellowship of meeting together with others to worship. It is a sense of community as you come before God. It is the breaking of bread and the pouring of wine as you share communion.  "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.......This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." (from Luke 22)
 It is eucharisto- the act of giving thanks. It is giving thanks as one body, one fellowship, even as we walk this shadowy road. Even when our world threatens to fall.
 It is the people of the body of Christ meeting together to hear God. To be encouraged. To be challenged in their walk. To learn together.
 This is church.
  Is that how you treat it?
 Especially as a younger person, sometimes it seems that church is boring. That it isn't,almost, worth it. I think this is a trap we fall into,sometimes. Of believing that it has become too old-fashioned, too high-powered, too whatever. What do you think it is? I personally shy away from mega church type things. How can they love God? They're just trying to get rich. It's too impersonal. Maybe. Maybe not.But it's not mine to judge. I hate it when people are judgemental. But here I am, doing it.  We forget, often, that its still okay, even if it's not something we often do. Gd never said you can't have a drummer, or you have to have a liturgy. He did say "For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them." (Matthew 18:20) 
 It's about an honest gathering of people to seek the face and will of God together. If that's what it is, than it is good.
 I want to challenge you today. For the next few months, as you go to church, don't say "Darn, it's time for church. I wish I didn't have to go."
  Go to meet God. Go to worship together. Go to learn, to listen. To apply. Don't let what is said be of no consequence. Don't go, listen, and leave. Don't spend the rest of you're week like nothing ever happened. Go from that place a different person. Let the love of your Savior show in your daily life through the week. You are being watched. People want to know if there's something different about you. Let there be.  Go to work, to school, and remember that communion with God, and with others. Show it. Let there be something different. Let that be God.

That, my friends, is Church. See if you can treat it like that.

Love:)
R