Law or Love

The law or the love of Christ, which one is ours?
If we go with and for the grace of God, love will follow.
Are we living this?
Are we letting God lead us?

Are We?

Are we listening
For God's word
For us?

Are we doing
What we are
Led to do?

Are we going
The way
That we are told?

Questions for the people of the church

Are we, as a church, working to lead people onward to God?
Are we looking for and listening for God?
Is the church welcoming outsiders and outcasts in?
Are we helping each other in love?
Are we living in love with each other?
Are we focusing on the positive part of the church?
Do we listen to the warning from God?

Door

Questions for all churches

Is the church loving itself?
Is the church loving God?
Is the church loving its neighbors?
Does the church go out and help others?
Is the church serving its neighbors?
Is the church remembering that God loves ALL people?

Unexpected

God does the unexpected in our world; are we ready for that?

We cannot earn grace, it is given!

We are called to work, will we answer that call?

Will we quit worrying about life?

God comes to us in our troubles, will we give greeting and work willingly?

God seeks us out all through our life, will we see She/He is there?

Who?

Questions for all people to answer, what are YOUR answers?
Who am I?
Am I accepted as I am by ALL others if they knew who I am?
Do I accept others AS THEY ARE?
Do I accept that God LOVES all people?
Do I know that people I see are created by God to be who they are?
I may not understand why people are so different, but do I accept the differences?
Do I praise God for ALL the differences in life?

Salt?

How often do we turn away outsiders just because they are not going our way?

Are we trying to please people or God?

Are we reaching out to the oppressed of our society?  Or are we just trying to fill the seats?

Will we really learn to be faithful to what Jesus taught?

If we are the salt of the world, are we making sure our salt is spread worldwide?

Who to Please?

How often do we turn away outsiders just because they are not going our way?

Are we trying to please people or God?

Are we reaching out to the oppressed of our society?  Or are we just trying to fill the seats?

Will we really learn to be faithful to what Jesus taught?

If we are the salt of the world, are we making sure our salt is spread worldwide?

Bones

Can these bones live?

Is there any life

In the churches?

Can these bones live?

Can we learn to accept

Those who are different?

Can these bones live?

Only by God’s grace

Who gives love

To all people.

Help Us

Where shall we go,

What shall we do?

Speak to us, oh God,

And show us your path.

Help us to be quiet,

Help us to listen,

So when you speak

We will hear your word.

Then help us to answer,

To respond to your call

That we might always

Walk the path that is ours.

Trying to Please?

How often do we turn away outsiders just because they are not going our way?

Are we trying to please people or God?

Are we reaching out to the oppressed of our society?  Or are we just trying to fill the seats?

Will we really learn to be faithful to what Jesus taught?

If we are the salt of the world, are we making sure our salt is spread worldwide? 

Are We Real?

Are we real in our lives?

Have we become authentic humans?

Do we just talk about God or are we willing to be with God?

Do we see Jesus as the “bridge” between people?

Will we build bridges or walls?

Do we welcome others or ignore them?

Do we bridge the chasms?

Treasure?

Where is our treasure?

Is it in things or in others?

Can we see God in the others around us?

Do we see the people who need help?  Or are we blind to them all?

Will we be different and turn and serve the outsider who is ignored by all other people?

Help Us

Where shall we go,

What shall we do?

Speak to us, oh God,

And show us your path.

Help us to be quiet,

Help us to listen,

So when you speak

We will hear your word.

Then help us to answer,

To respond to your call

That we might always

Walk the path that is ours.

Raised Up

Raised up

Out of our brokenness,

Out of our sorrow;

Raised to joy.

Raised up

To find that God

Is standing near us,

Raised to life.

Spring!

Come Spring!
Come and heal us
With your warmth!
Grace us today
With your presence
And help us
To find our way
To you
And your warmth.
Come Spring!

The Real Truth

The real truth of it all is that we celebrate that God has come into our lives to dwell with us.   And there is the celebration, God loves ALL people, no matter who or where they are!

Surrounded!

I’m surrounded by love!

Every place I look,

There is God, loving me!

A Praise

Sing out!

Let your joy

Resound

That all the world

Might know

Of God’s love

For all.

Sing out

In joy!

Words

Words have power

To hurt or to bless,

So we need to watch

What we say

That we do not destroy

The lives of others.

Choose your words

So very carefully

That people be lifted up

Instead of destroyed.

Learn

Learn something new

Every day you live

For there is much

To know about God!

Learn more today

About who we are

And where God is

In our lives.

Learn to ask

For the meanings

Behind the stories

That we were told.

Learn  to love

And free all people

From the fear

That holds them down.

Overwhelmed

Overwhelmed,

Too much to do,

No peace

Or time for myself

At all.

Overwhelmed,

Got to go away

 And be alone

To regain strength

To go on.

Questions

What is our real world?  Are we looking at the world the way God does?  Do we see what God does?   Are we in the real world?

Jesus:

photo by:  Don Robinson, Frostburg, MD

I am leaving

For right now,

But do not despair

For when you are

Having any problems,

Just look around,

And I am there,

Ready to help.

I will always

Be near you

Because I love you.

A Prayer

Oh God, I am here,

Come to me

And help me to find

Who I am

And what I am

To do for you.

I Will

And I will go

Away to pray  

And find the path

That God would

Have me walk along.

Away from people

I will go

To find out

For myself

 Who I am.

Go to Pray

And I will go

Away to pray

And find the path

That God would

Have me walk along.

Away from people

I will go

To find out

For myself

Who I am.

Oh God, I am here,

Come to me

And help me find

Who I am

And what I am to do.

Prayer 3

Oh God, immerse me so much in your love that there is no one
who I can hate or think can be outside of your love.  Fill me
so full of your love that no matter who the others are or what
they believe, I will remember that your love is theirs, also,
even when they disagree with me.  Help me to love others, for
it is so much easier to love family and friends than to love
others who are so much different.AMEN

Prayer 2

Dear God, I'm sorry, but I'm not doing as well as I should. I
find that there are still some people who I would like to
hate, or at least think that you do not love them. These people
think too differently than I do, and I cannot handle that.
Remind me again that those who are different in any way are
still your children, created by you. Help me always to remember
that your love cannot be restricted to just some people, but
is inclusive of all. Stay always near me, and help me to learn
your love. AMEN

A Prayer 1

Loving God, thank you for reminding me every day that you do
love me.  But you also remind me that you love all other people,
too.  You have told me that it does not matter what people
look like, who they are or what they believe.  You told me
that you still claim them as your children, and you love all
of them.  You have said again and again that there is no one
who is outside of your love.  Please keep reminding me until
it is so much a part of me that there is no one who I can hate,
for I do not want to ever do anything that is outside of what
you want. AMEN

Marginalized

Forced out to the margins,

Ignored by other people

And I don’t know

What is being said.

Living on the margins,

And the others

Do not see me

Or care what happens.

Pulled back from the margins,

By the others there    

Into the center

Because there I belong.

Creation

How wondrous

Is your world, oh God!

You have created

So much beauty

In all that

Surrounds us

And your hands

Created.

And you are

Still creating!

Reach Out

Reach out

To the lepers

 Of our day.

Let them know

That God loves

Even them.  

Reach out

To the outsider

And  let        

Them know

That always

They are welcome.

Reach out

In God’s name

And help all

Of those

Considered to be

Unclean.

Help

Go to those

Who have little

And help them

Find what they need

For a good life.

We Forget

We forget

Where the gifts

That we have

Come from.

We forget

 That all life

Is a gift

To us.

We forget

That our God

Is always there

For all.

Go

Go to the oppressed

And let them know

Of my love for them.

Set my people free!

Set them free

From all that prisons them.

Who to Feed?

Who will we feed,

Will we see the poor

And help them?

Who will we feed,

Do we know that God

Can be trusted to help?

Who will we feed,

Will we learn to share

With all people?

Encountering God

In the forests

I walk

And there I find

I’m walking with God.

In a home

I work,

And there I find

God is beside me.

All around,

Wherever I go,

I find when I look

God is always beside me.

Pay Attention

Paying attention

To what is taught,

Then going out

And telling others

What we have learned.

Letting the world

Know all about

God’s love.

Who Am I?

Who am I,

This person?

What is my identity?

I am an individual,

A person

Who matters,

But who am I?

No one can tell me

Anything about me.

God’s child

And a special person

Is who I am.

Prayer

We pray,

What words

Do we use?

How do we

Approach our God?

Show us the way

And give us

The proper words

And help us

To always know

Your love is there.

Hope

Hope is a seed

That needs to be

Planted carefully.

Hope is a plant

To be tended carefully

To help it grow.

Hope can be a flower

Spreading sweet smells

Throughout the world.

Greatness

Who is the greatest?

Which one of us

Will be the leader?

We’ve got to know

Before it is too late!

Who is the greatest?

Come, let us talk

And figure this out,

For we need to know

Who will lead.

But God comes along

And turns the question

On its ear for us

And tell us all

To become as a child.

Whoever would be leader

Must become as a child,

For the servant of all

In God’s plan

Is the leader of all.

Plans

Stop and think

Before you do

For God has plans

That may not be

What you dream.

For God will always

Do the unexpected

In our lives.

For God has

Greater plans

For our lives

If we will stop

And let God do

What is needed.

The Cry

Photo by: Betty Q Smith

Comes the cry,

“God doesn’t love me,

How can that be,

I am too different!”

But comes back

An answer from God,

It does not matter

How different you are,

I love you always.”

A Call

A call comes to us,

Asking us to go out

Into the unknown.

Shall we follow

And go without doubts

Or any plea

Except to follow?

Listen to the call

And go and do

What is needed.

Trust, and let God lead

Us where we should go.

Come, follow the voice

That calls you.

Praise!

Praise God!

Dance and sing,

Be joyful!

Go among

All the people

And help them

Find the joy

From being with God!