God's Mystery ~ Contemplation and Conversation, 2015

“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.” 

Proverbs 18:15 The Message

[No human being, no matter how wise or how spiritual, can interpret the ways of God, explain why one miracle and not another, why an apparent intervention here and not there...we can only wait and trust.]

Philip Yancey, from Prayer, Does It Make Any Difference?

“Good words satisfy like a fine meal; yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.” 

Proverbs 18:20 The Voice

Share your thoughts, questions, experiences, and/or conversations:

*right here; see below "COMMENTS"

*Mangrove Ministries Facebook Page

*on Twitter @SoulChat

Jesus Knows

Nathanael said to [Jesus], "How do You know me?" Jesus said, "...I saw you." 
John 1:47-51 NKJV

Currently, I am studying a book, Discernment by Henri Nouwen, to better understand God's will and purpose for this time in my life. This Scripture from John reveals that Jesus knows us, intimately hears our hearts and hopes, completely understands our intentions and frustrations, actually sees our willingness and weakness. Just like with Nathanael, Jesus demonstrates His supernatural knowledge to us whenever we are open to God's presence. Jesus knows!

Discernment becomes a new way of seeing that results in divine revelation and direction. ~ Henri Nouwen  

The discernment process consists of listening more deeply for the voice of God, and its global purpose for each of us is to know God's will. This new way to see God affords the individual new opportunities. In the process of discovery, the acknowledgement that God does see and know me evolves, and my alertness to God's presence heightens. This openness to God reveals a deeper awareness of spiritual truth, and the awakening of purpose begins to unfold. I find new affirmation of who I am in Christ. I know Jesus knows! ~ dho  

"Jesus demonstrates His supernatural knowledge to us whenever we are open to God's presence. Jesus knows!" ~ Donna Oswalt

God's Love ~ Contemplation and Conversation, 2015

Breathing Room For My Soul

“Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights.” 

Proverbs 18:15 The Message

Contemplation...

[God has created you and me with a heart that only God's love can satisfy. And every other love will be partial, will be real, but limited, will be painful. And if we are willing to let the pain prune us, to give us a deeper sense of our belovedness, then we can be as free as Jesus and walk on this world and proclaim God's first love, wherever we go.] - Henri Nouwen

then Conversation... 

“Good words satisfy like a fine meal; yes, good conversations are sure to satisfy.” 

Proverbs 18:20 The Voice

Share your thoughts, questions, experiences, and/or conversations:

*right here; see below "COMMENTS"

*Mangrove Ministries Facebook Page

*on Twitter @SoulChat

WORDS for a New Year ~ 2015!

Wise men and women are always learning, always listening for fresh insights. 
Proverbs 18:15 The Message

Words, words, words, AND more words! With the internet, social media, and electronic devices - we scan, read, and process an enormous amount of words daily. Overflowing words saturate us with general information through our work, from the news, about our connections while others pour into us from books, movies, lyrics, signs, and directions. How many of these words are useful to our souls, improve our personal spiritual journey, or increase our knowledge of who God is, of who God calls us to be within our community?

Proverbial wisdom reminds us, "Words satisfy the mind as much as fruit does the stomach; good talk is as satisfying as a good harvest." (Proverbs 18:20 MSG) While studies show the average woman speaks 20,000 words per day and men, 7,000 words, the studies do not evaluate the usefulness of these many words. Maybe the more important question is not how many words we speak, but how do we use our words? Words can destroy or encourage, blame or explain, be loving or deceitful, be filled with compassion or empty and useless. Words connect us to each other! Words have great power! 

Thinking about the new year, I want to add something to my blog I am calling "Contemplation and Conversation"! From time to time, a short quotation will be given for your reflection and then, hopefully, you will share your thoughts with someone else. So often these days, we simple read words, maybe ponder them, and sometimes even incorporate new ideas into our personal experiences, but sharing words - in conversation, with discussion - happens less and less. Oh, we speak to each other - obviously 1,000's of words a day, but deep and honest exchanges have become fewer and fewer. Words have the potential to grow our minds and hearts. From the beginning before time, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1) Jesus, this Word, can transform each of us into more!

So, here's the challenge! Read the "Contemplation and Conversation" posts, ponder them then talk to someone or several someones. Share your thoughts and ask them what they think! It will be posted to Mangrove Ministries' Facebook page (click link here) as well. Comments welcome!  Begin today by sharing your thoughts about today's Scriptures and this idea. Get involved! Share your experiences! Let's start feeding our inner voices, increasing our Spiritual journeys, always learning, always listening for fresh insights. ~dho

***By the way, my regular blog will continue as usual, posting typically will be Thursday! AND while we are talking about the blog, share and invite your friends to follow - SIGN UP for EMAIL! (top right corner)

Let's start feeding our inner voices, increasing our Spiritual journeys, always learning, always listening for fresh insights. ~ Donna Oswalt

4th Sunday of Advent ~ Holy Light, Perfect Love

Merry Christmas!  ~ 2014

the 4th Sunday of Advent leads us into Christmas...

“…and they hall call his name

Immanuel,” which means

GOD WITH US!  Matthew 1:23

FrederickBuechner, American writer and theologian writes, “…Bethlehem is not the end of our journey but only the beginning…” The Season of Light captures our attention with its hurried and increased activities. Choirs and candles, decorations and details capture us. Words and wonder fill us to nearly overflowing. The Virgin Mary with Joseph traveling to Bethlehem, angels singing to shepherds, a star and Magi, all coming to celebrate this newborn baby called Immanuel. Advent candles retell the familiar story with hope and peace and joy and love. Buechner continues, “The birth of Jesus made possible not just a new way of understanding life but a new way of living it.”

Christmas reminds us of new beginnings. We sing Christ the Savior is born but must remember that Christ is also the Redeemer, bringing salvation to a dying world, establishing a new relationship with us. Immanuel, GOD WITH US, is still with us and holds us with grace and goodness. Jesus came that we might be His Light to others, to help the lost and have compassion on the broken, to feed the hungry and hold the hurting, to tell the Good News of His Grace, to forgive, to listen, to love. We must continue to live a new way after the Christmas celebrations end and the decorations are put away, long after we forget about sheep and shepherds. As we find our old routines, let the greatest Christmas Gift, Jesus, renew our journeys. Let’s find the new beginning and new ways of living for Christ in the coming year! ~ dho / 2014         

3rd Week of Advent ~ Shepherds See the Glory of God!

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields keeping watch over their flock by night... and the glory of The Lord shone around them... For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ The Lord... You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger..." Luke 2:8-20

The shekinah Glory of God fills the house of The Lord (1Kings 8:11) when the Ark of the Covenant is placed into the Holy of Holies in the temple Solomon built. Centuries later high above a Bethlehem field the Glory of The Lord again appears breaking the silence of the night, revealing to shepherds where to find Christ The Lord! This stands in stark contrast between appearing to the priests in the Temple in the Most Holy Place and common shepherds in an open field. Considered the least in society, shepherds, believed to be unclean, could not even worship in the Temple; yet, God chooses these with simple faith to go and find the baby Jesus. The least, the simple, the willing shepherds.

Some scholars suggest that sheep to be used for sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem were frequently kept in the fields around Bethlehem, and that perhaps the very shepherds the angel appeared to were keeping watch over these sheep. While the shepherds could not even be witnesses in legal situations, perhaps it is irony that they become the first people to bear witness and testify to the birth of Jesus. The New Testament uses the Greek word poimen for 'shepherd' meaning a person who tends to a flock. According to Mounce's Expository Dictionary, the most frequent use of poimen refers to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. These shepherds who society deems some of its most unworthy receive the first invitation to see the Lamb of God. The unclean, the unworthy, the invited shepherds.

This Advent season reconsider these God-chosen ones. In the Christmas Story, shepherds of simple faith and willing to respond are key figures, but society calls them unworthy and unreliable. The shepherds came with haste and found Mary and Joseph and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when [the shepherds] had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. Do we see others through God's eyes or accept society's view? Are we willing to recognize Jesus in the least, the simple, the broken? Aren't we ALL unclean, sinners who are unworthy? Yet, God chooses each of us ~ rich or poor, scholar or laborer, old or young, thriving or hopeless, struggling or defeated! God invites each of us to come and meet Christ The Lord ~Perfect Love, Lamb of God, Amazing Grace!  ~dho

The Second Week of Advent 2014 ~ The Lord You Are Seeking Comes!

Ad-vent: a time of waiting; marked by a spirit of anticipation; an arrival of a notable person; appearance

"See, I will send My messenger, who will prepare the way before Me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to His temple, the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty." Malachi 3:1 NIV

Some say the four candles we light at Advent symbolize the 400 years between the prophecy of Malachi and the proclamation of John the Baptist. During those 400 years, God is silent. Historians record the lives of the people during Persian, Greek and Roman rulers, each group conquering the next. Cyrus of Persia meets defeat, and Alexander the Great claims victory. When Jerusalem comes under Greek control, idol worship desecrates the temple. During these years the Jews participate in the Maccabean revolt which re-establishes the Jewish temple. It is cleansed and rededicated (Hanukkah celebrates this victory). Ultimately the Romans defeat the Greeks, and by the time John the Baptist spreads the message about Jesus, Herod the Great rules the Roman Empire. Four hundred years of waiting! 

These 400 years mark the completion of the Old Testament writings giving the Jews an authoritative canon, comprising the Law, the Prophets, and the Wisdom writings. The Greeks compile the Scriptures of the Old Testament and translate them into Greek calling it the Septuagint. Other writings scholars acknowledge from this period include the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Apocrypha, writings of Philo and Josephus, early rabbinical writings, and religious literature known as the Qumran. The Old Testament we know today includes the 39 canonical books that the Jews accepted during this time. Four hundred years of writing! 

"It is written in Isaiah the prophet:

"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way - a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, and make straight paths for him.'" 

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him...And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
Mark 1:2-8

In Luke 4:14-21 we can read the account of Jesus going to the synagogue, standing to read from the scroll given Him. "Unrolling it, He found the place where it is written: "The Spirit of the Lord is one Me because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  Everyone watches Jesus as He returns to sit. Jesus looks at them and says, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Four hundred years of silence broken!

The Old Testament tells of obedient prophets who share the messages God reveals but all pass from life without the appearance of the 'Wonderful Counselor'. A faithful remnant waiting for the 'Everlasting Father' to end their struggles in a world more impressed with power and possessions pass their hope from generation to generation to generation. Desperate and defeated people longing for the one called 'Mighty God' anticipate His coming. Then the 'Prince of Peace' walks into the synagogue and announces God's promise is fulfilled, but nobody recognizes Him. 

This week contemplate God's promise of the Messiah. Think of the years of faithful waiting. Imagine yourself in the synagogue that day, listening to Jesus read the Holy Scriptures from ancient times. Are you listening? Do you recognize Jesus? Do you hear Him calling? 
God is calling to you, preparing you for His purposes. Listen! ~ dho 

First Week of Advent 2014 ~ The Light Is Coming!

Ad-vent: important arrival; Latin - adventus - 'arrival'; coming of the Savior

Arise, Shine;
For your light has come!
And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you.
For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth,
And deep darkness the people;
But the LORD will arise over you,
And His glory will be seen upon you.
Isaiah 60:1-2 NASB

Advent brings a message of an 'important arrival' as we wait expectantly! This first week of Advent focuses on the prophecy of the Messiah. The Old Testament uses the Hebrew word kabod to describe the glory of the LORD, to define His Presence with us. God's Glory comes to us full of wonder and mystery, full of wordless splendor, breathtaking and awesome. His glory comes with abundance, divine and righteous, a light that defeats darkness, a holiness that overcomes despair. 

Isaiah the prophet often refers to the glory of the LORD, revealing God's power and holiness. God promises His Presence and Glory to shine on all people, uniting humanity and truth. Hundreds of years later John writes, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." [John 1:5] From centuries long ago until time to come, some will choose The Light while some will not. Whether kabod in the Hebrew or doxa in the Greek or shekinah in Aramaic or glory in English, God's Holy Light comes to us, comes for us, before and now and again! 

Christians are called people of the Light, and our lives should give voice to the glory of the LORD ~ praising and honoring His goodness and grace. We are to be His light shining in the world's darkness, both a "recipient and a reflector" of Light! Waiting expectantly requires action. Get out of bed...wake up...GOD's bright glory has risen for you. [The Message, Is.60:1-2] Are you waiting expectantly? The Light is coming! ~ dho

For He Is Good! ~ Thanksgiving 2014

God is the LORD,

And He has given us light;

Bind the sacrifices with cords

to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will praise You;

You are my God, I will exalt You.

Oh, give thanks to the LORD, 

for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever.

Psalm 118:27-29 NKJV

As we pause to celebrate Thanksgiving, let us reflect upon the abundant blessings that fill the moments of life. The heart experiences immense gratitude from unexpected words that whisper love and inside surprises that shout joy and within unspoken thoughtfulness. In between the obvious and outside the margins, threads of possibility weave scenes of goodness and generosity and grace. While grand gestures and catastrophic calamities stand alone and unforgotten, these small and simple pleasures embrace the soul with wordless glimpses of heaven. As silence surrounds, we must bring these most sacred offerings to the His altar with abundant thanksgiving. Within these holy moments, God draws us deeper into His Presence. Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. ~dho

Real Rest

Re-post from July, 2009 - dho



"True silence is the rest of the mind;
it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment."
William Penn

The world is full of noise and busyness, all competing at the same time for the same mind! In the world there is little silence; there is not much true rest for the mind.

Jesus tells us, "Come to Me. Get away with Me and you'll recover you life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace ..."(Matthew 11:28-30 The Message)

Jesus lived the example of spending time in prayer ~ away from the crowds ~ alone with the Father.This is how He demonstrated real rest ~ rest for the mind, the body and the spirit ~ rest in the middle of chaos ~ rest in the presence of God ~ rest in the silence. Listen to the words of Jesus; seek Him in the silence ~ learn [His] unforced rhytms of grace. ~dho

More Than We Know

If we don't know how to pray or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves. That is why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Romans 8:26-28 (The Message) 

Charles E. Poole writes in his book Beyond the Broken Lights, "We have made it through, by the grace and goodness of the One who is always up to more than we know. All those times when God was doing less than we hoped, God must have been doing more than we knew. Amen." 


Holy Father, I've told You the things of my heart ~ my thankfulness for Your unending love, my willingness to be obedient to You, my love for my family and friends. What joy and goodness You have given to me, over and over and over! My soul feels Your ocean of blessings. Your Grace, like the waves, splashes over me, again and again and again. Like the wind, my wordless sighs come to You - unseen, but known. Amen. ~dho

"Keep Making Me"

So often we choose the shorter path, the more worn trail, the smoother way. But in the very long, steep, and rocky experiences God calls to us; His voice teaches us to depend on Him. It is the broken and lonely places we can clearly see the need for God in our lives. In the dark and empty spaces, God waits for us! As you listen to this great music, pray the words! God is listening! ~ dho

"Keep Making Me" by Sidewalk Prophets (click here)

Generosity of Goodness

For the LORD God is a splendid shield;
The LORD will give glorious grace;
No good thing will He withhold 
From those who walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11

Taccoa, GA ~ by Allison Oswalt

Grace falls like gentle rain, steady and sure, pours over me like rivers of light, faithful and full, floods my heart, spilling over and rushing free. I cannot capture or explain or contain such generous offerings. Yet, every day, I simply find more Grace lavished upon my soul. Gentle Shepherd, Faithful Father, Holy Spirit - You come to me with unmeasured love that is undeserved, and You show me unmerited favor.


My praise whispers Thank You, sincere and simple, shouts Hallelujah and Amen, grateful and rich, overflows "To God be the Glory, great things He has Done". I cannot adequately celebrate or applaud or adore Your Magnificent Power. Yet, every day, You graciously accept meager gratitude scattered throughout my gestures. Everlasting Light, Holy Father, Spirit of the Living God - I come to You with imperfect words that are unworthy, and, still, I find more offerings of Extravagant Grace.


God's glorious grace and my inferior offerings merge with stark contrast. God continually accepts my frail, feeble attempts to praise and worship as He lavishes me with everlasting Grace. Perfect Love chooses me! Splendid shield, I rest in wordless wonder of such glorious grace ~dho

What Is 'Praise and Worship' Really?

Through Jesus, then, let us keep offering to God our own sacrifice, the praise of lips that confess His name without ceasing. 
Hebrews 13:15 The Voice Bible

Blackaby writes, "Genuine worship...originates within our hearts." In the Old Testament, under the original covenant, sacrifices hold an important role in the offerings, and Levite priests offer the sacrifices in the temple "on behalf of the people". Blackaby refers to the Levites as "worship leaders of their day." In the New Testament, animal sacrifices lose their importance because Christ become the last blood sacrifice needed, and God clearly emphasizes our praises and thanksgiving in worship. All this makes me think of those we call Worship Leaders in churches today. They are usually the ones who help us give voice to our heart's praises to God.

Music, in its various forms, is central to the worship experience and frequently sets the mood and tone. Through music, the rhythm of our soul's offering of praise to the Lord finds expression. Words cause the mind to ponder His character, expose the soul's deepest need, and provide the heart an opportunity to reply. Matthew Henry, Bible commentator, reminds us that "Christ is both our Altar and our Sacrifice." As we worship, this ceaseless sacrifice of praise defines the authenticity of the Christian heart.

Typically, especially in more contemporary settings, the Worship Leader designs spiritual opportunities and engages the people in what is often referred to as 'praise music'. Comparing Worship Leaders of the OT, with today's Worship Leaders, I find stark contrasts. No longer are animal sacrifices offered for people's sins; today, people directly worship God and stand in His presence because of Grace. Today's sacrifices look different. No more blood sacrifices are needed. Our sacrifice of praise rises to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving, with song or in Scripture, on chords or in chants, with drums or dance. Worship Leaders exalt God's majesty, while allowing us to examine our hearts and evolve our praise language. Praise and Worship is language pleasing to God!
~dho

Beyond "Law and Order"

"But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and come to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and then he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave then to the innkeeper and said, 'Take care of him; and what ever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.' [Jesus asks] "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands?" [the expert in the law said] "the one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."
Luke 10:33-37 NASB

In one of the most familiar parables in the Bible, the Good Samaritan, Jesus takes us directly to the virtual scene of the crime. There on the side of a treacherous section of a winding, steep, rocky road between Jerusalem and Jericho well known for its perpetrators, the victim lays unconscious, bleeding and left for dead. Jesus describes two others who pass but neglect to help the man. The third passer-by stops; a Samaritan, having compassion on the man, bandages his wounds, takes him to the nearest inn, cares for him, pays the innkeeper for future needs, and plans to check on him when returning home. Jesus' investigation asks us, "So, who saw the need and responded? Who demonstrates true compassion? Who was able to love without judgement?"

Jesus draws us into this senseless brutality, calls us out of our comfort zones, shows us how we are to love others. As always, political correctness tries to give its answer - or excuse - for not helping. After all, the priest follows the law keeping himself "religiously clean" while the Levite, too, keeps about his religious responsibilities. Jesus reaches beyond mere religious order and steps directly into a cultural and societal conflict. The Samaritan helping the victim crosses all kinds of social barriers; the centuries old mutual hostility between the Jews and the Samaritans highlights a dilemma. Jesus asks if we really see the needs of people or pretend not to notice. Jesus asks if we truly love others like He loves or just quote Bible verses about God's love? Jesus asks if we have genuine compassion for people or attempt to evaluate according to race, gender, or creed? 

Listening to this investigation does not tell us anything about the injured person. We do not know if he simply falls prey to some robbers, or perhaps, he, too, is a thief himself who loses an argument with a fellow robber. On this road known for crime and opportunity, hurt finds a helping hand. Every day we take a similar journey. Sometimes disappointment targets us; other times, need calls from the other side of the road. Sometimes we are overlooked or excluded; other times, unexpected love sees beyond public opinion. Jesus calls us to lay down outward appearances and stop beside need. Jesus calls each of us to develop compassionate hearts and unselfish spirits, to love fully and unconditionally. Reach beyond 'law and order'; go and do the same! ~dho

#TBT Bible

Throw-Back-Thursday's popularity fills our Thursdays. Along with its hash tags, pictures of yester-year dance across out computer screens, mobile phones, and tablets. Frequently the hair styles and clothing reveal the era. We laugh, usually, or moan, sometimes. Today I open my #TBT Bible, my name and the date 4/13/77 on the inside cover. Back in the day, unlike now, few translations of the Bible were available. "The Living Bible" translation broke the rules by using current vernacular, much the way we appreciate The Message today. The words and the order of the words sounded friendly, more familiar to the ear. The Living Bible, while popular with teenagers, did not thrill the adults. Whatever your thoughts or preferences are about various translations of the Holy Bible, I believe God always uses His words to inspire, to convict, to reveal His Goodness and Grace.

#TBT High School, 1973

Reading today from Romans in The Living Bible, God's word tells it straight. Listen to some of the verses from Chapter 12: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves...we belong to each other, and each needs all the others. God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. And further down, Don't just pretend that you love others; really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other. These very valuable words remind us our connectedness in Christian community. These words are not just for #TBT!

Life is messy! We wait, longing for time to pass more quickly then hurry to what is next. Hurt and disappointment become friends we wish we didn't know. Doubt shouts! Hypocrisy mocks! But, God always sees the bigger picture, sees beyond what our minds cannot understand. Using my #TBT Bible, I find these words: Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. (Romans 12:12) I did not read other translations or search commentaries (none in the #TBT Bible), did not research Greek origins of the words or look for cross references. I simply let my prayer echo His inspired words: With a grateful heart, God, I trust You are planning something good for me. In times of trouble, help me be patient. Every moment of every day, my prayers rise to You. I long to spend time with You ~ listening, resting, waiting, learning, loving. Amen! ~dho

Holy Breathing!

"Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!"   Psalm 150:6

If you ever have questions about how to praise God, read Psalm 150 for the 'who, what, when, where, why, and how' answers. Anytime and everywhere, our lives are to PRAISE the LORD - the One who is Creator and Comforter, filled with mystery and majesty, holiness and healing; Praises to The Giver of goodness and grace. God is Love. Praise the LORD!

Whether in corporate or private worship, Christians, both collectively and individually, should praise God. This PRAISE is not an ordinary gesture or mere flattery; rather, it is to be a creative praise that radically raves about His awesomeness, ranging from silent awe to sacred shouts. PRAISE evolves into words and music, prayers and singing, rhythmic responses celebrating God's "mighty deeds" and "excellent greatness". Musical instruments of all forms - wind, strings, percussion, dancing - create a ceaseless motion of spontaneous joy to and for the LORD of all. Praise the LORD!

We all struggle in a world saturated by disease, poverty, and injustice that stands in stark contrast to Heaven's perfect, complete, and loving promises. The Greek word for 'breath' is neshamah which means all that is living within us. Just as GOD first breathed life into mankind (Genesis 2:7), He remains the Breath of Life within each Christian. PRAISE honors the redemption through Christ, which is victory over death, but also, this holy breathing glorifies God for His constant presence in our daily struggles. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD! ~dho

NOT Just Christmas Peace!

At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises:
'Glory to God in the heavenly heights,
Peace to all men and women on earth who please Him.' Luke 2:13-14 MSG

What exactly is peace and what is the path to peace? We know that God is the Source of all true peace; Christ is the Good News of peace sent to us from God. On the night Jesus is born in Bethlehem, peace is the message of the angels. Peace is not just for Christmas!

Peace in the Hebrew [shalom] and Greek [eirene] teaches "absence of disturbance" and is the primary blessing of God's people. Scofield offers four references to peace: Peace with God, Peace from God, Peace of God, and Peace on earth. Deep inside, each us desires the assurance of peace. Only God can provide complete peace. Do you have peace? Are you seeking God for Real PEACE? Let the Peace of Christ be born in you today! ~ dho

Call To Worship

LEADER: We've been in hiding for too long.

Men: Perhaps we should open the doors of our lives to welcome whatever comes.

LEADER: But suppose that destruction, fear, and death arrive at our door?

Women: Jesus always said to us, "Do not be afraid, I am with you."

ALL: LORD, help us believe.

LEADER: Why is it so difficult to believe?

Men: We have been disappointed so many times.

LEADER: Do we dare trust that this time will be different?

Women: Everything is different when we trust in Jesus Christ.

ALL: LORD, help us believe!

LEADER: What will we do if we actually see the risen Lord?

Men: Our fears will be banished, and we will live in the truth of Christ.

LEADER: What is the truth of Christ?

Women: Christ has overcome the bonds of death. He is risen and goes before us.

ALL: LORD, we believe; help our unbelief. Amen.

~Call to Worship, St. Luke UMC

This Call to Worship presents uniquely in that the responses come from men and women individually and then collectively in unity. Why do we distance ourselves from one another, from the community? Disappointment and fear, disease and financial crisis, death and failure create disconnect and doubt within the soul. We cry out, LORD, help us to believe! Trusting in Christ renews the soul and refurbishes the heart. Christ brings joy into the suffering, faith into the doubt, love into the fear, and healing into the loss. We cry out, LORD, help us to believe!

Spiritual struggle knows no boundaries, does not recognize gender, race or age. We ALL struggle! Christ is the Truth that conquers the world with all its rage and wickedness. Christ calls us into relationship with Him and others. Confidence in Christ allows us to fail and start again, weep and find laughter, doubt and believe again. Let my soul reply, I believe; help my unbelief! ~dho