Prayer Prompt: Saturday

Think about—and offer prayers of thanksgiving for—those who help others fight political, spiritual and/or emotional oppression. 

Prayer Prompt: Friday

Pray for our president, governor and other elected officials, here and around the world, that they might make wise decisions for all Earth’s people.

Time For Some Historical Context: Thursday

Pray for those who live in conditions of spiritual or emotional oppression.

Time for some historical context!

Nehemiah returned to Jerusalem in 445 B.C., the 20^th year of the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia.  By this time the city had been a ruin for 141 years.  Read back through 2 Kings if you’d like some perspective on the kingdom of Judah’s up-and-down journey leading up to Jerusalem’s destruction by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in 586 B.C.  Time and again we see the actions of decent kings—Hezekiah, Josiah—undone by their progeny—Manasseh and Jehoahaz, in the case of these two.  It was bad King Jehoiakim who first submitted to King Nebuchadnezzar and then rebelled three years later.  His son Jehoiachin succeeded him, but he wasn’t any better.  Eventually, Nebuchadnezzar captured Jehoiachin, carted him off to Babylon and installed a puppet king—Jehoiachin’s uncle, Zedekiah.  He, too, decided to rebel, but he was defeated.  This defeat marked the destruction of Jerusalem.

Take a careful look at the last verses of 2 Kings.  Something interesting happens.  Jehoiachin is released by Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, the intriguingly named Evil-merodach.  He’s treated kindly and given status in Babylon.  This marks the start of something—something that will lead to Nehemiah and to restoration, to reformation, even in the midst of a world that is not perfect for the Jews.  More on Sunday!  Meanwhile, consider: we live in an imperfect world, but God works in the midst of our imperfection.  

Prayer Prompt and Next Week's Readings: Wednesday

Pray for those who live in conditions of political oppression.

It’s time to look ahead to next week’s Scripture readings!  We encourage you to begin reflecting upon the following readings.  We’ll focus upon these next Sunday.

Scripture readings for Sunday, July 14, 2013:

•  2 Kings 24:8-25:17, 27-30
•  Psalm 91

Prayer Prompt: Tuesday

Think about—and offer prayers of thanksgiving for—the times you have seen God’s work in action.

Prayer Prompt: Monday

Welcome to our summer with Nehemiah!  Pastor Tom laid groundwork yesterday morning (July 7) for our journey.  Next week, Laura Gifford will provide the historical background for Nehemiah’s world.  Each week we will provide daily prayer prompts, context and a look forward to next Sunday.  To get us started, here's your prayer prompt of the day for Monday:

Pray for wisdom and guidance for our congregation, throughout this summer’s journey and beyond.

Week 1 Sermon: Tilling the Ground for Reformation

“Tilling the ground for reformation”         

            Nehemiah 1:1-4; Ephesians 3:20-21; Luke 11:5-13

Walls...part of our everyday life...they’re all around us...can be seen through at least two different lens.

One lens sees them in a fearful, negative light...separating...an obstacle to unity and working together.  Think of the Berlin wall, the West Bank barrier, or the Border fence between the US and Mexico. These walls...mental/spiritual as much as physical.

But there is another image...still of separating...but with a positive outcome.  Walls can separate us from the extremes of heat and cold, or keep us safe from elements—climatic or criminal that would harm our physical well-being. 

There are cell walls that separate and organize vital functions of the biology of all life. 

There are also social, emotional, and spiritual “walls,” boundaries that, if we ‘construct’ them well, make for healthier, more life-giving relationships with self, each other, and the God who works persistently for our health & wholeness. 

It’s interesting to note that holiness has to do with separating... setting apart...erecting appropriate ‘walls’ of time & space, attitude & action to keep us focused on God’s ways and purposes.

Sometimes we need to expand our walls, make them walls of inclusion, to gain a greater understanding of what God is up to in our lives individually and as part of the body of Christ.

One area of expanding our walls of inclusion is to learn the possibilities and benefits of TEAM work: Together Everyone Achieves More.  The Bubble group—ministry team leaders who get together on the 3^rd Sunday of the month—share calendars, events, and dreams. They are discovering the benefits of combining creative minds, different perspectives and shared labor to achieve more than operating in isolation.

Not only at Joyful Servant, but in the larger community we are learning the benefits of expanding the walls, of collaborating across traditional lines of separation.  Andy Byerley and I have been privileged to be part of the Ford Institute Leadership Program whose mission is to build leadership skills in the people of rural communities to help diversify and strengthen the economic and cultural capacities of small towns.  So we have been breaching the walls of public & private, church & state to work together to develop skills that address issues common to us as human beings.  We’re learning to see & share assets that we have, expanding the walls of community and cooperation.

More about walls as the weeks unfold...but now I’d like to switch metaphors from walls to gardens.

In order to rebuild, reform, renew or revive, we need energy...food of various kinds to feed our hungers and sustain our lives.

How many of you have a garden of some kind...herbs in a window, a container on the patio or a dedicated plot of ground at home?

Tilling the ground...it’s what gardeners and farmers have been doing since human beings were given the breath of life.  Tilling the ground for physical food; tilling the ground of the spirit to nourish our souls, tilling the ground in hope...of growing that which will bring us abundant life of community.

There are various tools we use to till the ground and increase the yield of our various gardens...from hand tools to expensive and complex farm machinery. 

And if we think of the whole process from farm to table, there are a lot of “team” members collaborating in various ways to feed the need of the of the planet’s peoples.

I’d like you to consider three basic, indispensable tools for “tilling the ground” so that we have the food and energy to do the building we are being called to do, as our individual families and the family of Joyful Servant venture into new chapters of life together.

These three tools are at the top of the list, right before our eyes; in fact they are or have been used by you to provide needed food for body, mind, and spirit.  They may need a bit of cleaning up, sharpening, and consideration of creative ways of using them to help us in our growing, but they’re right here at our disposal, ready to be put to work.

They are prayer, study (of God’s word), and worship.

Now before you say, “Been there, done that; know that”...and nod off for your sermon siesta, let’s reconsider these familiar tools to see how useful they can be in deepening and enriching our journey.

What is your practice of prayer?  Grace at meals?  Now I lay me down to sleep?  Good morning, Lord...or Good Lord, its morning!

How much ‘walled off’ time do you make in each day to consciously & consistently communicate with the One in whom we “live & move & have our being”? What...willing to commit to?

We have a good deal of physical building & rebuilding to do this summer.  But in order for us to do it well and realize all its spiritual and relational benefits, we need to be using the tool of prayer to soften the ground of our hearts and the hearts of the parents & children this ministry will serve.  We want all hearts to be fertile ground the growth of God’s word...  We want these walls to be walls of safety, peace, and strong love.

This is just one project/ministry the Spirit has opened our eyes to.  If we are to be aware of and open to the “immeasurably more” that God is capable of in, with and through us, then our prayer tool... our asking/seeking/knocking...is going to need heavy use. Up to it?

Next week Laura Gifford is going to be taking us through the historical context of Nehemiah.  For that we need to bring the tool of study online.

Understanding the context of the stories of Scripture is necessary so that we may digest important insights into the whys and wherefores of the words & actions of God and God’s people.

Reading the story for yourself is a beginning.  It’s not long (16 pg).  A contemporary version like the NLT can be helpful.  Don’t worry about the names; concentrate on the flow of the story.  Write down your questions and ask them in prayer...and on the blog.  Remember no question is a dumb question.  They’re simply questions that need an answer...those who ask...receive.

Reading & studying scripture can be a very prayerful experience.  It’s listening to God.  In fact prayer isn’t very satisfying if we don’t do the listening ‘two-thirds’...two ears, one mouth...

Studying prayer in general and Nehemiah’s prayers in particular can lead to a deeper, richer prayer life for you...and for us.

I’ve listed N’s prayers in your outline.  Andy will take you deeper into them in a couple weeks.

Also pick up the book Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass and join the reading group.  Her insights fit right in to the rebuilding, reforming, renewing and reviving we are being called to do.  I’m sure the blog could be a forum for discussion of this book as well as Nehemiah.

Then we come to the third in a holy trinity of tools that will give us nourishment for our summer’s journey: worship.

Our weekly gathering is a key tool that gives our lives healthy structure & rhythm.  Worship draws us into the presence of God to deepen and strengthen our connections to God & one another.  Worship is a natural outgrowth of prayer and study.  We learn to see God in and around us and we want celebrate & thank & praise & enjoy God’s presence.  We can do that in quiet moments...or come together to give & receive & be sent out into the rest of the week re-energized to be people of grace & truth in a tough world.

The goal of all this “building” & “tilling” is a “whole” & healthy community...where everyone has a place and a purpose; where everyone is included and respected; where God is seen and acknowledged as the Source of all life.

The goal is the kingdom of God that ‘rocks,’ where all “stand strong;” it’s the reign of God in each heart.  It’s the answer to all our prayers, the discovery of all our study, the joy of all our worship; it’s the result of all our rebuilding, reforming, renewing, and reviving. 

On retreat the Council discerned this vision:  To become a fellowship of believers, grounded in God’s word, living out our faith through joyful service.

So let’s get on with the journey... Amen.

--Pastor Tom