Grace and peace on this Saturday. Good to be with you at the end of the week and the beginning of the month in the Pastor’s Workshop.
As we start this new month we are focused on beginnings. The title of our new series is “Begin with Basics”. Our focus Scripture is “In the beginning…”
As we noted in our study this week the great news of our Scripture is that “In the beginning … God!” We affirmed this truth applied to the very Beginning of Creation and to every new beginning in our lives, “In the beginning … of every day, week, and month; in the beginning of our time with our family, friends, and even folks we have a hard time with; in the beginning of school, work or play … God!”
It is our privilege to practice this truth. We can begin each day with prayer. We can start each week with worship. We can enter each month with Holy Communion. We can start the school year with “Blessing the Backpacks”. In these and so many other ways we live into the truth, “In the beginning, God”.
Beginning with this faith brings this blessing into our lives, “When we start right things go better, and when things go better they finish well.” “Starting” right is key. Begin with God!
Saturday is a Sabbath day in the Workshop. It is the day we pray and we rest. We pray for our message and the blessing it will bring. We rest in the trust that God will be at work by the Spirit, growing us in the grace the Scripture proclaimed.
As you pray today what will be your prayers for worship tomorrow? As you think about beginning the week with God what will you lift to the Lord? What is your hope for you and others in God’s love in Christ?
Here are a few of my prayers:
· We start each day with prayer, each week with worship, and each month with Communion.
· We practice this privilege of beginning with God knowing all that follows (in the remainder of the day, week and month) flows from our starting right. Beginning with God is critical.
· We always remember, our God of beginnings is a God of love. As I John 4:8 proclaims, “God is love”.
· We say “I love you” early and often to our family, friends and even folks we have a hard time with. Our God of love will use these words to work new beginnings in our relationships.
· We serve in the spirit of “I love you” early and often. Our God of love will use these works to work new beginnings in our relationships.
These are hopes of my heart that I’m bringing to the Lord’s heart. What’s on your heart that you need to lift to the Lord? In particular, what will you pray in relation to the new beginnings in your life?
Make sure you write down your prayers. As you record your prayers, this becomes your prayer journal. It’s a great way to track what is going on in your life of faith and how God is answering your prayer and growing you in faith and grace.
Enough for now. I’ll let you get to prayer and to rest. And I’ll look forward to seeing you tomorrow in worship, the Master’s Workshop.
Prayer: Gracious God, thank You for the blessing of Genesis 1:1. Thank You that You are in the very Beginning. Thank You that all things begin with You and all things can be creations of Your love. Thank You that in and through our faith we can affirm You are in all our beginnings. Thank You that when things start right with You, they go better, and when things go better with You, things can finish well with You. For this blessing of Your grace in the beginning of all things, we praise You in the name of the One was in the beginning with You, even Jesus Christ our Lord.