Wesley's Covenant Prayer for Today

In 1755, John Wesley first prayed what would later be known as his Covenant Prayer. This prayer was formally published in 1780. Here is the prayer:

I am no longer my own, but thine.
Put me to what thou wilt, rank me with whom thou wilt.
Put me to doing, put me to suffering.
Let me be employed for thee or laid aside for thee,
     exalted for thee or brought low for thee.
Let me be full, let me be empty.
Let me have all things, let me have nothing.
I freely and heartily yield all things to thy pleasure and disposal.
And now, O glorious and blessed God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
     thou art mine, and I am thine.
So be it.

And the covenant which I have made on earth,
     let it be ratified in heaven.
Amen.

The prayer is simultaneously powerful and beautiful. Consider praying it regularly.

A few weeks ago I put the Ten Commandments into modern culture and language. A reader requested I do this with Wesley's Covenant Prayer. Here it is:

I was once mine. From this point forward, I am yours. 

Make clear my purposes in life. 

Place me among my loved ones and expand my heart to love all. 

Help me to think the things you want me to think, 
     say the things you want me to say, 
     and do the things you want me to do, 
          even if it means I am belittled, ignored, or criticized.

Give me people to encourage, serve, and love.
Give me times of peace and rest so I can love and be loved by you.
Let me be a light to a dark world so people can see you working in me.
Make me humble and remind me that everything I have is because of you.
Thank you for times of happiness and prosperity
     they are a gift. 

Thank you for your presence and promise in days of sadness and hardship
     I emerge stronger and wiser. 

Let me discover and embrace your will for my life.
With joy and in fullness, 
     I give my possessions, my time, and my energy 
     to you and to your purposes. 

Almighty, holy, and blessed God: 
     Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, 

     you are my true love and I am yours.


And so it is.

Let the covenant I am making here on earth be acceptable and pleasing to you.


Amen.

Sun Stand Still

On Sunday, October 23rd, we are starting a new sermon series at The Water's Edge: Sun Stand Still. I invite you to join us!

It never happened before. It hasn’t happened since. Apologists use science and history to prove it. Skeptics say it’s silly. Some scholars argue it’s a metaphor with incredible meaning. It was the day the sun stood still.

Moses led his people to Mount Pisgah. He could see the land promised to his ancestors: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But he could take them no further. His tired muscles and broken bones died on the mountain looking at the finish line of a race he had been running for forty years. He smelled, tasted, and saw victory. But he never experienced it.

Moses was a tough act to follow. Andrew Johnson, Roger Moore, Frank Solich all know what it must have been like for Joshua. One followed Abraham Lincoln as President; one followed Sean Connery as James Bond; and one followed Tom Osborne as football coach. All of them were more than capable. But none of them could be the one thing they were expected to be: their predecessor. The only thing Joshua had going for him was God selected him. And that was more than enough.

Joshua was unsure of himself. Even if he could lead the people across the river to the land flowing with milk and honey, the current residents weren’t going to give up their landlord status and become tenants without a fight. Joshua had just finished an ultramarathon and he had five mixed martial arts fighters standing in line waiting for a piece of him. God sounded like a broken record when told Joshua to be strong and courageous. And Joshua listened. Joshua prayed to the Lord in front of all the people of Israel.

He said, “Let the sun stand still over Gibeon, and the moon over the valley of Aijalon.” So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies. –Joshua 10:12-13

It was a day that changed Joshua’s world. Joshua’s back was against the wall. Hope was a mere flicker of light through a dense fog in a distance. He had come so far but had so far to go. But then he remembered the words of God: be strong and courageous. He prayed a prayer the size of his faith. A prayer that only God could answer: “Let the sun stand still.” And the minute he spoke those words the sun stopped dead in its tracks. The enemy didn’t have a chance. 

And it was a day that can your world as well. Our mistakes become regrets. The debris of life gathers like rainwater in a puddle. We have hurt others and ourselves. Or maybe we are tired of average or adequate and our dreams are bigger than are available resources. It’s time to pray a prayer that only God can answer. A prayer like Joshua’s. Sun stand still. Save me I’m lost. Get me out of this mess. Help me forgive. Use me to change lives. Make my dreams come true. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Living the Ten Commandments Today

From my sermon yesterday...

1. Give me the primary place in your heart. Don’t let things like money or stuff or power or control or people take my place. 

2. Worship me and not my creation. I’m much more dependable than the things of the world.

3. Keep your promises: the promises you make to me, the promises you make to others, and the promises you make to yourself. Broken promises lead to broken lives.

4. Rest once in a while. Do you really want to spend your life as tired and stressed and burdened? I created the world and the things in it for you to enjoy. Take me up on this offer.

5. Early in your life, listen to your parents. They aren’t perfect, but they are most likely doing their best to raise you. Later in life, do your best to take care of your parents. When you couldn’t take care of yourself, they were there for you. Now it’s your turn.

6. Don’t kill people. Don’t kill their dreams, their relationships, or their well-being. Spend your life building people up and not tearing them down.

7. Don’t mess around with your marriage vows or anybody else’s. 

8. Don’t take things that aren’t yours. You will hurt somebody else and the thing you take probably won’t have much value to you anyway. 

9. Don’t tell lies about others. Don’t gossip either. It is hurtful for the person you are gossiping about, the other person will most likely find what you said which will hurt or end your relationship with that person, and it makes you appear insensitive and untrustworthy. 

10. Don’t be jealous of others. It’s tough to be in a good relationship with somebody you are jealous of and it makes you a whole lot less grateful for what you have.

The Waterfall

I needed to get away. We all have those days. I left my cell phone in my car. Email would have to wait for another day. So would this column, this week’s sermon, advance planning, pastoral care, leadership, and administration. 

Go away by yourself to a desolate place and rest a while. –Mark 6:31 

I laced up some old trail running shoes. The leftover mud on the shoes was a few months old. Long shorts and an old t-shirt were the clothes for the morning. I filled my water bottle mostly with ice and a little water. The ice would melt soon enough. I got in my dirty black car and drove to the park. A sports radio show was on. I turned it off. Somehow two guys overanalyzing the hows and whys of Nebraska’s quarterback throwing too many interceptions just didn’t really matter to me. 

It was a beautiful morning. The morning sun reflecting off the yellow and red leaves were God’s canvas. Monet and Van Gogh and Audubon on their best day never came close to this. The fallen leaves covered the crusty dirt trail. They also covered the tree roots and rocks. I shared the forest with a few deer and a group of wild turkeys. They were seeking food for their stomachs. I was seeking food for my soul.

Photo by Tim Wright
http://www.redbubble.com/people/bobst1080

After about 90 minutes of running the ice was melted and the water in the bottle was gone. A few scrapes existed on my right wrist and right knee from an encounter with a tree root. The shirt was sweaty in the upper back. I opened the door of the dirty car, removed my Bible and journal, and walked down a steep hill to a bench overlooking a small waterfall. 

I opened the Bible. I read Psalm 42. No particular reason. It is just where I landed. I wrote part of the text in my own words: 

When I am sad or stressed or tired or tense, I remember you. 

The depths of my heart call to depths of your heart. 

The waterfall makes smooth the jagged rock.

Each day God showers His love on my imperfect heart and changes it. 

There is something about a waterfall. It overcomes obstacles with brawn and beauty. It is simultaneously peaceful and powerful. It is as delightful as it is determined. It takes a coarse rock and over time makes it as smooth as silk. Maybe the ordinary waterfall is so exceptional because it is like God: peaceful, powerful, beautiful, different, and transforming. 

The sight and then the sound of the waterfall faded in the distance. I walked up the hill to the dirty black car. And I remembered God’s words to Moses, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” –Exodus 33:14 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Control Issues

Last Sunday morning I had a headache. When I get them, usually a couple Advil takes the pain away. Last Sunday morning was an exception. I was having some investigative work done on my colon the next morning and wasn’t allowed to take Advil. So I drove downtown to pray with our runners who were doing the 10K, half-marathon, and marathon. Trying to find a parking spot, the headache got worse. When I got home the computer we use to project words and images on the screen during worship didn’t boot up. The headache got worse. In about 15 years of doing this, I don’t ever recall preaching with a headache. Now I can say I have. 

I’ll skip the details between noon on Sunday and nine o’clock on Monday morning. The headache was still present. I hadn’t eaten for thirty-six hours. For the first time in my life I was getting an IV. The nurse pushed my bed into the surgical room. I was going to be put to sleep for the first time in my life.

I’m not a control freak. Quite the opposite. I am probably a little too hands off as a church leader and I may give my kids too much freedom. Hopefully I’m somewhere in the middle between micromanaging and chaos. 

But on Monday morning I was dealing with some control issues. The anesthesiologist was very professional. He was even funny. I told him it was my first time going under. He replied I was his first patient, so we would be a good team. The surgeon was competent and compassionate. He noted I was the youngest patient he had seen in a while. By this time I was becoming sedated: I think I told him I didn’t know if that said more about me or him. Either that or I told him I was being chased by a giant, talking coconut. I remember them talking about my low resting pulse and being a funny guy for a pastor. Or maybe that was a dream. 

The next thing I remember is waking up with the IV out wondering why they hadn’t started yet. The nurse explained I was done. I replied “What do you mean, done? Am I going to die?” She responded, “Eventually you will, but most likely not in the near future. We are finished. Everything went well.” 

A while later, I left to go home. A queasy stomach. An empty stomach. A chauffeur. Having as much or as little control as I want. As I was dreaming about onion rings and key lime pie, it hit me, I realized I’m not really in control of much of anything except the thing that matters most. I don’t control things like the driver on the other side of the road, the stock market, or my kids when they are at school. But I can influence my relationship with God. It’s not much, but just as well, because in the present and in the end, it’s what matters. I’m not going to be a casual fan. I’m going to strive to be a fully committed follower. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig

Why Honey Crisp Apples Cost More

Last night Benjamin asked me why Honey Crisp apples cost more than other apples. It's not everyday I get to use my degree in economics...so here it goes.

A comparison of Red Delicious (red) and Honey Crisp (green) apples

First, the Honey Crisp is a fairly new apple so there is a fairly limited supply. Growers simply can't plant new trees and get huge harvests in the few years. It will take years for supply of Honey Crisps to catch up to other varieties of apples.

Second, the Honey Crisp is probably the best tasting apple. Their sweet and mild flavor and firm texture make them a joy to eat. Honey Crisp apples have the highest demand of any apple. 

Intuition at this point tells us the Honey Crisp is going to cost more than other apples. The law of supply and demand graph confirms this intuition.

Two apples are compared on this chart. The Red Delicious are the red lines and the Honey Crisp are the green lines.

Supply

Note the supply of both varieties at $0. A grower will not harvest apples he or she has to give away. Note also the inelasticity of both supply curves: the price the buyer is willing to pay for the apples doesn't have a major effect on the quantity sold. The number of apple trees (and therefore apples) in a growing season is fixed. Just as it doesn't make sense to give the apples away, it doesn't make sense to let the apples rot. So regardless of price offered for the apples (assuming the price is above the cost of getting the apples to market), the quantity of apples supplied is not terribly dependent on price. Note as well the supply of Red Delicious apples is greater than the supply of Honey Crisp apples. A greater number of existing orchards and trees allow the growers to sell more units of Red Delicious apples at a lower price.

Demand

The demand of Honey Crisp apples is much greater than the demand for Red Delicious Apples. If given the choice, most apple eaters greatly prefer the taste of Honey Crisp apples to Red Delicious Apples. Look at two price points for each apple. At $2 the consumer is willing to purchase only 18 units of Red Delicious apples. The consumer is willing to purchase 60 units of Honey Crisp apples for $2. At $4 the consumer is willing to purchase only 10 units of Red Delicious apples. The consumer is willing to purchase 30 units of Honey Crisp apples for $4. So, the consumer wants Honey Crisp apples more than Red Delicious apples and is willing to pay the price. The demand for apples, especially Red Delicious, is pretty elastic. A change in price significantly effects the quantity demanded.

Equilibrium

The price is determined by the intersection of supply and demand. A high supply and lower demand for Red Delicious apples means 2.4 units of apples will be sold at a price of $1.30. A low supply and higher demand for Honey Crisp apples means 4.8 units of Honey Crisp apples will be sold at a price of $2.80.

Conclusion

Price is determined by supply and demand. Honey Crisp apples will continue to cost more than other varieties of apples until more Honey Crisp apple trees can be planted and other varieties of apples are developed that rival the taste of Honey Crisp Apples.

What You Can Do

Dozens of times in the last few months, people have asked me how they can help with The Water’s Edge—especially as we have recently celebrated our 5th Birthday and as we launch into a new season of ministry and mission in Omaha and beyond. Here are some essential practices God wants from the people of His Church.

Hanging out at The Water's Edge at Platte River State Park

Invite. Nothing draws people to Jesus more than you. It takes courage for people to step into a journey towards Christ. It takes courage to walk through the doors of a church. And you can be the courage people need to step out! Honor the people in your life with an invitation to experience God at The Water’s Edge. Tell your friends, family, co-workers, and classmates—share what you love about your church—and invite them to worship with you. 

Serve. We most look like Jesus when we serve. From teaching kids to greeting strangers to setting up chairs to dozens of other ministries – serving is part of God’s plan for our life. You will be a blessing and you will be blessed. Serving is a great way to get to know people as well. 

Speaking of getting to know people, join a small group or commit to the current small group you are in. We currently have about 20 small groups of all shapes and sizes. More will be starting in mid-October and in early January. You will have fun, make friends, learn from and with others, and experience and encounter God. 

Worship regularly. This is a primary way we connect with God. We are comforted and challenged. We experience the things of God: hope, grace, and forgiveness. The Scriptures are applied to our lives. 

Every day do something that invests in your spiritual life and helps you grow as a disciple. Every day participate in our Bible reading plan or read a devotional. Every day do something that serves or benefits someone else. Every day pray for the church. 

Give. The way we handle money is essential for our well-being and for the mission and ministry of the church. Giving frees us from the burden of greed and creates in us a spirit of generosity. Giving also allows us to trust that God can do more with most of our resources than we can do with all of our resources. To do the things God wants The Water’s Edge to do and to serve the people God wants us to serve, additional financial resources will be necessary. 

Live out the Gospel. No substitute exists for Christian character. God will be most powerful in your life and the lives of those around you when you do the things Jesus did, live like Jesus lived, and love like Jesus loved. 

That is how you can help. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig