A Prayer At Seeding Time

Father, we are a church planted in a field.
And though our own fields may be in different places
we are still, in many ways, people connected to the land.

For our food and sustenance, for our daily bread, we give you thanks.
For the strength to work in our fields of service, we give you thanks.
For this place, a gathering place in a field with roots that go down over a hundred years,
we thank you Lord for those who have worked here, before us.

Now oh Lord, we ask that you would again, bless the land.
Bless the seeds and the earth.
Bless the skies and the sun and the rain.
Bless the workers with safety and the wisdom to know,
when enough is enough.
Oh Lord, bless this season.

It is good for us to stop and to remember and to say it out loud,
that our life comes from you Lord, and not from our fields.

So thank you Father, for whatever you’ll do with the work that we’ve done.
We know that without your blessing, we will struggle.
And without seasons of drought, we forget to pray.

So we’ll take what you give, just as you give it,
for you are our father and you only give good gifts.
Though we tremble a bit, because we want what we want,
We choose to entrust this year to you, because of your great love for us.
And so we ask for the Blessing.

Father, Bless this year
Amen


R.F.

So You Want To Be A Pastor

The most crucial advice I can offer to any pastor, whether they're seasoned, just starting out, or even considering ministry, is profoundly simple yet immensely powerful. It's a truth that has resonated in my heart for years, and I've finally found the words to express it.

In the book of Acts, there's a remarkable passage where the Pharisees are astounded by the disciples' wisdom and eloquence, despite their lack of formal education. The secret to their profound knowledge? They had been with Jesus.

This, dear friends, is the cornerstone of effective pastoral ministry. The single most important thing you can do as a pastor is to consistently spend time with Jesus. This practice will unlock wisdom, deepen your understanding, and provide divine insight. It will equip you with Christ's words and empower you to teach God's truth with heavenly wisdom, guided by the Holy Spirit.

But what does 'being with Jesus' look like in practical terms? It means immersing yourself in God's Word daily. Are you reading the Bible regularly? Are you not just reading, but truly absorbing it, pondering its messages, and meditating on its truths? Equally important is prayer. Are you engaging in meaningful conversation with Jesus Christ, both speaking and listening?

I firmly believe that if you commit to these practices daily - spending time in the Word and in prayer - you will become an effective pastor. Combine this with a genuine love for people, and I can almost guarantee your success in ministry. This is more vital than any seminary education or formal training.

Looking back on my years in ministry, I can clearly see that my most fruitful seasons were those when I prioritized being with Jesus. So, to all aspiring pastors, I implore you to take this to heart. Make spending time with Jesus your top priority. It's the secret to pastoral success, the insider information that will set you apart. 

Amen.

Stillness

 

For me, this is true. 

A Prayer For The Day

Psalm 19 

For the director of music. A psalm of David. 

1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 2 Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. 3 They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. 4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. 

In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. 5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. 6 It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. 

 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever. The decrees of the Lord are firm, and all of them are righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the honeycomb. 11 By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 

12 But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults. 13 Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression. 14 May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Jupiter in the Southern Sky

Lenten Reader Prayer Devotional

Joel 2:1-2, 12-17

   

1   Sound the trumpet in Jerusalem!

    Raise the alarm on my holy mountain!

Let everyone tremble in fear

    because the day of the Lord is upon us.

2 It is a day of darkness and gloom,

    a day of thick clouds and deep blackness.

Suddenly, like dawn spreading across the mountains,

    a great and mighty army appears.

Nothing like it has been seen before

    or will ever be seen again.

   

   

   

12  That is why the Lord says,

    “Turn to me now, while there is time.

Give me your hearts.

    Come with fasting, weeping, and mourning.

13 Don’t tear your clothing in your grief,

    but tear your hearts instead.”

Return to the Lord your God,

    for he is merciful and compassionate,

slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.

    He is eager to relent and not punish.

14 Who knows? Perhaps he will give you a reprieve,

    sending you a blessing instead of this curse.

Perhaps you will be able to offer grain and wine

    to the Lord your God as before.

15 Blow the ram’s horn in Jerusalem!

    Announce a time of fasting;

call the people together

    for a solemn meeting.

16 Gather all the people—

    the elders, the children, and even the babies.

Call the bridegroom from his quarters

    and the bride from her private room.

17 Let the priests, who minister in the Lord’s presence,

    stand and weep between the entry room to the Temple and the altar.

Let them pray, “Spare your people, Lord!

    Don’t let your special possession become an object of mockery.

Don’t let them become a joke for unbelieving foreigners who say,

    ‘Has the God of Israel left them?’”

   

   

-----------------------------------------------------

There are times when life with God becomes so mundane.

We believe there is more to be experienced with him because we’ve heard about it, and we’ve read about it in the scriptures. But we don’t know how to get from there from here.

So we try changing things up to try and improve. We might get up early for devotions. We might volunteer down at the food bank. We might try to memorize some verses. We might join a small group. All good things yes. But all the kinds of things that fit nicely into a New Year’s resolution.

Our passage from Joel today tells us that there is something we can do, but we might not think it’s written for us today. The prophet Joel gives us ample warning that the day of the Lord is coming. A day of sober sadness, a day of darkness and gloom perhaps unknown in our lives. It may be THE day of the Lord, or it may be a day of the Lord’s visitation in our lives. Whichever it< might be, it is a message of warning that Joel was called on to deliver to his generation, and to us.

What if this Lenten season we received his warning, and began to act on it as he instructs us. What if we would turn towards God with a sorrow filled heart? What if we were to call our hearts to a sacred assembly, a holy meeting with God, and repent?

Oh, we may say we have nothing to repent of. Our relationship with Christ is good.

Yes, I know it is. Mine is too. However, I found when I started to heed His warning, and I intentionally stopped and turned towards Him, and I asked Him what I should repent of, He showed me my selfish acts. My acts of pride. My incidents of self righteousness. He showed me my moments of anger. He showed me my envy and my careless attitude. On and on He showed me. I began to repent, and it has led to more repentance, and its turned into a season of repentance.

It turns out I do have things to repent of and to clean up between Jesus and me. (And if I run out of things to repent for, I can start repenting on behalf of my nation.)

And you know what? Life gets a little clearer, and my step gets a little lighter and gladness takes the place of what was once mundane in my relationship with God.

Amazing how that works.




Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada 2024 Lenten Reader

 

Daily Prayers for the First of January And I was able to record it outside!!

 

What a Weird Wonderful Winter We've had so far!!

The Daily Prayers run here:  thefieldpastor.com

I remember when... (Really is this gonna become a blog of an old cranky man?)

It was probably near to 30 years ago when I was asked to give a presentation to a Bible college class. The class was about church and where its strengths and weaknesses lay.

I remember the class was fresh and eager and excited to engage with me on the topic.

We were church planting at the time and that allowed us to do church a bit differently than many of the churches of that day. So many of the churches then were more like corporations than they were anything else.  There were systems and processes and ways to get the business of churches done. It was in the 1980s and 90s so some of the church growth techniques were starting to gain traction.

In the church we were in the process of planting we discovered almost by accident, the power of community in church life. People were friends, and not just friendly. That meant they would check up on one another and care for each other through the week in whatever needs they might face. The new people were incorporated into the community and given a place at the table, so that they too had a sense of belonging. We were growing, slowly and surely, we were being established.

There really weren't worship wars in that community because the people would take turns leading the music. We didn't have a youth group and so our kids hung out with adults and participated with them as well. It gave them a sense of belonging too.

We didn't have a building that was ours and we rented space we met in, So our money and our investments were in people. In our local people, and our community in which we lived. 

I remember that my presentation to this class was along the lines of church could be this and this and this, and what I was doing was describing our little church in the city. As I talked their eyes got bigger and bigger and they became more animated in their excitement about wanting to belong to a church like this. they asked me did I know where a church like this existed and I said yes I do. It was to be found in the church that we had the opportunity to be a part of. 

I remember their enthusiasm as they left the room talking in excited tones about the future of church.

Now we were anything but a perfect church. Oh no. There were many struggles along the way. And of course when you're building a community one of the struggles that would arise is bumping into one another. When one had a vision for one direction and one had a vision for another direction, there could be tension. What we had was a commitment to each other in listening and to working out those places in our life together.

The emphasis with that class was primarily that the church could be a community, more than a corporate entity. I know most people would agree with that sense, but it was always in the outworking of that value that community could lose out over the need for structure and organization. 

So here we are 30 years later looking back more than we are looking forward. And I would have to strongly say that in the churches that I have been a part of that have been fruitful ministries, there has been a strong sense of community built. 

The young people I have come in contact with these days are still looking for churches that are about community. As have people who have stuck it out in churches where they don't have any friends.

Churches have chosen different directions and different values that will help them to grow for a time, but I am surprised that some of them are still in existence. Maybe that speaks to peoples stubbornness, or perhaps that speaks to God's incredible patience with us.

But I feel like that is a message I want to get out in every conversation with a young pastor that I have. The Holy Spirit, God, is a relational God who is all about community and that we can experience true living and true life in a godly community. And that's what people are after. many people anyway.

If you want to be a pastor, think about it. Pray about this. And then act on it. 

And if you long to belong to a church like this, they don't just happen, they have to be prayerfully built together.

I believe God still has a lot of surprises in store for his church. We'll see, and we'll pray.

Psalm 19

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right. rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.

Moreover, by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

——

This passage comes from Psalm 19 in the Bible and describes the perfection and importance of God's laws and commandments. The psalmist affirms that the law of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul, meaning that it is flawless and brings life and renewal to the innermost being of a person. The testimony of the Lord is sure and makes wise the simple, indicating that God's word is trustworthy and able to give wisdom to those who seek it. The precepts of the Lord are right and bring joy to the heart, while the commandment of the Lord is pure and enlightens the eyes, implying that God's laws are morally upright and bring understanding and insight to those who follow them.

The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever, suggesting that reverence and awe for God is pure and everlasting. The rules of the Lord are true and righteous altogether, indicating that God's laws are not only accurate but also morally just.

The psalmist also affirms that God's laws are more valuable than gold and sweeter than honey, implying that they are of great worth and bring delight and pleasure to those who cherish them. Finally, the psalmist asserts that by following God's laws, one's servant is warned and in keeping them, there is great reward, suggesting that obedience to God's laws brings protection and blessings.

——

My First Bible... Still Works

Yesterday I was called to the hospital because one of our elderly people is not doing well. I don’t think he will be with us much longer.

Anyway, I was getting ready to leave the house and I always take a Bible with me. That's so I can read some comforting verses, and pray with them and listen to them.  

This time I wanted to take a King James version Bible along, because he is 95 years old and dementia has crept up on him and I thought that version might be the biggest comfort for him. So I scanned our book shelf in the living room and I saw my old Bible. I grabbed it and off I went, and I was glad I had taken it.

This small Bible was the first Bible I ever received. I got it from mom and dad for Christmas in 1972 when I was nine years old. I realized that was 50 years ago.

I brought it in with me, and I read the 23rd psalm, and a passage from John 14; “In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

The passages and the way the King James reads it seemed to be a comfort to him and his wife. And then with him hanging between two worlds, he started to mumble/sing the song, Jesus loves me. Even in his dementia, that song was written on his heart.

As I was driving home, I realized that that little Bible has been in my life for 50 years. And it is still being used in my life. It is still a gift to me.

Who would’ve thought 50 years ago that I would take it to the hospital to read to a dying friend.

Daily Prayers for Advent

 

We are bringing back Daily Prayers for Advent this year so if you are interested, come by thefieldpastor.com which is the link to my Youtube account.

Each weekday in Advent we plan to have another video available, so come and join in.

Tuesday Mornings

Tuesday mornings come early for me. My first meeting of the day is at 6:30 AM when we the guys and I meet for prayer.

The guys used to meet in person at the church and drink coffee and talk and catch up and pray together. But now, because of the events of the past few years, we have started to meet online by zoom. We have found that it allows other guys to be able to join us from a distance away, and that is a great blessing as well.

But it is early for me.

This morning I woke up at one minute before my alarm went off. That rarely happens to me, but this morning it did.  I got up and staggered to the washroom and got ready for the day. Then I made myself some strong tea and I came out into our sunroom here with my laptop. I fired up the zoom and see who’s online already waiting for our appointment.

Some Tuesdays it’s just good to see the guys, to catch up on the news, to care for one another, and to check up on one another. Other times like today, it turns into a rich and deep fellowship with one another. It seems that God is not held back by zoom meetings, but he enters our faithful conversation.

There is encouragement for us and a deep sense of “God is with us.” 

It is still early and it is sometimes a challenge to be awake enough for such a gathering.  But you never know who’s going to be there, and you never know how the conversation will go. And you never know what God has planned for us.  It’s still one of the coolest things that we do around here as men.

Hope your day goes well. Mine has started off quite nicely. 

...and all manner of things shall be well.

I left my office late again tonight, I think it was about 7:00 pm. After another day of trying to arrange for care and worship options for a church that won’t be meeting for who knows how long.

We’ve got some good ideas but they all will be with very few people ever together.

Anyway as I left my office this was the view greeting me. And the sense of those ancient words were there, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.”

Indeed.

A Prayer for the New Year

Keep us, O Lord,
while we tarry on this earth,
in a serious seeking after you,
and in an affectionate walking with you,
every day of our lives;
that when you come,
we may be found not hiding our talent,
nor serving the flesh,
nor yet asleep with our lamp unfurnished,
but waiting and longing for our Lord,
our glorious God for ever.


Richard Baxter (1691)

Just Broken

The news here in Canada is mostly about the Ukrainian plane crash in Iran, especially with our prime minister today announcing that they believe it was caused by a Iranian missile.

So far we know that 63 Canadians died in the tragedy. 31 are from the city near where we live.

Today I had to go up to the city for my first meeting, which was in an Anglican Church. There is a small daycare there and as I entered, the two ladies who work there were busying themselves. Their faces were noticeably sad. Then my eyes caught sight of the side table, and what was on it. Flowers, candles, and pictures of a smiling family with two little girls.

And I started to realize.

The girls were part of the daycare and mom and dad were engineering professors at the university. They all died in the crash.

The tragedy reverberates through the hearts of many in the area. People are hurting.

I took the picture so that I could remember their names as I pray tonight. I guess I need not have done so. They’ve been on my heart all day.

The Grace of Wonder

“Joseph it's time, he's here.”
Very few of us as human beings, are given a great dose of Wonder to face life with. For most of us as we transform from children to adults, we lose the sense of wonder. The grace of awe.
The wise ones hold on to their wonder, and the rest of us look at them with impatience, wondering when they will grow up and face the world like the rest of us do. We say “Grow up” BUT Jesus said you must become as a little child.

Christmas is a time when wonder is real, when Wonder became flesh and dwelt among us. Wonder has always been associated with Christmas.

What about Mary’s eyes as the angel told her what was to come?
“Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” (Luke 1)

There is a hint of fear there in her big probably brown eyes as she receives this news. But she asks how will this happen, since she is a virgin?
“The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.”

You can feel her confidence returning and the wonder start as she replies:
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.”

God was at work creating a way for humanity to be introduced to himself. Making a way for us to connect with Him. This baby in a manger is God’s best attempt to tell us in a gentle way, that he loves us. God came into this space and time to give us a hope in solving this human condition.

Born as a baby, Jesus Christ lived life here and had some dear friends and family but had an amazing relationship of love with his Heavenly Father. Some thirty three years later he died undeservedly on a cross, and then conquered death and came back to life. That’s pretty wonder-ful.

You see, wonder has always been associated with Christmas. Because God is the God of wonder.

This world needs a God of miracles, a God of wonder. A God who satisfies our tired hearts and offers us hope in a time of hopelessness.

Christmas was always about light shining in the darkness — Jesus entering this human existence. Maybe we should take a lesson from those with child like wonder this season.

Yes, wonder has always been a part of Christmas. It’s not just for five year olds and for women having babies. It’s for each of us because the God of Wonders is the God of Christmas.

Let me close with a line from a video;

But would they, could they,
imagine a gift so great,
a gift that compelled the whole world to wait
when a heavenly father gave all of mankind
his son
the one
love defined.
The magic of Christmas is more brilliant you see
then a bag or a box put under a tree.
The true love of Christmas really began
when holy God became wholly man.
My friends it's time, he's here.

A Prayer before Sleeping

Before the ending of the day,
Creator of the world, we pray
That you, with steadfast love, would keep
Your watch around us while we sleep.

From evil dreams defend our sight,
From fears and terrors of the night;
Tread underfoot our deadly foe
That we no sinful thought may know.

O Father, that we ask be done
Through Jesus Christ, your only Son;
And Holy Spirit, by whose breath
Our souls are raised to life from death.

Black Thursday?

It feels like it’s turning into one of those days where you have to push and fight for every inch forward. That every new thing on the schedule seems against you, like shoveling water, or running on ice.

Let’s just say that the car is in the shop, and I’ve just left the dentist with half a frozen mouth slurring speech. My appointments for the afternoon need to be rescheduled, depends on how long the car is in the shop.

But for today we do have the money to cover it. For today we’ll be alright.

There have been many years in our lives that we haven’t had the money. That we don’t get the car fixed or that we just pull the tooth and eat more soup.

Yet it’s not lost on me that all of our kids have straight teeth. That I have not had to eat more soup (although I want to eat more soup because I like it) And that whenever the broken cars we have had have died, there’s always been something else ready for us to use. Every time we’ve needed a vehicle, it’s been there.

So really I have much to be grateful for. I have not had to depend on my own strength or my own resources to save the day. Seems that the passage in Matthew 6 is true.

"Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

For us anyway.
Be blessed.

We called her the Velvet Fog because she always left a trail of blue smoke behind her.

I just never realized how many kms we put on it, till I found this photo.

We should have called it Jehoveh-jireh, God provides.

God Save The Queen

This has got to be one of the most moving pieces of music. This arrangement of the British National Anthem by Benjamin Britten arranged in the early 1960s.

In grade school we used to sing it whenever we sang O Canada. The two went together like peanut butter and grape jam. :)

But this arrangement is stunning and I've only heard of it because in recent years they have been singing it on the Last Night of the Proms.

It has become, in this version, much more the prayer that it was written to be.

Love still changes people

Jean Vanier, founder of the L’Arche communities, said, “My experience has shown that when we welcome people from this world of anguish, brokenness and depression, and when they gradually discover that they are wanted and loved as they are and that they have a place, then we witness a real transformation — I would even say ‘resurrection.’ Their tense, angry, fearful, depressed body gradually becomes relaxed, peaceful and trusting. This shows through the expression on the face and through all their flesh. As they discover a sense of belonging, that they are part of a ‘family,’ then the will to live begins to emerge. I do not believe it is of any value to push people into doing things unless this desire to live and to grow has begun to emerge.”

Isn’t this the work of the Kingdom of God and the church as well?

The humiliation.

Augustine of Hippo, a fifth-century bishop and theologian, wrote, “The way to Christ is first through humility, second through humility, third through humility. If humility does not precede and accompany and follow every good work we do, if it is not before us to focus on, if it is not beside us to lean upon, if it is not behind us to fence us in, pride will wrench from our hand any good deed we do at the very moment we do it.”

These weeks have been weeks of personal challenges to life and work and how I do work. It feels like a personal dismantling of the ways I have worked in the past. That has to do with a strong work ethic and drawing my value from some of the difficult work that I do. I preach against that but I need to live it out now as well.  And truth be told, I have dreaded that part of my learning curve. Do you still have value when you can't do as much work? Of course you do.  But do I? Welllllll.....

It is, as Mr. Augustine says, a humbling road to walk if you are going to move towards God, and I have been making choices to move towards God more and more. I am relearning a few good lessons on this road and its a good road to be on, but it is a humiliating road as well.

I absolutely trust His character, even when in the midst of the humiliation. It's a road that leads to Him and so it leads to life and light.  Eventually.