This is My Story

The sound came from the deepest portions of my soul. Internally I noted to self, how I sang with the full measure of my voice and heart that Sunday. 

Our church is leading a sermon series titled “Heroes of the Bible: Great Women of Faith”.

And I am so deeply affirmed and so profoundly grateful for the Biblical scholarship on the role of women in church leadership across Biblical history. 

Profoundly I say!

Huldah, Deborah, Ester, Priscilla, and Mary Magdalene: all chosen by God to voice God’s teachings and prophecies in times when women were chattel, property. When mere men gave them no voice. God gave us His image and uses our gifts and our voices to influence His church; and has, since earliest Biblical times. 

But back to the music that Sunday.

The hymn was “Blessed Assurance”.

You know it. 

“This is my story, this is my song…”. 

Lyrics so familiar to generations of American Christians of the 20th and 21st centuries. 

Never in my lifetime of church education, in Choir School, in Sunday  School, VBS, Youth Group…never was it mentioned that this was written by Francis Crosby, [a female Francis] …Fanny Crosby, a woman. A blind woman of the 1800’s. A woman who wrote hundreds of hymns. A woman who met with U.S. Presidents. A woman who influenced her church.

Soul bursting recognition by our holy God, affirmed by my home church.

This is why I heard my voice sing with the full measure of its soul praising source.

God’s story includes me. My gender. 

Women, His image bearers, fully valued and called by God to teach, preach, and prophesy.

“This is my story, this is my song. Praising my savior all the day long.”

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Go to the House of the Lord

I rejoice with those who said to me,

“Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

                                                                              Psalm 122:1

Chapel doors stand transparent with handles smoothed for the grasping, eager to swing wide in invitation and hospitality. The Lord's church, living and breathing, welcomes the hungry heart to be nourished by praise, prayer, and  worship. I love the body of  Christ's church for all that it encourages me to be.

There are more lovely photo praises to be enjoyed here:

SUNDAY , & here...

Wizened Attitudes Learn Anew

He is a very young pastor, an animated storyteller, and a longtime fan of Super Heroes. With this in mind, I approached the sermon series that he led on this topic with an indulgent attitude. An attitude of “I’m old enough to be your mother” and “I’m many decades past this interest” kind of indulgence. 

Over the three weeks of sermons I’ve laughed deep chest laughter during his telling of Super Hero lore. I have. More to the point, my generational ‘wait and see’ attitude has been impressed.  The teaching points have been solid and they’ve touched deep cords of my soul’s need. 

This young pastor suggests that humanity’s fascination with the legend of a Super Hero is likened to what we think we want God to be; accessible on demand, super powered, and avenging. Yes, we would like that. However, that would likely also be a hero inclined to grandeur, narcissism, and anger.

Our Lord Jesus embodied very different attributes. Our Lord teaches the value of very different characteristics.  Our God wants us to be loving, self sacrificing, humble and to wait on His timing. He wants to be in touch with us moment by moment in praise and prayer; not just in our hour of need. Our Lord pursues forgiveness and restoration before vengence. 

You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself; I am the Lord. 

Lev. 19:18 NIV

Yes, the young pastor caught the attention of my wizened attitudes. So I sat up straighter and let the Lord wash these reminders across my heart.

Stand Up! Sing His Holy Name!

Our Pastor stepped to the pulpit to declare, "He is Risen!" and we rose to sing our joy as Easter people. 

My heart burst with it's own silent internal refrain,

"Stand up,

Stand up,

 

Sing!

Sing his holy name!"

Jubilant choir voices rang with a royal decree announcing the King of Kings. Our sanctuary, filled with hundreds of voices, joined the choir and song reverberated from loft to alter, up through the balconies, with the music of His people's praise. My heart swelled with the Holy Spirit's presence in this place and continued it's silent worshipful refrain, 

"Stand up,

Stand up,

Sing! Sing his holy name!"

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