Converts Are Made, Not Birthed
July 31, 2009
Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child. 8 Who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or shall a nation be born at once? for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children. 9 Shall I bring to the birth, and not cause to bring forth? saith the LORD: shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb? saith thy God. Isaiah 66:6-9 (KJV)
Converts are not made, they are birthed. True parish growth is through prayer. Consider St Paul’s words to the Galatians:
My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, Gal 4:19 (KJV)
The apostle was in “travail again” for the Galatians. Here is a principle of intercessory prayer; prayer in us yields Christ to be formed in others. There is no way around it; for the Church to truly bear fruit and make converts, she must pray them into the Kingdom. The Old Testament priesthood was based on certain people going to God on behalf of others. Now we are all part of the priesthood and are tasked to go to God on behalf of others. After all, we are responsible for the people in our lives. Prayer is a big part of how we respond to that responsibility-calling the Holy Ghost into lives to change them, elementally!
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? 5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again. John 3:3-7 (KJV)
It is my understanding babies don’t birth themselves-but depend on Mom to do all the work. This is also true with people to be born again. The job for birthing folks into God’s kingdom is up to “Mother Church.” This kind of prayer comes from the belly-an ancient concept representing the person’s true inner self–the intellectual and emotional life– what St. Paul thought of as the seat of one’s physical appetites, sensual pleasures, and worldly satisfactions. However, once we are born again, we are new creatures, and this seat of the natural man is now the cathedral of the Holy Ghost, Who empowers our life in Christ.
In short, we surrender our natural inner man to the use of the Holy Ghost, Who, in possessing our rational desires overcomes them-changing our motivations from self to God, making this kind of intercession a function of God the Holy Ghost praying through and beyond our selfish priorities-part of which is what St. Paul called “groaning that cannot be uttered (Rom. 8:26).” I pray that the Holy Spirit intercede for us in this groaning from the belly.
Other tools include praying with our understandings (extemporaneously, with our BCPs or other prayer resources), and beyond those understandings in prayers where the Holy Ghost grants us “extraordinary speech” in words He alone gives. This is birthing prayer.
Likewise, WE can have a huge effect on the overall growth and vitality of our parish by how much prayer we invest-and just attending a Sunday service is not sufficient to take us forward. Liturgy provides the framework for parish worship and prayer whereas intercessory prayer provides the vitality for the extended life of the community. A parish without liturgy is like a body without bones and, likewise, a parish without Spirit-led intercessory prayer is dry bones. Intercessory prayer brings Holy Spirit activity and that fuels church growth and vitality.
To think of it in a business sense, think of prayer as the funding or capitalization of the Spirit. You can have great programs going in your parish, but they will be ineffective without the intercessory prayer “funding.” You can have great evangelistic efforts, but this needs to be charged with Holy Ghost-inhabited prayer to be effective. Getting folks to join the parish just is not the same as true births in Christ. The real birth is, after all, in the Heavenlies, and not on the parish register.
OK—so we understand that intercessory prayer MUST be cultivated in the parish. Those of you who garden or farm know what this is about. To get a crop, seeds are planted, watered and weeded. So, how do we cultivate prayer?
- First, part of the job description for all our staff includes the requirement for daily Morning and Evening Prayer, as part of their duties—so why not join them? It’s the Anglican way of doing things–offering sacrifices of prayer and worship to God every morning and evening.
- If you aren’t sure how to use the BCP at home, attend Salt and Light. If you are sure, why not start a weekly prayer meeting at your home-at least in your immediate household? A family that prays together stays together.
- Keep your own life orderly by watching for things that lead you away from God-distractions, temptations-anything that alters your focus. This keeps your prayer garden weeded.
- Cultivate prayer by reaching for it continually-at work/school, the grocery, in the car, in the gym, working in the yard-pray for the clergy, the vestry, the music director and choir, the staff-and the people, not just in the parish but all around us. Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to them all and build His Kingdom through us.
- Pray for the youth and children’s programs. Sow prayer into every child’s future by getting a class roster and bringing them before the Lord BY NAME.
- Pray for your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, family, and friends, BY NAME, if possible.
- Pray for leadership at city, state, and federal levels BY NAME.
- Build up to an hour a day to prayer on your own.
- Consider fasting a day a week-usually on Friday–or a even a few days a month. Fasting is not just for Lent. Fasting accelerates prayer. If the parish-or a particular aspect of it-seems to be stuck in a rut, supercharge it with prayer.
- Pray with our parish cycle of prayer-available on the Web site or in hard copy in our literature racks.
Join the intercessory prayer team, and pray specifically during a service or for needs. Watch for the next time we teach intercessory prayer and go get your skills built up in that discipleship.
So-are you part of the prayer assault-or sitting on the sidelines? Let’s birth new Christians and build the Kingdom in the Heavenlies in prayer!
Grace and peace,
Chip+
Social Networking by Anne Pargeter
July 29, 2009
There are certain aspects of the Internet age that I have willingly adopted. Desktop publishing, word processing are two wonderful things that I use and enjoy almost daily. Researching information, banking online, even ordering pizza or making a restaurant reservation are all great advances in my opinion. However, when Father Chip told me that All Saints was launching a “community” on Facebook, I didn’t think it was something I would ever use.
To me, Facebook was for teenagers who didn’t have anything better to do. Finally, I thought I would just log on to see what it was all about. It is free to sign up for Facebook and to create a page with basic information about yourself. The user controls how much information is posted on their page, and he or she can also limited how much of their information can be seen by other people. Individual users also must request to be linked to another person’s page, and if that person rejects their request, they cannot see the person’s page.
“You’d be surprised how you can connect with and stay up with folks in a few minutes a day. We’re combining mission and the net–missionet,” responded Father Chip when I created my Facebook page and sent him a message requesting to add him as “a friend.”
I was surprised by how many members of our parish are on Facebook and with the interesting information being shared among them. It is also a wonderful way to find out interesting things about someone you may have talked to after church or after one of the many discipleship opportunities at All Saints.
Do you know what Father Chip’s favorite quote is? Is he a fan of the movie Braveheart? Do you like reading mysteries? Deborah Cavanaugh does. On her Facebook page you can learn who some of her favorite authors are. Is she a Jimmy Buffet fan? Ask her, or join Facebook and request to be added as her friend. Has Robyn Tate read The Great House of God by Max Lucado? Did she like it? This is just some of the information you can learn about your friends at All Saints on Facebook.
Facebook is a wonderul way to reconnect with old friends and to share pictures and other information with family who are far away. I found a friend from my previous parish in Tulsa who has retired and is now living near Sugarland, TX. Another friend from that parish has recently moved back to California.
We are in a new age of communication options. In my opinion, Facebook is simply a 21st century version of “talking over the back fence.” Social networking sites such as Facebook can extend the mission of All Saints far beyond how we spread it when we meet others face-to-face. This new tool is in fact an important extension of the vision and mission of All Saints.
July 4th Parish Picnic
July 27, 2009
Vacation Bible School – Day 4
July 25, 2009
Take a look at the theme, memory verse, and “live it” statement from VBS on Thursday along with some great photos.
Liturgy Lesson for St. James the Apostle: Son of Thunder
July 25, 2009
Today we commemorate St. James, a fisherman son of Zebedee and brother of John, who, being called in their hearts by the Lord, left their family business to follow Jesus-after Jesus miraculously filled their previously empty nets with fish, in a place where the seasoned fishermen most likely doubted fish were. In fact, the successive calls were: (1) to friendly acquaintance (John 1:37); (2) to intimacy (Matt 4:18); (3) to permanent discipleship (Luke 5:11); (4) [toward the close of the first year of our Lord's ministry] to apostleship (Matt 10:1); (5) to renewed self dedication, even unto death (John 21:15-22). This gives us a powerful lesson from our liturgical calendar. St. James, who was a pragmatic “man’s man,” allowed the Lord to so transform his life that he became a man of faith so fiery the Lord called him and his brother, St. John, the “Sons of Thunder.” It was not a precipitous change, however; the men allowed the Lord to gradually change their hearts from a shallow, soulish interest, to being drawn close to the Lord, to a point where they wanted to change their habits and attitudes in learning and training to giving up their lives for Jesus. Like the Church year, and the Mass itself, their lives are a model of our lives in the Lord-being drawn to Him at first by our emotions, allowing Him to be close to us in our hearts, becoming more willing to be changed elementally by Him, and finally giving up our lives-saving them in the end because we have lost them for Him!
LaDonna Taylor Concert, August 9, 6 PM
July 23, 2009
All Saints will host a concert by Dove Award nominee Dr. LaDonna Taylor, who has an amazing ministry with her Vincenza violin and her new violad’amore, where the Lord heals and delivers by her anointed music.
Please join us for a very special Koinonia (fellowship) Sunday night, August 9th at 6 PM.
Father Chip said, “Something special has been added to our regular Koinonia on Sunday night—our praise band will begin with worship music, followed by LaDonna’s ministry with her instruments!”
Here are some highlights of her bio from Dr. LaDonna Taylor Ministries’ Web site:
LaDonna Taylor was born in San Antonio, Texas to a Christian family. Her grandmother played a key role in LaDonna’s life and spiritual training. … At twelve years of age LaDonna heard the audible voice of the Lord speak her name. She began playing the violin very soon after that event. She was a member of the San Jose Symphony, the Knoxville Symphony, starred in Branson City Lights at the Remington Theater in Branson, Missouri and has been a featured soloist at the Grand Old Gospel Hour at The Grand Palace in Branson, Missouri.
In the year 2000 LaDonna began answering the call to travel and minister full time.
In 2001 she began traveling internationally to England, South America, Sweden, Mexico and Israel. This year she is planning ministry trips to the Philippine Islands, China, Israel and England.
LaDonna teaches the Word of God and ministers as a psalmist with the violin. Having experienced a miraculous recovery from rejection, low self-esteem and depression, LaDonna has particular compassion to minister to the broken hearted. A tangible outpouring of God’s Presence accompanies LaDonna’s music. The lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, and many captives are set free. Her music touches your heart and soul.
Come to Koinonia on Sunday, August 9, and be blessed by LaDonna Taylor’s awesome ministry.
Vacation Bible School – Day 3
July 23, 2009
Take a look at the theme, memory verse, and “live it” statement from VBS today along with some great photos.
VBS runs every evening this week from 6 PM to 8 PM.
Contact Jennifer and Rob Goodman at vbs@allsaintsanglican.net for more information.
Heaven and Hell
July 22, 2009
Father Chip recommended two books in his sermon last Sunday.
Both books are in the All Saints bookstore as featured titles. The kids’ version of one of the books is available in the children’s section.
You can go directly to the purchase page for each book:
23 Minutes in Hell by Bill Wiese
Heaven by Randy Alcorn
Heaven for Kids by Randy Alcorn
Or go to the bookstore and browse other featured titles and other categories as well. You will find a great selection of books for children and adults: Bibles, prayer books, books on Christian living, Christian fiction, and other titles in keeping with our faith and values.
Please send your book recommendations and reviews to webmaster@allsaintsanglican.net.
Vacation Bible School – Day 2
July 21, 2009
Take a look at the theme, memory verse, and “live it” statement from VBS today along with some great photos.
VBS runs every evening this week from 6 PM to 8 PM.
Contact Jennifer and Rob Goodman at vbs@allsaintsanglican.net for more information.
Message from CAM: Critical Summer Needs
July 21, 2009
Father Chip received the following from Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM):
During the summer months donations are historically low at CAM. Ironically this is also the busiest time of the year for client visits.
In fact- yesterday (07/20/2009) we saw 130 cases at the downtown location and 17 cases at the satellite (this represents 325 individuals who were served yesterday through the Grace of God).
We are in need of both monetary and in-kind donations. Please consider sharing this information with your congregation. Attached you will find directions on how to donate, and lists of both food and clothing needs.
In Christ,
The CAM Staff
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these my brothers of mine you did it for me” ~ Matthew 25:40(NIV)
We encourage you to review the list of CAM’s food and clothing needs and prayerfully consider helping this vital ministry.
