Sorry for the lack of posts...

Between the end of the seminary semester and the considerable busyness in the office with the transition on the way, I have fallen behind on blogging. Things should get back to normal next week. In fact, I hope to improve the quality of the blog over the next couple of months.

As always, if any Tyler Streeters out there have poems or prayers or devotionals to share, please submit them via e-mail.

Music Fridays- Screen Door on a Submarine

Here is Rich Mullins and the Ragamuffin Band doing a ditty which has gotten youth groups and college Bible study groups kicked out of Pancho's and CiCi's nation-wide for years. (For the record, I could do the cup thing, but not while singing.)

"What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but does not have works? Can this kind of faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm and eat well,” but you do not give them what the body needs, what good is it? So also faith, if it does not have works, is dead being by itself. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith without works and I will show you faith by my works. You believe that God is one; well and good. Even the demons believe that – and tremble with fear.

But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead."

James 2:14-25 New English Translation

Tyler Street Almanac: April 20-26, 2009

Daily Lectionary for April 20-25, 2009

Monday April 20
Psalm 7; Daniel 1:1-21; 1st John 1:1-10; John 17:1-11

Tuesday April 21
Psalm 11; Daniel 2:1-16; 1st John 2:1-11; John 17:12-19

Wednesday April 22
Psalm 119:1-24; Daniel 2:17-30; 1st John 2:12-17; John 17:20-26

Thursday April 23
Psalm 18; Daniel 2:31-49; 1st John 2:18-29; Luke 3:1-14

Friday April 24
Psalm 135; Daniel 3:1-18; 1st John 3:1-10; Luke 3:15-22

Saturday April 25
Psalm 117; Daniel 3:19-30; 1st John 3:11-18; Luke 4:1-13

Prayer:

“O God, our bread, our milk, and our honey:
In the resurrection of your Son
you have brought us to Your table.
Feed us with Your plenty
and enlarge our table for all the hungry;
through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Alleluia.”

Intercession for the 2nd Week To of the Easter Season
United Methodist Book Of Worship #399, 1992 ed.

Food for thought:

“The Christian is a new person united with Christ. The overwhelming events through which Jesus passed into the power and presence of his ongoing life with us were death and resurrection. Those two events form the ongoing dynamic of our life as his followers. Paul put it this way. You have “died” with Christ, “buried with him in baptism”. You were also “raised” with him through your faith.

As Christian, our new spiritual DNA emerges and is fully expressed. As a butterfly is not simply a caterpillar with wings on it, a Christian is not just an individual who claims a particular belief system, but a “new person in Christ Jesus.” So we live in joy every day as an Easter day.”

Rev. Dr. Maxie Dunnam, from Not Just a Caterpillar With Wings

Worship Preparation:

April 26, 2009 8:30 and 10:50 am
Second Sunday After Easter
One or more of the following Scriptures will be used:
Acts 3:12-19; Psalm 4 (United Methodist Hymnal 741)
1 John 3:1-7; Luke 24:36b-48

Devotional Link of the Week:

Devozine- Upper Room devotionals for teens.

Tyler Street Pulpit- Sunday, April 29, 2009

To God be the Glory!

Music Fridays- Internet Symphony Edition

Let me explain what you are watching above.

People all over the world recorded themselves playing their part in a symphony. They played alone or in groups of one or two. They played in their bedrooms, offices, garages, and schools.

No one person could play every part. The music is too layered for that.

As people practiced, recorded, and submitted, they had no idea if enough people would join the project to make it work and they had no way of knowing what the final result would look or sound like.

More over, with the possibility of many people playing each part, people didn't know if their contribution would be noticed. Would they get lost in editing? Would their performance be synced with others and unified as a section? Would they be featured as a soloist?

Some people felt drawn to a passage or part in the music, but lacked the traditional instrument. First violin and first trumpet parts were recorded by people playing saxophones, saws, and even simply the human voice. They didn't go buy a trumpet or violin to make the music which drew them. They simply made music with what they had.

I believe that this YouTube Symphony is a model for the Church.

As Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 12, we are a body. Every person has a role to play. The more passionately we play our part, the richer the full chorus grows. If we fail to play our part, the voice of the whole body becomes a faint whisper.

We are all gifted with what we need to play our part. God provides what we need to accomplish what He calls us to. It doesn't matter if our gifts don't seem ideal. In the right hands, a musical saw is as beautiful as a violin.

In God's hands, your ability to share the Gospel is as good as Billy Graham's. Your ability to show compassion is as good as Mother Theressa's. God doesn't measure you in comparison to the gifts and graces He bestows upon others. He simply expects you to become all He calls and equips you to be. His grace is sufficient. His grace is melodious His grace is beautiful.

When I think about, I get chills.

What is more, maybe clips like the one above show what it will be like when, as Revelation 7 describes, people from every tongue and tribe and nation bring our songs of praise before the throne of God.

Tyler Street Pulpit- Easter 2009

To God be the Glory!

Tyler Street Almanac- April 13-19. 2009

Daily Lectionary for April 13-18, 2009

Monday:
Psalm 66; Jonah 2:1-9; Acts 2:14,22-32; John 14:1-14

Tuesday:
Psalm 103;Isa. 30:18-21; Acts 2:26-41(42-47); John 14:15-31

Wednesday:
Psalm 97, 99; Micah 7:7-15; Acts 3:1-10; John 15:1-11

Thursday:
Psalm 146, 147; Ezek. 37:1-14; Acts 3:11-26; John 15:12-27

Friday:
Psalm 136;Dan. 12:1-4,13; Acts 4:1-12; John 16:1-15

Saturday:

Psalm 145;Isa. 25:1-9; Acts 4:13-33; John 16:16-33

Prayer:

“Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ's Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen”

Collect for the First Sunday after Easter. Book of Common Prayer, 1979 ed

Food for thought:

“Evangelism is to so present Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit that men might come to trust Him as Savior and serve Him as Lord in the fellowship of His church.”

William Temple, the 98th Archbishop of Canterbury (1942–44)

Worship Preparation:

April 19, 2009 8:30 and 10:50 am
First Sunday After Easter
One or more of the following Scriptures will be used:
Acts 4:32-35; Psalm 133 (UMH 850)
1 John 1:1-2:2; John 20:19-31

Devotional Link of the Week:

Devog- Daily Devotional Blog

A Caterpillar With Wings?

The Rev. Dr. Maxie Dunnam, former president of Asbury Theological Seminary and a hero to your truly, has a marvelous post about the nature of transformation. I suggest you go read it.

Tyler Street Pulpit- Palm Sunday, 2009

To God be the Glory!

Tyler Street Almanac- Holy Week 2009

This post will be expanded with new content through out the week. Keep an eye out for updates!

Holy Week Readings:

April 6, 2009 [Red or Purple]
Monday of Holy Week (A, B, and C)
Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 36:5-11 (UMH 771)
Hebrews 9:11-15; John 12:1-11

April 7, 2009 [Red or Purple]
Tuesday of Holy Week (A, B, and C)
Isaiah 49:1-7; Psalm 71:1-14 (UMH 794)
1 Corinthians 1:18-31; John 12:20-36

April 8, 2009 [Red or Purple]
Wednesday of Holy Week (A, B, and C)
Isaiah 50:4-9a; Psalm 70 (UMH 793)
Hebrews 12:1-3 John 13:21-32 or Matthew 26:17-30

April 9, 2009 [Red or Purple]
Holy Thursday (A, B, and C)
Exodus 12:1-4 (5-10), 11-14; Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 (UMH 837)
1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17, 31b-35;

April 10, 2009 [No color]
Good Friday (A, B, and C)
Isaiah 52:13-53:12; Psalm 22 (UMH 752)
Hebrews 10:16-25; John 18:1-19:42

April 11, 2009 [White]
Easter Vigil
Exodus 14:1-31; Psalm 27; Psalm 95; Romans 8:1-11

April 12, 2009 [White]
Easter Day
Acts 10:34-43; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24 (UMH 839)
1 Corinthians 15:1-11; John 20:1-18 or Mark 16:1-8

Tyler Street Pulpit- Sunday, March 29, 2009

To God be the Glory.