From the Pastor                                                                           "Brokenness precedes busyness"                                                              

Have you ever heard the expression, “Brokenness precedes busyness?” I believe that those who are broken before God can be used by God to change the world. We all see plenty in the world to weep over, but quite often, our tears are slow to come. And so we think, “Prayer is the answer!” I don’t know about you, but I wish I were better at it, and more consistent. I’m afraid I give up on it too quickly, or that once is enough, because I have already said all that needs to be said to God. Why go on and on for an extended period of time and days? After all, God knows my heart. I should only have to simply make my request clear to God once and then let it go. So, my issue is not a problem of belief, but a problem of persistence. Don’t get me wrong, I believe in prayer, and I believe in the power of prayer, but my impatience is in wanting the results right away. 

 Getting a handle on anything that matters deeply to us starts with prayer. Prayer is not a substitute for action. It is the soil out of which meaningful action grows. Maybe you’re facing something today that confronts you with two temptations. On one hand, you may be tempted to despair and you’ve stopped talking to God about whatever it might be. On the other hand, you’re fear may be driving you to take immediate action, to get busy and get busy now, which may be what God does not want you to do. As someone has said, “Why is it the more lost we are, the faster we run?” 

 Perhaps God is simply inviting you to linger in his presence, to linger and to listen. In his presence you may weep, you may complain, and you may even question God. However, our confidence should be to pray, and keep on praying, because the truth is, God gladly hears it all and is already at work in those things that concern us.

 Quote of the Week

 “My grand point in preaching is to break the hard heart, and to heal the broken one.”   John Newton

 John Newton was an English Anglican clergyman who served as a sailor in the Royal Navy for a period, and later as the captain of slave ships. He became ordained as an evangelical Anglican cleric, served Olney, Buckinghamshire for two decades, and also wrote hymns, known for "Amazing Grace" and "Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken".