Watchnight Service Sermon 2014

I had the honor and pleasure of preaching the New Year's Eve service at Myrtle Baptist Church. Here is the audio. Enjoy and Happy New Year! Santa-Jesus vs. Christ

Traveling Mercies (a road prayer)

Lord, keep me awake, alert and accident-free as I travel up and down the highways and bywaysI want to please You and be like Your son But it is so easy to get mad at these other drivers And all the insane things I encounter on the road threaten to steal my peace Help me stay centered, focused and happy Let me enjoy my trip and the quiet communion with You Help me to be a good citizen of the road I pray I make my destination safely and on-time Keep me out of the maddening traffic! Thank You for blessing me with the wheels to travel, the means to fill my tank, and people I want to see who want to see me worth visiting I know it is all because of You Thank You in advance for Your traveling mercies

Amen

Keep My Hand On the Plow (A Morning Prayer)

Dear Godyou know I got started late today sometimes it's so hard to work up my momentum I pray you energize me and allow me to be a productive member of society that the good I would do I actually do let me work hard at the tasks you have set before me so that at the end of the day I am tired and happy with the work I have done I know only what I do for you Lord will last but there are many others who want, need, or expect things from me help me to be a person of my word trustworthy dependable a person of my word

thank you in advance for these and all other blessings, grace and mercy given this day

Amen

I Will Lie Down in Peace (an evening prayer)

I will both lie down and sleep in peace;for you alone, O Lord, make me lie down in safety. Psalms 4:8 (NRSV)

On this evening o Lord, I ask You for...everything Breath Life Health Strength Good dreams Awakening to a morning of new mercies Because of You I can lie down and sleep in peace The day has carried its troubles And my own failures on top of them But You have carried me Or at least you were with me I know I can't get bailed out of every situation Some lessons are difficult But at least You have been with me And now As I lay me down to sleep I can close my eyes with confidence Joy Peace like a river All the worries on my mind can be eased away The days evils are sufficient to themselves I don't have to add to them Or carry them over into the next day You bless me with a good night's sleep In the valley of shadows I will sleep like a baby

Amen

The Way (a poem)

I can't stopjust because the way is littered with accusations false I must tell myself they are false I can't stop because I fear I will never make it nearly there I remind myself I'm nearly there I can't stop because I miss the way I used to be best God wants the best for me I can't stop because I am too weak to continue eagles I will mount up with wings as eagles because I waited to You I can't stop because I am afraid love Your perfect love casts out fear

the way is littered with broken bones can these bones yet live? I trip I fall my progress is so slow shadows plague my mind and darkness it presses in on me like I belong Mary Oliver taunts me I should be able to do this failure reminds me of all the times I have quit and I stop I can't stop but I stop and then I begin to cry because I thought this time this time I could make it and I failed again

that's how You found me sunken in among the other scattered bones trying to forget how disgusted I am with everything You make a space and sit there with me until I'm all cried out

then we become eagles and I can't stop