Category: worship

Uncle Charlie and Jesus’ Love

digitalstorytelling, gifts, God, Jesus, kids, worship

This past Sunday, Shelly and I both taught Sunday School lessons at our church in Charlotte, North Carolina: Caldwell Presbyterian Church. I taught the adult lesson for our “ACE Sunday School” class on the second chapter of Acts, and Shelly taught a lesson on the theme, “Love and Serve Your Neighbor.” In the course of finding resources for her kids’ lesson, Shelly found VBG (“Valued By God”) and Carlitos, a plush monkey that is part of the Christian outreach ministry of “Uncle Charlie.” Shelly and her partner in Children’s Ministries at Westminster Presbyterian Church In Lubbock, Texas at the time, Leslie Roach, discovered “Uncle Charlie” back in the early 2000s, and brought him to our church to lead worship for everyone.

“Valued by God – Uncle Charlie” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

There are SO many wonderful songs by Uncle Charlie! After we moved from Lubbock to Oklahoma City in 2006, Shelly was able to help bring Uncle Charlie, Rachel Sanchez, and their praise band to our new church, First Presbyterian of Edmond, again through Children’s Ministries and her work with Kristin Leard, who was the Director of Kids Ministries at the time and served with her husband, David Leard, who was one of our Associate Pastors. I’m sure everyone who has ever heard Uncle Charlie sing remembers his song, “The Fruit of the Spirit,” and may even be able to sing the words from memory! I know I can. That song and many more videos are featured in their VBG smartphone app. Many are also previewed on the official Uncle Charlie YouTube channel.

I LOVE so many songs by Uncle Charlie and Rachel Sanchez. “Sanctuary” is definitely another one of my favorites. Their “Making Melodies” music album was one of our favorites to play in the car and at home as our kids were growing up.

Driving to Sunday School and church this past weekend, Shelly played the 14 minute video, “Life is Like a Puzzle.” Uncle Charlie is not only a master storyteller, but also a gifted communicator with kids as well as adults. Those gifts really shine through in this video, which “connected the dots” for me as I wanted to understand what happened to Uncle Charlie soon after he came to our church in Edmond, Oklahoma in the late 2000s. The video, “My Miracle Story” which Uncle Charlie recorded in 2015, 7 years after he had a near-fatal car accident that changed the course of his life forever, also provides more background about these dramatic as well as miraculous events.

“Life is Like a Puzzle – Uncle Charlie” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

I am very thankful, personally, for the life, ministry, and creative love shared by Uncle Charlie and his team over the years. This past weekend, Shelly and I recorded a new episode of our audio podcast together, “Wes and Shelly Share,” about fall traditions and memories.

As a result of related Facebook discussions, Shelly shared about Uncle Charlie and his amazing VBG app. This “good news” is too good to keep to myself, so I decided to share this blog post today before school!

I hope you will take some time to download the VBG smartphone app and listen to some of the songs and videos by Uncle Charlie. There are lots of bad things going on in our world, but as Christians we have GOOD NEWS to share EVERY DAY. Uncle Charlie reminds me and reminds us that GOD LOVES US, God is real, God values YOU, and God still acts in MIRACULOUS ways through both the good times and bad times of our lives.

Praise God, and thank God for Uncle Charlie!

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Lessons from the Prophet Amos

God, Holy Spirit, mission, worship

These are my notes from today’s Sunday School lesson and worship service at Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 21, 2024.

“Praying The Hours” is a Catholic prayer ritual / method one of the members of our Sunday School class uses / follows.

 ”Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.“

Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭RSV‬‬
“Let Justice Roll on like a river…” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

From ChatGPT 4: My prompt: “Tell me background about these Bible verses: ”Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream.“ ‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭23‬-‭24‬ ‭RSV‬‬”

ChatGPT 4’s responses:

The verses you’ve quoted, Amos 5:23-24 from the Revised Standard Version (RSV) of the Bible, are part of the Book of Amos, which is one of the books of the Minor Prophets in the Old Testament. Amos, the author, was an early prophet of Israel, active around 750-760 BCE.

These particular verses are part of a larger passage where Amos is delivering a message of judgment and warning from God to the people of Israel. The primary context here is a critique of ritualistic worship that lacks sincerity and justice. Amos is essentially telling the Israelites that God is not interested in their music and worship if they are not also pursuing justice and righteousness in their society.

Verse 23 (“Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen”) indicates God’s rejection of worship that is disconnected from ethical living. In verse 24 (“But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream”), the imagery of flowing water symbolizes the continuous and abundant practice of justice and righteousness that God desires.

This passage reflects a common theme in the prophetic books of the Old Testament, where the prophets call for social justice and true, heartfelt worship, as opposed to mere ritualistic practices. It emphasizes that religious ceremonies are meaningless to God if they are not accompanied by moral and ethical behavior, especially towards the less fortunate and marginalized in society.”

Via ChatGPT 4

How are we acting to come out of our places of privilege to:

  • Provide access to health care for those who don’t have it?
  • Where are we acting ourselves to channel God’s righteousness?

”Then the King will say to those at his right hand, ‘Come, O blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry and feed thee, or thirsty and give thee drink? And when did we see thee a stranger and welcome thee, or naked and clothe thee? And when did we see thee sick or in prison and visit thee?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.’ Then he will say to those at his left hand, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see thee hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to thee?’ Then he will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it not to one of the least of these, you did it not to me.’ And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”“

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭25‬:‭34‬-‭46‬ ‭RSV‬‬

I don’t think God calls us to be overwhelmed by the enormity of needs and suffering we see in the world. I think God calls us to do the work in front of us, to do the work he has prepared in advance for us to do. We are called to walk and live in faith, that God calls us to do this work together.

Crisis Assistance Ministries

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“The  mission  of Crisis Assistance Ministry is to  provide assistance  and advocacy for people in financial crisis, helping them move toward self-sufficiency.

Our  vision  is to inspire our community to justice and generosity as we provide help, hope, and understanding to people struggling with limited financial resources.”

From CrisisAssistance.org

#HealOurCulture 

Full Old Testament reading:

”“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer me your burnt offerings and cereal offerings, I will not accept them, and the peace offerings of your fatted beasts I will not look upon. Take away from me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream. “Did you bring to me sacrifices and offerings the forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You shall take up Sakkuth your king, and Kaiwan your star-god, your images, which you made for yourselves; therefore I will take you into exile beyond Damascus,” says the Lord, whose name is the God of hosts.“

‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭27‬ ‭RSV‬‬

Consider the way Eugene Peterson expressed these ideas and sentiments of the prophet Amos:

”I can’t stand your religious meetings. I’m fed up with your conferences and conventions. I want nothing to do with your religion projects, your pretentious slogans and goals. I’m sick of your fund-raising schemes, your public relations and image making. I’ve had all I can take of your noisy ego-music. When was the last time you sang to me? Do you know what I want? I want justice—oceans of it. I want fairness—rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.

‭‭Amos‬ ‭5‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭MSG‬‬

“Justice begins with God!

Justice requires that everyone shares in the resources of our culture and community.”

by Rev. Dorothy J. Killian
“Justice begins with God” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Social Justice = Full participation in society

Only when the lives of all worshippers are congruent with the ideals of God’s justice is God pleased.

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Ask for Signs and Directions!

God, Holy Spirit, priorities, questions, worship

These are some of my notes and “takeaways” from a sermon shared today on January 7, 2024, by Rev. Dorothy J. Killian at Caldwell Presbyterian Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. The sermon was titled, “Whose Star Are You Following?” and was live-streamed on YouTube and Facebook. It starts at the 44:00 minute mark if you’d like to view it yourself, and runs 16 minutes.

This Sunday is the celebration of the holiday of Epiphany, which in Christian traditions celebrates “the visit of the Magi, the baptism of Jesus, and the wedding at Cana.” Rev Killian reminded us that as a society and in our culture, “We also follow stars!” Whether pop stars like Taylor Swift of Beyoncé, or sports starts like NFL or NBA athletes, we often pay an undue amount of attention to these “stars.” However, it’s important to consider, “Where are those stars leading?” Who and what are these stars attempting to “point us to” in our lives? Where do these stars lead? By encouraging us to consider “Whose star we are following?” Rev Killian powerfully juxtaposed the sermon text from Matthew 2:1-12 with ominous headlines from contemporary news and popular culture.

““Whose star ⭐️ are you following?!” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Rev Killian encouraged us to “NOT be afraid to ask for signs & directions.” We should be continually watchful for God, for He is present and at work all around us! We can see God in the beauty and wonder of His creation, but also in the ways we love and care for each other in this troubled world. God calls us to invite his Holy Spirit to provide us with directions for our lives, and he provides guidance when we seek Him in prayer, through Bible study, and through fellowship with other Christian followers of Jesus Christ.

“Don’t be afraid to ask for signs & directions” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

Rev Killian received applause during her sermon when she pulled out an “old school” paper map, and reminded the congregation, “When we encounter the living God, we reset our GPS.” Whether we are using analog or digital tools to find our way in the world. encounters with God can have a powerful and positive re-directing and “re-orienting” influence on us. As an undergraduate geography major and someone who grew up learning about maps and orienteering in Boy Scouts as well as in Air Force survival training at the Air Force Academy, this analogy really resonated with me!

““When we encounter the living God, we reset our GPS” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer

I also loved Rev Killian’s encouragement to “Look for God and listen for His voice.” For over 10 years now, I’ve been blessed to participate in “Spiritual Direction” with Curt Gruel, through HeartPaths OKC. Even after we moved to North Carolina in 2022, my monthly meetings with Curt have continued via Zoom! “Spiritual Direction” is all about “looking for God,” and meeting with a mentor who can help us identify, see, and interpret “God sightings” in our lives. This is an important message every day, but seems particularly appropriate as we start 2024 and a new calendar year with different ideas for resolutions and new habits to adopt.

Rev Killian’s final exhortations were to ask “Who are the ‘Herods’ in your life? Who is sowing fear in your journey of faith and life?” As I consider the ways I want to develop the “Heal Our Culture” project in the weeks and months ahead, these questions are both challenging and prescient. There are many voices on YouTube, in mainstream news, and in social media which encourage us to adopt a spirit of fear rather than an attitude of joy, hope, and abiding faith.

I want to follow the star of Jesus, and I’m thankful for these words of encouragement from Rev Killian today!

“Sermon Points by Rev. Dorothy J. Killian” (CC BY 2.0) by Wesley Fryer
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Narrated Sermon Sketchnotes on Acts 19:1-7 by Eric Laverentz

identity, Jesus, sketchnotes, worship

This is my sketchnote and narrated sermon sketchnotes for Eric Laverentz’ sermon at First Presbyterian Church of Edmond, Oklahoma, on July 29, 2016. Eric was nominated by our Pastor Nominating Committee to serve as our new “lead pastor,” and this was his sermon on Acts 19:1-7, right before our congregational meeting in which we voted to approve that nomination! The title of his sermon was, “The Christian’s Guide to Starting a Riot.” Eric encouraged us in the sermon to become a “Lampstand Church,” which supports members as we take meaningful stands in our culture for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Follow Eric on Twitter at @ericlav. Eric is the author of the book, “Is Caesar Our Savior?” 

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Prayer of Adoration

focus, God, prayer, worship

I had an opportunity to serve as the liturgist today during our early / traditional worship service. This was the opening prayer of adoration I shared:

Dear God,

We come to you this day thankful for this holiday weekend, but remembering our need and desire for you amidst our busy schedules, our many commitments, and our own agendas. We give thanks to you this day, oh God, that you are real, and active, and alive in our lives and in the life of our church. We pray that you would peel back the scales from our eyes, so that we could fully behold you in your glory. After the mix the storms and humidity and clouds of last week Lord, you provided a beautiful Saturday for us yesterday. Help us see the beauty and majesty of your world every day not only in your creation that we can see, but in the relationships we have and the simple conversations in which we can engage this day. Help us to have the eyes of children this day, oh God, to see your creation with a fresh perspective. We give you thanks God for your provision, for our daily bread, and for the daily dose of faith you provide which helps us keep our eyes on Jesus instead of the crises and chaos of our world. It is in the holy name of your son, Jesus, that we pray, Amen

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Pentecost Sunday 2016 Sermon #SketchNote

focus, sketchnotes, worship

Today was a big Sunday at our church. It is Pentecost Sunday, and also confirmation Sunday for all the seventh and eighth graders who have been preparing to join our church family. I think there were six different baptisms as seventh and eighth-graders joined, and that is pretty exceptional! Here is my sermon sketchnote and narrated sermon Sketchnote from today.

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Sketchnoting the reality of Christ’s Resurrection

history, Jesus, questions, sketchnotes, worship

Today in our church service Carl Bosteels preached about the reality of Christ’s resurrection from death on the cross, and read Luke 24:1-12. This was the week’s lesson in our ongoing congregational study of the book, “The Story.” Since Shelly continues to serve on our pastor nominating committee, which meets on Sunday mornings during the early service, I attended both church services today and made sketchnotes during each. I exported both from the iPad app ProCreate as videos, slowed them down by a factor of two, and then narrated them in iMovie for iPad. The narrated video, embedded below, is 29 seconds long. I added both to my Flickr Sketchnotes album, which now has 38 creations in it.

 

 

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Pastoral Prayer for January 24, 2016

Jesus, prayer, worship

I had an opportunity last Sunday to be the lay leader assisting our pastor at both church services. This meant, among other things, I had the chance to share the pastoral prayer.  This was the prayer I wrote and read during our early traditional service and later contemporary service. I received some kind yellow cards (feedback cards) from some friends, who requested that I share it, so I am posting it here.

Dear Heavenly Father,

We come to you this day as your children living in the storms which rage on our planet and in our homes. In our atmosphere, our international politics, our national elections, and in the interactions of our daily lives at work, at home, at school, and even in church, it is so easy for us to be caught up in the chaos, the winds of change, and in foreboding rumors of catastrophe. The earth around us literally shakes, but we come to you knowing you are the rock of our salvation, and your strength never fails. Help us this day, oh God, to focus our hearts and minds upon you. We invite your Holy Spirit to descend upon us in this place, to speak to us as we praise you and give thanks for your son, Jesus Christ. Lord I pray you would anoint Carl, members of the choir and our worship team, to communicate your story this day as we open the word which you have given us in the Holy Scriptures. Give to us a fresh understanding of your son Jesus, the example he set for us on earth, and the Commandments Jesus gives us this day to be still, to listen, and to obey your commands. We ask and pray all these things the holy name of your son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

 

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