Tag Archives: Mission

H.P. as Guide

September 20, 2016 minister

H.P. AS GUIDE
See to it that your relationship with Him is right, and great events will come to pass for you and countless others. This is the Great Fact for us. – ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS, p. 164. A.A. Big Book.

Having a right relationship with God seemed to be an impossible order. My chaotic past had left me filled with guilt and remorse and I wondered how this “God business” could work. A.A. told me that I must turn my will and my life over to the care of God, as I understand Him. With nowhere else to turn, I went down on my knees and cried, “God, I can’t do this. Please help me!” It was when I admitted my powerlessness that a glimmer of light began to touch my soul, and then a willingness emerged to let God control my life. With Him as my guide, great events began to happen, and I found the beginning of sobriety. – Daily Reflection. © 1990. Alcoholics Anonymous World Services.

Step 3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood God.

“Higher Power” is a term given significance in the 1930s in Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and is used in other twelve-step programs. It is also sometimes referred to as a power greater than ourselves and is frequently abbreviated to “HP.” The term refers to a spiritual supreme being.

“I rely on My Higher Power to give me what I need and I am grateful I do not get some things I deserve.” Shirley. (2016).

“Higher Power” is one of three new songs Boston recorded for their Greatest Hits album. This track features their original lead singer Brad Delp. Boston leader Tom Scholz wrote this with bass player David Sikes. The “Higher Power” is a concept in Alcoholics Anonymous to help participants deal with their addiction. In this song, Delp sings about looking beyond himself for guidance. We hear Serenity Prayer right before the guitar solo.

Higher Power
Boston (1997).

Hey, my higher power
Yeah, give me the power

Let me love you
Take me home to your religion for the night
Let me touch you
Teach me how to see your vision through my eyes
Turn the pages
Tell my story, let me face another day
Safe embraces, I feel it comin’ now
My captain’s on his way

Hey, my higher power
The world is spinnin’, but I’m not afraid
Yeah, give me the power
It’s the beginnin’, the beginnin’ of another day

Yeah!

Let me hold you
Take me back into the secrets of my mind
Let me know you
Come and save me Lord
Don’t let me cross the line.

Hey, my higher power
The world is spinnin’, but I’m not afraid
Yeah, give me the power
It’s the beginnin’, the beginnin’ of another day.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things
I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference
And may your love shining down, amen.

Celebration

Shining Service Celebration

September 18, 2016 minister

Shining Service Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

National Back to Church Sunday.
Back to Church Sunday (B2CS) is the largest local-church invitational initiative in the world. It is based on the simplest and shortest step in evangelism: inviting a friend to our church. Sounds simple enough. Let’s do it!

The song is a simple appeal to God to come and help those in need.

Kum ba yah, my Lord.
African Spiritual. (1920s).

Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Kumbaya my lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbaya.
Someone’s singing lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing lord, kumbaya
Someone’s singing lord, kumbaya
Oh lord, kumbayah.

Introduction:
Jeremiah 8 tells us grieving must happen so it can help our natural emotional process deal with the hurt.
Jesus Christ loves us, died for us; and asks that we might live for him. Jesus buys us salvation with His blood. Today we pray: Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and atone for our sins, for your name’s sake! Ps. 79:9.
In Timothy today we conclude what we started earlier: our Christian faithfulness reflects our capacity for high moral character, we elect to choose strong leadership to strengthen our goals of high moral character, yet we live to serve the Lord and our neighbor rather than exalt ourselves given our moral character.
Luke gives us a lesson in social economics to consider with the moral character we recognize in Timothy. The example of an unscrupulous apparently self concerned business manager in the parable assists us in getting the moral of the story.
This week we put on our shiny Service hats to go into the community and choose our behaviors wisely.

O for a Closer Walk with God
William Cowper (1772).
Olney Hymns.

O for a closer walk with God,
a calm and heavenly frame,
a light to shine upon the road
that leads me to the Lamb!

Scripture:
My joy is gone, grief is upon me, my heart is sick. Jer. 8:18.
Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name. Ps. 79:6.
For there is one God; there is also one mediator between God and humankind, Christ Jesus, himself human, who gave himself a ransom for all. 1 Tim. 2:5.
No slave can serve two masters; for a slave will either hate the one and love the other, or be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth. Luke 16:13.

Prayer:
God of power and justice,
like Jeremiah you weep over those who wander from you,
turn aside to other gods, and enter into chaos and destruction.
By your tears and through your mercy,
teach us your ways and write them on our hearts
so that we may follow faithfully the path you show us. Amen.

My Hope is Built on Nothing Less
Edward Mote (1834).
Sovereign Grace.

My hope is built on nothing less
than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid rock, I stand;
all other ground is sinking sand,

Prayer:
When joy is gone and hearts are sick, O Lord God,
you give us Jesus Christ as our healing balm.
He came in human flesh that he might give himself
as a ransom for our salvation and
anoint us with the Spirit of consolation and joy.
Hear the cry of your people,
that we may rejoice in the richness of your love
and be faithful stewards of your many gifts. Amen.

All to Jesus I Surrender
Judson Van de Venter (1896).
Vineyard.

All to Jesus I surrender,
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.

Prayer:
O Lord God, you call us to embrace both
you and the children of this world with unconditional love.
Give us grace to discern what your love demands of us,
that, being faithful in things both great and small,
we may serve you with an undivided heart. Amen.

You Gotta Serve Somebody
Bob Dylan

You may be an ambassador to England or France
You may like to gamble, you might like to dance
You may be the heavyweight champion of the world
You may be a socialite with a long string of pearls
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody, yes
Indeed you’re gonna have to serve somebody
Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord
But you’re gonna have to serve somebody.

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

N.A., Reflection, Spirit on the A's

Filling the Emptiness

September 15, 2016 minister

Filling the emptiness

Page 269.
“We think that if we can just get enough food, enough sex, or enough money, we will be satisfied and everything will be alright.”

Basic Text, p.80.
In our addiction, we could never get enough drugs, or money, or sex, or anything else. Even too much was never enough! There was a spiritual emptiness inside us. Though we tried as hard as we could to fill that emptiness ourselves, we never succeeded. In the end, we realized that we lacked the power to fill it; it would take a Power greater than ourselves to do that.

So we stopped using, and we stopped trying to fill the emptiness in our gut with things. We turned to our Higher Power, asking for its care, strength, and direction. We surrendered and made way for that Power to begin the process of filling our inner void. We stopped grabbing things and started receiving the free gift of love our Higher Power had for us. Slowly, our inner emptiness was being filled.

Now that we’ve been given our Higher Power’s gift of love, what do we do with it? If we clasp that gift tightly to ourselves, we will smother it. We must remember that love grows only when it is shared. We can only keep this gift by freely giving it away. The world of addiction is a world of taking and being taken; the world of recovery is a world of giving and being given. In which world do we choose to live?

Just for Today: I choose to live in the fullness of recovery. I will celebrate my conscious contact with the God of my understanding by freely sharing with others that which has been freely shared with me. – (c) 2015 NA World Services.

Step 12. Having had a spiritual awakening as a result of these steps, we try to carry this message to addicts, and to practice these principles in all our affairs. – N.A. Twelve Steps.

Emptiness (Phir Suna).
Gajendra Verma.
performed by Rohan Rathore (2012).

Oh, love of mine
With a song and a whine
You’re harsh and divine
Like truths and a lie.

But the tale ends not here
I have nothing to fear
For my love is yell of giving and hold on.

If emotions have sound, that will be called music. This is the belief Gajendra Verma grew up with. Gajendra was born in a small town Sirsa in Haryana. He is blessed by a musical family and that is how music is imbibed in him.
During Gajendra’s journey through life he had his share of bittersweet experiences in the competitive world of Music, where every new tune is as precious as a pearl in the sea. Gajendra’s song “Emptiness” also known as “Tune mere jaana” got leaked on internet with a fake sympathetic story of a dying IIT student named Rohan Rathod and had instant liking by 3 million music lovers across the nation. This was followed by Gajendra going through the process claiming his right to the song. This became big news.

Celebration

Division in Salvation

August 14, 2016 minister

Division in Salvation Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Introduction:
Luke informs us that Jesus preaches that His Ministry on Earth will bring division among men. Of course there will be death on the cross for Jesus in order to gift us salvation. This alone will further separate those who believe that it is their behavior that earns salvation and those who follow the Lord who believe the Good News. The nourishing fire is Good News. Baptism makes sense. After Christ’s death for our sins, Baptism is a joyous celebration in our lives and a formal entry rite into Christian Faith for many of us.
Jeremiah’s prophecies were generally unwelcome. Jeremiah forecasts tough times ahead to prepare for the coming of the Saviour. We must mirror Jeremiah’s boldness and courage in bringing Scripture to our community.
Our Psalm tells us that our ability to feel confident about adjudicating justice is correlated to our proximity to power.
The common theme in the Epistle to the Hebrews is one must possess and exercise endurance. Talk is cheap. Get to work.

Savior like a Shepherd Lead Us
Dorothy Thrupp (1838).
– performed by Rick Betts.

Savior, like a shepherd lead us,
Much we need Thy tender care;
In Thy pleasant pastures feed us,
For our use Thy folds prepare:
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are;
Blessèd Jesus, blessèd Jesus,
Thou hast bought us, Thine we are.

Scripture:
Am I a God near by, says the LORD, and not a God far off? Jer. 23:23.
Rise up, O God, judge the earth; for all the nations belong to you! Ps. 82:8.
Looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Heb. 12:2.
Do you think that I have come to bring peace to the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! Luke 12:51.

Prayer: God of justice,
your word is light and truth.
Let your face shine on us to restore us,
that we may walk in your way,
seeking justice and doing good. Amen.

Stand Up Stand Up for Jesus
George Duffield (1858).
– performed by Children’s Choir

Stand up! stand up for Jesus!
Ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner,
It must not suffer loss:
From vict’ry unto vict’ry
His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.

Prayer: Friends in Christ,
God invites us to hold the needs of our sisters and brothers
as dear to us as our own needs.
Loving our neighbors as ourselves,
we offer our thanksgivings and our petitions
on behalf of the church and the world.

Hear our prayers, God of power,
and through the ministry of your Son
free us from the grip of the tomb,
that we may desire you as the fullness of life
and proclaim your saving deeds to all the world. Amen.

1 2 3 Jesus is Alive
– performed by Valley Assembly

Prayer: Judge eternal,
you love justice and hate oppression;
you give peace to those who seek it,
and you condemn the rage of violence.
Give us courage to take our stand
with all victims of bloodshed and greed,
and, following your servants and prophets,
look to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. Amen.

Guide My Feet while I Run this Race
Canton Spirituals Gospel Music
– performed by Austin Academy Choir (2011).

Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race.
Guide my feet while I run this race,
for I don’t want to run this race in vain!

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

Celebration

Pursue Your Treasure

August 7, 2016 minister

Pursue Your Treasure Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Introduction:
In Genesis the covenant that God makes with Abram is a divine promise. God keeps His promises.
Our Psalm allows us to wander in the perception that waiting is tiring. This sounds rational if you are Abram and told you must wait 400 years for a promise fulfilled. Why would we count while waiting? There is much to do in helping ourselves. In pursuing this we may perceive the time passes much more quickly. Be sure to pursue the right path and the Lord’s desire to help us achieve will be there for us.
Hebrews teaches us about the unerring nature of faith. Where do you place your faith? It should follow that placing your faith in the Lord will bring the best results.
As in Luke, wouldn’t it be great if our hearts longed for the treasures that are on the most righteous paths for each of us? Pursuing that which brings the most peace and justice will keep us on the most right path.

Amazing Grace
John Newton (1779).

Amazing grace (how sweet the sound)
that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
was blind, but now I see.

Scripture:
I am your shield; your reward shall be very great. Gen. 15:1.
Truly the eye of the LORD is on those who fear him. Ps. 33:18.
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for. Heb. 11:1.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34.

O beautiful for spacious skies,
Katherine Bates (1893).

O beautiful for spacious skies,
for amber waves of grain;
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain!
America! America! God shed his grace on thee,
and crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.

Prayer: Lord God of judgment and grace,
you ask not for sacrifices but lives of trusting faith
that acknowledge your power and mercy.
Give us faith as deep and strong as Abraham’s and Sarah’s,
that we may follow you through all our days
as did Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.

Faith of our fathers! living still
Frederick Faber (1849).

Faith of our fathers! living still
in spite of dungeon, fire, and sword;
oh, how our hearts beat high with joy
whene’er we hear that glorious word!
Faith of our fathers, holy faith!
We will be true to thee till death!

Prayer:
We praise your abiding guidance, O God,
for you sent us Jesus, our Teacher and Messiah,
to model for us the way of love for the whole universe.
We offer these prayers of love
on behalf of ourselves and our neighbors,
on behalf of your creation and our fellow creatures.

Loving God,
open our ears to hear your word and draw us closer to you,
that the whole world may be one with you
as you are one with us in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

We Believe
Newsboys

In this time of desperation
When all we know is doubt and fear
There is only One Foundation
We believe, We believe
In this broken generation
When all is dark, You help us see
There is only One Salvation
We believe, We believe.

Prayer: Lord God of Abraham and Jesus,
you invite your people to contemplate heavenly things
and urge us toward faith in you.
May your coming among us find our doors open,
our tables set, and all your people ready to greet you. Amen.
We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

Uncategorized

NESCIFEST Valley Appreciation

April 18, 2016 minister

Nebraska Science Festival Valley

BIG THANK YOU to all who volunteered, supported and participated in NESCIFEST Valley held at the Valley Library location this last Saturday! AcademyScience.us presented its science projects in airplanes, chlorinator chemistry, disaster preparedness, four forces of flight, robots, rockets to name a few! We enjoyed sharing our combined GYSD Global Youth Service Day with you!

We enjoyed demonstrating science to and visiting with dozens of people and served dozens of lunches and snacks! You may find more of our interesting and FUN STEM Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics activities at AcademyScience.us Academy Science blog

Our prize winning best rocket flight was over 450 feet!

If you are interested in volunteering or participating in our community science and other projects throughout the year you may contact Pastor Michael or Cathy Hanus at: spirit.peace@outlook.com

Uncategorized

NESCIFEST Valley History

April 12, 2016 minister

NESCIFEST Valley History

The Nebraska Science Festival is a celebration presentation of all things science. Different groups of people and individuals from all walks of life assist in organizing and presenting a Springtime Science Festival annually that kicks off at the Joslyn in Omaha the evening of Friday April 15th this year.

Spirit of Peace, along with AcademyScience.us, attended and participated in the Omaha area Science Festival for several years. We thought it would be great to share the event with our neighbors, friends, acquaintances and everyone in the Valley and surrounding communities.

NESCIFEST VALLEY
In April 2015, we launched a NESciFest celebration at the Valley Library with the assistance and participation of the Library Director, Staff and the gracious volunteers that shared their knowledge and intellectual investment in science through interactive presentations with the community. We are grateful to everyone volunteering, participating, supporting and engaging science in this local celebration.
We welcome all interested people that wish to present the science that they have to share and all those who would like to visit, interact with and observe the science that volunteers graciously bring to us for this celebration.
Peace and Joy! Pastors Michael and Cathy Hanus
You may contact us for information at: Spirit.Peace@outlook.com

Where Believers Gather Together to Worship Jesus