Holy Presence,
We are amazed by the beauty and intricacies of creation. Today the sun reaches its highest point in the northern hemisphere. Ancient cultures were much more sensitive to these natural occurrences than we are and, in many instances, they became the occasion for pagan festivals. Today science informs us and we observe and study the heavens. Help us, Dear Lord, to stand in awe and amazement as we consider the universe and our place in it. May our delight be in You. In Jesus name we pray, AMEN.
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We continue to pray for Gailene Squires’ family as they travel to Georgetown, Texas for the interment of her ashes at 5:00 p.m. today.
Ron Maphet’s back surgery was successful, although he is in much pain. I will see Ron and Pat this afternoon at the Spine Hospital in OKC. Please pray for a complete recovery for Ron.
The All-Church Talent Show is tomorrow evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Fellowship Hall. We will eat at 6:00 p.m. You won’t want to miss it.
The Seekers/ Young Adults Class had a gathering yesterday evening and did some planning. Please pray for this group in our church.
I have been sending these daily emails since Ash Wednesday 2010. A few months later I decided to also post them on a blog that can be reached through the church’s website www.centralenid.org. Yesterday was the 365th post. To date that blog has received over 4,060 “hits” which means that others are accessing these daily prayers, joys and concerns there.
The scripture for today is Ezra 9:5-15:
At the evening sacrifice I got up from my fasting, with my garments and my mantle torn, and fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God, and said, “O my God, I am too ashamed and embarrassed to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. From the days of our ancestors to this day we have been deep in guilt, and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as is now the case. But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, who has left us a remnant, and given us a stake in his holy place, in order that he may brighten our eyes and grant us a little sustenance in our slavery. For we are slaves; yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to give us new life to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judea and Jerusalem.“And now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land unclean with the pollutions of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations. They have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever. ‘After all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you destroy us without remnant or survivor LORD, God of Israel, you are just, but we have escaped as a remnant, as is now the case. Here we are before you in our guilt, though no one can face you because of this.”
Grace and peace,
John McLemore
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