P)I grew...
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I grew up in a church where they depreciated humanness. The lay leader prayed, "O God, you know we're not worth much." God doesn't know any such thing. The song leader liked the one that thunders out, "for such a worm as I." But we're not even close to being worms.
The best thing God ever did for me was to convince me he thought I was somebody special -- so special, he sent Jesus to die for me. So special my humanness is magnified, my worth multiplied by the gift of the incomparable Giver upon the cross.
And so special that God needs me. I'm a co-laborer with Christ, a partner in business with the Holy Spirit. In fact, God's chosen to function with me, with you. He's never cleared a single forest, conceived a beautiful baby, built a great cathedral without the help of his children.
When Jesus prepared for Palm Sunday, he took an inventory of what he needed -- disciples to make arrangements, a crowd to receive him, God to bless him, and a donkey to carry him. "The Lord has need of it," they said.
The Lord has need of you and me. Our faith fulfills his faithfulness; our works complete his desires What he conceives in his mind comes out of our fingertips in deeds of love and service.
O God, thank you for wanting us enough to come to us and needing us enough to use us.
- Barnhart
I grew up in a church where they depreciated humanness. The lay leader prayed, "O God, you know we're not worth much." God doesn't know any such thing. The song leader liked the one that thunders out, "for such a worm as I." But we're not even close to being worms.
The best thing God ever did for me was to convince me he thought I was somebody special -- so special, he sent Jesus to die for me. So special my humanness is magnified, my worth multiplied by the gift of the incomparable Giver upon the cross.
And so special that God needs me. I'm a co-laborer with Christ, a partner in business with the Holy Spirit. In fact, God's chosen to function with me, with you. He's never cleared a single forest, conceived a beautiful baby, built a great cathedral without the help of his children.
When Jesus prepared for Palm Sunday, he took an inventory of what he needed -- disciples to make arrangements, a crowd to receive him, God to bless him, and a donkey to carry him. "The Lord has need of it," they said.
The Lord has need of you and me. Our faith fulfills his faithfulness; our works complete his desires What he conceives in his mind comes out of our fingertips in deeds of love and service.
O God, thank you for wanting us enough to come to us and needing us enough to use us.
- Barnhart
