Called by God...

Jeremiah 1:4-8 

Now the word of the Lord came to me saying,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Then I said,
“Ah, Lord God! Truly I do not know how to speak, for I am only a boy.”

But the Lord said to me,
“Do not say, ‘I am only a boy’;
for you shall go to all to whom I send you,
and you shall speak whatever I command you.
Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
says the Lord.”

From the first day, Lord,
I have depended on your grace.
You've given me a passion
to share your love with others,
to tell the stories of your faithfulness,
to shape the lives of others for your sake.

Today, like all the days before,
I will need your help.
I will need your words.
I will need your strength, your courage.
Most of all, I will need your presence.

My heartfelt desire is to be
a tangible embodiment
of your grace
to the world.

Lord God,
you have called us
to ventures of which we cannot see the ending,
by paths as yet untrodden,
through perils unknown.
Give us faith to go out with good courage,

not knowing where we go,
but only that your hand is leading us
and your love supporting us;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.




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Today, July 28, 2014,
marks the 12th anniversary of my ordination
as a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church USA.
I am grateful for the people who have shaped my life,
the opportunities I've had, and
the future unfolding in God's hands!