Psalm on Celebrations | The Pastor's Workshop

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How to Sing “Happy Birthday”

Author

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 3:1–12 , Isaiah 43:1–2, 1 Samuel 16:6–13, Luke 15:11–32, John 10:14–16 , Psalm 139:1–6

John Berkley told a story about how he loves live professional choir concerts. At one concert, the conductor asked if anyone in the audience was there celebrating their birthday. Now, it was actually ...

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Almighty God, you have surprised us

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 55:8-9, Matthew 13:44, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 139:7-10, 1 John 1:9, 2 Corinthians 3:18, Luke 2:1-20, John 4:7-26, John 21:1-14, Luke 24:13-35, Matthew 17:1-8, Luke 2:25-38, Luke 1:35-38, Hebrews 13:2, Isaiah 43:19

Almighty God, you have surprised us with your presence in unexpected ways. In the expectations of our routine, we have missed the treasure that you place before us. We come to worship you in community...

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God of the common and of the uncommon.

Author

Richard Herman

Keywords

Scripture

Colossians 3:17, Matthew 5:16, Psalm 34:18, Isaiah 43:18-19, James 5:14-15

God of the common and of the uncommon. You meet us in the ordinary routines of life–when we play and when we rest, while we work and while we worship. And You reveal yourself in the extraordinary, too...

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jobs concluding, stages finishing

Author

Ted Loder

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:18–19, Lamentations 3:22–23, John 12:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Galatians 4:4–5, Psalm 40:1–3

jobs concluding, stages finishing, grieving over, grudges over, blaming over, excuses over. O God, grant me your sense of timing. In this season of ...

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Confessing Sins, Seeking God's Grace

Author

Trinity Lutheran Church, Lisle, Illinois

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 1:8-9, Isaiah 43:1-7, Micah 6:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Psalm 133:1-3

Pastor: As Christ’s Church here on earth, we are invited to be a part of a bigger story, welcomed as members of a larger community, and called to a greater mission. In humble repentance we must ack...

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Author

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:18-19, Genesis 50:19-20, Job 42:10-12, Psalm 116:15, John 12:24

This is the end - for me the beginning of life.

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Two Golden Days

Author

Bob Burdette

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:18-19, Exodus 16:4-5, 19-21, Lamentations 3:22-23, Matthew 6:34, Philippians 3:13-14, Psalm 118:24

There are two golden days in the week, upon which, and about which, I never worry—two carefree days, kept sacredly free from fear and apprehension. One of these days is Yesterday; Yesterday, with its ...

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The voice of the Lord is over the waters

Author

Allen Thompson

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 29:3, 9, Mark 1:11, Isaiah 43:1, Ephesians 1:13-14, Romans 8:15, Isaiah 42:1, Psalm 29:9

The voice of the Lord is over the waters and in his temple all cry, “Glory!” the heavens were torn open and the Spirit descended And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son Fear not,...

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Overcoming Fear with God's Love

Author

Laura B. Murray

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:1-3, Lamentations 3:22-23, Hebrews 10:22-23, 2 Timothy 1:7, Psalm 27:1-3

Heavenly Father, we have forgotten your generosity and kindness. Believing you hold back from us, we have held back from others and from you. Gracious God, hear our confessions , and make us mindfu...

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Why Starbucks is so Successful

Author

Donald Miller

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 139:13-16, Isaiah 43:1-4, Luke 15:3-7, Luke 15:11-32, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, 1 John 3:1

Starbucks exploded by not just offering customers a cup of coffee but by giving them a comfortable, sophisticated environment in which to relax. Customers felt good about themselves when they walked i...

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In 1918, a chemical-fueled fire destroyed

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:19, Job 1:21 , Lamentations 3:22-23, Romans 8:28 , James 1:2-3 , Psalm 30:5

In 1918, a chemical-fueled fire destroyed the inventor Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange, New Jersey.. The flames consumed much of his life’s work, causing over two million dollars in damage. Yet...

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Author

Kenneth Grahame

Keywords

Scripture

Jeremiah 17:8, Psalm 1:3, Ezekiel 47:9, Isaiah 43:19, Genesis 2:10, John 7:38, Psalm 46:4

“He thought his happiness was complete when, as he meandered aimlessly along, suddenly he stood by the edge of a full-fed river. Never in his life had he seen a river before—this sleek, sinuous, full-...

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The Father is Fond of Me

Author

Brennan Manning

Keywords

Scripture

Exodus 33:12-14, Isaiah 43:1-4, Zephaniah 3:17, John 15:9-11, Romans 8:38-39, Psalm 139:1-6, 13-16

Brennan Manning shares a true story about a priest from Detroit who traveled to Ireland to visit family. One morning, he walked along the shores of Lake Killarney with his uncle. As they watched the s...

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Recognizing Her Own

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 49:15, John 10:14, Luke 12:6-7, Psalm 139:1-3, 2 Timothy 2:19, Isaiah 43:1, Matthew 10:29-31, Psalm 91:4, Deuteronomy 32:11, Job 39:1-2, Luke 15:4-6

The guillemot, a small Arctic seabird, nests in dense colonies on the rocky cliffs of the North Atlantic and Arctic. Thousands of these birds gather in tight spaces, with hundreds of females laying th...

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Plus Ultra: There is more Beyond

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

1 Corinthians 2:9, John 10:10, Hebrews 11:8-10, Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 3:20-21, Isaiah 43:18-19, Psalm 16:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Before Columbus crossed the Atlantic, many believed the world ended somewhere beyond Gibraltar, reflected in Spain’s royal motto: “Ne Plus Ultra,” meaning, “there is no more beyond.” But when Columb...

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God of mercy, we come before you with open hearts

Author

Keith D. Schroeder

Keywords

Scripture

Galatians 6:9, 2 Corinthians 4:1, Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 80:3, Matthew 16:18, Isaiah 43:19

Leader: God of mercy, we come before you with honest hearts. We bring not only our praise, but also our pain. We confess that at times we have lost heart. Hear now our lament, and kindle in us your ho...

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Author

Rainer Maria Rilke

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 23:4, Philippians 3:13-14, Lamentations 3:22-23, Isaiah 43:2, 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, Psalm 30:5, Romans 5:3-5

Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

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Author

Erich Fromm

Keywords

Scripture

Matthew 14:28-29, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalm 33:3-6 , Genesis 12:1-4, Exodus 31:1-5 , Isaiah 43:19

Creativity requires the courage to let go of certainties.

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Embracing Failure

Author

Stuart R. Strachan, Jr.

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:18-19, John 21:17, Luke 22:61-62, Romans 5:3-5, Micah 7:8, Psalm 73:26, Proverbs 24:16

A common trait of human beings is a fear of failure. Most of us find ways of coping with it, but whenever failure rears its ugly head, it’s difficult not to experience the sting of feeling like we are...

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Our Reward

Author

The Pastor's Workshop

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 4:10, Revelation 3:20, Acts 4:13, Matthew 18:20; 28:20, Isaiah 43:2, Genesis 28:15

*it is possible this story is apocryphal, we were unable to find the original source of the story. Admiral Nelson of the British Navy was renowned for his mastery of naval strategy, a genius fro...

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Out of the depths of darkness and

Author

Scott B. Bullock

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 130:null, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Acts 3:19, 1 John 2:12, Hebrews 10:17-18, Isaiah 43:25, Colossians 1:13-14

Out of the depths of darkness and despair we have cried out for your mercy, O God. Instead of marking our iniquities with the just weight of our condemnation, you have forgiven us, breathed new life i...

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Almighty God have mercy

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 1:9, Ephesians 1:7, Psalm 103:12, Isaiah 43:25, Romans 5:8, Titus 3:5, 2 Corinthians 5:17

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. In churche...

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Author

Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:19, Song of Solomon 4:7, Philippians 4:8, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Psalm 147:3, Isaiah 61:3

If the too obvious, too straight branches of Truth and Good are crushed or amputated and cannot reach the light—yet perhaps the . . . unexpected branches of Beauty will make their way through and soar...

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Author

Brittany Burgunder

Keywords

Scripture

Philippians 1:6, Psalm 147:3, Hebrews 12:11, 1 Peter 5:10, Isaiah 43:2, Romans 8:28, James 1:2-4

Sometimes the process of growth looks a lot like destruction and pain. But you’ll realize with time that you’re not breaking; you’re healing.

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Opening Prayer – You Cannot Love Me More

Author

Lisa Ann Moss Degrenia

Keywords

Scripture

1 John 4:, Hebrews 13:5, Isaiah 43:1, John 15:9, Zephaniah 3:17, Psalm 136:26, Ephesians 3:17-19

You cannot love me more You will not love me less You love me fully Now and always Help me accept the gift of your love Help me trust it Help me accept it fully There’s no need to earn your love...

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Holding on to Everything

Author

W. Tamra Chandler

Keywords

Baggage

Scripture

Psalm 55:22, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 43:18-19, Ephesians 4:31-32, 1 Peter 5:7

Poet Donald Hall told the story of a hermit in New Hampshire, a man who passed away leaving behind sheds full of hoarded stuff. In one of the sheds was a box labeled, “string too short to be saved.” ...

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Thus says your Lord, the Lord, your God

Author

Bud Thoreen

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 51:22-23, 2 Corinthians 5:17, John 8:36, Isaiah 43:25, Psalm 103:12, Colossians 1:13-14, Ephesians 1:7

Thus says your Lord, the Lord, your God who pleads the cause of his people: “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering; the bowl of my wrath you shall drink no more. Live in the freedo...

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The mercy of the Lord is from

Keywords

Scripture

Psalm 103:17, Lamentations 3:22-23, 1 John 1:9, Isaiah 43:25, Romans 5:8

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting. May the God of mercy, who forgives us all our sins, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life...

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On Creation by Frederick Beuchner

Author

Frederick Buechner

Keywords

Creation

Scripture

Job 38:7, Genesis 1:, Lamentations 3:22-23, Psalm 104:30, Isaiah 43:19, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Psalm 19:1-2

To make suggests making something out of something else the way a carpenter makes wooden boxes out of wood. To create suggests making something out of nothing the way an artist makes paintings or poem...

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Gracious God, we ask for Your

Author

Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church

Keywords

Scripture

Isaiah 43:18-19, Hebrews 10:22, Colossians 3:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Titus 3:5, Psalm 51:10

Gracious God, we ask for Your forgiveness and receive it with joyful hearts. Renew our minds so that we may discern what is good. Fill us with Your Spirit so that we may be Your witnesses in the world...

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