This is the plan if you want to participate in the Pentecost Experience:
*Spend 10 days from May 13 (Ascension Day)-May 23 (Pentecost) fasting, praying, reading scripture, and journaling
*Component Number 1: Fasting. Every day either skip a meal, a favorite food, etc
*Component Number 2: Praying. Spend 10 minutes a day in prayer and meditation
*Component Number 3: Reading Scripture. 10 minutes a day reading a portion of scripture
*Component Number 4: Journaling. Find a journal and journal 10 minutes a day. If time send a journal entry to me at bnorsman@saintandrews.org and I'll post it on the blog at http://pentecostexperience.blogspot.com/
Bottom line: 30 minutes a day plus fasting in your "upper room"
End the "Pentecost Experience" on May 23 with an optional time after worship to debrief your Pentecost Experience
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Pentecost Experience
What if we truly believed that God could unleash the power of His Spirit in our lives? What if we tried an ancient practice just like in the bible in our lives today? What just might happen?
Before Pentecost, the disciples and others (120 of them in an upper room) spent 10 days praying, fasting, and waiting for God to unleash his power. (Acts 1-2)
What if we did the same? What if we spent 10 days fasting, praying, reading the bible, and journaling into God's presence? We're going to try an experiment with some parishioners at our church. We're going to do a "Pentecost Experience" for 10 days and see what miracles God will continue to reveal in our lives. Maybe not tongues of fire, but... what might God's power reveal? How can we listen and wait to what God is already doing? I can't wait...
Before Pentecost, the disciples and others (120 of them in an upper room) spent 10 days praying, fasting, and waiting for God to unleash his power. (Acts 1-2)
What if we did the same? What if we spent 10 days fasting, praying, reading the bible, and journaling into God's presence? We're going to try an experiment with some parishioners at our church. We're going to do a "Pentecost Experience" for 10 days and see what miracles God will continue to reveal in our lives. Maybe not tongues of fire, but... what might God's power reveal? How can we listen and wait to what God is already doing? I can't wait...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
"Let the SON Go Down"
I had a revelation today as I read a blog titled "Do not let the sun go down on you if you are angry." Ephesians 4:16-27 talks about never letting the devil get a foothold on your anger before you retire for the day. I have always believed that with my wife, not letting conflict go to bed in our hearts. All the unsaid confrontations that we let go pile up on us throughout the day and have a cumilating anger effect on us. Most of the time they are untrue and false perceptions the devil leaves unsaid. What we hear usually is not what we really heard, but some misconstrued reality that is not communicated correctly.My new mantra is to be like Jesus, confront the situation head on to articulate the truth, and then instead "Let the SON Go Down" on our anger. If we let the SON in and ask for truth, the Son of the living God will reconcile the situation and bring the truth clearly. We will find that our perceptions are in the devil's details. Let the SON go down. I like that!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
7 Day Spiritual Growth Challenge
Dear friends,
I pray all is well. You all met the challenge back in June doing the “Pentecost Experience.” I was wondering, now 3 months later, how this discipline is somewhat a part of your life or not today? As time has gone on for me, it has become harder and harder to do the daily journaling (and blogging). I have been fairly consistent reading scripture and praying, as well as doing a form of fasting called “portion control.” (fight the urge for seconds and desserts! Man I love food!). How are things going spiritually for you? Let me know via email or feel free to blog again on the website at: http://pentecostexperience.blogspot.com/
The last thing I wanted to let you know is I’m trying a seven day spiritual growth challenge of being rooted in the Seven Last Words of Christ. (this idea spanned when Pr. Bill told me he was going to use the Seven Last Words of Christ in his sermon tomorrow as part of our “TXT” worship series). I plan on fasting, journaling, meditating daily on the each of the seven last words, and spending time in prayer. Let me know if you would like to do the same and do the challenge with me. I’m attaching the seven last words for you I will follow and plan on blogging and journaling, as well as the Pentecost Experience guidebook to revisit some of the spiritual disciplines.
Peace my friends,
Pr. Brian
I pray all is well. You all met the challenge back in June doing the “Pentecost Experience.” I was wondering, now 3 months later, how this discipline is somewhat a part of your life or not today? As time has gone on for me, it has become harder and harder to do the daily journaling (and blogging). I have been fairly consistent reading scripture and praying, as well as doing a form of fasting called “portion control.” (fight the urge for seconds and desserts! Man I love food!). How are things going spiritually for you? Let me know via email or feel free to blog again on the website at: http://pentecostexperience.blogspot.com/
The last thing I wanted to let you know is I’m trying a seven day spiritual growth challenge of being rooted in the Seven Last Words of Christ. (this idea spanned when Pr. Bill told me he was going to use the Seven Last Words of Christ in his sermon tomorrow as part of our “TXT” worship series). I plan on fasting, journaling, meditating daily on the each of the seven last words, and spending time in prayer. Let me know if you would like to do the same and do the challenge with me. I’m attaching the seven last words for you I will follow and plan on blogging and journaling, as well as the Pentecost Experience guidebook to revisit some of the spiritual disciplines.
Peace my friends,
Pr. Brian
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Paddling Upstream
Last week I took 30 7-8th graders whitewater canoeing down the Brule River. It is an exhilarating 3 mile stretch of fun rapids and moving water. On one stretch a young person sandwhiched his foot between a few rock and broke two toes. As I was coming to meet them from the back of the train of canoes, I realized there were no adults at the head of the bunch.
I made it to the final canoe landing and things got worse: no canoes! All the kids had proceeded further down past the final landing.My parent sense started freaking out. Not another canoe landing for 10 miles and Mays Ledges, a treacherous rapids somewhere in that stretch. So, I paddled like a demon possessed man catching up to one canoe after another and sending them back upstream. 15 minutes later all were safe...but 3 miles down the river with only one thing to do: Paddle Upstream!
Our Christian walk is like paddling upstream. It's easy to follow the downstream current of the world, but to follow Jesus? That takes a different, more difficult mindset and sometimes 5 times the amount of effort or strokes. Paddling upstream is hard, but worth it. God opens our eyes to see the hurting, the oppressed, and the lonely and actually do something about it. It's hard to serve, its hard to spend time with God in prayer and scripture...but it's worth it. Keep paddling and find that deep well of God within you. When you paddle upstream with God, sooner or later you're paddling downstream with God into the world! Amen!
I made it to the final canoe landing and things got worse: no canoes! All the kids had proceeded further down past the final landing.My parent sense started freaking out. Not another canoe landing for 10 miles and Mays Ledges, a treacherous rapids somewhere in that stretch. So, I paddled like a demon possessed man catching up to one canoe after another and sending them back upstream. 15 minutes later all were safe...but 3 miles down the river with only one thing to do: Paddle Upstream!
Our Christian walk is like paddling upstream. It's easy to follow the downstream current of the world, but to follow Jesus? That takes a different, more difficult mindset and sometimes 5 times the amount of effort or strokes. Paddling upstream is hard, but worth it. God opens our eyes to see the hurting, the oppressed, and the lonely and actually do something about it. It's hard to serve, its hard to spend time with God in prayer and scripture...but it's worth it. Keep paddling and find that deep well of God within you. When you paddle upstream with God, sooner or later you're paddling downstream with God into the world! Amen!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Time to Exhale
Aspire to inspire before you expire.” Another billboard saying I read two years ago I have been wanting to turn into a sermon. Inspire means to give “spirit to or give breath to.” Maybe we need aspirations to take the Spirit of God that is breathed into us to breath out into the world. For we know as temples of the living God we have a lot of life and breath to give. It’s one thing to know God personally, it’s another thing to not share that breath.
However, most people live by the motto of another billboard I saw on the gulf coast last summer: “aspire to retire.” So you work hard all of your life to retire and turn off the life and breath of the Spirit’s power. The most amazing and inspiring people I know are the ones who finish strong and inspire me with their words and actions every day of their lives. They “fight the good fight” and pursue the heavenly way, which isn’t always easy. But, they try. When they are tired, they go deeper. When they are challenged, they rise above. When they are disheartened, they live by faith. When they make mistakes, they repent and live anew. When they are touched by God, they pass it on. And inspire.
I pray that this Pentecost Experience has inspired us and given us a different breadth and depth we haven’t had before. I pray that we will take the disciplines we have learned these 10 days and incorporate them into our daily lives in some way, shape, or form. I too need to remember that this is not a sprint, but a marathon. May we finish strong. May we take the dreams and miracles that God has placed deep in our hearts… and let them have breath.
It’s time to exhale.
However, most people live by the motto of another billboard I saw on the gulf coast last summer: “aspire to retire.” So you work hard all of your life to retire and turn off the life and breath of the Spirit’s power. The most amazing and inspiring people I know are the ones who finish strong and inspire me with their words and actions every day of their lives. They “fight the good fight” and pursue the heavenly way, which isn’t always easy. But, they try. When they are tired, they go deeper. When they are challenged, they rise above. When they are disheartened, they live by faith. When they make mistakes, they repent and live anew. When they are touched by God, they pass it on. And inspire.
I pray that this Pentecost Experience has inspired us and given us a different breadth and depth we haven’t had before. I pray that we will take the disciplines we have learned these 10 days and incorporate them into our daily lives in some way, shape, or form. I too need to remember that this is not a sprint, but a marathon. May we finish strong. May we take the dreams and miracles that God has placed deep in our hearts… and let them have breath.
It’s time to exhale.
Monday, June 9, 2008
The "Son in your Eye"
Yesterday, as I was driving to church, squinting from the rays of sun blinding me, I saw a profound church billboard scrolling the following wisdom: “Keep the Son in your Eye.” What a simple statement to remind me of my daily walk with God. “Fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” Hebrews 2:2 ponders this reality of keeping Christ fixed on our spiritual radar wherever we are. That is not an easy task as we have realized these 10 days of this Pentecost Experience. Like Peter, as we begin to walk on water, get out of the boat, it’s easy to take our eyes and our hearts off of Jesus and start to sink. It’s easy to get busy, hard to balance our time with family, put off journaling, or even find time for authentic prayer and intimacy with God.
I guess I have realized that we are going be blinded by a lot of other things competing for our time and our hearts. And, most of the time those are all good things that God has blessed us with in the places and spaces of our lives.
Today, I’m praying for being blinded by the “Son.” Blinded by the awesome light and power of God’s amazing grace and love for me. For when we let that light so shine in us, it gets reflected through us and unto the world around us. And, we will shine. (even if it’s raining out)
Brian
I guess I have realized that we are going be blinded by a lot of other things competing for our time and our hearts. And, most of the time those are all good things that God has blessed us with in the places and spaces of our lives.
Today, I’m praying for being blinded by the “Son.” Blinded by the awesome light and power of God’s amazing grace and love for me. For when we let that light so shine in us, it gets reflected through us and unto the world around us. And, we will shine. (even if it’s raining out)
Brian
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