6-30

LEARNING TO TRUST THAT GOD IS TRUSTWORTHY

Mark 10:46-52  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 

Rev. Paul Wrightman  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​  ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 6/30/24

 

IN THE FIRST BOOK OF THE​​ HARRY POTTER​​ SERIES,

HARRY FINDS HIMSELF IN ONE OF HOGWARTS​​ CASTLE'S

MANY MYSTERIOUS ROOMS.

 

IN IT, HE SEES A LARGE, ORNATE MIRROR.

 

WHEN HE PEERS INTO THE LOOKING GLASS,

HE MIRACULOUSLY SEES HIS PARENTS,

WHO APPEAR TO STAND BEHIND HIM

AND ALSO GAZE INTO THE MIRROR.

 

HARRY IS AN ORPHAN AND DEEPLY MISSES HIS PARENTS,

WHO WERE KILLED FIGHTING AGAINST THE EVIL VOLDEMORT

WHEN HARRY WAS YOUNG.

 

HE RUNS TO GET HIS FRIEND RON​​ 

AND BRING HIM TO THE SECRET ROOM AND ITS MAGICAL MIRROR,

WANTING TO "INTRODUCE" RON TO HIS PARENTS.

 

BUT WHEN​​ RON​​ LOOKS INTO THE MIRROR,

RON SEES HIMSELF BEING CARRIED ON THE SHOULDERS

OF HIS SOCCER TEAMMATES​​ 

AND CELEBRATED AS THE ONE WHO WON THE GAME.

 

PERPLEXED, HARRY AND RON BOTH GO THEIR MENTOR AND TEACHER

DUMBLEDORE, WHO EXPLAINS THAT THIS IS A MAGICAL MIRROR

WHOSE SPECIAL PROPERTY IS TO REFLECT BACK

TO THE ONE WHO LOOKS INTO IT "THEIR TRUE HEART'S DESIRE."

 

HARRY HAS ALWAYS FELT​​ ALONE​​ IN THE WORLD,

WITHOUT A FAMILY,​​ 

WITHOUT THE CONTINUING LOVE OF HIS PARENTS.

 

RON HAS ALWAYS FELT UNACKNOWLEDGED AND UNDERVALUED

BY HIS PEERS.

 

AND SO WHEN THEY LOOK INTO THE MIRROR,

EACH SEES WHAT HE MOST WANTS IN THE WORLD.

 

(PAUSE)

 

ONE OF THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF BIBLICAL INTERPRETATION

IS THAT THE MEANING OF SCRIPTURE IS NOT​​ LIMITED

TO THE TIME AND PLACE OF THE ORIGINAL EVENT OR ENCOUNTER,

 

BUT​​ SPILLS​​ OVER, AS IT WERE, TO IMPACT AND INFLUENCE

ALL​​ TIMES AND​​ ALL​​ PLACES.

 

THUS, THE UNDERSTANDING IS THAT​​ WHEN JESUS POSES

A QUESTION, AS HE DOES IN OUR SCRIPTURE TEXT THIS MORNING, WHEN HE ASKS BLIND BARTIMEAUS

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?" ​​ --

 

WE CAN​​ ASSUME​​ THAT THIS QUESTION,​​ ​​ 

WHILE SPECIFIC TO BARTEMAEUS IN HIS TIME AND PLACE,​​ ​​ 

​​ 

IS​​ AT​​ THE​​ SAME​​ TIME​​ ADDRESSED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF​​ US,

IN​​ OUR​​ UNIQUE TIME AND PLACE.

 

ALL​​ THE QUESTIONS THAT JESUS ASKS IN THE GOSPELS

ARE DIRECTED TO EACH OF US​​ JUST​​ AS​​ MUCH​​ 

AS THEY WERE TO THE PERSON WHO HEARD THE QUESTION​​ FIRST.

 

TO READ THE GOSPELS IS TO BE QUESTIONED PERSONALLY BY JESUS

IN​​ THE​​ SAME​​ WAY​​ AS THE ORIGINAL HEARERS WERE.

 

THE JESUS WHOM THE GOSPELS SHARE WITH US

IS VERY MUCH LIKE THAT MIRROR IN THE​​ HARRY POTTER​​ STORY:

 

THE WAY WE ANSWER REVEALS TO HIM AND TO US

THE DEEPEST CONCERNS OF OUR HEARTS, OUR MINDS, OUR LIVES.

 

MANY OF OUR RESPONSES TO JESUS' QUESTIONS

MAY SEEM TO US TO BE WOEFULLY INADEQUATE.

 

FORTUNATELY, JESUS CAN AND DOES READ BETWEEN THE LINES

OF OUR ANSWERS TO HIS QUESTIONS.

 

SINCE HE KNOWS US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES,

AND WANTS ONLY WHAT IS BEST FOR US,

 

WE CAN​​ TRUST​​ THAT EVEN IF OUR ANSWER IS INADEQUATE

JESUS WILL BE ABLE​​ TO​​ TRANSLATE IT INTO LANGUAGE

DEEPER​​ THAN MERE​​ WORDS.

 

SOMETIMES WHEN JESUS ASKS WHAT SOMEONE​​ WANTS,

HE NOT ONLY GIVES THEM WHAT THEY​​ ASK​​ FOR​​ 

BUT WHAT THEY​​ NEED​​ AS WELL.

 

ON SEVERAL​​ HEALING​​ OCCASIONS, HE HEALS​​ PEOPLE

OF A PARTICULAR MALADY

(THE EASIER PART, HE TELLS ONLOOKERS),

BUT THEN PROCEEDS TO FORGIVE THEM​​ 

ALL THEIR BROKENNESS AND SIN.

 

HE SEEMS TO KNOW THAT WE USUALLY ASK

FOR THE THING WE​​ THINK​​ WE WANT,

BELIEVING​​ IT WILL MAKE US HAPPY AND WHOLE.

 

BUT JESUS UNDERSTANDS THAT​​ BENEATH​​ 

THE REQUEST FOR HEALING IS A REQUEST THAT IS​​ DEEPER,

OFTEN​​ UNSPOKEN​​ AND EVEN​​ UNKNOWN​​ TO THE ONE ASKING;

 

A HEALING OF THE​​ SOUL, A HEALING OF THE​​ INNER​​ PERSON

THAT OFFERS THE ONLY TRUE HOPE OF HAPPINESS AND WHOLENESS.

 

WHEN JESUS ASKS "WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?",

HE IS LISTENING TO THE RESPONDER'S​​ HEART, NOT TO THEIR​​ WORDS.

 

IN TODAY'S PASSAGE FROM MARK'S GOSPEL,

"BLIND BARTIMAEUS" MAY BE ASKING TO RECEIVE HIS SIGHT AGAIN.

 

BUT JESUS KNOWS THAT IT IS​​ NOT​​ JUST​​ BARTIMAEUS'​​ BLINDNESS

THAT IS MAKING LIFE UNLIVABLE FOR HIM,

 

BUT EVERYONE ELSE'S​​ CONDEMNATION​​ OF HIM​​ 

BECAUSE​​ HE IS BLIND.

 

AFTER ALL, BLINDNESS, ILLNESS,

AND OTHER CONDITIONS OF SUFFERING WERE SEEN AT THE TIME

AS​​ EVIDENCE​​ OF ONE'S​​ SIN, OR THAT OF THE PERSON'S FOREBEARS.

 

AND THAT MEANT THAT THIS BLIND BEGGAR

WAS BEING TREATED BY THE SOCIETY THAT SURROUNDED HIM

AS SOMEONE WHO WAS GETTING WHAT HE​​ DESERVED.

 

WHAT BARTIMAEUS REALLY WANTS​​ AND NEEDS​​ 

IS TO BE TREATED LIKE THE​​ CHILD​​ OF​​ GOD​​ THAT​​ HE​​ IS.

 

JESUS IS RATHER PREDICTABLE IN TENDING TO CHOOSE

THOSE OF LOWLY MEANS AND STATIONS IN LIFE

IN WHOM TO WORK HIS HEALING MIRACLES.

 

WHY?

 

BECAUSE THEIR VERY​​ NEEDINESS

MAKES THEM FERTILE GROUND FOR GOD'S GRACE.

 

THE HIGH AND MIGHTY

(OF FIRST CENTURY ISRAEL OR OF OUR OWN TIME)

TEND TO THINK THAT​​ THEY​​ ARE RESPONSIBLE

FOR THEIR​​ OWN​​ PROSPERITY AND GOOD FORTUNE,

 

WITH LITTLE WILLINGNESS TO ACKNOWLEDGE

THEIR UNDERLYING NEEDINESS​​ 

OR TO ACCEPT ANY HELP FROM GOD OR THEIR NEIGHBORS.

 

AND SO JESUS OFTEN CONNNECTS

WITH THE OUTCAST AND MARGINALIZED

TO MANIFEST GOD'S GOODNESS AND GLORY.

 

IN ANSWER TO JESUS' QUESTION,

"WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO FOR YOU?",

BARTIMAEUS RESPONDS, "MY TEACHER, LET ME SEE AGAIN."

 

JESUS NOT ONLY HEALS THE MAN'S BLINDNESS,

BUT KNOWS THAT IN HEALING THE BLINDNESS

HE IS RESTORING THIS PERSON'S PLACE​​ 

AS A BELOVED CHILD OF GOD.

 

THERE TAKES PLACE A PROFOUND HEALING​​ CONNECTION

BETWEEN THE BLIND MAN AND JESUS,

 

A CONNECTION MADE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF JESUS' DESIRE TO HEAL

AND THE BLIND MAN'S FAITH THAT JESUS CAN​​ DO​​ JUST THAT.

 

JESUS'​​ PARTING WORDS TO THE MAN-NO-LONGER-BLIND,

"GO, YOUR FAITH HAS MADE YOU WELL,"​​ 

ARE​​ SURPRISING​​ TO MANY OF US, BUT DON'T HAVE TO BE.

 

THEY'RE SURPRISING BECAUSE​​ JESUS​​ PLACES SO MUCH WEIGHT

ON THE MAN'S​​ FAITH,​​ 

TELLING HIM NOTHING LESS THAN

IT IS HIS FAITH THAT HAS MADE HIM​​ WELL.

 

WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?

 

IN OUR CULTURE, THE WORD "FAITH" TENDS TO BRING WITH IT

THE CONNOTATION OF BELIEVING IN SOMETHING​​ 

PRECISELY BECAUSE OF ITS​​ UNBELIEVABILITY.

 

SOMETHING IS IMPOSSIBLE,

SO WE'RE TOLD TO HAVE "FAITH"​​ IN​​ SPITE​​ OF​​ ITS IMPOSSIBILITY.

 

THIS IS DEFINITELY​​ NOT​​ WHAT​​ JESUS​​ MEANS BY FAITH.

 

JESUS' UNDERSTANDING OF THE MEANING OF FAITH

IS MUCH MORE ALONG THE LINES​​ 

OF SOMETHING OR SOMEONE THAT IS BELIEVED

PRECISELY​​ BECAUSE​​ THIS SOMETHING OR SOMEONE

HAS​​ CONSISTENTLY BEEN SHOWN​​ TO BE TRUSTWORTHY.

 

WHEN​​ THE BIBLE TALKS ABOUT "FAITH" IN GOD,

IT'S NOT TALKING ABOUT BELIEVING IN GOD

IN SPITE OF A​​ MOUNTAIN OF EVIDENCE CONTRARY TO GOD.

 

IN SCRIPTURE, "FAITH" IN GOD IS "TRUST" IN GOD,

AND THIS TRUST IS BASED ON​​ A PERSON’S​​ LIVED​​ EXPERIENCE

THAT GOD HAS SHOWN GODSELF TO BE COMPLETELY TRUSTWORTHY.

 

WHEN MISSIONARIES IN THE FAR NORTH​​ 

OF GREENLAND AND CANADA WANTED TO GIVE​​ 

THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE THEIR OWN TRANSLATION

OF THE BIBLE,​​ 

 

THEY STRUGGLED BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WORD​​ 

FOR "FAITH" OR FOR "TRUST" IN THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.

 

FINALLY THEY SETTLED FOR A​​ PHRASE​​ INSTEAD OF A WORD,

AND THIS PHRASE WAS "KNOWING-FROM-EXPERIENCE-THAT-

SOMETHING/SOMEONE-IS-SO-STRONG-THAT-YOU-CAN-PUT-YOUR-

ENTIRE-WEIGHT-ON-IT-AND-IT-WILL-HOLD-YOU-UP."

 

(REPEAT)

 

THIS​​ IS THE KIND OF "FAITH" OR "TRUST"​​ 

THAT JESUS IS TALKING ABOUT!

 

AND AS WILLIAM TEMPLE SAYS: ​​ 

TRUST​​ IS ALWAYS ON THE​​ WAY​​ TO BECOMING​​ LOVE.”

 

SO HOW DO WE​​ GROW​​ INTO​​ THIS KIND OF FAITH AND TRUST?

​​ 

NOT​​ ALL-AT-ONCE, BUT​​ GRADUALLY.

 

MANY YEARS AGO IT WAS DECIDED​​ 

TO PUT A SUSPENSION BRIDGE ACROSS A WIDE GORGE.

 

HOW COULD THEY BUILD A BRIDGE ACROSS SUCH A WIDE SPACE?

 

IN FACT, HOW COULD THEY EVEN​​ START?

 

FIRST, THEY SHOT AN​​ ARROW​​ FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER.

 

THE ARROW CARRIED ACROSS THE GULF A THIN​​ THREAD,

AND THUS THE CONNECTION WAS ESTABLISHED.

 

THE THREAD WAS THEN USED TO DRAW A PIECE OF​​ TWINE​​ ACROSS,

 

THE TWINE CARRIED AFTER IT A SMALL​​ ROPE,

 

THE ROPE SOON CARRIED A​​ CABLE​​ ACROSS,

 

AND IN GOOD TIME CAME THE IRON​​ CHAINS

THE BRIDGE WAS TO HANG FROM.

 

GROWING FAITH OR TRUST IN GOD IS JUST LIKE THAT --

ONE SMALL STEP AT A TIME,

EACH STEP A TINY BIT BOLDER THAN THE LAST.

 

THE DEGREE OF FAITH THAT ONE PLACES IN A GIVEN OBJECT

IS DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL​​ 

TO ONE'S EXPERIENTIAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE OBJECT.

 

FOR EXAMPLE, CONSIDER A WOMAN TERRIFIED OF FLYING.

 

WHEN SHE FIRST ARRIVES AT THE AIRPORT SHE BUYS INSURANCE

AT ONE OF THOSE INSURANCE-POLICY MACHINES.

 

SHE HAS HER SEAT BELT BUCKLED TWENTY MINUTES

BEFORE TAKE-OFF​​ AND LISTENS CAREFULLY

TO THE ROUTINE EMERGENCY INSTRUCTIONS.

 

SHE HAS NO FAITH IN THE ABILITY OF THE PLANE

TO GET HER TO HER DESTINATION.

 

BUT, AS THE JOURNEY​​ PROGRESSES,

THIS PASSENGER BEGINS TO​​ CHANGE.

 

SHE​​ UNBUCKLES HER SEAT BELT, HAS SOME LUNCH,

AND PRETTY SOON IS TALKING TO THE PERSON NEXT TO HER

AND JOKING.

 

WHY THE CHANGE? ​​ WHAT HAPPENED?

 

IS THERE MORE FAITH AT 36,000 FEET?

 

THE MORE THIS PERSON​​ LEARNED​​ ABOUT THE OBJECT OF FAITH,

THE PLANE, THE MORE FAITH SHE PLACED IN THAT OBJECT.

 

JUST AS IT IS BETWEEN THIS PERSON AND HER GROWING FAITH

IN THE PLANE CARRYING HER ON HER JOURNEY,

 

SO IT IS WITH GROWING OUR FAITH IN GOD.

 

THE MORE WE LEARN ABOUT GOD,

THE MORE KNOWLEDGE WE HAVE OF GOD,

THE EASIER IT WILL BE FOR US TO TRUST GOD.

 

AND THE EASIER IT IS FOR US TO​​ TRUST​​ GOD,

THE EASIER IT WILL BE FOR US TO​​ LOVE​​ GOD.

 

JUST ONE CAVEAT:

 

ABSTRACT, SECOND-HAND KNOWLEDGE​​ ABOUT​​ GOD

IS SIMPLY NOT​​ STRONG​​ ENOUGH TO​​ SUPPORT​​ 

A GROWING TRUST IN GOD.

​​ 

OUR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD NEEDS TO BE​​ LIVED,​​ EXPERIENTIAL

KNOWLEDGE AND NOT MERE BOOK-LEARNING.

 

ONE COULD CONCEIVABLY READ ALL THE BOOKS​​ 

EVER WRITTEN​​ ABOUT​​ PRAYER,

AND AT THE END STILL NOT KNOW HOW TO PRAY.

 

REAL PRAYER IS BORN OUT OF THE STRUGGLE​​ TO​​ PRAY.

 

THERE'S A LOT OF TALK THESE DAYS​​ 

ABOUT HAVING A "PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD."

 

AGAIN, ONE COULD READ INNUMERABLE BOOKS​​ 

ABOUT​​ RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND STILL BE NO CLOSER

TO ACTUALLY​​ HAVING​​ A RELATIONSHIP​​ WITH​​ GOD.

 

HOW DOES ONE ACTUALLY​​ BEGIN​​ A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?

 

BASED ON MY OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE,

AND ON THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF MANY​​ I KNOW,

I WOULD SAY THAT THE WAY TO BEGIN

IS TO EXPRESS TO GOD THE DESIRE, THE NEED,

 

--​​ EVEN THE​​ DESPERATE​​ NEED --

 

TO​​ EXPERIENCE​​ GOD'S PRESENCE,​​ 

NOT JUST IN ONE'S HEAD​​ OR​​ HEART,

BUT IN​​ EVERY​​ ASPECT OF ONE'S LIFE.

 

THE CAREER OF MISSIONARY AND AUTHOR E. STANLEY JONES,

WHO DIED IN 1973, WAS NEARLY CUT SHORT BY CHRONIC WORRY.

 

WHEN HE HAD FIRST ARRIVED IN INDIA,

JONES WORE HIMSELF OUT, WORKING AND WORRYING.

 

"I WAS SUFFERING SO SEVERELY FROM BRAIN FATIGUE

AND NERVOUS EXHAUSTION," HE LATER WROTE,

"THAT I COLLAPSED, NOT ONCE BUT SEVERAL TIMES."

 

ABOARD THE SHIP​​ RETURNING TO AMERICA,

HE COLLAPSED AGAIN AND THE DOCTOR PUT HIM TO BED.

 

AFTER A YEAR'S REST, HE ATTEMPTED TO RETURN TO INDIA,

BUT BECAME A BUNDLE OF NERVES ON THE TRIP

AND ARRIVED IN BOMBAY A BROKEN MAN.

 

HE COLLEAGUES WARNED HIM​​ 

THAT ANY ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE MINISTERING

IN SUCH A STATE OF ANXIOUS CARE WOULD BE FATAL.

 

WHILE PRAYING ONE NIGHT,

GROPING IN EMOTIONAL DARKNESS,

JONES SEEMED TO HEAR A VOICE ASK HIM,

 

"ARE YOU READY FOR THIS WORK TO WHICH I HAVE CALLED YOU?"

 

"NO, LORD," REPLIED JONES. ​​ 

"I​​ AM​​ DONE​​ FOR. ​​ 

I HAVE REACHED THE END OF​​ MY​​ RESOURCES."

 

"IF YOU WILL TURN THAT OVER TO​​ ME​​ AND NOT​​ WORRY​​ ABOUT IT,"

THE VOICE SEEMED TO SAY, "I WILL​​ TAKE​​ CARE​​ OF IT."

 

JONES ANSWERED, "LORD, I​​ CLOSE​​ THE BARGAIN RIGHT HERE."

 

A GREAT SENSE OF PEACE CLOSED IN​​ OVER STANLEY JONES,

A RUSH OF ABUNDANT LIFE

THAT SEEMED TO SWEEP HIM OFF HIS FEET.

 

HIS ENERGY RETURNED, HIS ENTHUSIASM BUBBLED OVER,

AND HE PLUNGED BACK INTO HIS WORK

WITH A VITALITY HE HAD NEVER KNOWN.

 

JONES WENT ON TO SPEND A LIFETIME OF MINISTRY IN INDIA,

WRITING NUMEROUS BOOKS,

AND MINISTERING TO MULTITUDES AROUND THE WORLD.

 

HE LATER WROTE,

"THIS ONE THING I KNOW:

MY LIFE WAS COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED​​ 

AND UPLIFTED THAT NIGHT…

 

WHEN AT THE DEPTH OF MY WEAKNESS AND DEPRESSION,

A VOICE SAID TO ME:

 

"IF YOU WILL TURN THAT OVER TO ME AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT,

I WILL TAKE CARE OF IT,"​​ 

 

AND I REPLIED, "LORD, I CLOSE THE BARGAIN RIGHT HERE."

 

LET ME SUMMARIZE THE IMPORTANT POINTS OF THIS​​ SERMON:

 

1. ​​ CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIANS NEED TO RETURN TO JESUS'

UNDERSTANDING OF FAITH AS TRUST -- TRUST THAT GOD IS GOOD,

WANTS ONLY WHAT IS BEST FOR US, AND IS STRONG ENOUGH

TO BEAR US UP NO MATTER WHAT.

 

2. ​​ ABSTRACT FAITH OR TRUST OR KNOWLEDGE OF GOD​​ 

IS UNABLE TO BRING US INTO A​​ PERSONAL​​ RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD.

 

ONLY​​ LIVED​​ FAITH AND TRUST AND LEARNING CAN DO THIS.

 

3. ​​ THE​​ BEGINNING​​ OF A LIFELONG LOVE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD

OFTEN COMES ABOUT BY OUR EXPRESSING A DESPERATE​​ NEED​​ 

FOR GOD, MUCH LIKE E. STANLEY JONES DID.

 

4. ​​ AFTER AN INITIAL BREAKTHROUGH, OUR FAITH AND TRUST IN GOD

WILL GROW GRADUALLY AND STEADILY.

 

AS WE LEARN MORE​​ ABOUT​​ GOD

THROUGH VARIOUS EXPERIENCES​​ WITH​​ GOD,

OUR FAITH AND TRUST WILL​​ EXPAND​​ AND​​ DEEPEN

AS OUR​​ EXPERIENTIAL​​ KNOWLEDGE OF GOD EXPANDS AND DEEPENS.

 

A GOOD PLACE TO FURTHER OPEN ONESELF TO EXPERIENCING GOD

WOULD BE TO PRAY​​ THIS ANCIENT CELTIC ENCIRCLING PRAYER,​​ 

WHICH HAS APPEARED IN OUR BULLETIN​​ QUITE A FEW TIMES,

AND A COPY OF WHICH I WOULD BE HAPPY TO EMAIL YOU:

​​ 

I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS, LORD,

I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS.

 

I PLACE MY WILL IN​​ YOURS, LORD,

I PLACE MY WILL IN YOURS.

 

I PLACE MY DAYS IN YOURS, LORD,

I PLACE MY DAYS IN YOURS.

 

I PLACE MY THOUGHTS IN YOURS, LORD,

I PLACE MY THOUGHTS IN YOURS.

 

I PLACE MY HEART IN YOURS, LORD,

I PLACE MY HEART IN YOURS.

 

I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS, LORD,

I PLACE MY HANDS IN YOURS. ​​ 

 

AMEN. ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​ ​​​​ ​​ 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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