#notesfromthevicarage

PREPARE YOUR LOVE PT. 1

/ joseph elon lillie / Leave a comment

This year our church has been given direction, from the Lord, through the many prophetic words which have been spoken to us over the last year or so. Our leadership has boiled this direction down into a congregational sentence. That sentence says: “Prepare! Prepare! Prepare! Prepare you Spirit (come out of the decay of your strongholds). Prepare your Souls(Prepare to practice and feel compassion). Prepare your facility (your structures, infrastructures and plans). Prepare for the storm (Pray for action plan, Pray for a spirit of perseverance). Prepare your witness (know your gifts, earn the right to speak, build your relationships with those outside the church, build your example). Prepare your hope and faith (think hope, speak hope, act in hope). Prepare your love (love each other, love the people in your towns, love those who disagree with you, love through the doors that open).“

I am breaking down these seven prepare statements into twenty one brief devotionals. This post is devotional number 19.

DAY 19- Prepare your love (love each other, love the people in your towns, love those who disagree with you, love through the doors that open.

Photo by Kristina Paukshtite on Pexels.com

I have used this Scripture before, but it bears repeating, “

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not [b]puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, [c]thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

8 Love never fails.  1 Cor. 13:4-8

HOW ARE YOU DOING WITH LOVING THE PEOPLE IN YOUR DLT GROUP? HOW ARE YOU DOING LOVING PEOPLE IN YOUR TOWN WHO ARE NOT PART OF THE CHURCH?

A RANDOM SPLIT OF A DAY: A Funeral, Founder’s Day and the Relay For Life

/ joseph elon lillie / 4 Comments

I was describing the job of a minister to a friend the other day. It is not like most jobs. It’s the ultimate split shift rotation. I start in the early morning and then take a break for breakfast and to walk the dogs. Then I usually have some morning work to do. Then I take a break for lunch (usually I go home and walk the dogs during that time). Then I have an afternoon commitment of some kind and always more prayer. Then I take another break sometimes I get to work around the house and the garden and then it’s more prayer and sometimes an evening commitment.

Today for instance. I started with prayer around 4 A.M. and prayed for a few hours. Then Amanda and I had a funeral to attend for a dear lady we know through disabilities ministry .

Anne-Marie was a wonderful woman of faith and Amanda and I were blessed to be able to attend her funeral. We stayed for the reception and got to catch up with many church friends from the area.

Then it was back home to meet up with Joe and Kristine and Sevy. They had an open house to attend in a neighboring town this morning. The house was not something they were very interested in but they keep looking and waiting for the right thing to come along.

Kristine, Sevy and I then headed out to one of the two big events going on today. It’s Founder’s Day in Winchendon.

And Relay For Life in Gardner. We had church staff and leaders at both. The Prayer Shawl Ministry gave out 64 shawls at the Relay!

Meanwhile we had several of our members working as volunteers at the Founder’s Day event.

I was just an attendee at the Founder’s Day, but I had some great opportunities to chat with people from town including one of my classmates, and one of the police sergeants whom I have known since childhood.

Then I went home to do a bit of gardening and to put together my devotional video for the church and to get myself ready for church tomorrow morning

I opened up the bushes next to the drive a bit.

I have one more prayer session for bed. It’s been a wonderful day!

WHAT’S ON YOUR AGENDA FOR THIS WEEKEND?

BITS IN THE GARDEN OF THE LORD

/ joseph elon lillie / 4 Comments

My yard has been completely neglected for the last seven years. Every year I keep meaning to “get back to it”, only to be sidelined by other projects. This year I am actually making some headway with the grounds of the Vicarage.

The garden boxes have been moved and all but one are filled with dirt and planted.

We have weeded the front gardens twice. I have to say they are filling in nicely this year. The irises are giving way to the day lilies and it is time to weed the gardens again. It just about time to bring in the first harvest of mint for tea.

It is also time to mow the lawn for the fourth time.

As you can see we have done a good job at encouraging the ferns to grow.

I have asked myself what is different this year from the last seven years.

  1. I think some of this is therapy helping me cope with the loss of my mom. It is certainly filling time I used to spend caregiving.
  2. Something has shifted in the level of importance I am giving the house. I am not sure exactly why, but this feels like part of the ministry right now. It feels almost like a prophetic work. I am going to have to ponder on that.
  3. I am not doing this alone. The kids are helping me as I work towards the finished product. Joe helped me move the garden boxes. Kristine and Joe have helped me move some dirt. Melanie and Kristine have done some weeding and Kristine has overseen the buying of the new chicken coop and chickens soon to be a part of There Vicarage farm.
  4. Perhaps the most significant change is that I have learned how to break this work down into small bits. I cannot and do not work for hours and hours on the gardens like I used to try to do. I am contenting myself at working on the yard for thirty minutes a day sometimes less. AND I celebrate the small forward movements. Each wheelbarrow of dirt moved is a win. It may not be fast, but it is significant.

WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU DO TO GET BIG JOBS DONE OVER TIME?

SHARE MY WORLD 6-3-2024

/ joseph elon lillie / 6 Comments

THIS POST IS WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO PENSITIVITY’S SHARE MY WORLD CHALLENGE.

1.  Have you ever wanted to be famous?

I suppose everyone has had their moment of seeking fame and glory. When I was young and immature I think I wanted fame out of a lack of my own self worth. As I have grown more comfortable in my own skin, I have realized I don’t need the recognition of other men to validate who I am. At least most times that is true.

2.  Have you met any celebrities?

Hmmm. I suppose if you count….No. No I haven’t.

3.  Has anyone ever asked you for your autograph?

Only in a year book or in a high school play bill.

4.  Is there a celebrity you wish to have met/meet?

Not really. I enjoy meeting people as people not as their mythology. If I were to meet someone famous I would hope I would be more concerned about their personhood than I would be about any notoriety I might gain from being in their presence.

MY WEEKLY GRATITUDE… Is that I got to go dinner with my cousins Karen and Mike yesterday.