December 26, 2008
A Prayer for Christmas Day (Robert Louis Stevenson)
Posted by JRL
Loving God, Help us remember the birth of Jesus,
that we may share in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,
and worship of the wise men.
Close the door of hate
and open the door of love all over the world.
Let kindness come with every gift
and good desires with every greeting.
Deliver us from evil
by the blessing which Christ brings,
and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.
May Christmas morning
make us happy to be thy children,
and Christmas evening bring us to our beds
with grateful thoughts,
forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus’ sake. Amen.
December 15, 2008
Christmas Prayer
Posted by John R Loppnow
Lord, Jesus, Master of both the light and the darkness,
send your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for Christmas.
We who have so much to do seek quiet spaces to hear your voice each day.
We who are anxious over many things look forward to your coming among us.
We who are blessed in so many ways long for the complete joy of your kingdom.
We whose hearts are heavy seek the joy of your presence.
We are your people, walking in darkness, yet seeking the light. To you we say, “Come Lord Jesus!”
(Henri Nouwen)
December 15, 2008
Kingdom Impact
Posted by Pastor Yana Ahn
For last two weeks, many people have asked, “What is Kingdom Impact?” I am so glad that you are asking!
Kingdom Impact is a church-wide outreach initiative to “extend God’s Kingdom,” by sending our members OUT to the communities here and beyond. Remember the Live concert this past summer? If Live Concert was an outreach effort by bringing people IN to the yncc community, Kingdom Impact is an outreach effort of sending yncc members OUT to impact the communities for His Kingdom.
We, as a whole church, will be engaged in reaching out to people, by simply serving a meal to the homeless, building a house for a innercity family, teaching SAT for innercity youth, or preparing AIDS caregiver kits. Don’t miss out this exciting invitation by God to join Him in what He is doing around the world, this coming January.
There are many opportunities for you to volunteer to set up/prepare/coordinate some aspects of Kingdom Impact. If you are interested in, please contact us at .
December 6, 2008
The Prayer Appointed for the Week
Posted by John R Loppnow
The Prayer Appointed for the Week
Almighty God, give all of us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living and the dead, we may rise to the life immortal; through him who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.
December 3, 2008
Fanning the Spiritual Flame
Posted by Posted by John Loppnow
Question: What do you do when you realize you are lukewarm?
Answer: You do something drastic!
If some small change would have made the difference in your spiritual life, you would have made the change a long time ago.
You might:
Start a seven day fast and devote extra time to seeking God.
Take a sabbatical and pray like you haven’t in years.
Confess to your spouse, your elders, or to trusted friends and ask for help.
Seek spiritual counseling from another pastor or counselor.
Take the week off and go to a hotel alone with no cell phone, no computer, and no books but the Bible.
Read a children’s bible and pretend like you’re hearing the gospel story for the very first time.
Repent to your family for your lack of spiritual passion and leadership.
Tell your church honestly that you are struggling and invite them to pray for you.
You might turn off your computer now and go somewhere and cry and repent deeply.
Whatever you do, it should be drastic and you should do it before another voice talks you out of it.