A prayer for the close of the day

The following is a post on Pastor Rich Kannwischer's blog. I came across it the other day. It helped me. Maybe it can help someone else.

A friend over lunch recently shared with me his struggle with taking work home at the end of the day. He may not have a lot in the briefcase, but the tensions and work seems incomplete, following him to his family. I agreed that as a pastor the work seems never done. There is always another phone call to make, another tweak of the sermon or lesson, another new relationship to build. These are wonderful problems to have, but it does make it hard to feel a sense of completion at the end of a day.

So I shared with him a prayer that I keep near my computer at the office. It is a prayer I regularly say at the close of a day's work.

"Gracious Father, you have kept me this day even without my knowing. As the shadows now lengthen and the evening comes, hush the busyness of this world and calm the troubled waters of my heart. My work is not yet done, but it is time for rest. I thank you, God, for all the good we did this day and for all that has given me joy. Forgive me for when I have strayed from your will and your way. Take from me my worries, my pains, my complaints and my fears. May evil no longer have power over me. Let your servant now depart with peace to join those I love to celebrate and bless with your humble kindness. Amen."

Now, if you aren't already, go home and rest.

We're All In This Together Movie Preview

Trend Spotting

Here's an interesting article from Marian Salzman. Check it out. It's eye-opening to see the future trends that Salzman talks about.

My Fair Lady begins this weekend!

My Fair Lady is starting this weekend at the EmilyAnn Theatre in Wimberley. If you want to order tickets, go to http://emilyann.org/musicals.htm. Dates for the show are June 5,6,7,12,13,14,19,20,21. You'll see some actors from our church, including Gary Yowell, David McCall, Sarah Bryan, and myself.

Juli Dearrington is playing Eliza and Carl Galante is playing Professor Higgins. It's a must-see! The EmilyAnn Theatre just completed a great run of the 60's Sensations Musical Revue. Angie Lassetter directed that one, as well as My Fair Lady.

Dan workin' the crowds!

Here's a picture of me singing something from My Fair Lady. The Starlight Symphony is accompanying, and other cast members are there with me.

Interesting article about the kindle and the book industry

I was reading a Wall Street Journal article about eBooks vs. real books, the kindle, and the way everything is changing in the information age. Read the article for yourself. It's enlightening.

Easter 2009

We had two wonderful Easter services this morning at church. And then our family enjoyed lunch with my parents and Leslie's parents, as well as Chris Richardson, long-time friend of Leslie's family. After lunch, I was curious about the condition of Capt. Richard Phillips who was being held by Somali pirates, so I turned on the television, and was very happy to learn that he had been rescued from captivity after Navy seals took out 3 of the 4 pirates. I'm happy for the captain and his family. They will never forget this Easter.

In the spiritual realm, I'm thankful for Jesus Christ, who releases us from our "captivity." Of course, a lot of people don't even think in terms of being held "captive." But when you think of trying to face life's challenges in your own strength, you have to realize that you will run out of power eventually. So it just makes sense to let God lead you.

Consider this passage from 2nd Corinthians 5. It speaks to the subject of Easter, and really sums up what I'm trying to say:

¹⁴ For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. ¹⁵ And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

¹⁶ So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. ¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! ¹⁸ All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: ¹⁹ that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. ²⁰ We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. ²¹ God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Christ died for our sin, and was resurrected on the third day! Because of this we can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ. This is the message of Easter. When I was 11, I prayed to receive Christ as my Savior, and have enjoyed the journey ever since! I prayed something like this:

Dear God,

I'm sorry for my sin. Thank you for dying on the cross in my place, so that I could be forgiven and reconciled to You. Please come into my life to be my Lord and Savior. I want to live my life for You here on this earth and be with You forever in Heaven. Based no the promises in Your Word, I thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life!

In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

I pray that some of you reading this blog post would think this over. If you haven't trusted Christ as your Savior, it would be a privilege to talk to you, or even discuss this over email.