The Shadow You Cast
Worship
Bright Intervals
40 Brief Worship Services and Meditations for Any Occasion
Object:
Greeting and Call To Worship
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness. Come into God's presence with singing!
Opening Prayer
O God, we thank you for this great and mysterious gift called life. Allow us in these moments of worship together to know you as our Lord and as our Friend. Surround us with your love, that we may be free truly to live. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"What A Friend We Have In Jesus"
This wonderful old hymn was written by an Irish composer named Joseph Scriven. Early in his life Scriven discovered how much he needed the friendship of Jesus Christ. The young woman to whom he was engaged tragically drowned on the eve of their wedding. Joseph moved to Canada, where news of his mother's illness back in Ireland reached him. Unable to return, he wrote the words of this hymn as a poem for his mother, hoping it would remind her of Christ's ever-present friendship.
Scripture Reading
Acts 5:12-16
Meditation
Our lives often influence those around us in ways far beyond anything we ever intended. That was certainly true for Peter. As he walked to the great Temple, families with loved ones who were ill would bring their relatives on pallets in the hope that just the shadow of Peter's body would bring healing or some blessing to them. Peter was probably not even aware of their intent; nonetheless, God used Peter's shadow for good.
It is amazing how the unconscious influence of one life upon another has often been the vehicle through which faith in Christ is passed from one generation to the next. Let us trace the course of a remarkable chain of such influences. It was a snowy Sunday morning in Colchester, England, in the year 1850. A boy of fifteen could not get to his own church and had slipped into the balcony of another. A lay person led the service that day because even the preacher was snowed in. His message was the repetition of the text, "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." It was not much of a sermon, but it touched that boy's heart, so that in time this boy, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, became the greatest preacher in the nineteenth century.
Spurgeon preached in churches and even in open fields, and the impact of his preaching touched many lives. A young man living in America heard of Spurgeon, and managed to work his passage on a ship to Europe so that he could hear Charles Spurgeon. He went everywhere Spurgeon spoke and finally came back to the United States saying, "I went to work to preach like that myself." The young man's name was Dwight L. Moody, whose work as an evangelist literally changed the face of America.
Once when Moody was scheduled to preach in London, a young medical student slipped into the back of the room. On the podium a pastor was giving a long, drowsy prayer. Bored, the young medical student turned to go when suddenly Moody stood up and said, "While our good brother here is finishing his prayer, the rest of us will sing hymn 22!" The young student stayed to hear Moody preach, and his heart was so touched that night, he gave his life to missions. His name was Wilfred Grenfell, and he touched hundreds of lives with his skill as a doctor and his life as a Christian.
Such is the influence we can have for Christ upon one another. It may be something as simple as a smile, a touch, a word, or a look, but it can be a life-changing moment for the person who receives it. It is important to note that in Peter's case, his shadow only became a powerful influence for good when his life was centered in Christ. Nobody was helped by Peter's shadow that night in the courtyard of the High Priest when Peter denied his Lord three times! But when Peter turned his life over to Jesus, even the shadow of his body was a blessing to others. Think about the shadow you cast. Perhaps, like Peter's, God can use it to bless someone around you.
Closing Prayer
Gracious God, let our lives be centered in you, so that your Spirit can touch those around us with the love of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Benediction
May God bless you and keep you. May God's face shine on you and be gracious to you. May God look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness. Come into God's presence with singing!
Opening Prayer
O God, we thank you for this great and mysterious gift called life. Allow us in these moments of worship together to know you as our Lord and as our Friend. Surround us with your love, that we may be free truly to live. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
Lord's Prayer
Special Hymn
"What A Friend We Have In Jesus"
This wonderful old hymn was written by an Irish composer named Joseph Scriven. Early in his life Scriven discovered how much he needed the friendship of Jesus Christ. The young woman to whom he was engaged tragically drowned on the eve of their wedding. Joseph moved to Canada, where news of his mother's illness back in Ireland reached him. Unable to return, he wrote the words of this hymn as a poem for his mother, hoping it would remind her of Christ's ever-present friendship.
Scripture Reading
Acts 5:12-16
Meditation
Our lives often influence those around us in ways far beyond anything we ever intended. That was certainly true for Peter. As he walked to the great Temple, families with loved ones who were ill would bring their relatives on pallets in the hope that just the shadow of Peter's body would bring healing or some blessing to them. Peter was probably not even aware of their intent; nonetheless, God used Peter's shadow for good.
It is amazing how the unconscious influence of one life upon another has often been the vehicle through which faith in Christ is passed from one generation to the next. Let us trace the course of a remarkable chain of such influences. It was a snowy Sunday morning in Colchester, England, in the year 1850. A boy of fifteen could not get to his own church and had slipped into the balcony of another. A lay person led the service that day because even the preacher was snowed in. His message was the repetition of the text, "Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth." It was not much of a sermon, but it touched that boy's heart, so that in time this boy, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, became the greatest preacher in the nineteenth century.
Spurgeon preached in churches and even in open fields, and the impact of his preaching touched many lives. A young man living in America heard of Spurgeon, and managed to work his passage on a ship to Europe so that he could hear Charles Spurgeon. He went everywhere Spurgeon spoke and finally came back to the United States saying, "I went to work to preach like that myself." The young man's name was Dwight L. Moody, whose work as an evangelist literally changed the face of America.
Once when Moody was scheduled to preach in London, a young medical student slipped into the back of the room. On the podium a pastor was giving a long, drowsy prayer. Bored, the young medical student turned to go when suddenly Moody stood up and said, "While our good brother here is finishing his prayer, the rest of us will sing hymn 22!" The young student stayed to hear Moody preach, and his heart was so touched that night, he gave his life to missions. His name was Wilfred Grenfell, and he touched hundreds of lives with his skill as a doctor and his life as a Christian.
Such is the influence we can have for Christ upon one another. It may be something as simple as a smile, a touch, a word, or a look, but it can be a life-changing moment for the person who receives it. It is important to note that in Peter's case, his shadow only became a powerful influence for good when his life was centered in Christ. Nobody was helped by Peter's shadow that night in the courtyard of the High Priest when Peter denied his Lord three times! But when Peter turned his life over to Jesus, even the shadow of his body was a blessing to others. Think about the shadow you cast. Perhaps, like Peter's, God can use it to bless someone around you.
Closing Prayer
Gracious God, let our lives be centered in you, so that your Spirit can touch those around us with the love of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Benediction
May God bless you and keep you. May God's face shine on you and be gracious to you. May God look upon you with favor and give you peace. Amen.
