Chris Bishop

I woke up this morning…actually I would consider it still night, and I joined a number of our youth and other Middletown High School students for some fellowship and worship time before school. At 6:45 young people were dragging their selves, and all 145 pounds of their school stuff, into the chorus room for praise music and some devotion/message time. What a wonderful way to start the day. Though I am sure that by the end of the day the students (and me for that matter) will be more willing to craw into be at a reasonable hour.

I am always taken aback when I see young people really owning their faith and putting it into action in a real way. This isn’t just a club that they go to in hopes of getting out of 4th period once a month on Club days. There is sacrifice and commitment that these young people have made that motivates them to be there. What a joyful thing it is. Also it is great to be able to worship in a place where I have no more responsibility for the service than the freshman sitting next to me. God shows up and cares for my soul in some of the strangest places.

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I found this prayer on the archdiocese of Detroit’s website I thought that it was beautiful:

On this weekend, when we rest from our usual labors, loving Father, we pray for all who shoulder the tasks of human labor—in the marketplace, in factories and offices, in the professions, and in family living. We thank you, Lord, for the gift and opportunity of work; may our efforts always be pure of heart, for the good of others and the glory of your name. We lift up to you all who long for just employment and those who work to defend the rights and needs of workers everywhere. May those of us who are now retired always remember that we still make a valuable contribution to our Church and our world by our prayers and deeds of charity. May our working and our resting all give praise to you until the day we share together in eternal rest with all our departed in your Kingdom as you live and reign Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen. [...]

I feel like there are some things in life that cross our paths multiple times for a reason. Maybe it is to make amends with a friend that we have wronged, perhaps it is a song that reminds of of our heritage, and others cross our paths because we need to listen again to what they are saying to us.

This book, Messy Spirituality,is one of those things that seems to resurface time and time again throughout the churning chop of my comings and goings. Every time I revisit this wonderful book I find something new. As if the message was hiding for me within the pages waiting for this time to be the time I discover yet another layer in the insight of Mike Yaconelli. [...]

For some time now I have had this idea of beginning a blog (not that anyone would read it). I feel there there is at least some potential for some real community to develop thorough this blog. This is not a blog about the goings on at Middletown United Methodist. It is not a place where you can catch up on the latest church gossip. Rather it is just my attempt a logging my spiritual journey. As an ulterior motive I am hoping that it is going to help me develop a more discipline journaling routine. Though the content may not be ground breaking and even random at times I hope that a relationship between author and reader can develop… [...]