A Sunday Morning Prayer

by Rick Blumenberg / @rickblumenberg

It was five o'clock on a Sunday morning and I was wide awake in my sixth floor hospital room. The view from my bed overlooked the city of Elkhart, Indiana, and I could see the faint hint of dawn in the east.  Between my window and the horizon stretched the lights of the sleeping city below. I felt a keen sense of the presence of God as I thought about the day ahead and the many ministers who would rise early to begin a day of ministry to their various flocks throughout the city and in the surrounding countryside.

I wouldn't be in the pulpit this morning but my long habit of rising early to pray each Sunday must have brought me awake because I was totally alert with a sense of anticipation for the day to come. I began to pray for my associate who would preach in my place and for the other leaders in our congregation who would carry the ministry much more than adequately in my absence.

I prayed for each Sunday School teacher, each music and worship leader, for the choir and the musicians, asking God to bless every effort and every person involved in either the giving or the receiving.

Then I began to pray for fellow ministers, friends throughout the city, and for their various congregations. As I prayed for each one I also asked God to bless all the churches in their denomination and finally, when I had run out of all the ministers I knew, I prayed for all the others, ministers and congregations of God's people throughout our community and in the surrounding area.

As I prayed I think I began to understand, at least in a small way, how our heavenly Father feels as he looks out over his diverse peoples. I felt a sense of love and appreciation for them all and for the effects of their labors in our community. I asked God to encircle all his people with love and to draw into that community of faith all those who were alienated and alone and who felt so far away from him.

What a privilege it is to be a child of God and to be a part of this marvelous spiritual family where God is Father, Jesus Christ our elder brother and the Holy Spirit binds us all together with his perfect love!

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.
  

Christ Living and Computers

It was at Midtown / Adamsville Road Church of God, in Elkhart, Indiana, that I wrote my first two books. First was “The Prayer Support System”, a description of the prayer ministry I began in our church when we were located on Baldwin Street in the city of Elkhart. “Let’s Get Down to Basics”, my second book, began as a class for new believers at Midtown (Now Adamsville Road Church of God), and for those not familiar with the Church of God. Both are still in print, but the Prayer Support System supply is running low. If you’re interested in either one, contact me on Facebook or through the Church of God Yearbook.

Carol and I visited Adamsville Road Church of God on Sunday, and it brought back a lot of good memories. They worship now in a new sanctuary and the original sanctuary we helped to build is now a fellowship hall and Sunday school classroom. Many familiar faces are gone, replaced by new faces with warm friendly smiles. Pastor Rob Meckley preached a great sermon and we enjoyed the day tremendously.

 

One of the dear ladies who was not there when we planted the church nor for the twelve and a half years we led the congregation, came to thank me for starting this congregation, almost thirty-five years ago. She (Dianna Berg) said something like this: “You have no idea how many lives you have blessed! Thank you!”

But as I told Dianne, “That’s the joy of serving God and it’s true for all of us who serve him. We never know what great things he accomplishes through our efforts.”

As I think about that I’m reminded of so many times when a kind word, a warm smile, a loving response or a ten-dollar-bill given during a difficult time in life, had life-changing blessings that continued generation after generation throughout time and into eternity.  We do small things and by God’s grace he turns them into awesome accomplishments that we will only fully know in that reunion in eternity.

That visit reminded me of an interesting experience while planting this Elkhart congregation. In the early days of the church plant I was earning some extra money as a substitute teacher and was asked to teach a computer class. It seems impossible now when I spend so much time on a laptop, but at that time I had never touched a computer and I tried to say no to something I wasn’t sure I could do.

 I was told not to worry. All I need do was babysit these high school students. They didn’t expect me to teach them anything.

That was difficult for me to comprehend because I love to teach and I didn’t think I could do the baby-sitting thing, but I needed the money, so I showed up. As I stood in front of a class of about twenty-five students I had a sudden moment of divine inspiration and miracle of miracles, I acted on the impression that I’m sure was a message from God.

I told the students I knew absolutely nothing about computers. I said there was no way I could teach them anything because “Every one of you knows more about computers than I do.” So, I went on to say, “I would like to ask you to teach me. You go ahead with whatever you’re doing and as I walk around the classroom, would you try to teach me something that will help me to better understand computers? This is something I need to learn.”

As you can imagine, the students loved God’s idea and we spent a delightful morning that was for me an unforgettable experience. I hope it was for those students as well. I have no doubt God directed me in that classroom just as much as when I preached to that fledgling congregation. I have no idea how God may have used it in some of those student’s lives. I know what a blessing it was in mine.

One of the students gave me my first introduction to and explanation of computer games. I had never heard of such a strange thing. That young man is probably a millionaire today. I certainly hope so.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.