Sarah Dickey on Psalm 90:12

On Ash Wednesday, I quoted an interaction I had with Sarah Dickey over email about the verse we were looking at (Psalm 90:12) and what God has taught her through the loss of her husband last year to an aggressive form of cancer. Many asked me if I could send them what I shared, and Sarah graciously allowed me to share this more broadly. I pray it’s encouraging!
“So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” -Psalm 90:12 Walking through terminal illness, the dying process, death of my life partner and then continuing to live with the immense grief and pain that followed while raising two little kids has brought me to a mental space I didn’t know existed before. When I think about what it means to “number our days”… I think, those days ultimately aren’t ours to begin with. Keith used his earthly days to exercise and train so he could climb harder. He worked long, physically demanding days as a route setter, to improve his trade. He spent late hours shaping climbing holds, to expand his line. Gave endless energy to house renovation projects, bringing ideas to fruition. Gave afternoons to watching football. Or practicing music. Or serving the church. Or resting. 10 years as a husband. 3 1/2 years as a father. 37 years as a son. 35 years as a brother. 20ish years as a believer August 12, 1980 – February 8, 2018 That’s it. The number of Keith Michael Dickey’s days. That’s not easy to write. Feels harsh and somehow still not true. Yet here we are. What did I learn as I watched what Keith wanted from life and worked for with his days, where a tangle of serving God and himself existed… slip from his desperate grasp? As I waited for his last day on this side of eternity, for his last breath from the wretched body that betrayed him? I learned to hold this life, these days with the most open of hands. I can serve and love God and his Creation with what he has given me. I can ask Jesus for forgiveness and confess when I fail. I can honor brokenness and cling to a deep hope in future glory. But I can’t make the days my own. God holds them, they aren’t mine; they never were. I think this painful yet freeing understanding, reached by way of cancer and death and grief and solo parenting, has given or yielded in me a wise heart… or heart of wisdom as they say.
in Blog • Joel Limpic • Lent

March 10, 2019

We’re in our seventh week in the book of Exodus at Park Church. In brief, Exodus is all about God’s mission to redeem a people for His Kingdom in this world.

This week is also the first Sunday of the season of Lent. Lent is the 40 days leading up to Easter wherein we prepare our hearts to remember and celebrate Jesus’ death and resurrection. Learn more about the season and explore some practical ways to observe it here at our recent blog post. Here’s how you can prepare for this Sunday:

1. Read through our text, Exodus5:1–6:1.

Moses and Aaron go before Pharaoh in the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel, demanding that he let the people of Israel go. So begins the confrontation between the Lord and the oppressive ruler of Egypt. Pharaoh’s response is not entirely unexpected. He basically says, “Who’s Yahweh, and why should I listen to Him?” Additionally, instead of responding favorably to the demands of Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh responded by escalating his brutal treatment of the Hebrew people.

Not surprisingly, the people of Israel grew angry with Moses and Aaron. Their plan had apparently backfired, only causing their suffering at the hands of the Egyptians to increase. Moses responded to this anger with his own outburst toward God, circling back to his initial faithless questioning of God’s power and reliability. The Lord assures Moses that His purposes have not changed (vv.4:21)—the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart has set the stage for a shocking showcase of God’s power.

2. Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: Psalm 145:13–14

Yes And Amen (Anthony Brown, Chris McClarney, Nate Moore)
Yet Even Now (Joel Limpic)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From Prayers for Lent and Holy Week by David N. Mosser:

Gracious God, You know the difficult paths we tread; You know the challenges we face. Forgive us when we wander away from Your guidance. Reclaim us when we seek other gods that lead to our own destruction. Guide us back to You that we may rest in Your shelter. Strengthen our resolve that we may face the demons of our lives and courageously resist the temptations that blind us to Your love. In hope and trust we pray. Amen.

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Isaiah 53:4–5

His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)

GREETING, SERMON, & COMMUNION

It Is Well With My Soul (Horatio G. Spafford, Philip P. Bliss)

CHURCH PLANT COMMISSIONING

All Glory Be To Christ (Dustin Kensrue arr. King’s Kaleidoscope)

in Preparing for Sunday

Ash Wednesday, 2019

Ash Wednesday inagurates the season of Lent through singing, prayer, and the symbolic imposition of ashes with a spoken, Biblical reminder: “From dust you came, to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19). We’re reminded of our mortality and our need for salvation in Christ. Here’s how you can prepare for this service:

Read, pray, and sing through the service:

CALL TO WORSHIP: From Joel 2:1, 12–13

Yet Even Now (Joel Limpic)
All Creatures Of Our God And King (William Henry Draper, St. Francis of Assisi arr. The Christian Year)

CONFESSION OF SIN: From The Worship Sourcebook:

Lord God, it is hard to think that we will die someday.
We dream, make plans, and talk about what we’ll do in the near future.
We don’t always think about what You want.
Instead, we make choices that we think are good for us.
But we are only here because You take care of us.

We confess that we forget we need You all the time.
We confess that sometimes we make choices that aren’t what You want.
We don’t know what is best for our lives.
Holy God, we are sorry for our sin.
Help us to remember we live because of You.
Help us to do what You want us to do
through Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

Come Ye Sinners (Joseph Hart)

ASSURANCE OF PARDON: Romans 8:35–39

His Mercy Is More (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)

HOMILY, COMMUNION, & IMPOSITION OF ASHES

Christ The Sure And Steady Anchor (Matt Boswell, Matt Papa)
Man Of Sorrows (Matt Crocker, Brooke Ligertwood)

in Ash Wednesday • Preparing for Sunday

Exploring Lent Practically

This year we’re inviting everyone at Park Church who is participating in Lent to engage in three kinds of spiritual practices: fasting, prayer, and generosity. We covered the basics in our “Engaging With Lent 2019” guide that we’ll be handing out on Sunday, but here we’ll take a little bit of time around each practice but also share some practical ways of exploring each. James and I also talked in depth about what Lent is, where it came from, and some ways of exploring it here. Fasting Fasting is one of those disciplines that most Christians know they should do, but rarely get around to it. The interesting thing is that it’s one of the disciplines we see Jesus doing (Matthew 4:1-11; 17:21), a discipline He assumes His disciples are doing (Matthew 6:16) and a discipline we see the early church continuing to do (Acts 13:1-3; 14:23). So what is it? David Mathis defines fasting as “voluntarily going without food — or any other regularly enjoyed, good gift from God — for the sake of some spiritual purpose.” Fasting ultimately is about refraining from one thing that we might engage more intentionally with another, namely God. Sam Storms comments, “The ironic thing about fasting is that it really isn’t about not eating food. It’s about feeding on the fullness of every divine blessing secured for us in Christ. Fasting tenderizes our hearts to experience the presence of God. It expands the capacity of our souls to hear his voice and be assured of his love and be filled with the fullness of his joy. Let me say it again: Fasting is not primarily about not eating food. It is primarily about feasting on God.” Practically speaking, there are a couple great ways of exploring fasting during Lent: One is called a whole fast, where you actually skip whole meals with the exception of water, juice, or liquids. This kind of fast can be hard for some people due to particular physical conditions so don’t just jump in without considering how it might affect you. A way of easing your way into this whole fast is simply by skipping breakfast and lunch on a day and eating dinner in the evening. Another way would be to do a 24 hour whole fast where you only drink water, juice, or liquid during that day. Another way is called a partial fast. This might look like you giving up eating sugar or drinking alcohol. Others choose to give up things like social media, Netflix, etc. The important thing isn’t necessarily what you’re giving up, but what you do in the absence of that item and where it leads your heart. Fasting generally is never a solo discipline, but rather should always be practiced in conjunction with prayer. Prayer We believe that prayer is an essential part of what it means to be both a human and a Christian. It’s about communion and communication with the God we were created to know and walk with. As we fast during this season of Lent, we also feast on God through prayer! We encourage everyone to find meaningful ways to pray corporately and personally in this season. Here are a few ways to explore praying corporately with others:
  • Join us for our pre-service prayer on Sundays at 8:15am or 4:15pm in the basement!
  • Come to our Sunday services
  • Thursdays at 6:30am in the gallery
  • Pray with your Gospel Communities
  • Intentionally pray daily or weekly with a friend throughout Lent
We also encourage you in your personal exploration of prayer:
  • Pray prayers of self-examination like David in Psalm 139:23-24.
  • Pray the Lord’s Prayer in the mornings and/or evenings
  • Pick a different psalm each day to pray and meditate on throughout the day
  • Check out the prayer app called “Pray As You Go” which has some great contemplative prayers
  • Another app called “Daily Prayer” has Morning Prayers, Evening Prayers, and Night Prayers. Dependent on when you open it up, it takes you there automatically! Easily accessible.
Generosity As we fast from food or particular hobbies that cost money, we want to be open to re-directing the money saved and invest that somewhere else. The God we serve is an insanely generous and kind God. How might you learn to imitate Him and His generosity? How might God be directing you to be generous with your time, energy, and money in this season of Lent? Is there an organization that Park works with that you can contribute toward (find a comprehensive list at www.love5280.org)? Is there a need that might come up in your neighborhood or friendships where you can assist in? This practice works in conjunction with fasting and prayer and aids in shaping us in looking more Christlike. It’s a reminder that our spirituality affects all aspects of our lives, including our bank account and how we view money. Final Encouragement Wanted to close this time by encouraging you in five ways: 1. ​Plan before Ash Wednesday.​ The longer you wait, the less likely you are to do anything. 2. ​Ask God what His invitation is to you this Lent! Let Lent be part of your relationship with God.​ Talk to God about where He wants you to grow. Where have there been areas of struggle? Where is God shining a light and inviting you to walk more closely with Him in? David Powlison has some amazing questions called “X Ray Questions” that might be of help as we practice some of this self-examination. Here’s a short sampling of those:
  • Where do you find refuge, safety, comfort, and escape? When you are fearful, discouraged, and upset, where do you run? Do you run to God for comfort and safety or to something else? (To food, to others, to work, to solitude?)
  • What do you love? Is there something you love more than God or your neighbor?
  • What do you want? What do you desire? What do you crave, long for, wish? Whose desires do you obey?
  • What do you think about most often? In the morning, to what does your mind drift instinctively? When you are doing a menial task or driving alone in your car, what captures your mind? What is your mindset?
  • What do you talk about? What occupies your conversations with others? What subjects do you tend to discuss over and over with your friends? The Bible says it is out of the heart that our mouths speak.
Your answers to questions these might help lead you as you process how to fast, pray, and be generous! 3. ​Don’t take too much on.​ Keep it simple. If you take on too much, you’ll get overwhelmed. Take on 1-3 new practices. I’m going to fast from this on this day or the whole time; I’m going to gather for pre-service prayer at Park; I’m going to try to give some money to someone or something during that time. For parents, it might be doing one weekly devotional. If you’re not trying to add stuff in your world, consider just studying Exodus which we’re going through as a church more closely. 4. ​Share your plan with a friend or spouse​, and then chat with them during the time about how it’s going. 5. ​Don’t be discouraged by failures.​ Let any failures lead you back to the truth that God is more gracious than we are sinful! He’s kind. John Newton said, ​“Our sins are many, but His mercies are more: our sins are great, but His righteousness is greater: we are weak, but He is power.” What a truth to celebrate as we jump into Lent!
in Blog • Joel Limpic • Lent