Communion: Preparing Our hearts

WHY DO WE TAKE COMMUNION?

Communion (in some form or another) is evident throughout both the Old and the New Testament.  To commune means, ‘to get very close to someone by communicating one's feelings and thoughts’ or ‘to live and work together, sharing possessions and responsibilities’ (Oxford Dictionary and Merriam Webster Dictionary). Communion adds ‘to provide for, nourish, protect and redeem.’  

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Back to the Very Beginning: Part 4

If you’ve been following along this year with Tirzah, you know that we have been on a journey to explore the basic foundations of our faith. Check out Parts 1, 2, and 3 to learn more about the Biblical understanding of “church”.  Today, we are actually following through on a request for the foundations of the Anglican Church.

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Hannah: For This Child I Prayed

Waiting is difficult, especially when waiting for something our hearts deeply desire. It isn’t for the faint of heart nor is waiting for those who give up easily. 1 Samuel 1:2 reads,¨and he had two wives; the name of one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.¨

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Gathered in Midst of Mothering

I have historically been rather adept at making a mess of things. Add in unhealthy patterns of the past, and the emotional spiral can plummet downward in those never-ending places of unmet expectations. Any memory verses that I nobly pledged myself to adhere to quickly fall to the wayside in the moment of heated frustration.

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Purposed Pain

After having my third miscarriage at 18 weeks pregnant, I struggled to understand what God was doing in my life. I was forced to give birth to a daughter I would never be able to care for. Who I would only dream and wonder what her little hands may one day do. Why would He allow such a loss? How would I ever smile again?

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"Authentic Influencer" Book Review

Have you spent a lot of time thinking about Barnabas? I hadn’t. This verse is so cool because it talks about how Barnabas’ name means “Son of Encouragement”. The book I just finished “Authentic Influencer: The Barnabas Way of Shaping Lives for Jesus” by Jonathan Murphy is all about Barnabas and how his example can help us become the best type of influencer in the 21st century.

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The Lie of Loneliness

When I found out that Tirzah was using their platform to focus on mental health, God immediately laid on my heart to write about my experiences with depression, anxiety, and PTSD. Through a four-part series, we will break down how loneliness, fear, regret, and worry all lead to mental health struggles and how under it all, believing ourselves to be unlovable and unworthy only adds to the feelings of hopelessness we can all feel.   

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White Than Snow

Have you ever seen pure white snow; the kind that makes everything quiet?  When you walk in it and hear the crunching sound of your shoes, you stop in your tracks because you feel like you are a part of something that deserves your awe and stillness.  It is something that stays with you, the tranquility and calm of it all.

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Surrendering Singleness

War movies take me back to childhood. Growing up with two brothers I have seen my fair share. I always loved it when one combatant flew a white flag. A white flag signals surrender. To end the fighting. Lay down of arms.  I have been on the hunt for my future husband for the past decade. I’ve been looking, then God spoke an important truth over my heart.

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Who's Doing the Work?

If you kept a running count of all the times you fell short when it came to pleasing God, what would the total be? I know my number would be high, and that thinking about it at times could bring an unnecessary, yet heavy, heartache to my chest. Lately, God has placed it on my heart to meditate on, write about, and live out, rest in Him.

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