At the middle of last year, all the men were presented with a ceremonial prayer shawl (lovingly crafted by my wonderful wife). At the beginning of this year, we were also given a covenant to sign. It states:
By the grace of God I will be faithful...
In regular church attendance.
To the Prayer room before service and personal prayer life.
To prayer at the altar after service both personally and for others.
To regular Bible reading and study.
In praise and worship in spirit and truth.
In tithes and offerings.
In the physical upkeep of the church
In the reverence of the house of God.
In leading as the head of my household.
In separation and holiness.
In living and promoting the spirit of unity and cooperation.
In living and promoting fellowship & hospitality.
In sharing my faith by teaching Bible studies and witnessing.
In sharing my faith by teaching my family in leadership through Bible studies.
In finding and fulfilling a personal ministry.
Saturday, we stopped by Jo-Mongous Fabric store and found everything to make an attractive wall mount for it all. Pictured below is the framed covenant, the prayer shawl and the Sword of the Spirit award.
This hangs in our living room, visible to all who enter Castle Nottaguy. My wife (who is quite the Bible scholar) wanted to fashion a hanger for the sword out of a three fold cord (see Ecclesiastes 4:12) of blue, red and gold.
She said that since the sword is symbolic, we might as well go all out with symbolism. The blue represents purity. The red represents the blood of Christ. The gold represents heaven. The sword can also be easily taken down to take to church every month when a new recipient is named.
This award wasn't given because of what was lived in the past. It represents a call to right living and faithfulness. There have been times recently that I felt very undeserving. I cannot change the past. I can change the future. With God's help, I plan to do that.
3 comments:
Ahhh.. I love that your church is honoring men who are serving and seeking God with strong convictions! What an honor! Your display is amazing. Thanks so much for sharing. I am certain that God is able to use you to encourage and mentor other men. May you always shine His light in all you do!
Mrs. NB
This display is just the outward show of what I have watched you live for more than 25 years. ((HUGS))
Dad, you are awesome. I appreciate your faithfulness to your walk with God, and your faithfulness to your family. Wield it with honor.
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