Sunday, February 3 — Ready for Worship
I know that many who read this do so as part of early morning devotions. I feel a special urging from God to ask you to pray for our worship at 2BC today. Last Sunday we saw the church open themselves to prayer in a special way. This Sunday we will either build on this or fall backwards.
Prayer is essential to spiritual growth. When other things take more time than prayer, we regress spiritually. This is true for a church body as well as for individuals.
The topic for today’s sermon is “The Prayer of Faith.” Would you join me in praying, “believing” God will do something special in today’s worship?
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Meet “Bro. Ray”
A Little About Me
I am seldom referred to as Dr. England, but I am better known as “Bro. Ray.” I was born and raised in the small Kentucky town of Campbellsville. I graduated from both Campbellsville University and the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville where I earned both the master’s degree and a Ph.D. in New Testament Greek. I have been married to Leslie (Lalosh) for over 30 years. We have three daughters: Mary Beth (Mrs. Dale Potts), Jennifer (Mrs. Todd Elkins), and Stoya (soon to be Mrs. Dustin Hastings). Recently Mary Beth and Dale presented us with our first grandchild – Wesley.
In over 30 years of ministry, I have been a staff minister, taught in college and seminary settings, served on the foreign mission field, but mostly have served as pastor of churches in Kentucky.
It is my blessing to be the senior pastor of the Second Baptist Church of Greenville, Kentucky since December 1999. Second Baptist has been a joy to pastor with wonderful men and women of God working together in ministry to accomplish God’s purposes. I love the church I pastor and the people both in our church and in the community.
I enjoy competitive sports, having played basketball and run cross-country in high school. For many years (when I was younger and slimmer) I enjoyed weight lifting. I am now back in the gym and loving lifting weights on a smaller scale.
It has been a joy sharing my wife Leslie’s passion for the theater. I have served with her on the Board of Directors of our community theater group MCTI. In 2007 I had my first stage role, the supporting role of “Teddy” in the local production of Arsenic and Old Lace. Leslie has directed several MCTI production, recently Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. She works with our Minister of Worship on the annual Easter Pageant.
Other than the Lord, the greatest joys in my life are my wife Leslie and our three daughters and their husbands, and now Wesley. They are a blessing to me.
God has graced me many times more than I deserve. God is good — all the time!
Road Trip 2010
The theme for sermons and activities for the 2010 Summer
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2BC: The Well 
Praying right now. Last week was very special and I pray that this week will continue to build on that. I know that God has something special in store for us… today and many, many days after.
Prayed this morning. Already home after morning worship with a little one catching a cold.
I was challenged today. All I need to know at the moment. Showing the happiness we have in Christ by faith: prayer, health, healing, wholeness, relationship, prayer closet. I could hardly keep up…
🙂 especially when it came to …what was that word “it’s not just making a one time ________ decision of salvation?”
Anybody catch that word? Prodia…I don’t know, started with a “P”. I seriously have to look that up. I think he does that to see if we’re listening…works fo rme.
So much you could talk about: think I’ll just add conversation on my blog as thoughts come or this would be a book. Great food for thought and discussion.
Oh, would you please post that quote or email it from the African American preacher? Whew–dug a hole into my heart. Can’t believe I’ve never heard that before.
I am loving this series of prayer and I think it came at just the right time. It is now Sunday night and we are home from the festivities and wanted to let you know that several (3) different people came up to me after worship this morning and all said about the same thing…”The music and sermon were great but there was a heaviness over the congregation…not sure what it was.” I also noticed the “unhappy faces” from on stage and just wanted to walk out into the crowd and give everyone a hug. Maybe starting some kind of prayer team to meet and do a prayer walk so to speak would be a good idea. I don’t know…just thinking out loud here.
A few deacons have been praying before services for some time if anyone would like to gather with them. Contact my hub or Chris Dennis for more info.
I sensed a feeling of apprehension, what some may have called heaviness. There is a new type of ministry being tried. Anytime you try something new, there is a feeling of uncertainly as people consider if and how it will work for them, if at all. Altar ministry is pretty complex, actually.
Overall, I felt the blessing of God on our desire for more of Him in people’s lives. Learning curves are okay in our worship, as long as we are growing forward.