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August 27, 2008
In Pastor's Words
Coram Deo
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.
Psalm 57:5
Have you ever heard the phrase Coram Deo? It is a Latin phrase that literally means “before the face of God”. Since the 16th Century Reformation it has been used as a kind of “mission statement” for the Christian life, and it sums up how God calls us to live today. The idea is that God is real, and He is ever-present, all-knowing, all-powerful, and altogether good. We live every moment before His face (in His presence), and nothing is hidden from His sight (see Jeremiah 23:23-24). Therefore, every moment of life must be lived to bring Him glory. Every act of living must become an act of worship and devotion to this great, loving God who is always here in our midst. But there’s constant pressure from our culture to divide life into compartments – into what is “sacred” and what is “secular”. We are expected to put our Christian faith in the box marked “for private use only.” God calls us to a life which is much greater. He calls us to live out every breath of life Coram Deo. This prayer by A.W. Tozer cuts to the heart of what it means to live all of life before the face of God -
“O God, be thou exalted over my possessions. Nothing of earth’s treasures shall seem dear unto me if only Thou art glorified in my life. Be thou exalted over my friendships. I am determined that Thou shalt be above all, though I must stand deserted and alone in the midst of the earth. Be thou exalted above my comforts. Though it means the loss of bodily comforts and the carrying of heavy crosses, I shall keep my vow made this day before thee. Be thou exalted over my reputation. Make me ambitious to please thee even if as a result I must sink into obscurity and my name be forgotten as a dream. Rise, O Lord, into thy proper place of honor, above my ambitions, above my likes and dislikes, above my family, my health and even my life itself. Let me sink that thou may rise above. Ride forth upon me as thou did ride into Jerusalem mounted upon the humble little colt, and let me hear the children cry to thee, Hosanna in the highest.’ Amen.” (“The Pursuit of God”, A.W. Tozer. pp. 101-102)
My prayer for each of us in the weeks and months ahead is that we may experience the great joy and power of living each moment Coram Deo, and that through our lives His glory will be known over all the earth!
Pastor Steve
Posted by Jennifer Herrmann at August 27, 2008 11:18 AM