Things to come...

Here it is Monday morning... a busy Sunday of a morning service for Mothering Sunday, had a really great evening with Michael Harcus. If you missed the concert you missed a blessing. It was pretty casual and informal, but it gave a chance for just wonderful reflection and as pastor I don’t often get that ‘sitting in the pew’ experience very often. Also I love Michael’s music anyway so to hear some of the background stories of some of the songs he and his fellow musicians have written was really fun and helped to add understanding to them as I listen in the future. Even had a good laugh at a cell phone incident... worth the price of admission just for that... But if you missed the concert you can still at least get some of the music as I have a few of the CD’s available. The new one is worth it for, well actually, all twelve songs on the album... The one ‘Unchanging God’ is special and one that speaks much deeper than my first listening led me to understand is ‘Your Word, Love and Grace.’

But I was in bed early for me and then woke up at 3:30 AM and just couldn’t get back to sleep... so got up and spent some quiet time... I don’t always do well with the quiet times in that too often after a day like yesterday the thoughts roll and God talks in the still small voice. Problem is I don’t always like what he has to say. It too often points out the things I need to change in my life. My message for yesterday was an eclectic mix of three stories of sons and a nation. It was the contrast of Isaac and Ishmael. One son of a wife and one of a slave. One of promise and one of the flesh as Galatians points out. Then there was the bit on Hannah and Samuel... Hannah’s co-wife was blessed and Hannah felt rejected but in the end God granted her a son that she then surrendered to God for life. Then in contrast there is the story in Numbers about the serpent being lifted up in the wilderness... The thing that draws these stories together is the whole picture of grace... Sarah didn’t ‘deserve’ the promise of Isaac, Hannah didn’t have a right to Samuel, the nation of Israel didn’t earn the salvation from the serpents but grace prevailed and gave a way to have promise fulfilled. So I ended in Galatians 5:1 with standing in the liberty that God gives us.

So though the message may not have gotten across as well as I wanted in the end it started working in my heart, then the music and testimony of Michael pushed me to the next level as I woke hearing one of the songs ringing in my mind, dwelling on the coming of Christ... and asking myself; what am I doing to live my best before God and the society in which I live. What makes me be church not just go to church.
Which finally leads up to some upcoming things; So we have a few weeks leading up to Easter, and I really want to focus on Jesus and what Easter means. This coming few weeks I anticipate staying with the Lectionary Scriptures as a starting point through Easter. After Easter I intend to do a series based on the work we did with the whole idea of ‘What is and what isn’t Church’ and then unpack several items with the whole ‘Ideal Church’ thoughts we had. This will lead inevitably to many thoughts and blogs so watch this space.

Jon