May 16, 2010

5-16-10 Sunday, 5:28 am, Foggy, 63 degrees, Grayrock.

I am looking forward to worshipping with the church called Wesley UMC this morning! The birds are happy outside, and I am happy inside. Today we celebrate graduations, and I preach about the Israelites raising the Ebenezer stone, illustrated by Robert Robinson’s hymn and his life, and applied to our lives in the three movements of a spiritual life – Needing God, Knowing God, and Serving God, or becoming a new disciple, a true disciple and a trained disciple.

I Sam 7: 8-12
For 20 years following the sad defeat of the Israelites at Ebenezer, when they lost the ark to the Philistines and suffered the slaughter of 30,000 soldiers, the people of Israel were in sorry shape. Samuel rises up as Judge (having served at the Tabernacle with Eli as priest) and calls the nation to put away the false gods and then to gather at Mizpah. Doing so, God gives them victory over the Philistines by the thunder of his voice. Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah and named it Ebenezer, for he said “thus far the Lord has helped us”.

Yesterday I was reading my journal from 1971 – 1976 in preparation for today’s message. In so many ways I see “how the Lord has helped” me. I hope to be able to articulate and teach this in a powerful way this morning, in all four services.