May 8, 2010

5-8-10 Saturday, 9:36 am Sunny, 53 degrees. It looks to be another beautiful day.

Last evening Audrey and I went to the “parent picture taking” session for our niece Lauren’s prom, where four couples gathered at a friend’s house for photos. It was delightful. It brought back memories of the proms attended by David and Bethany over the last 8 years. I even flashed back to the Parkway North prom of 1974 and a powder blue tuxedo.

I Sam 2:22- 4:22
This is the amazing account of God speaking to Samuel, of his disfavor toward Eli and his sinful sons. This includes the loss of the Ark to the Philistines, and the word of God spoken through Samuel. Samuel proves to be a faithful servant of God all of his life. Chapter 2, verse 30 says “I will honor those who honor me, and despise those who think lightly of me.” This is in contrast to the mistaken view of God as a kindly old grandfather who loves everybody. It is dangerous to “think lightly” of God. My task is to announce the kingdom of God in a way that all hearers have an opportunity to fully consider the things of God.

This week at Wesley we have been working on defining a pathway of discipleship. This is part of our strategic plan, and a task force has been considering it for months. I think we are close to articulating the “Wesley Way”, which involves three stages and many streams. Samuel’s life can be described using these three stages. The sons of Eli dropped out of this “way” at some point, which is possible for any human to do. His father erred by not disciplining them to demonstrate his love and God’s will for them and the community. Guide me today Lord as I work on advancing your kingdom in this generation.