June 14, 2010

6-14-10 Monday, 8:21 am Grayrock, 70 degrees, raining.

I am regularly enjoying having my morning devotions on this back deck. Watching the bluebirds come and go, the tomatoes and blackberries swaying in the wind connects me more directly with the natural world. Last night I continued reading the introduction to Thoreau’s Walden Pond. On this deck I feel like the participant-observer he wrote about.

I Kings 12:20 – 13:34
This section records the tragic reign of Jeroboam over the northern tribes. An obscure prophetic event has much to teach me about obeying God, “Running with God”. I will include this in third part of this series on June 27. Jeroboam built pagan shrines, with golden calves at each end of his kingdom so his people would not return to Jerusalem, to the temple, and perhaps renew their loyalty to the king of the southern tribes who descended from David. 13:1 “At the Lord’s command, a man of God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jerobaoam was approaching the altar to burn incense.” This man is never named. He prophecies against the altar, and against the northern kingdom. He predicted that the altar would split apart, and ashes would be poured out on the ground. As the king pointed at this prophet to have him seized, the king’s and became paralyzed in that position, as a wide crack developed in the altar, and ashes poured out.

The king got the man of God to as the Lord to restore his hand, which he did. Then he declined the king’s invitation to come and eat in the palace, stating that God had commanded him “you must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not return to Judah by the same way you came.” An old prophet heard about this, followed this man of God, lied to him that an angel had commanded him to bring him home and give him something to eat, and the man of God believed him. When he had finished eating and drinking, he set off, and a lion killed him on the way home.

This curious course of events instructs me to pay careful attention to what God is speaking, and to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Last night as I was musing about the day, reflecting upon the message of the morning, I had a sense that God was specifically reminding me of the direction He gave me in the early 1980s to be involved in the training of pastors. Last night I was reminded about Sunday in the 1990s when I was leading worship at SunRise, and preaching from the minor prophets I had challenged the people with the question “what is God calling you to do, what has God been calling you to do?” As I turned to the altar following the message God spoke clearly to my heart and asked “what about my calling for you” I responded, “what calling” and He said “developing pastors”. I responded “oh, that calling.” From that day I started making plans to pursue the Ph. D. that I would later complete in 2004.

Last night, reflecting upon Jonah, I had a sense that God was reminding me of this calling. In the last few weeks I have had three different seminaries encourage me to get involved in their distance learning programs. I suddenly was placed on our conference Board of Ordained Ministry, and the work here at Wesley UMC continues to be exemplary, with much to teach upcoming pastors and leaders. So, Guide me Lord as I pursue this calling, this leading. As I pastor this wonderful church, lead me in the way I should go to provide the next generation of pastors – in Missouri, in America, in Honduras, Mozambique, and around the world what You would have me to share. Guard me from being dissuaded by anything or anyone.