September 26 and 27, 2010

9-27-10 Monday, 7:15 am Springfield, 45 degrees, clear

This is the coolest temperature so far, and clearly feels like autumn is beginning. It was actually chilly throughout the church golf tournament yesterday afternoon, requiring a jacket. That is such an enjoyable event, with great fellowship and beautiful surroundings down at Hidden Valley. Our team came in 4th in the “A” flight, 8th overall out of 19. I was completely spent by the time I returned home at 7:30.

I was pleased with Sunday Morning, with a testimony by Haley Grayless, and the baptism of Jason Jones at the end of the 11:00 service. The weight and responsibility of leading a congregation each week is significant, and for 27 years now I am weekly pleasantly surprised how well the worship services develop. My current longing is for a regular opportunity for people to respond to what God is doing in their life on a particular morning – a prayer team, an open altar, pastors down front to pray – there needs to be some mechanism for response at every service.

Isaiah 51:1 – 53:12
Chapter 51 contains comforting words for Jerusalem, for the people who follow after righteousness, who seek the Lord (verse 1). As I am reading the King James Version (Tim LaHaye prophecy Bible given to me by Jim and Jeri Combs), verse 11 blesses me tremendously, as the words were set to a chorus we used to sing in the 70’s “Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy; and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.” This is a great promise, and comfort to God’s people.

Yesterday, as I was commenting on Haley’s call to go to India and to work with women and children rescued from being trapped in “human trafficking,” or the “sex-trade” industry, I mentioned a vision I had a couple days ago. I was in heaven, and met a woman who had been trapped as a sex slave while on earth, who asked me “where were the Christians during that time?,” and “what were you thinking?” I wanted to respond “we didn’t know this was going on”, but I couldn’t, because Haley had told us, shown us video, etc. We are so comfortable, safe, and could become content here in Springfield as Bible-reading Christians. There is so much conflict, oppression, fear, injustice in the world today. Guard me Lord from complacency, guide me as I “provoke to love and good works” (Hebrews) others and myself during these days of such great disparity among the human condition.

I have John Oswalt’s commentary on Isaiah 40 -65 with me which I will read for context and commentary of these chapters. He was an Old Testament Professor when I was a student at Asbury, and this two-volume commentary could be the pinnacle of his academic work. He was writing it in the early 1980s as I was learning Hebrew and developing the disciplines of a theological student preparing for pastoral ministry. Now I am 30 years into this vocation, and daily continuing to study, learn and grow.


9-26-10 Sunday, 5:39 am Springfield; partly cloudy, 57 degrees, wind out of the north at 12 mph.

I am up and functioning well. As I was laying in bed, struggling to get up, I was contemplating Phil 2, my text for today, and thinking about how getting up out of a warm, comfortable bed to serve others has some similarity with Christ leaving heaven to come in the form of a slave, not counting equality with God as something to be grasped. It is never easy for me to get out of bed, and doing so for the benefit of others, as Christ left all the comfort and privilege of heaven to come to earth is a great model for the daily discipline of getting up.

Phil 2:1-11
The Message version is direct and poignant with verse 3: “Don’t push your way to the front; don’t sweet-talk your way to the top. Put yourself aside, and help others get ahead. (4) Don’t be obsessed with getting your own advantage. Forget yourselves long enough to lend a helping hand. (5) Think of yourselves the way that Christ Jesus thought of himself …

I have always struggled with self-centeredness. It is part of the human condition. As an only child growing up, with no siblings to have to share with, I was always “the one”. In school, it was so easy for me to “sweet talk my way to the top” being often the “teacher’s pet”, pleasing the teacher and getting on his or her best side. These verses speak to me in a new and fresh way this morning as I ponder the message God is raising up within me.

Jesus “emptied himself” and “humbled himself”. This seems to be the key, and it is counter-intuitive. In this present culture, it seems that those who are full of themselves, and push themselves forward are the ones who get ahead.