May 23, 2011

5-23-11 Monday, 8:06 am Springfield, 73 degrees, cloudy

Yesterday was a good Sunday. We celebrated the hospitality teams with a lunch at noon, and when I left the building at 1:25 I was exhausted. Audrey stayed home with Bethany on day 7 of her foot surgery. In the evening, a deadly storm hit Joplin, a beautiful rainbow appeared over our house, and we watched a movie together. Today I have unscheduled, with hopes of normal sabbath day flow (normal is an interesting term, as most Mondays recently have not been “normal”)

John 13:1-30, Psalm 119:1-16 (from the reading plan of the One Year Bible)

Jesus predicts his betrayal, and sends Judas out. The other disciples assume he is on an errand of some kind. I am amazed that Jesus spent only three years with his disciples, as I have been now at Wesley for 4 years. Our speaker on Saturday, Chuck Bomar, is a proponent of direct, relational discipleship. His approach reminds me of Coleman’s Master Plan of Discipleship. I agree with this in principle, and have found it somewhat difficult in practice. I must give it full consideration as I plan and discern my energy and time in the coming months and years.

Today I will be reading the book Switch – How to change things when change is hard by Chip Heath and Dan Heath. It is the topic of our book study tomorrow in Columbia with the Bishop’s peer mentoring group. The Washington Post says of this book: “Anyone interested in influencing others – to buy, to vote, to learn, to diet, to give to charity, or to start a revolution – can learn from this book”.

Guide my steps today most holy Lord as I walk as your disciple through this day in 2011 here in Springfield, Missouri. Fill me, use me, mold me, send me on this, one of the finite days in your infinite love.