JUne 8, 2011

6-8-11 Wednesday, 6:07 am Springfield, 73 degrees, clear.

I am still recovering from the 5 days of Annual Conference. Yesterday I started early with a breakfast meeting and ended late after our life group met at church, and then Audrey and I greeted the youth work camp staying at Wesley. Through the middle of the day I ran 3 miles, mowed the back yard and in the garden got the tomato cages in place for my growing plants. The okra and zucchini have sprouted and are doing well in this heat.

Today I will work on sermon planning, worship planning, and development of the 4 week Bible study of Isaiah. I have 40 people signed up for this study. On Sunday afternoon Steve and I will head out on a four day motorcycle trip through Kansas and Colorado. I am looking forward to riding hard and getting into the mountains. We have been planning a trip like this for several years.

Acts 6

The disciples were increasing in number, and a problem arose concerning the daily serving of food. The Hellenistic (Greek) Jews felt their widows were being overlooked in preference to the native Hebrews. The twelve gathered the congregation and addressed the problem directly. They discerned that their primary role was prayer and the ministry of the word, and thus had the congregations select seven men of good reputation to put in charge of the task of the daily feeding. Stephen, Phillip, and 5 others were selected; the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them, thus establishing the first deacons in the church.

This is a most interesting account of life in the body of Christ at a very early stage. It has many implications for the church today. One take away for me this morning is a reminder of the role of prayer and the ministry of the word that is primary for clergy. It is so easy to get distracted in the details of operations in a faith community and neglect the vital and primary role of prayer and scripture. Today I will pray with a new mother at St. John’s Hospital, then at Wesley we will have prayer at 9, worship planning around the Word of God at 10:30, and tonight I have the privilege of teaching from Isaiah, the first of a four week series.

Guide me Holy Lord today as I pray and serve in the ministry of the word. Thank you for the 6th chapter of Acts, and the reminder of the spiritual priorities you have set out for spiritual leaders. Thank you for Eugene Peterson and his work in writing The Unnecessary Pastor. Guard me from bogging down in the details, and guard me from ignoring the needs. Give me the wisdom and discernment which the apostles exercised.