A New Look & A Few Prayer Requests

First, I decided to shake things up a bit and give the blog a new look. It's interesting; I'll try to keep it at least through the end of September.

Some prayer concerns:

1. my parents' church as they vote on whether or not to dissolve their relationship with their pastor this coming Sunday
2. the pastor
3. our church's praise team
4. my wife as she continues to be a part of the praise team (and is absolutely marvelous)
5. our church in Montgomery (TX)
6. those in the wake of all the hurricanes and tropical storms
7. the country as we seek to elect a new president this November (Oh, God, please don't give us the president we deserve)
8. our friends as they prepare to move to Altus from Hobart
9. our friends starting a new church (and life) in NYC
10. God's Kingdom come, his will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Thanks for praying with me.

A Peculiar People of Power

I preach tomorrow in the church in which I grew up. It's especially exciting since I received my mandate from God. I also feel like events are at work right now for more opportunities to that end. I don't know what they are, but I can just sense God doing somethin'.

Now, I'm breaking out a previous sermon and tweaking it just a little. You'd think since I've given it before, I would do a bang up job this time. We'll see. The sermon is based on a poem written by Andrew Jones. Sorry, not the baseball player (he's not doing very well this season at all), but a pioneer in the missional and emerging church scene, particularly in Europe.

The last line of the poem is the title for my sermon:

We are his wonderful signature
a sign of his favor
his presence
power
to change
the world back
to how it should be
healed and harmonious
a peculiar people of power

A short synopsis of the message:
The Greek word used in the new testament, peripoiesis, (bonus points for correct pronunciation or at least the funniest) means a valued personal possession, which is worth obtaining and worth preserving. The King James Version uses the word "peculiar" to translate it. Why? Because the original meaning of that word was, "private property, special; belonging exclusively to one person or group." That's a far cry from today's odd, strange, or queer.

So, in 1 Peter 2:9, when Peter calls us a peculiar people, he doesn't mean strange or odd (although we seem to take it that way). He's telling us that we are treasured by God, belonging exclusively to him. That's way cooler than God's strange little people!

The power comes from the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:3 says, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness."

So, stand up! Be strengthened! You are not called to be a queer people for some distant deity, you are a treasured possession of the Most High God, full of the power of the Holy Spirit. You are a peculiar people of power!

Waiting On God

It's not always easy. In fact, it's rarely easy in my experience. But, it is a necessity. At least it is if you want to follow God and His will. There are several great scriptures about waiting on the Lord, but my favorite comes from Isaiah chapter 40.

28 Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and strengthens the powerless.
30 Even youths will faint and be weary,
and the young will fall exhausted;
31 but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not faint.

That comes from the NRSV, by the way. It's also the basis of the song "Everlasting God" by Chris Tomlin. He's one of a couple of different guys who sings it anyway. That song was my personal theme song back in the summer of 07. I may pull it back out. Seems fitting for these times, as well.

I bring up waiting on Lord, because when he speaks something, he doesn't always give a sense of timing. He may have said to me, "Preach for me," but he didn't say, "quit your job at the radio station and start preaching anywhere and everywhere you can."

In the meantime, I will be preaching this coming Sunday in the church in which I grew up. I spoke there a month or two ago, but I hope to do a better job of it this time. I think I have a little more "authority" this time around. You know, a command from God and all.

I also found some quotes that are interesting. John Wesley had considered giving up preaching when he spoke with Boehler. Boehler's advice was to, "Preach faith till you have it; and then, because you have it, you will preach faith." And then a quote that I attributed to Wesley, but actually came from St. Francis of Assisi: "Preach the gospel at all times and when necessary use words."

So, there you go. I'm getting stronger right now. (from waiting on the Lord, natch) Peace be to you, and check out my wife's pics with her new camera. She's very excited. Until we meet again, I'll be found waiting on God.