New

I found some shoes in my closet last week. I had purchased a new pair, so it was time to get rid of the old ones. These were old ones, twice removed. I guess they had been shoved to the back of the closet and missed in the previous shoe shuffle.

My shoes tend to wear out on the inside, making the heel of the shoe about half as tall on one side as the other. These had the typical wear pattern, but worse. I guess I had tried to stretch their life a little longer than usual. I placed them, along with the old pair I was replacing, in our family's donation stack, but I almost felt embarrassed. If someone uses those shoes, they are going to end up walking like a pigeon-toed duck (is it a grammatical foul to mix a fowl metaphor?).

It made me thankful for the new life we have in Christ. When we know the Savior, we are always new, having received a life that will never end. Cool! I won't end up like those shoes!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Hark!

I love Christmas carols. One of my favorites, "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", has an intriguing history. The song was written by Charles Wesley and published by George Whitefield, two men who disagreed at several points but agreed at the most important - that every person should hear the message of the Savior.

The song is sung to a tune originally composed to celebrate the work of Gutenberg, the inventor of movable type. He is probably best known for his publication of the scripture, often called Gutenberg's Bible. This publication allowed many to own a copy of the scripture who could not have afforded it in the days before Gutenberg's work.

Isn't it interesting that this song, written and published by two men who dedicated their lives to sharing God's word, sung to a tune about a man who's invention allowed millions to read God's word, is now sung the world over to remind us of the night when the angels announced that the Word of God had come into the world.

And I have told you this on the internet, an invention that allows anyone with a computer to share their testimony to the power of God's word with people around the globe. Amazing! Truly we have reason to celebrate this Christmas.

Thanksgiving Season

I heard a story about a nine-year-old boy who was asked to give the prayer for his family’s Thanksgiving meal. As everyone bowed their heads, the young boy began to pray, “Thank you, God, for Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Uncle Fred, Aunt Judy...” continuing until he had named everyone at the table. Then he began to give thanks for the food, “Thank you for the turkey, for the dressing, for the potatoes, for the pickle relish, for the ice tea....” For a moment the boy paused. Everyone squirmed wondering if he had forgotten to end his prayer. After an awkward moment of silence, the boy concluded, “And thank you for whatever is under that foil. Amen.”

We often thank God for what we can see, but we need to thank him for the unseen blessings as well. God is at work in our lives, even when we are unaware of it. Remember to thank God this week for whatever is under that foil.

Romans 11:33 (NIV)
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!

Make an Impact on Sunday, Sept. 26

We have our third Servant Sunday, September 26. We plan to take an army of folks to Watkins Elementary, our partner school, to paint and spruce up the grounds for the new school year. On Monday morning, September 27, Watkins students will walk in the door of their school and see a new, welcoming environment. They will wonder, “What happened here? Who did this for me and my friends?” Some of them have never experienced Christ’s love in their lives. They have been told again and again that no one cares about them. Monday, September 27, they will know differently. They will know the people of National Heights Baptist Church cared enough about them to make their school a better place to learn. More important, they will know that, even in the midst of the challenges they face in their homes and neighborhoods, God has not forgotten them. He loves them and cares for them. Your tangible expression of God’s love may very well be the starting point in directing children and families to the love of Christ. Join us Sunday, September 26 at Watkins to visibly express Christ to our community.

Western Wear

We recently returned from a mission trip to Wyoming. The average high was in the mid-80's with 20% humidity. Back in Springfield, they were sweltering with temperatures in the upper 90's and humidity in the 85-90% range. Quite a difference. Wyoming is a place of great contrasts; the mountains right up against desert lands, the crystal blue sky meeting the brown sagebrush; antelopes grazing in fields of dirt and rock. We had a great time serving alongside North American Mission Board missionaries Drew and Pam Crabtree. Their love for the Lord contrasted with the harsh region. They travel hundreds of miles each week to take the love of Christ to workers on the oil fields, sharing God's love in beautiful ways. Pray for them as they continue this marvelous work. You can read more about our mission to Wyoming at
wyomingmission2010.blogspot.com.

Rain

We had rain last night, almost four inches in Springfield, from what I understand. We had about that much in one of our Sunday School classrooms. We are still trying to figure out what happened, but we think the gutter system was overwhelmed with the amount of rain, pushing the water underneath the roof and into our building.

While mopping up the water and pieces of ceiling tiles, I had a positive thought (always a good thing when mopping). We should pray for this every week. Not for water in the building, but for God’s transforming power to flood our community every week. People in our life have all kinds of “gutter systems” to channel God’s influence away from their heart; the world provides all kinds of distractions and walls. What if we could overwhelm those defense systems by showing God’s transforming love in our lives?

What if God’s Spirit was so pervasive, so powerfully present, that every person coming into contact with our lives would be flooded with His power, more than their walls and systems could withstand? That’s my prayer - that God’s presence would be so evident in the lives of His people that their friends, neighbors, and the world could not miss the flood of Christ’s power and grace.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Life at the Ranch

Today is the first day of Vacation Bible School. This year we are visiting the Saddle Ridge Ranch, learning about the God who has answers. It’s a good thing. I think we’ve answered about five hundred questions already this morning, and that we just from the first child who registered.

Our theme scripture is one of my favorites:

James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

I need wisdom every day, but especially the week of VBS. The first day of VBS is always a wonderful, chaotic, beautiful mixture of children enjoying new experiences to learn about Christ’s love. I’m grateful for every person who plans, paints, constructs, teaches, sings, runs, and creates to make this week possible, and especially to the God who makes it worth all the effort. We look forward to a great week!