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I guess this tool doesn't like me writing about death! Oh well, we all have our biases...



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All Is Well

The last paragraph in the collection of writings by Thomas R. Kelly, called A Testament of Devotion, is called the greatest piece of devotional writing of the 20th century, by my teacher, Randy Harris. It is very difficult to argue. It was published after his sudden death in 1941, so he did not have a chance to edit and fine-tune it. Read it slowly. Read it aloud. Enjoy!

"Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time. And it makes our life programs new and overcoming. We need not get frantic. He is at the helm. And when our little day is done we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well."

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Two for One and One for All

Carl (formerly Karl) did it! He followed through with his decision and presented himself for baptism tonight! After our worship, Bible Study and meal, we all hiked over to the big church after they were through with their worship time. We shared Carl stories, including Samuel's "I love you, Mr. Carl!" and he was buried with Christ. He was shaking as he stood up from the immersion and said, "I feel different!" Hallelujah!
One person who was directly impacted by Carl's decision was Troy. Since Carl was doing it, and since his wife was there with us tonight, he also decided to be baptized!
Thank you, LORD, for these two good hearts among many at The Gathering. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. The world is watching!

There's a Wideness in God's Mercy

The lyrics to this old hymn struck me with their power as I prayed in the Upper Room Chapel in Nashville last week. As Rich Mullins would say, "Oh, the Love of God!"
Enjoy!

There's a wideness in God's mercy like the wideness of the sea;
there's a kindness in his justice, which is more than liberty.
There is welcome for the sinner, and more graces for the good;
there is mercy with the Savior; there is healing in his blood.



There is no place where earth's sorrows are more felt than in heaven;
there is no place where earth's failings have such kind judgment given.
There is plentiful redemption in the blood that has been shed;
there is joy for all the members in the sorrows of the Head.


For the love of God is broader than the measure of man's mind;
and the heart of the Eternal is most wonderfully kind.
If our love were but more faithful, we should take him at his word;
and our life would be thanksgiving for the goodness of the Lord.

Statement of Intentions

Being the rebellious baby-boomer that I am, "Rule of Life" just didn't find a spot in my brain that I could work with, so, after a week of contemplation, training and prayer I arrived at this Statement of Intentions for 2007 (at least the last half):
By the grace of God, and as an attempt to prepare myself for a deeper relationship with my Maker, I commit myself to:
1. Daily periods of at least 30 minutes of concentrated, contemplative prayer;
2. Daily periods of at least 30 minutes of Bible study including weekly lectio divina. I will at first attempt to set aside morning time for this study;
3. Weekly fast day (I think Mondays);
4. Weekly time of corporate worship, prayer and Bible study;
5. Weekly instance of personal service to a church member;
6. Weekly instance of personal service to a family member;
7. Weekly instance of personal service to the poor.
In addition, I desire to make headway this year with these three "Big Issues":
a. to find and build relationships with "fellow travelers" in the journey of spiritual growth;
b. to improve my relationship with my wife;
c. to speak only what love requires.
These are offered out of a sense of commitment and dedication, not as a means of bragging, for I fully expect to fail. After the week I've just had, though, I needed to set them out in plain sight. May God have mercy on me, a sinner!

Here I Am to Worship

The way heartfelt corporate worship works on you (and by that I mean me) is a mysterious thing. I've been blessed as my spirit soars amongst a stadium full of strangers, or as I endlessly repeat the same phrase among my dear family of faith, or as a living room full of close friends blends their voices in sweet and stirring harmony. Last night, I had that last experience, again, as our prior "small group" gathered for a reunion of sorts. Lifting our voices and each other up toward the LORD, we sang and sang! What a blessed experience! HALLELUJAH!

He's Aggressive!

My dear friend Phillip, who I've written about before here, greeted me Monday night with a serious look and the words, "I've been labeled as "Aggressive" at work!" Knowing that he works at our local grocery, I responded, "And that's a good thing, right?" He then smiled broadly and giggled and told me that he had won the "Aggressive Hospitality" Award and would receive some kind of great prize with it, too. He then got humble, saying that he hadn't really done anything to win it, but I know better than that, as I've seen him in action, eagerly and consistently greeting, carrying, stocking and helping with a huge smile on his face! It is just such an amazing turnaround from the desperately ill man with no funds, no insurance, no food whom I met and befriended just a few years back! We talk about those days and laugh and praise God together now every time we meet! HALLELUJAH!

Am I Worthy?

Last night one of the regular attenders of The Gathering asked me if he was worthy enough to be baptized! Carl is an older gentleman with many physical and emotional issues, but he has taught me much these last few months. As evidenced by this question, his heart is right! I asked him if he believed that Jesus was the Son of God and if he was willing to dedicate his life to following him, and he said, "Yes, more and more every day." I told him it would be my great honor to baptize him at any time he was ready.
He has already come so far, even these last few weeks, but he is very afraid of falling back into the sins and habits of his past. I hope to walk beside him in this journey for many weeks to come!
Later that evening, my core team gathered and wanted to discuss if we should keep up the efforts of The Gathering. When I related to them Carl's comments, we all rejoiced and the question was emphatically answered! HALLELUJAH! The world is watching!