Our Tent of Protection

I have learned lately that life is an adventure. We always have to be ready to adapt to anything and be flexible. We arrived at our bible study location and the host was not home. So instead of climbing through an open window, we started our prayer time in the gargage with fold out lawn chairs and munched on a display of edible fruit. We spent about 20 minutes doing that to encourage each other and to touch base with our lives. It was good to hear from my friend that the 5 evenings that I spent at his house for dinner with his family helped to establish a pattern in his life to be the pastor of his house and to hear of them praying as a family and even asking about the things of God. So I am thankful God for the week that I became a little exhausted hanging out with his family's kids and the kids of our church during our Vacation Bible study program.

I also realized that when God had Noah build the ark before the flood , He did to provide protection from the waters that would rise over the land. this happened because God was upset with how mankind was responding to His authority. This source of protection is carried over even to the tradition of the Jewish religious services of the importance of the Ark and even the importance of the Ark in history in its travels from place to place.

Today, the church is our ark of protection from the evils of our world and society. And ultimately interacting with God;s people in prayer and the study of the Bible is critical to develop a long lasting community and to develop a protection from sin-to make us more like Jesus. Something that we have to do together to gain a source of strength. And we definitely need a sense of humor. To take life on the fly. To pull up a garage door , flip on a light and pull out some lawn chairs and talk to God. Fellowship is not all that complicated. yet that process builds lasting memories and builds the community together. That is why the early church prospered more since it could not rely on a pre-programmed mode of worship since persecution happened at any time and the people at that time had to live by the seat of their pants to stand up for what they believed in!!!!!!
This is the way worship will leave a legacy of lasting memories to share with family and friends for many days to come.

To build or not to Build

This morning at breakfast at Andros diner in Fairfield, our men's breakfast group from church got together. Our leader sent out an email to ask us what we would do if we were asked to build a mosque. This question came about since the band, Maeve, that performed at our church relayed a story of how someone they knew did that and the people who were associated with the mosque became christian believers. We didn't have a whole lot of discussion on this. We were trying to get to a consensus on the definition of Allah and how that pertains to our God or not.

Yet a good thing on the topic is it got 10 fellows moving in the morning to have a discussion and to fill up our table of 8 plus a booth for two to boot. When I got there this morning a few minutes late, the table was already almost filled up. What a good sight to see.

Being fully known and loved

As I occasionally think of heaven and the different types of activities that will take place there compared to those on earth, I am not fully sure exactly what life will be like. We will be entering the 5th dimension of reality. What is not known will be fully known then. The veil will be taken off our eyes. Right now, I need to see everything exactly as it is. I desire to be completely satisfied, but for some reason, I am not. Whenever I puruse that. I am left in a state of longing. Yet in heaven, we will be fully known and loved. Fully accepted for who we are, with our faults covered up by His sacrifice on the cross and with His name inscribed on us. Our faults and frustrations through His grace will have created an oyster within us. It will make us well polished. With His stripes, we will be healed and will be able to enter the curtain in the HOLY OF HOLIES of heaven without fear of dying.

Help us to have this perspective of being fully known and loved. And help me to keep the perspective that I will be satisfied on that day. I just have to endure life's trials to get there on that glorious day!!!!

Let's worship the Lord

I just went to a farewell service for a pastor of the next generation. Kevin grew up in my church and then traveled to several other states-from Cleveland and then back to Fairfield, Ct to serve as a pastor for the next generation. Kevin came from a line of pastors in his family. His grandfather, Gil, was a pastor of our church a long time ago in Bridgeport. This was before we became rooted in Fairfieid. Ånd now Kevin is off to Melbourne, Australia, A place very far away, but over 150 came to say goodbye and to celebrate his work in Fairfield and what he will do overseas down under in Australia.
One of my friends commented that Australia won't know what hit them when he is down there.
Many of the christians that I have interacted over the years were at the service. It was good to see many smiling faces of people I have known briefly but it was a great encouragement to have that affirmation of friendship. And a good way to inform extended family that once worshipped at Trinity of things going on with missions

Ånd it is good to see how God can mold his people of our 2007 Swaziland team. Don's sister and family came to hear him talk on his journey to Africa and how God's goodness extends across the continents. Don Hay focused on Psalm 23 which is often read at funerals but it is also one that can be read in celebration for what God is doing now.

We do have a global God who likes to hear the way different believers worship. I do have a hard time to get into the syncopated beat of the next generation, but if it reaches their hearts, that is great!!!! And to hear how God can move generation to generation is encouraging. How he can take teenagers and young adults to shake up the world. I hope to encourage the next generation somehow, but even if through prayer to bridge the two worlds of America and Australia. Both beginning and ending in an A. The A-team of disciples.

And that is what many of the disciples during Jesus's ministry were=they were young. They were called out of their current occupations into some that would be very unlikely to them. Imagine a fisherman or a tax collector becoming a pastor today just from the call of the master. The call was clairon back then and very hard to ignore. Yet the cost was a high one. to leave one's friends-one's place of familiarity. And the cost was high in that to call oneself one of His meant many times death on a cross or persecution. Imagine Mary the mother of Jesus taking on that tough call to be the Blessed mother as a teenager to take the ridicule and scorn of others. But thanks to the angels, she understood her role and embraced it fully. Thanks for our freedom we don't face those same challenges. Yet we were urged to make His name known and to take a bold stand. Not to be lukewarm but to be followers of Jesus. To take up our cross daily.

One of my friends, Joel, asked how I was doing on the blog. I told him I added some poetry recently. He asked if I was going to publish a book. He said that it could make a big impact even if a few read it. And Dee at church asked how my writer's group at Trinity is going. I said not yet. But God if these two things are going to happen, I trust you with the results. May I just be faithful to accomplish the two of them!!!!!

Ånd this is the 200th post according to my counter. and all without steroids!!!! May there be another 357 to beat Bonds.

Father Time and Mother Nature meet

I wrote this little piece for the monthly second thoughts meeting at the Rainey Faye Bookstore in downtown Bridgeport and it generated a good 30 minute discussion on the nature of life, death, and time and even a book, called The Power of Now.

911 Rescue

This sunday morning sunday school started off normally with discussion. With a few minutes into the class, the office next door become a hub of activity with one of our parishoners being whisked in and the dialing of 911. She obviously had an emergency and 10 or so gathered around her with medical expertise. It shows how fragile life is and how a little shift in the equilibrium of life can have an effect on our lives.

in short order, the Fairfield Police car pulled up front, then the firetruck and then the ambulance. When I reflected on it, I recognized that the police represent God the Father watching out for us and making sure the path is set for us receiving Jesus through the evangelism efforts. The fire truck representing the son, Jesus,has the needed oxygen and the ability to further clear the obstructions if necessary to save trappped people -whether physcially or those trapped in sins. And the ambulance , representing the Holy spirt, is what allows the continued restoration in comfort while the patient lays on a stretcher waiting for the care at the hospital. All the while, the police car will guide the ambulance in at times clearing the path of oncoming cars.

Definitely a new way to look at the Trinity in our lives. As we reach out to others lives to bring them close to the needed salvation of eternal life. Peace and blessings to those who read this post.

My Battle with the Kitchen

This afternoon as I did a small chore of putting away some silverware, I attempted to open my kitchen utensil drawer. It opened an inch and would not budge. I opened my cabinet drawers and fidgeted around. Even used my yardstick to see if I could move the unidentified blockage. Yet to no avail. I took a few deep breaths and then proceeded to poke around some more. voila!!! I hir pay dirt. Found an opening around the sink and was able to move the utensil tray an inch and it opened right away.

Thus for my battle with the drawers. As some fight to lose a few inches for their drawers to fit, I had to move my obstruction two inches to get it to fit as well. Ås my friend, Bianca said, I am just too funny. I hope you found it amusing as well.
Peace

Alex vs. Barry

On the same day in baseball history, Alex Rodriguez and Barry Bonds have both hit milestone homeruns. Alex hit his 500th in the majors and Barry hit #555 which is one away from Babe Ruths record. Better watch out Barry, but Alex is only 57 away from breaking your record once you hit. Let the homerun kings continue at it. Making baseball fun like in the late 90
s with McGuire and Sosa battling it out for who is King that year.