Living Grace to the World

Yesterday, I made it to old. My sixty second birthday means I have achieved the exalted status. Actually a participant in Tuesday’s Salem Perspectives on World Christian Mission class put it, "You are apprentice old!" Given the schedule I’ve kept over the last couple of weeks, I could stand being old: In Coeur D’Alene to preach at Coeur D’Alene Bible Church followed by Perspectives classes Sunday afternoon and Monday night interspersed with times with Bill & Robin Mounce and Ruth Palnick before flying back for classes and a late elders meeting at Grace Community Gresham and all the other things I do. Among the highlights was remembering my friend as we passed Whitworth College. The following weekend began with a cold kicking in as I headed to the Christian Renewal Center to teach at the annual weekend retreat for Salem Community, a group we’ve been together with for 15 years or so. Then there were more classes along with Monday and Tuesday evening Perspectives classes in Eugene and Salem.

Some have suggested this is a bit of a packed schedule.

The joyous frustration was that Donn, Susan and Elizabeth picked that week to come for a visit. We had a great time after I returned from Spokane Tuesday afternoon. David, Sam, Nicole and Joy came later and we had most of the day Wednesday to enjoy family time.

Yes, I took LOTS of pictures. You can see some of them here.

A sixty second birthday is a milestone, I suppose. The government says I’m old, able to qualify for Social Security. Restaurants say I can get food for less money than Sherry though she eats less than I do. I missed the birthday card I know would be sent if it could be, but not cake. I’m hoping that being old will get me to the point where I have wisdom to do what the LORD calls me to do.

I take joy in helping a neighborhood fellow figure out how to deal with the demons that are oppressing him. He’s a Baptist and therefore such things don’t happen to him. So he figured he was probably crazy. He was greatly relieved when I showed him that they harassed Jesus and even more so when he realized he could fight back as Jesus did: quoting Bible and commanding them to get away. His departing confident smile was super.

Helping a student weighted by a deeply shaming attack in his past also made me smile. I’d give most anything to have a before and after picture showing what it meant to discover that Jesus not only forgives the sins we have done but also cleanses the sins done to us as 1 John 1:9 teaches (though it’s often missed.)

Now if I can just figure out how to preach Isaiah 45, especially verse 7, "I make well-being (peace or shalom) and I create calamity (evil or ra’a’) life will be good.

We had a great time with family here for Christmas/New Year’s. There are lots of pictures here. I found myself think about a lot of things. As Cyndee came from a horror soaked "family," it was powerful to see her connecting with us and with her biological brother and his family. What a difference Jesus can make. Skype allows Nicole and Joy to see Elizabeth even though she’s in Kansas City. It was wonderful fun for the older folk. Elizabeth at just one wasn’t so impressed. Photo sites like Picasa and Dropshots are wonderful ways to keep up with people who are very far away. The trick is finding where the pictures are. It is a great joy when they are found and one can see how much girls have changed.

I preached on Isaiah 11 and focused on how the LORD works in stumps. We actually had a stump in front of the podium and dishes of woodchips around for people to write their stumpishness on and bring it to a manger if you need the unlikely help of a tender shoot or a tiny baby. Tiny babies are very precious and way more helpful than one would think when they can come out. The response was amazing as I asked people to get out of their seats and go act on stumpish things in their lives. We sang the super powerful song, "This is our God." You can hear Hillsong do it here. It was a very very emotional time for me as I reflected on my own stumpishness that caused so much hurt to my friend. I wonder if there will ever be a shoot there. A family came to talk with me after, who were in a rough spot in their lives. They wanted me to say everything would be OK. But that I can’t say. The life in the stump comes when there are responsive hearts and not always even then. The impact of sin is huge. But the tenderness of the LORD is awesome. So much to perplex.

This is the scene outside our home tonight. It’s a winter wonderland!  seems the snow will never cease, though the weather guy says this is the end for a week at least. I’m ready, I think. I do love the snow as long as it doesn’t shut things down.

I also went to see Twilight, the movie sensation that’s super big with teenage girls. Bella, a 17 year old girl, falls in love with Edward, a 17 year old vampire. It’s pretty amazing.  

I’m reading the third novel now. It’s really amazing to see her imagination and the basic morality of the story. Protecting innocent people, keeping instinctual cravings under control, forming friendships with people who are your natural enemies, maintaining sexual purity until marriage, honoring parents (if not always obeying them), are just some of the virtues there. The picture is me with Laurie Bloomquist, one of my students, You can pray for her. She heads off of Kenya in a few days to continue ministry there.

Next week I preach on Isaiah 40. What’s between comfort and hope? It’s proving to be a hard sermon to get nailed down. Especially I want to handle 40:31 well. Ideas?