One year ago (Sunday, August 20, 2006), I preached my first sermon here as your Pastor. A few weeks later, we published the first of our weekly “Fresh Words” in our bulletin. I grinned when I re-read the first paragraph of that entry this week:
Someone asked me this week if I felt at home yet. Well, perhaps you can’t tell from the smile on my face or the skip in my step, but I most assuredly feel as if I and my family have come home! Praise the Lord! And thank you,
May I say again, Thank you,
I was curious about what else may have been going on in my head and heart last year, so I went back to peruse my journal entries. A couple of excerpts seem apropos today. My prayers are amazingly constant.
Monday, August 21, 2006 – Today is my first Monday in the office as the new Senior Pastor of
Services yesterday were very nice. There continues to be a good, positive spirit among the people. And I believe God’s Spirit has been working in our services and, more importantly, in peoples’ hearts. I preached yesterday morning from John 4: 35-38 on vision – “What Do You See?” … Jesus, thank You for giving us eyes to see. Lord Holy Spirit, help us to pay attention, to lift up our eyes, to see the fields, to see what You see!
Last night I continued with the walk through Acts. I preached from Acts 3:11-26. Lord, I want to live in amazement at Your power and purposes. But I do not want to be surprised to see You working – as were the religious Jews when You brought healing to the man born lame.
Ah, much to do. I had better start making my lists. Father, give me focus and clarity. Please, Lord, do what You must in me to shepherd Your people here, to saturate
Tuesday, August 22, 2006 – “Mountains are not meant to envy,” writes John Piper with reference to how we should regard men like Charles Haddon Spurgeon. “Don’t envy,” he says. “Enjoy.”
Lord, I find in my heart today a deep longing to matter, to make a difference, to become a mountain. Spurgeon, Piper, Rogers, Lee, Allen … I feel as if I am like poor Simon who looked on what the Spirit was doing through Peter and John and envied them (Acts 8). Dear God, help me find my soul’s satisfaction in You and You alone. Help me discover my significance in Your way, Your timing, Your purposes.
Have Thine own way, Lord. Have Thine own way. Hold o’er my being absolute sway.
Fill with Thy Spirit ‘til all shall see Christ only, always, living in me!
Father, help me get my world in order. Help me see and seize what really matters and gladly loose my grip on the inconsequential. Make me a focused, faithful, and fruitful man for Your pleasure, Jesus.
… You, Lord, are indeed most glorified when I am most satisfied in You. May it be said of me that I was a man fully alive who tirelessly manifested the truth about You by a life of simple, unreserved devotion to the Lover of my soul. Whether You make of me a mountain or a valley, a river or a stream, a garden or a desert, Lord, please bring me to a place of profoundly deep contentment in You.
Beloved, may the same be said of us, His Bride. Let me close today’s article with the same declaration I make in nearly every journal entry: Soli Deo Gloria! That’s Latin for “To God alone be the glory!” May the years – decades, I am praying – of our service together bring glory to Jesus, joy to His church, and people into His kingdom! I can think of no one better to grow with than you. Soli Deo Gloria! Amen!
Pastor Rob
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