Pastor Steve’s Weekly Letter For Thursday, March 11, 2010

One of the great privileges of serving as a pastor is the privilege of interacting daily with what I call “soul-stirring truth.” I thought I might share with you a sample of some of the ideas that have stirred me this week. Some of these ideas are direct quotes from Scripture; others come from Scripture through various pastors, writers, and teachers. Some of these ideas comfort me in my affliction; others afflict me in my comfort. Some of these ideas I have shared with some of you in my pastoral work this week, others I have simply reflected on in times of solitude. All of these ideas stir me, move me, and point me to the beauty and worth of Christ.   This is somewhat of a random list, but I hope that you find something here that stirs your soul!

·            “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2)

·            “The Bible, in all its parts, is intended to communicate to humanity the realities of redemption. It tells the epic tale of God’s ongoing quest to ransom his creation. The narrative begins with Eden and does not conclude until the New Jerusalem is firmly in place. It is all one story. And if you are a believer, it is all your story.” (Sandra L. Richter, The Epic of Eden: A Christian Entry into the Old Testament)

·            “The ultimate question is not who you are but whose you are. There is no autonomy in the fallen world. We are governed by sin or governed by God.” (John Piper, 50 Reasons Why Christ Died)

·            “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

·            “If our religion is something objective, then we must never avert our eyes from those elements in it which seem puzzling or repellent; for it will be precisely the puzzling or the repellent which conceals what we do not yet know and need to know.” (C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory)

·            “There is not one holy like the LORD . . . there is no Rock like our God.” (1 Samuel 2:2)

·            “One day all disease will be banished from God’s redeemed creation. There will be a new earth. We will have new bodies. Death will be swallowed up by everlasting life.” (1 Corinthians 14:53; 2 Corinthians 5:4) (John Piper, 50 Reasons Why Christ Died)

·            “Christian spirituality reflects the radiance of Christian faith in daily life.” (Quoted by George Kalantzis in Life in the Spirit)

Can we really be finishing Romans this Sunday? Part of me wants to go back through it again! But we will press on in our study of other parts of Scripture. This Sunday’s final sermon from Romans 16:1-27 is titled “The Gospel Really IS the Power of God!” I think you will be surprised how this final chapter of Romans will stir you, even though a large part of it is a list a personal greetings. As you prepare for Sunday, make a mental note to turn your clock ahead. Yes, daylight saving time begins this Sunday!

Finally, on the personal side, our son, Ben, moved down to the Peoria area on Monday. He is going to live with my mom until his wedding to Nicole on June 4. We expect to see him a few times between now and then, but it hit me on Monday that he is gone for good. That is the whole goal of parenting, of course, but we were blessed to have him come back even after he had left home. So now it’s back to three of us! Priscilla, Luke, and I have a good time together, though. Last night we enjoyed taking a late night walk with our dog. The two mile walk felt good to all of us. I guess that’s a sign that spring is coming! I’ll see you on Sunday!