Tuesday, July 07, 2009

61

I spent all last week at Family Camp relaxing, reading and equipping the saints. The three of us and my folks got home late Saturday afternoon and began the long process of laundry (which piled from the laundry room into the kitchen).

I never did get my sermon for Sunday written (which is why there isn't one posted), so I spent Saturday mulling over what I was going to say. We've been spending time in the Old Testament and that has been both interesting and entertaining; but I've had to fill in the gaps as we go through the RCL. This week, for instance, we jumped from David's lament over Saul and Jonathan directly to David's kingship over a united Israel. What we missed was the civil war between the house of Saul and the house of David. What we missed was Ishbaal being appointed king over Israel. What we missed was Abner switching sides, his assassination and the revenge killing for that.

And then I pointed out that five years ago, I had just arrived in the Valley. If we just looked at my arrival and then the attendance today (Sunday), we'd miss the struggles. We'd miss the developing community. We'd miss hearing the good sermons and the bad sermons. We need to pay attention to God in the gaps. And that, in a nutshell, was the sermon.

What made it particularly appropriate was that, on a holiday weekend, we had THIRTY-ONE people at Christ Church and THIRTY people up in VC. For a non-Christmas/Easter/funeral/wedding service, I do believe that's a record.

Sixty-one people in church on Sunday . . . It was very cool.

2 comments:

Unknown | 11:42 AM, July 07, 2009  

61 - Exceptional! I didn't pull that number with three churches this weekend. Perhaps you may be rethinking your post on "Closure?"

Anonymous | 8:58 AM, July 08, 2009  

"Bad Sermons"....I'm shocked ...I'm tellin' ya ...I'm shocked. There are no bad sermons just ones that need a little more Polish

grace and peace

Ben

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