God, what a great day it was!
Thanks for the wonderful worship this morning, and for the way everything came together.
Thanks especially for the folks that offer so much to St. James and my ministry. Bless them with continued joy and wisdom and a willingness to share both with me.
Thanks also for the fun Lois and I had at the model Air Show and for just being able to hang around together.
A bad song and matching video make a young girl a national star. People want to know everything about the sister-in-law of a member of Britain’s royal family. A rich but otherwise not very noteworthy heiress becomes a household name because of her starring in an inane reality show.
I don’t get it. Now, I’m not passing judgement on the character of the folks I’ve just mentioned, but I’m stunned at how easy it is for people to become celebrities nowadays. Folks with relatively little talent capture the attention of a great number people. Or perfectly nice but unknown people suddenly associated with other nice, but far better known people, capture the attention of a previously oblivious world.
Why so famous? How desperately needy are we humans that we’re willing to watch the inane antics of otherwise ordinary and uninteresting people, just because they are willing to air their embarrassingly dirty laundry on national television? And what does it say about us that we’re willing witnesses to public personal train-wrecks?
Frankly, it makes me a little depressed. When I watch the news and see drivel about folks that are famous for virtually no reason at all, I despair at the state of humanity. Are our lives so uninteresting that we need to watch the antics of others to spice up our own existence? Are we so bored that learning every detail of a pleasant but otherwise not very noteworthy person gives us a sense of accomplishment?
I guess what frustrates me most is that I’m involved in the life of one of the most interesting, helpful and caring people ever, yet He is largely unknown, ignored or misunderstood. Despite all the wonderful things He can do for us, He hardly gets the attention He deserves.
That’s too bad. No one was more loving than Jesus. No one tried to do more for humanity than Jesus. No one has shaped the world more than Jesus did. No one can make such a difference in people’s lives as Jesus can. And maybe that’s part of the problem; maybe Jesus is just too good to be true; maybe Jesus’ care for us is too hard to swallow; maybe Jesus’ death and resurrection aren’t embarrassing or titillating enough to capture the attention of a jaded world. Or maybe we just don’t realize just how much we really need Him.
The upside to this is that you don’t need a computer to feel His love. You don’t need a TV to see His positive impact on the world. You don’t need anything except for an open mind and a willing heart to know Jesus cares for you and can make a wonderful difference in your life. Whether you’re famous or infamous, popular or completely unknown, an ‘A’ list star or just another member of the audience, Jesus is willing to put you first on His list. All you have to do is ask.
Lord, as Lois and I approach a week with the kids having been away, I give you thanks for the time we've had together and for the opportunity just to be on our own.
I also thank you for the time we had with our friends, for the blessing of the meal we shared and our growing friendship. Let us be a blessing to one another as we support each other in our ministry, marriages and as your beloved children.
Thanks, God for a busy, but very good day. I especially thank your for the time with Shannon, and her enthusiasm for her ministry at St. James. Bless her with the gifts, energy and patience she needs to get the After School program underway. I also ask that you help the folks at St. James understand what we're doing and to support her ministry with their time, talent and treasure.
May the After School Program be a blessing to the children it welcomes, to their parents, and to St. James.
Thanks, God for a good day and a great rehearsal with the Praise Team today. Thanks again for Darryl and the gifts he brings to my worship ministry. Help us work well together on your behalf, and to provide leadership for the rest of the team and the congregation.
Help as well, stay out of Darryl's way as he leads, and to be a resource to him as he figures his way around.
Thanks God, for an interesting and productive chat with a colleague who is now a friend. Thanks for his wisdom and insight, and for the ability to share with him a little bit of what I've learned.
Thanks as well for the amazing freedom and ease of communication we have in Canada, and the way that it enhances life and ministry.
I pray that I might be able to communicate my love for you and all your blessings as easily to others.
