Thursday, October 18, 2012

dark

At the Vineyard we are putting in a new sound board and a couple new projection devices that require new cables and some wiring. In order to pull the new cables from the sound booth to the stage at the front of the church it was necessary to get under our stage. Yesterday we cut a 1 foot by 1 foot access in our storage closet and discovered space under the stage with about 9 1/2 inches of clearance. Somebody needed to get in there and crawl the 10 plus feet to the other side of the stage. Enter the skinny guy! Well I worked my way in feet first and begin a very uncomfortable "slide" under the stage. I had a headlamp but because i couldn't lift my head I was unable to look ahead to where I was going. As I crunched 20 year old dead cockroaches under my back I kept wondering if some angry animal might be looking at my feet boxing him in to a corner. Not only that but my legs kept catching on various braces and once, when attempting to roll over I became a bit stuck!


Proverbs 4:12 says this of those who follow the ways of wisdom, "when you walk (or crawl) your steps will not be impeded; and if you run, you will not stumble." Life can be difficult enough, it is hard to imagine moving through the events and experiences of our day without the Lord making a way, without Him first going before us to clear away the hindrances that we could never overcome on our own.

Today - it turns out - we needed to run an electrical wire and again it required a trip under the stage. This time I arrived equipped with a strong utility light. As I dragged the light along, the entire under stage area was lit up. No animals, nothing unexpected and the whole journey - which still was not very easy - had a very different feel to it.

Proverbs 4:18 says that "the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, that shines brighter and brighter until the full day, but the way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble." I love the picture of darkness slowly, little by little, giving way to the light and the light gets brighter and brighter as the Lord leads us forward. Where does that light come from? I believe it comes through the Spirit, through God's Word as we feast on it, through one another as we encourage each other along, and through our offerings of worship. ( I am reminded of Paul singing in a jail cell) Because we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ we can count on Him to light our way.

Monday, October 8, 2012

study

So we have now held 2 Saturday services in addition to our regular Sunday morning gatherings with many more ahead. I have joked several times that if i don't get the message right when I teach on Saturday, I always have another chance to get it right on Sunday.

"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." 
2 Tim. 2:15

I was in AWANA all through elementary school - I know that verse! But knowing is not enough. Last week I was challenged on a couple of ooccasions about my schedule, what things get the best of my time, following through and being faithful in my primary tasks. One area of not giving enough time - of not following through, has to do with letting the Word work its way into my heart before sharing what I have studied. In my teaching, when Saturday evening rolls around is not the time to begin letting it sink in - that needs to happen way before then.

This past Sunday as I listened and sang during our musical worship time - the same songs as Saturday - they gripped me in a more significant way, they got into my heart in ways that had not occurred the evening before. Sometimes - perhaps at all times - we need to visit songs and scriptures over and over - then they impact and then we can share from a good place. It takes more time, a bit more work, discipline in time and scheduling and in study - but that is the calling for us all if we are to accurately handle the word of truth.

Study - wait - meditate - study - discuss - wait .... get a good grasp on the Word and let the Word get a good grasp on us - then share it!