Speaking March 6th

On Wednesday, March 6th, Pastor Jeff is going to be out of town. I'll miss him, of course, but that is not my biggest concern about this day.

In the corner the heater, which looks like a small fireplace kicks out the heat. I sit in one chair and he sits in the other, both in front if his desk. I get the feeling Jeff likes to get out from behind the desk as often as he can, turn down the authority, turn up the compassion. We've been talking about some the ministries of the church, some new ideas and new people we would like to get plugged in. There is a lot to do, lots of good stuff, but it is not too intense. He then, with a casualness which masks the request, mentions he'll be out of town and asks if I would like to speak.

Now, this is not the first time I have been asked, and I have spoken before, but it is nerve wracking and intense every time. I am not prepared. Retired pastors and Greek scholars sit in that audience. There will be friends who have seen the less pleasant sides of me. Jeff sits across from me, leaning back and comfortable. There is a smile, maybe even a smirk, on his face. Perhaps he sees the wheels spinning in my head, the excuse center trying to throw on the breaks. I hear my mouth say, "Sure."

From the point I committed to this every study, every word, every thing I read or listen to goes through a new filter. The "can I speak about this" filter. I try to think of the points, the audience, the hook and questions. I pray and meditate. I don't have a solid answer, yet, but I've got about three ideas I'm juggling.

The first thing which came to me, came as a spin off from A walking conversation with Reuben. We were talking about denial and the way Christians deny God. With their time, with their talents, with their witness, with their relationships, etc. then we talked about Peter's denial and how we are like Peter, saying we'll stay until death while we are safe, but mess up when challenged. We talked about how we deal with looking at the face of Christ, when we see him again after the rooster crows. We talked about the way Christ forgave and charged Peter and how he does the same for us.

The second message idea came from a few different ideas which have been spinning around in my head on faithfulness and the roll of money. Starting with Able, what made his sacrifice worthy was the fact that he gave the first and best. We don't think about is that first born was the produce of his livelihood, giving it up presented a risk and it was a sacrifice of the best, which he would not have. This kind of sacrifice before God is very clearly what God wants, and it is carried in different formats in the old and New Testament. We are still called to give our first and best, to give sacrificially to God. This mean money and this means time. Not either or, but your faith can be measured by the money and time you give to God. This would step on toes and needs more research, but it is a real truth of what we are called to do, today.

The third potential message comes from my Bible study this morning, which included the passage in Mark where Jesus heals the young girl. It is at this spot where he cast out the demons from the insane man, which kills a herd of pigs and caused the locals to ask him to leave. He has come back and a woman, who had been bleeding for years, touched his clock and was healed. Then he is presented with this family mourning because their daughter has died. You can imagine the courtyard full of mourners and the father who tells Jesus she is dead, that he is too late. Jesus then hushes him, tell him she is merely asleep. This causes the family and mourners to laugh, not in jest, but at the ridicules nature of Jesus claim. He is not slowed. Instead he walks into the room and tells the girl to get up, which she does to the amazement and relief of her father. Imagine this and think about the most famous resurrection in the Bible, that of Jesus himself, a resurrection which believers are meant to spiritually undergo so they can walk in a new life. It make me think that often people give up on the things which God has called them to do, after they let the frustration linger too long, their idleness, lazyness, pride, go to long and they finally declare that part of their walk dead. I can see Jesus leaning into the ear of this broken and defeated Christian and saying, "you are not dead, only sleeping, now get up."

I don't know what the final lesson will be, but I am working on it. Pray for me. Also, if you happen to be in the area, I would appreciate your support. I'll speak at 6:30 at Praise Baptist Church in Plymouth.