Are We There Yet?

Couldn’t pass up this link to a nice article about HLPC’s own Pete Kelly that appeared in our local paper that you can access HERE.

Ligon Duncan, one of my former seminary professors, offers some great insights on promoting a “gospel culture” with a heart for those who are lost.  Very thought provoking.

(HT:  Between Two Worlds)

From Justin Taylor’s blog, Between Two Worlds:

I read a heartwrenching article in the most recent issue of World Magazine (subscription required).  What caught my attention was the author’s quotation and reference throughout from the book of Habakkuk- a book we just recently considered as a sermon series entitled, “When God Doesn’t Make Sense”.  These are very difficult times for the people and for the church in that country under “President” Mugabe who has stolen the recent election and allows thugs to roam free.  God has been so good to us who live in this country.

I have a Presbytery committee meeting this morning at First Pres Macon so I drove Andrew to school and am sitting here at Chick-fil-A on Zebulun Road with my laptop enjoying their Wifi and trying to get some work done for Sunday’s first look of 7 sermons at Habakkuk before heading to my meeting. Some miscellaneous ramblings on a beautiful Friday morning:

~Pew Bibles are here! Can’t wait to utilize our new ESV pew Bibles this Sunday. It’s something I’ve looked forward to for some time. I like the idea of people being able to hold a copy of the Scriptures each week if they don’t have a Bible of their own. Instead of printing the passage each week, we’ll simply put the page number in each week’s bulletin (Habakkuk is page 785 in the new Bible). This may not seem like a big deal, but I’m excited about it.

~When I retire, I want a group of guys to meet Friday mornings with at Chick-fil-A- there’s a group of retirees who are sipping coffee, griping about gas prices, and solving the world’s problems about 10 feet away. I want to be part of a group like that. The employees here obviously know and welcome these codgers. I want to be a codger one day. By the way, what exactly is a “codger”?

~Habakkuk, I’m learning, is an incredibly timely book. The minor prophets (called such for their size, not lack of importance) have so much to say to us. I’m embarrassed to admit that this is only my second time to preach from one of them. I’m looking forward to this series very much. The Scriptures do not sugarcoat anything. They deal with life as it really is.

~I really like Coke Zero. I need to go and get a refill. My second favorite diet beverage is Diet Dr. Pepper. I used to hate all diet drinks. That was before I hit 40. Everything changes at 40.

That is all.

That great sigh of relief you hear is me. I just finished the course work for the last Doctor of Ministry class I took at RTS Orlando. The class was entitled “Spiritual Formation for Leaders” and was held in January. Dr. Steve Childers, who taught the class, did a great job. The coursework is due Wednesday. I’ll be overnighting stuff tomorrow- yeah, I procrastinated a bit. I had to read 2,000 pages of selected reading and write a 20 page paper. The way this works is that I have to take 8 courses total and write a really big paper (150+ pages) at the end. Three classes down, five to go.

Just had to let someone know. A burden is lifted!

(HT: Tim Bayly)

We’re farmers now. Well, sort of. Well, no, not really. We’re trying “square foot gardening” in the back yard. Connie brought home four 2 x 6’s from Lowe’s and I used deck screws to place them in the necessary square frame. I told someone that for me that felt like building a house- let’s just say I’m not known for my handyman skills. We filled the frame with some of the finest dirt Lowe’s would sell us including Black Cow “mature manure”. In our raised 4 x 4 bed we’ve planted tomatoes, squash, okra, mint, onions, cantelope and watermelon. Yes, watermelon. Stay tuned whether this will work or not.

All this building and planting took place on Monday. Every day since I go out looking for growth. Yesterday Connie served me some watermelon at lunch. “Is this one of ours?” I asked.

You get the picture- I’m impatient. As the ad on TV goes- I want it now.

I’m sure there’s a lesson here or future sermon illustration but I’m too impatient to figure it out. I gotta go see what ripened overnight.

I found an article by John Piper entitled “6 Reasons Pastors Should Blog” so I’m taking the plunge (this will be my second attempt- you woudn’t want to read the last).  Stay tuned for more posts to come.