Back from Vacation

So, we're back.

Nothing new to report, really. Vacation was really nice.

Thanks to Danny Bowman for filling in Sunday.

Sermon Posting

Today's sermon is called "He Wanted to See a Miracle," based on Luke 23:5-12. It's about chasing squirrels. Seriously. Click to listen.

Chewbacca Sermon

The sermon is called "Life Debt," and it's uploading now.

Enjoy.

Song in My Head -- O Sacred Head

The lyricist is Bernard of Clairveaux, one of the bright lights in theology in the recently-completed millennium. The music is an adaption of a section of Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, arranged for choral singing by Felix Mendellsohn.

And unlike most of what Hollywood is putting out these days, this highly-talented cast delivers an awe-inspiring performance. In church we typically only sing the first and sixth verses, but here's the whole thing.

Just digest this. Spiritual meat cooked tender and juicy.

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Men mock and taunt and jeer Thee, Thou noble countenance,
Though mighty worlds shall fear Thee and flee before Thy glance.
How art thou pale with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How doth Thy visage languish that once was bright as morn!

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

My Shepherd, now receive me; my Guardian, own me Thine.
Great blessings Thou didst give me, O source of gifts divine.
Thy lips have often fed me with words of truth and love;
Thy Spirit oft hath led me to heavenly joys above.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

My Savior, be Thou near me when death is at my door;
Then let Thy presence cheer me, forsake me nevermore!
When soul and body languish, oh, leave me not alone,
But take away mine anguish by virtue of Thine own!

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Sermon Posting

This morning's sermon is being uploaded right now.

See if you can catch where I messed up.

Clean whiff. For once in my life, I'm not the smartest guy in the room. I mean, EVERYBODY in the building was pointing it out to me -- after church, at lunch. Small woodland creatures and inanimate objects were pointing and laughing.

Doofus.

Sad News out of Mankato, MN

A very dear friend lost his son this week.

Barry Ries is the chairman of the Psychology department at Mankato State University. When I was finishing up my Master's degree at Lipscomb, Barry was my field mentor for a practicum project, and advisor for an independent study on adult sibling rivalry.

But in addition to taking time he probably didn't have for somebody he met once at Bible camp -- twice -- he also gave me some profound insights into ministry in the upper Midwest.

Even his coffee cup was inspiring. The Stroup Effect -- named, incidentally, for a psychologist who preached at Pleasant Grove back in the day -- is a cognitive delay caused when a word spelling one color is printed in a different color. Barry's coffee cup demonstrated this effect, and in many ways sparked my own fascination with how the human mind processes information.

This past Sunday, Barry's 15-year-old son Michael passed away suddenly. I remember Michael from Flaming Pine Youth Camp the one year we went up there. Michael was six, or maybe seven, the last time I saw him in the fall of 2002. I remember him as a fun-loving, playful little boy. But that said, it's been eight years since I last saw him. The memories that others have posted indicate that he grew up to be a fine young man, someone whose loss will be felt deeply, and not just by those who knew him best.

The funeral is tomorrow, but the hurting will go on for a while. Please pray for Barry, his wife Leah, daughter Carissa, and the whole family as they struggle through the coming weeks.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Pulpit

The power went out. Lights, AC, everything just went click and stopped.

Fortunately, I had about 20 minutes of worship service time to do an "emergency re-write" and edit out the parts where I had to read long passages from the Old Testament. The remnants are in the link to the right.

Of course, just as I get all the non-essential reading excised, the power came back on and I could see to read Jonah chapter 2. I think Lenny gave the circuit breaker the "Don't Make Me Come In There" Look and scared it into cooperating.