Yesterday was a very emotional day for me. I was very invested in the message and carried a heavy burden to present it in a way that pierced people’s hearts and minds. I also am wrestling with heartbreak of hearing about the deaths of 5 people over the weekend. Each of these deaths were ones where I either knew the person who died or the family who was impacted. What makes it even more difficult is that the ages of the 5 were between a few weeks old up to 20 years old. As for my musings …
-God was moving in my heart all weekend.
-Our Annual District Assembly was Friday night and Saturday. It was an outstanding time of vision casting, celebrating and personal challenge. It is a time when we gather to do business as well, but even while doing all of the necessary things of the Assembly God showed up and we really had church. On two occasions the altars were lined with people surrendering and seeking. That was my kind of Assembly.
-In the afternoon, I met with a family in preparation for preaching the funeral service for a special man who was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather and brother. The funeral is later this morning. This will be my 4th funeral in 9 weeks.
-I have a question/statement that has been rolling around in my soul recently. Why not? The impetus has been a frustration in not seeing more happening in my churches and in me. Looking at all that God has done many times in many places and asking “Why not here? Why not now?”
-Attendance was down at both churches. This was the first weekend of Spring Break for our local schools.
-Weather yesterday was outstanding. Warm and sunny. It was so nice that my wife and I went out to one the city parks and took a leisurely walk in the late afternoon.
-I am really looking forward to Easter Sunday.
-This week I will join with another pastor and begin teaching a course on fatherhood at a prison located in our community. We will be working with men who are scheduled to be released within the year. I am excited to get started with this opportunity.
-I am enjoying watching some baseball and I am still adjusting to the fact that my Cubs are defending World Series Champs.
-I have really been missing my grandkids recently.
-I loved being a part of the ordination service for 5 great people at our District Assembly.
-Last week I began leading a group of 11 people in our 3rd level, we call them steps, of discipleship training. The plan is that they will begin to lead someone else in this same process that they are now finishing. We have another 15 people who have finished the 1st level and we are praying that they will continue the process. We are seeking to make disciples, not just stack up decisions.
-Yesterday my Assistant Pastor went live on Facebook for a few minutes during the message. This was a little test run. It went well and the reaction was good. With the positive results of that test on Easter Sunday we will be going live for most, or all, of the message. We already have the messaged recorded and available on our Facebook page and website.
Here’s hoping that you find some time this week to prepare yourself for Easter and to invite several people to join you on Sunday.
Dennis
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