Monday, September 06, 2004
Three-day weekend
Psalm 146:8
"...YHWH lifts up those who are bowed down..."

God pays attention to those in the posture of humility--those who know without a shadow of a doubt that God is God and they are not, to those who have been beaten down, broken, bruised and are bowed by the very treacherous circumstances of life. And if God the Father upholds the cause of the opporessed, gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, gives sight to the blind, lifts those who are bowed down, watches over the alien and sustains the widow and fatherless--if God does all of those things, how much more should I who seek to mimic him through the grace of his Son Jesus and the power of his Spirit?

Mark 13:33, 35, 37
"Be on guard! Be alert!... Therefore keep watch... What I say to you, I say to everyone! Watch!"

The cry to pay attention comes urgently. It's my theme again: Watch. Pay attention. Be alert. Be aware. Articulate. Expect. Lose nothing. Watch every detail. Let nothing pass you by.

Computer's been ordered. Again. Should ship the 14th (so I'm told) and be here 3-5 business days after that. Yeah for library internet access. Argh.

What a lazy three-day weekend. Most of it spent with the Sheltons watching movies and football. Today we spent the afternoon at the Legends game. Home team won 6-1 as their starter Matt Albers went 7 innings, struck out 11 and allowed only a hit. Applebee's Stadium is gorgeous for the Sally League, but you pay for it--$7 for all seats save the left field bleachers, which are $4 with absolute no shade whatsoever. Somehow each and every minor league game I've attended this season (and this makes three) has been Dollar Hot Dog Day. The promotion just seems to follow me, I guess. Large advertisement under the bleachers reads "You Matter to God," sponsored by Southland Christian Church. With any luck, I'll get the info on their Thursday night young adult thing and check it out with John and Grace.

Sunday, the three of us visited Great Commission Fellowship in Wilmore as recommended by Craig. Sunday school left much to be desired, but I loved the missions emphasis. The bulletin listed upwards of 10 missionaries (including the Garrisons) that they support, and I'm under the impression they've all been cultivated through the church. The flag-waving dancers put John off, though. I think it has promise, but it is presently without a senior pastor or worship leader.

I hate church shopping. I just can't stand walking into church with my BS alert on high, my skepticism running like crazy, judging every last detail like I was scoring some critique: "I give the worship a 6, the preacher a 3, but the people were friendly and there was free coffee." It disturbs me to no end being a church critic. I can't wait to find "home."

Roommates. Ugh. This was not what I was expecting. He finally moved in today, and I managed to offend this gruff and grizzled, 43-year-old, ex-Marine, father of 3, pastor of 5 churches right off the bat as I had unwittingly claimed as my own and moved into the desk that was actually his that he had left from last semester. "You got a lot of stuff. Don't know what you're going to do with it all. Most guys don't bring this much," he says. Perhaps I really should break the news that this really is home for me. I don't have some sort of weekend retreat. Much rearranging ensued and I was given a passive-aggressive laundry list of reasons why he would rather have a room to himself (space, snoring, study habits, age difference, etc.). He informs me there's s isngle room right upstairs, but they won't give it to him as he's a commuter. I should be interested, he says. RA tells me it's in limbo and he can get back to me tomorrow. God answers prayers like these, right?

posted by Peter at 9:50 AM
| | permalink |