Monday Morning Musings ...

It is Monday morning, Labor Day a day off and a day with the family, the entire family. As for yesterday it was a bit flat. People seemed rather lifeless during Sunday School and Worship. There was just a barely alive feeling even before the worship service began. Maybe it was the holiday weekend, maybe it was the end of summer blues, or maybe it was just one of those days. I thought the songs were great and the words were very powerful. The special in song was good. We didn't have any technical glitches and our attendance was reasonable for a holiday weekend. I knew that my message would not be a smiling "boy that makes me feel great" type, but I had to really work to connect with the congregation. I preached from John 4 on Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well and then the whole town.

I used this as a follow-up to the just ended series on "Going Beyond". This was about responding and going to the next level. I dealt with some normal excuses for actually serving and impacting people's lives and then the truths that counter the excuses. One of the main points was that we often use the line "God hasn't told me what I should do yet" and that it is quite often nothing more than a delaying tactic. The truth is that if there are needs in people's lives around us then God has given us the assignment of helping to meet those needs. People a face to face encounter with Jesus and that needs to come through face to face encounters with us. Jesus showing and shining through us. This can only happen if we get out and engage in people's lives, right where they are, not where we wish they would be. As you can see, not a "feel good" message but necessary truth.

Today is my birthday and all my kids and grandkids are all here. I get to grill for everyone later, we will play together and have cake. It doesn't get much better. Happy birthday to me! (The church gave me a gift card to Cabella's for my birthday!)