Monday Morning Musings ...

Yesterday was a very good day, even with a thorn in my flesh. The thorn was that my back was seemed to almost be back to normal flared up in a huge way over the weekend and made me miserable. (I am getting an MRI as soon as they can get me in for one.)

We had a tremendous sense of the Lord's presence in our service. People really engaged in worship throughout the service. There were people who went to the altar during the time of congregational singing, including someone from the worship team. I love that openness and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. Our time of prayer was a powerful time. The message was on "Identity Crisis" from Galatians 2:20-21, Paul said in the midst of that "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me."

I asked how do you answer the question of "Who are you?". How do you answer that question, how do you believe you are defined? To be courageous with our identity rather than in crisis with it requires that we give up our identity to Christ. We literally become crucified with Christ in order to be known through Christ rather than ourselves.

Is your identity still your own, or is it Christ in you? This must be revealed through our living, not just our words or bumper stickers. If it is just in our words and our living does not show Christ in us then we are in an identity crisis.

I am weary of this crisis, I want to be courageous with my identity. I want people to remember Jesus after they have an encounter with me, I don't care if they remember me. I want my living to reveal Christ, not me.

How about you?

Sunday evening we had an outstanding time of teaching and sharing in my class on parenting. Our switch to Sunday nights for our Sunday School ministry is showing great benefits. People who were not attending Sunday School before are attending and serving. Our children and youth numbers are up significantly, this was our main goal. Our overall number is up over the same period a year ago. I am very encouraged by the first 8 weeks of this new format.

Except for the back, it was a very good day.