Preaching tomorrow

Tomorrow I have the opportunity to preach for the first time at "big church" shall we say. My preparation time this week has been a great time of worship. As tomorrow morning is quickly approaching I have been thinking about the weight preaching. It really is a priveledge and an honor to do this. So as I was thinking about this stuff I turned to my old dead friends, the Puritans, to see what they had to say about preaching. Enjoy.

"A Minister's Preaching"

My Master God,
I am desired to preach today,
but go weak and needy to my task;

Yet I long that people might be edified with divine truth,
that an honest testimony might be borne for thee;

Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
with heart uplifted for grace and unction.

Present to my view things pertinent to my subject
with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
proper expressions, fluency, fervency,
a feeling sense of the things I preach,
and grace to apply them to men's consciences.

Keep me conscious all the while of my own defects,
and let me not gloat in pride over my performance.

Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,
and to leave sinners inexscusable in neglecting thy mercy.

Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,
and to set before them comforting considerations.

Attend with power the truth preached,
and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.

May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted, comforted,
and help me to use the strongest arguments
drawn from Christ's incarnation and sufferings,
that men might be made holy.

I myself need thy support, comfort, strength, holiness,
that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,
and be able to do something for thee;

Give me then refreshment among thy people,
and help me not to treat excellent matter in a defective way,
or bear a broken testimony to so worthy a redeemer,
or be harsh in treating of Christ's death, its design and end,
from lack of warmth and fervency.

And keep me in tune with thee as I do this work.


Now I promise that I'm not going to preach in Elizabethan english but I am so encouraged when I read these guys. They were truly sold out. What I love about them is that their passion and joy was theologically informed. In today's Christendom, where we just want to get excited and have a good time at the expense of theological depth, these guys show that theological depth and joy in Christ is a "both/and" not an "eaither/or". So, may we press on in His Word and daily search the riches of Christ and by this we will experience joy and fulfillment on a daily basis.

Germany and back in 48 hrs - for real.

My Dad has been a pilot for American Airlines for 29 years and this last week he retired. So a bunch of us went with him for his retirement flight to Frankfurt, Germany and back. We left Dallas Sunday at 2pm and returned on Tuesday at 2pm - insane. It was a great trip.

The whole lot of us before we left Dallas
Cockpits of a 777 are a button pusher's dreamland.
Dad coming out of the airport in Germany.
Me giving Mandy a backrub after the 8.5 hr flight.
Yea, we're stupid

Mandy laughing hysterically at something during a celebration dinner for Dad
Dad making a toast at his celebration dinner
Aunt Marion, Uncle Dave, Me, and Mandy
So at dinner I had this German dish called, Schwienhox (I'm sure I murdered the spelling). It was incredible. Here's a group of us as we sat down at our table.

Mandy and Uncle Dave and Dad in the cockpit before we took off from FRA back to Dallas
Me and Uncle Dave and Dad
Way to go Dad!
Dad and Cheryl
We took this just before we deplaned after our arrival back in Dallas.

Dad, thanks for all your work and for supporting our family for so many years. I appreciate you and am thankful that I could be a part of your retirement trip honoring you for your service.

Naomi and Ethan meet Levi

Levi's arrived!

Levi arrived at 2:56pm this afternoon. He weighs 7lbs and 5 oz and is 19 inches long. Both he and Mommy are healthy and happy. His first feeding went well and he appears to be very content. We are very thankful for a safe delivery and a healthy baby boy. Enjoy the pictures.

My wife the bellydancer

Check this out! This is Levi moving inside of Christin's womb.

Due date: Aug. 16th

Christin is one day past her due date for the little guy. She has been having quite a few contractions today and feels like the baby is lower than ever. Hopefully there will be another little stinker soon. We'll post pics in short order when he arrives.

Ethanisms

Ok, Ethan's a riot. Now I realize that I'm his Dad but others can vouch for me on this. Here's a few of the things that he's said or done lately...

When Ethan thinks of something that he wants to do or somewhere he wants to go he asks, "Could we do that on Thursday?" He says this no matter what day of the week it is and he does it almost everyday.

A while back I was walking down the stairs with Ethan and told him that he was getting to be a big boy to which he said, "yeah, and handsome."

If you ask him what time it is he's likely to say, "thirty six o' clock"

When he wants to do something right now he says, "can we do that straight away?" I still don't know where he heard that.

Since he has an older sister he ends up playing with her girl stuff. But being a guy he wants to make it more manly so he recently asked if he could have a "boy princess computer".

He's a pathetic Momma's boy at times. At night when Christin tucks him in he says, "Mommy you hug me, rock me, kiss me, hold me, sing songs to me?"

No news yet

Well, Christin had an anti-climactic OB appt. yesterday. She hasn't progressed any since her appt. last week. She's still dialated to a 2 and 3/4ths of the way thinned out. Her origional due date is the 16th of Aug. Keep praying that the Lord would bring the little guy soon! I think he's happy as a clam breakdancing in her belly and is showing no intention of coming out right now. Crazy kid.

Update on Christin

Christin's due date is the 16th of Aug. and my little wifer really wants to have this baby out of her belly. This little guy is more active in the womb than Naomi and Ethan ever were. It looks like he's break dancing in there. (I hope he's got better moves than his Dad). Given how active Ethan is Christin's scared that this kiddo is going to be one hyper little boy. It's fun to think of Ethan and Levi romping together and getting into trouble:). Christin is having more braxton hicks (spelling?) contractions and she is 3/4ths of the way thinned out. We're praying that the little guy comes soon.

Christ is all

This is another poem/meditation from The Valley of Vision entitled "Christ is all".

O lover to the uttermost,
May I read the meltings of thy heart to me
in the manger of thy birth,
in the garden of thy agony,
in the cross of thy suffering,
in the tomb of thy resurrection,
in the heaven of thy intercession.

Bold in this thought I defy my adversary,
tread down his temptations,
resist his schemings,
renounce the world,
am valiant for the truth.

Deepen in me a sense of my holy relationship to thee,
as spiritual bridegroom,
as Jehovah's fellow,
as sinners' friend.

I think of thy glory and my vileness,
thy majesty and my meanness,
thy beauty and my deformity,
thy purity and my filth,
thy righteousness and my iniquity.

Thou hast loved me everlastingly, unchangeably,
may I love thee as I am loved;

Thou hast given thyself for me,
may I also give myself to thee;

Thou hast died for me,
may I live to thee,
in every moment of my time,
in every movement of my mind,
in every pulse of my heart.

May I never dally with the world and its allurements,
but walk by thy side,
listen to thy voice,
be clothed with thy graces,
and adorned with thy righteousness.
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I want to confess to you that there is an element of pride in my heart as I post stuff like this. You know, this looks so spiritual and deep. Let me confess to you that reading these just causes me to worship my great Savior, Jesus Christ. When I read these I want to experience Jesus like these guys did deep within their being. Unfortunately, alot of times I just don't. I find myself more often than I'd like fighting sinfulness rather than basking in His greatness. I find myself wanting to want Him but struggling with this body of death in which I dwell (Rom 7:24). I teach the youth at our church that joy in Christ trumps the temptation that we experience in daily life. I teach that as we grow in Christ our joy in Him will eclipse the fleeting pleasures in this world and I believe that because I see it in Scripture. However the 1 and 1/2 feet of distance between my head and my heart often times seems as wide as the Grand Canyon. Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.

The Valley of Vision

Ok, so I've thought about buying a copy of "The Valley of Vision: A collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions" for quite some time now. Well, last week I picked up a copy and I can say with confidence that these old dead guys of the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries thought more deeply and lovingly about our great God and Savior than I ever will. I want to share one with you. Now let me warn you that these poems are in King James like language - don't be a sissy!!! I know it's not everyday language and I don't read out of the KJV either. Struggle through it, engage your mind and heart and you will be rewarded. May it cause you to worship!

The Deeps

Lord Jesus,
Give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin,
a dread of its approach;
Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust,
that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest,
the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself
as savior, master, lord and king.

Give me deeper power in private prayer,
more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfast grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field.
the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me,
thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no master but thee,
no law but thy will,
no delight but thyself,
no wealth but that thou givest,
no good but that thou blessest,
no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I receive from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord,
and then fill me to overflowing with living water.