Right now, this very moment, I am imbibing my favorite adult beverage. It is called Spaten Optimater, a dark german beer from a brewery that has been at it since 1397. 1397! That's before the protestant reformation, or the invention of the printing press. That's a very long time to have been brewing beer. Must be why it's so yummy. I highly recommend. There is a place in St Louis where you can actually get it on tap. It's called the Schneidhorst Inn. I think its a Jewish place. joke people, it's a joke.
My wife bought it for me. Thanks, darlin'.
1.3.05
Across the street
When it's cold, people without homes tend to congregate in the alcove of an empty building across the street from my office. Sometimes I invite them in for coffee. Sometimes I offer to buy lunch. Sometimes I just go and talk with them. Sometimes I don't know what to do.
For a while I had these two friends, we'll call Jimmy and Johnny. They were from the street. They say that they're brothers, but after a few weeks they told me they were lying. I use to take them to lunch and they would occasionally come to church. Once I offered to put them up in a hotel for a couple of nights. It was cold and rainy and they had no where to go. Well, they could have gone to a shelter, but the shelter will only take sober people and Jimmy and Johnny weren't very good at staying sober. While at the hotel Jimmy and Johnny made long distance phone calls and watched adult movies on pay perview. It was expensive. It was charged to our account. What a metaphor. The next time I saw them they were defensive and embarassed about having taken advantage of our kindness. I was just disappointed. After that they didn't really want to come back to church or hang around much. I wish they would. Johnny use to play my guitar after the service was over, and Jimmy and I use to talk about wrestling (we were both high school grapplers). It has probably been six months since I've seen either one of them. I think they're ok. They've been at the street living thing for about 15 years now, if that part of their story is accurate. So they know just how much to do to get by, even though they aren't much interested in getting better. Another metaphor. Maybe they'll come around again when it warms up.
For a while I had these two friends, we'll call Jimmy and Johnny. They were from the street. They say that they're brothers, but after a few weeks they told me they were lying. I use to take them to lunch and they would occasionally come to church. Once I offered to put them up in a hotel for a couple of nights. It was cold and rainy and they had no where to go. Well, they could have gone to a shelter, but the shelter will only take sober people and Jimmy and Johnny weren't very good at staying sober. While at the hotel Jimmy and Johnny made long distance phone calls and watched adult movies on pay perview. It was expensive. It was charged to our account. What a metaphor. The next time I saw them they were defensive and embarassed about having taken advantage of our kindness. I was just disappointed. After that they didn't really want to come back to church or hang around much. I wish they would. Johnny use to play my guitar after the service was over, and Jimmy and I use to talk about wrestling (we were both high school grapplers). It has probably been six months since I've seen either one of them. I think they're ok. They've been at the street living thing for about 15 years now, if that part of their story is accurate. So they know just how much to do to get by, even though they aren't much interested in getting better. Another metaphor. Maybe they'll come around again when it warms up.
An Elephant Rides a Bicycle
Today marks the one year anniversary of our birth as a mission church. It has been an eventful year. It has been rich and rewarding and difficult and God continues to be faithful. It has felt many times like wrestling an octopus, or like we are an elephant riding a bicycle, making forward progress, yet ever so slowly, teetering and tottering, yet remaining suprisingly upright. We can feel the hand of our father on the back of the seat. We can hear his footsteps as he runs along side. Now little boys and girls eventually learn to balance themselves, and to pedal smoothly and swiftly down cul de sacs and side streets. Not so with elephants. We are not at all aerodynamic. Balance is not our gift. We do nothing swiftly or smoothly. Should our father ever remove his hand from the seat, we would surely crash. But he will not. That is his grace. We never out grow our need of it. In fact, the bigger this elephant gets, the more we'll need his steadying hand. Let's all pray for more grace for another year.
Local Church Implements New Evangelism Program
Jesus loves you. Now feel the might of my double reverse flying death slam!
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