Re-Entry

What a great week!!!

I have been blessed to hear from our church staff about all that the Lord has been doing this summer while I have been gone. Wow! The Lord has confirmed again to me that to obey Him is always right. While I was away on Sabbatical, the church remained strong, people came to the Lord, attendance held, giving remained strong, people served, and lives were touched in the name of the Lord. I am blessed to be surrounded by a great staff, gifted clergy, a dedicated Leadership Team, and a congregation of people seeking to serve the Lord.

This weekend I had a wedding, two baptisms, and preached two times. I preached on "Working for What?" In honor of Labor Day, I attempted to share the beginnings of a Christian Work Ethic for those who are followers of Jesus. It should be available online at www.hcanglican.org within the next day or so.

One humorous event from the wedding yesterday... A woman came up to me and said she listens every Sunday to our weekly broadcast, but I DIDN'T LOOK ANYTHING LIKE SHE THOUGHT I WOULD! (I am not sure if that was good or bad). She went on to share how much the weekly sermon ministers to her. I was deeply touched.

Colossians 3:22-24 -- "Servants, do what you are told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from your heart for the real Master, for God, confident that you will come into your inheritance. Keep in mind that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible. Being Christian doesn't cover up bad work."

Martin Luther: "The Lord’s blessing does not come upon those who are sluggish . . . I would not want you to indulge in inactivity and idleness; I want you to work. For God does not give His blessing to those who snore according to the flesh; He wants the flesh to be exercised and mortified . . . Therefore although it is not this work that accomplishes what the blessing bestows, yet God wants us to do our duty and to work diligently, in order that the flesh may be exercised and may not snore and become listless from inactivity . . . Accordingly, we should not give ourselves to ease and laziness; but with all zeal and diligence we should submit to the labors which the calling of each and every one requires. And to these labors there should be added at the same time a cheerful spirit in every trouble, exertion, and tribulation. In this way a blessing should be expected from the Lord."