28th August

28 Aug 28th August

Blessed Saturday morning y’all!

We had an interesting week in our neighbourhood…an ambulance & police “lights & sirens” visit to a house up the street on Thursday, and last night we had a middle of the night fireworks extravaganza in the flood control reserve behind our house. I suspect the lockdowns are making all of us “jittery” to say the least.

In my conversations among Living Water family, friends in town, and folks I start chatting to around the place…yes I still do that mask and all…I hear that “jittery” more than anything these days. There’s a real growing sense of “something” that is like the smoke in the air from 2019/20’s fires…It’s just there and it’s choking us and we can do nothing about it nor can we avoid it.

I shared in our Zoom catch-up on Friday that I’ve spent the last 2 months immersed in the Psalms. I’m believing God timed this lockdown & my reading schedule to line up that way so I’d hear his assurances day after day and at the same time hear the pleas of his people…desperate, searching pleas for his intervention. My prayers and maybe yours echo those of the Psalms. Let’s be honest…some days, “The joy of the Lord is my strength,” and some days, “How long O Lord…?” I live in that tension.

As much as I think lockdowns are a less than effective tool at this stage of the pandemic…I do believe it’s good if we’re praying from that place of complete dependence on the Father. I think it’s helpful for us to see in real time the ineffectiveness of the “best & brightest” so that we learn…

 Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;

    there is no help for you there.

When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,

    and all their plans die with them.

But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,

    whose hope is in the Lord their God.    (Psalm 146:3-5)

That doesn’t mean I quit going to the Dr or turn my attention to “eat, drink & be merry for tomorrow we die.” It means I live knowing the limits of human wisdom, strength & understanding and the inborn sinfulness of even the most “well-intentioned” human leader or expert…and especially my limited wisdom & in-built sinfulness. Knowing those limits points me back to God who exhibits limitless wisdom, strength, power & love.

This week…it would be good for each of us to read Nehemiah 9 every day. Every. Day. And underline the verses where human rebellion is met with God’s grace. Then read Psalm 146…especially verses 8 & 10. But read that every day too.

We’re worshipping separated in space but joined in Spirit still for at least another fortnight so please make use of the worship materials on our website. There’s video again…I’m learning lessons I perhaps should have mastered last year…so if it’s dodgy pray for me to get better at this tech stuff. 😉  In any case…please also make use of the music…the songs we chose spoke to me this week in a way in our circumstances that I believe music in worship should.

Some links:

The sermon & songs: https://youtu.be/wVYsRf9Nczw

Just the Songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy4wB8hs1RU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuCLqoxigNA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8awpRHg5waw

I’ll be checking in with folks again this week…or…if you’d like to go for a walk around the lake or around your neighbourhood…give me a shout & we’ll do that. It’s allowed when lots of other stuff isn’t.   Oh…my mother turned 91 on Friday. She’s home again recovering from a fall…but she’s working hard to see the end of lockdowns & travel bans so we can all be together again. I think we’re all praying for that with her.

And I’m praying for you too…great peace and restored multiplied joy!

John