Rain, rain, go away!

Another day of nearly constant rain, as we had yesterday for the Rally. Just a few moments ago I switched my TV station over to The Weather Channel to see if there was something I should know as the winds went wild, waves rolling over the breakwater, and rain slamming against my windows. But, nope, nothing to see here, move along. Suddenly it became night time and I cannot see the waves any longer, but sure can hear the wind!

As I mentioned the other day, Pastor H. was going to preach today using my selected funeral chapter from Philippians, so drove back to Victory for worship. The late service was having a baptism and we sang the hymn at early service from CWS. Always perfect! The epistle reading and sermon text were from Philippians 4. He did a good job with the text, reminding us how St. Paul was in prison, encouraging others to rejoice. The passage (4:8), posted on my Facebook page, is about thinking only of that which is right, true, noble, trustworthy, and praiseworthy. It is not simple to do but well worth the effort.

Then he went on with the other passages I love about being content in all things. Pastor mentioned those marching on Wall Street, how the‘discontent’ has been spread to other cities and towns. It isn’t as much “anti-greed” as it is “anti-contentment”! “For I know what it is to have plenty, and I know what it is to be in want…I have learned the secret of being content in all things”. One of my favorite ThanksLiving Day sermons was based on this passage. *sigh*

At the beginning of the sermon, Pastor mentioned Steve Jobs death earlier in the week. According to some, Jobs has touched and improved nearly everyone's life these days with his products. Pastor rattled them off but did not mention the only one I use, which is iTunes, but on my PC. Jobs would talk about his latest roll-out, the next product coming onto the market, what the future held, but never once did he mention his own future. He did not discuss what awaited him when he died, although he knew he was dying. The tragic thing is, the man who touched everyone else's life was not touched by His Savior. Jobs instead chose a different path, Buddhism, and we know now what his future holds. The king of communication shunned the King of all Creation….

For pre-service music, Rachel played “Jerusalem, the Golden” and when I looked up at her, she gave me a little wink. How perfect a hymn to accompany the theme of the day. Rejoicing for what awaits us and finding contentment while yet here!

My eyes! My eyes!!!

It was just an awful sight to behold…a football game easily within the realm of victory for the Jaguars when poof!, it was dashed in a rather splendid fashion. The final play of the game, where the Jags stood a chance of pulling ahead, final seconds….The ball was hiked to the quarterback, who threw it to another guy, who tossed it to another guy, who threw it back to the quarterback, who went backward down the field, and dropped it. Meanwhile, the opposing team grabbed the ball and ran it in for a touchdown. Wow! What a disaster for our team! The TV announcers were astounded and exclaimed, “That play will be reviewed!” and the other guy said, “….for years to come…” Good-bye, Jack DelRio, it’s been a real hoot!

The WI and FL Facebook friends are comforting each other with the good news about the Brewers and local high schools winning their homecoming games. Tonight we in Jacksonville are treated to watching the Packers play since they are up against another southern team, the Falcons. I hope the WI streak continues for the Packers!

Thursday at Bible study, Pastor Hoyer mentioned getting an e-mail from the wife of his dear friend from their Calgary days. Mrs. Schultz was reporting the declining health of her spouse, saying he may not be long for this world, being helped with a respirator for breathing and so on. Living now in WI, her husband expressed his dying wish from the hospital bed: “I have heard enough about the Brewers; I have heard enough about the Packers; now just give me the Word…” What a powerful testimony and sentiment he expressed. Nothing else really matters as we prepare for the wedding feast, except to have the proper robe to wear.

I shared this story with Linda J. this afternoon and she was moved by it also. We talked about how this brought to mind a portion of “The Bucket List” when Edward is trying to persuade Carter into joining the big adventure. “How do you see it playing out, Carter? You go home to some sentimental processional into death, with everyone standing around watching you die while YOU try to comfort THEM?” That is rather backward but I know that is often the way it goes. Not that I have spent much time at anyone’s death bed, not even with Hospice, but it’s easy to see how that could happen. Making small talk about sports and traffic and all that, and not really talking about the ‘one thing needful’. Pastor Schultz taught me a really good lesson with those words.

When my father-in-law was near death, the family took Sharon, my blind sister-in-law, to the hospital in Green Bay so she could say good-bye. She was asking for a Bible or a hymnal, wanting someone to read from it but no one had access to one. If Justin had been there, at least he’d been able to pull up passages on the Internet using his iPhone. (More about iPhones in a future posting…) All Sharon could do, then, was attempt to recite Luther’s Morning Prayer from her damaged memory. “Don’t tell me about the Packers; don’t tell me about the Brewers; just give me the Word!”