Hi All,
I am just getting home after tonights CCAKE Bible Study. PK did a wonderful job teaching tonight and I learned something new about Mary anointing Jesus' feet. Thank you for teaching us about letting our hair down in complete worship. (If you were there, you would be really laughing right about now)
I finished up mid-term stuff and the first half of the semester is behind me and I am looking forward to the second half. Someone once asked Eric Liddell how he ran the 400 meters for the Olympics. He said, "I run the first 200 as fast as I can and with God's help, I run the second 200 even faster". I am running the race to win!! After this semester I will have a summer full of classes and a hospital chaplaincy internship, a Fall and Spring semester and if all the classes are available, i could possibly graduate in May...but if they don't offer everything I need, I may have to take a couple of classes and finish in the fall 2014. No Biggie, still cut almost a year off my Seminary time. Gotta get done so I can concentrate more on my family and the ministry of Kenton Church in the world!!
Speaking of finishing a race, I am so glad that Jesus finished the race set before him. That I serve a God who is very much alive and within the hearts of us all. During that race there was the day where people cheered him on as he rode on a colt into the city of Jerusalem. That is what this coming Sunday's message will be about, Palm Sunday. As a mostly lectionary preacher, I have the choice to preach on the Palms or the Passion and I usually go back and forth each year so for this Sunday it will be on the palms.
Our scripture lesson will be on Luke 19:28-40. Read through the passage of scripture and maybe you would like to share a moment where you felt like you were in the presence of royalty or a time when you were so awestruck you couldn't even describe the event.
As an example, allow me to share one such moment. One of my Pastor heroes is Rev Alistair Begg from Parkside Church outside of Cleveland Ohio. I began listening to him shortly after I gave my life back to Christ. He is solid, his teaching is sound, and I love the fact that after 20 years of being in the United States he still has a wonderful Scottish brogue. While on vacation with the family we decided we would start at the Football Hall of Fame in Canton, head over to Sandusky Ohio to go to Cedar Point, and then to Cleveland for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While leaving Cleveland I asked Dawn if it would be alright if we stopped by Parkside Church and see if Alistair was there. I figured there was no chance of that but at least I would be able to get my picture in front of the church sign so I could tell everyone at least I had been there. So it wasn't too far off the path, maybe 10 miles at most, and we got there and started walking around this huge church. (After Dawn got my picture in front of the church sign, lol). We walked around the church until we found the bookstore/coffee shop which was open. The lady at the counter asked if she could help me and I let her know that we were from Delaware and if there was a chance I would just like to introduce us to Alistair if he was there. The lady said in fact that he was there earlier but thought he was gone for the day but she would check. So we waited for what seemed like an eternity and finally I heard the woman's voice from the bookstore in conversation with a voice that I recognized that had this Scottish brogue...AND THERE HE WAS!!! I got to meet him and he shook my hand and met my family. He informed me that he had just gotten back from Scotland and wasn't supposed to be there but he wanted to stop in for a couple of things...talk about a God-incidence. He told us about the church, showed us their future building plans, and then asked about what was happening in Kenton Church. He was really interested in what I had to say and he was overjoyed about the lives that were being touched by God through the ministry of Kenton. He grabbed a couple of books and DVD's off of the bookstore shelf (that were written or about him) and he signed them to me!! I could barely speak! and the ride home was even better. For over 7 hours Dawn couldn't wipe the smile off of my face. And now I go back each year to the Pastor's Conference that he puts on for three days in May to rejuvenate and revive. When I went back my first year, he remembered me and my family which made me feel good.
So that''s my story...I hope you would share one as well. See you on Sunday and if you don't come to my church, I hope you find a church near you, at a time that's convenient for you and your family, so you can hear the Word of God proclaimed this Sunday. Church...there's nothing like it!
Esperanza!!
Pastor Scot
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