Some time ago, Sherri and I were working on something in our kitchen. From our living room, we heard the front door swing open. Immediately, so did our hearts! For the lack of a “knock” on the door could mean only one thing: that one of only two people in the world were coming through: David or Jonathan.

I hope you felt the thrill, the tenderness, the joy and delight I did as we experienced all those wonderful children singing (and ringing!) their way to us! There is indeed nothing like “kids at Christmas”! What enthusiasm they displayed as they “chimed in” with Debbie Van Dyke’s wonderful reading of the Christmas story! And what passion flowed through them as they sang about our beloved Jesus! And what about those bells! I’m no musician, but wow, that really “worked!”

A baby’s smile… Ah, there’s hardly a better sight in the universe! Such a sign of joy and bliss: unfiltered, undamaged, unfettered, untainted by the trials, burdens, and complexities of adult life… that ear-to-ear smile promising that Joy in Jesus is where life begins… and we yearn for it to stay that way: for the bambino… and for us.

Last Sunday during worship Dave Hauck announced on behalf of the Pastor Nominating Committee that the lead candidate for permanent Senior Pastor had not felt led by the Lord to join us. And there was an audible sigh from all of us…

Several days now after preaching Sunday… and I find myself still reverberating from what the Lord was saying to me – and I think, to us all, otherwise I wouldn’t have preached it! – about how absolutely vital it is to “pour out” our hearts to Jesus.

In last Monday’s small group, we dived into the invitation to pick a story from the gospels, and “enter” into it, prayerfully, with all five senses. What would it actually be like to be one of the people around Jesus when His healing, transforming love was busting loose and changing lives? Could He speak to us if we had the courage to “enter in” like that?

A mighty season of new and deeper vistas in our relationship with God is almost upon us! September 11 we will experience a resurrection from the infamy of that date: as we plunge into our brand new All-Church study: Learning to Hear the Voice of God!

As we’re approaching our time together this Fall in Learning to Hear the Voice of God, I want to share with you something of what it’s been like for me to grow into hearing His voice! I never want to fulfill the old cliché, “if you can’t do, teach”!

As Munn and I have been working with Session on our Fall preaching and small groups focus, we sought to discern a good date on which to start. In years past, we’ve usually started in September: families have returned from vacation, kids are back in school, and we can have a great eight-week run for a small group curriculum before Thanksgiving.

On August 25 I will be involved for several days with well over 1000 Presbyterian pastors and leaders in the Fellowship PC(USA) gathering in Minneapolis! The purpose of the new Fellowship movement, and this gathering, is to discern God’s direction for us as congregations committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and the fullness of true biblical authority over all aspects of our lives. We will address – in what we are confident will be a positive and decisive way – the concerns we share about the theological “drift” apparent in our national denomination.

Who wants to merely “survive”? Especially with a Best Friend (“What a Friend We Have in Jesus”) and Savior that promises us “My Joy shall be in you, and your Joy shall be complete” (John 15:11). No, His thrill is to cause us to thrive!

“My sheep hear My voice”, Jesus promised us in John 10:27. Wow… of all the great promises of scripture, this one is one of the most doubted… yet most tantalizing. Doubted? Yes, let’s be honest.

“Love Me. Feed My Sheep.” This was the topic of conversation over brunch at Resurrection Beach.

Yes, it’s true – as hearts are breaking all over Rochelle, our oldest son is getting married this Friday! Wow. That’s a mouthful. Married. It seems like only yesterday he was a two year old toddler on my shoulders, as he rode me into the sanctuary of First Presbyterian Church, where I was thrilled to receive your vote to become your Minister of Discipleship: nearly 22 years ago now…

There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak

Soon you will read in the news stories regarding a recent vote taken on ordination standards among the presbyteries of our national Presbyterian Church (USA). Like the states of the United States, our denomination’s 173 regional governmental bodies have to ratify or disapprove proposed changes to our church constitution. Based on scripture, our current standards include “Those who are called to office in the church are to lead a life in obedience to scripture and in conformity to the historic confessional standards of the church. Among these standards is the requirement to live either in fidelity within the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman, or chastity in singleness. Persons refusing to repent of any self-acknowledged practice which the confessions call sin shall not be ordained and/or installed as deacons, elders, or ministers of the Word and Sacrament.”

“The most important thing in life is taking the time just to be with Jesus. He’s the Vine, we’re the Branches (John 15)! Unless we have intimate, nourishing communion with Him, we’ll dry up, wither up, and crack up (and not with laughter!). Remember Mary and Martha! (Luke 10:38-42). Running around with your head cut off is a great way to be a chicken! Don’t be a frantic dizzyhead like Martha! Come and sit at Jesus’ feet… like Mary! Drink in His love, enjoy the bliss of just being with Him… everything else will fall into place. But commune with Jesus first, foremost, and centrally… Jesus loves you! But you’ve got to take the time to experience that love!”

I’ve felt so grateful to be able to walk with you these months through this experience of Life’s Healing Choices. It has been so moving to join with you as we’ve opened up our lives to the love of the Lord, and to each other!

Have you ever been “surprised” during worship? I truly hope so! The Lord is way too amazing to fit into our standard, all-too ho-hum human predictions! Maybe the “surprise” has come as your favorite hymn is being sung: and the Holy Spirit “surprises” you with something you’ve never noticed before! Or maybe a prayer touches a personal issue you’ve been wrestling with: and didn’t even realize you were, until the Lord “surprised” you with His care and understanding! Perhaps Jesus reaches you with His voice during an unexpected twist in a sermon: when you least expected Him to speak to you – surprise!

“Our culture does not know how to produce men”, I stated bluntly. “Only boys, who grow taller, and grow older, but still remain boys on the inside. And they remain boys whether they are 20, 40, or 80 years old. The cultural image of manhood is really to remain a boy: infatuated with chasing drinks, women, cars, and worshipping material success. But never really becoming a man. Only Jesus Christ can enable a boy to grow into a real man.”

“I’m coming back to the heart of worship… because it’s all about You…” Many of you will recognize those lyrics. The contemporary worship song, “Heart of Worship”, has become an internationally famous chart-topping favorite. We sing it here regularly; so do countless churches!

Where do you place your confidence? Upon what do you rest your hopes, your trust? The world offers lots of options: all the way from the stock market, plastic surgery in the desperate attempt to look “forever young”, “get rich quick” schemes, even our ability to talk/bluff our way through any situation. Ultimately, there is only One place – one person – in Whom we can place our deepest confidence: Paul pointed the way in Philippians 1:6: “Being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus”. Our confidence finds its only true security in Him!

I promised you several weeks ago that there are over 50 “one anothers” in scripture! Don’t worry, I’m not going to preach on all of them right now! But this passage in Colossians 3:12-17 highlights some of the best of them!