We had a tremendous Bible Talk last night at the Keysers' house--sitting room only! We had a rather open-ended discussion about Vacation, the Journey, and Heaven; yes, it was a challenging thing to pull together.
One insight from last night worth repeating for the day out of Heb 4:12ff--in the context of not wanting the Hebrew Christians to miss their chance at the ultimate Sabbath Rest (heaven), the writer dwells on the power of God's Word and how all is laid bare before God to whom we each must give account.
What's the link? I think this: God sees us as we really are: "I see you, Scott." His Word goes deep and exposes the Truth about us to....ourselves as we read it.
When we read God's Word, then, we see what He sees about us. And that helps us "make every effort" to enter the promised land.
"I see you, Scott. Do you see what I see?"
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Serving Temporal Ends
I've now finished about half of my academic curriculum at SPU in Marriage & Family Therapy. I have, however, about two years to go including all the impending practicum and internship hours. This augmenting of my ministry calling and career has been an inspiring, though sometimes tiring, experience.
One overarching insight about being a "therapist": it will be the first thing I have ever done professionally that primarily serves a temporal interest--a value in "this life" rather than for "eternal life." Everything else I've ever done in the ministry--evangelism, teaching, counseling, training, discipling--has pointed more towards eternal things: how and in what condition we get to heaven.
And so this endeavor has helped me see the world through the lens of most of our members--doing the kind of work (accounting, engineering, computing, teaching, whatever) that does not directly connect to the life that is to come, but rather serves the temporal times in which God has placed us for now. It's different. But it's normal.
Perhaps then, indirectly, we labor for our own stewardship, which has eternal value for our character, and potentially eternal value for those we serve and work with.
Shalom,
Scott
One overarching insight about being a "therapist": it will be the first thing I have ever done professionally that primarily serves a temporal interest--a value in "this life" rather than for "eternal life." Everything else I've ever done in the ministry--evangelism, teaching, counseling, training, discipling--has pointed more towards eternal things: how and in what condition we get to heaven.
And so this endeavor has helped me see the world through the lens of most of our members--doing the kind of work (accounting, engineering, computing, teaching, whatever) that does not directly connect to the life that is to come, but rather serves the temporal times in which God has placed us for now. It's different. But it's normal.
Perhaps then, indirectly, we labor for our own stewardship, which has eternal value for our character, and potentially eternal value for those we serve and work with.
Shalom,
Scott
Friday, June 27, 2008
Back from Dan Rice's Funeral
by Jay Kelly
Wanted to share a little about our time in St. Louis at Dan Rice's funeral...
Click here to see the short video blog on YouTube.
Friday, June 20, 2008
A Dear Friend Crosses the Finish Line
By Jay Kelly
A treasured disciple crossed his finish line today and I lost a dear friend for now. Dan Rice died unexpectedly this morning though he seemed to be in great health. He and his wife, Heide, and Carol and I became fast friends when we were all single interns for the Denver Church twenty years ago in 1988. We’ve been close ever since. We later served together in the Los Angeles Church. Dan and Heide lead the Las Vegas church and have spent the last several years serving in the full-time ministry in the Church in St. Louis.
Pictures of us 10 and 20 years ago...
I rejoice that he has been so faithful in his love relationship with God. I mourn deeply for Heide and their two children, Alex and Taylor. Our kids are the same ages. I can’t imagine. Dan had just finished running two back-to-back teen camps and was leaving today to build homes for the poor in Mexico with Casas de Christo.
So many lives have been touched by Dan; mine is one of them. Dan and Heide served as guest speakers for the Seattle Church Singles retreat in Port Ludlow several years back and inspired our Singles Ministry greatly. He has always been an insightful teacher and preacher. He’s also been a famously mischievous teaser and talker. He loved to push the boundaries of appropriateness and indulge in hilarious self-depreciating humor. We are kindred spirits in those and many other ways.
I will miss Dan until we are together again in a place where there are no more tears.
Click to see the Disciples Today announcement.
A treasured disciple crossed his finish line today and I lost a dear friend for now. Dan Rice died unexpectedly this morning though he seemed to be in great health. He and his wife, Heide, and Carol and I became fast friends when we were all single interns for the Denver Church twenty years ago in 1988. We’ve been close ever since. We later served together in the Los Angeles Church. Dan and Heide lead the Las Vegas church and have spent the last several years serving in the full-time ministry in the Church in St. Louis.
Pictures of us 10 and 20 years ago...
I rejoice that he has been so faithful in his love relationship with God. I mourn deeply for Heide and their two children, Alex and Taylor. Our kids are the same ages. I can’t imagine. Dan had just finished running two back-to-back teen camps and was leaving today to build homes for the poor in Mexico with Casas de Christo.
So many lives have been touched by Dan; mine is one of them. Dan and Heide served as guest speakers for the Seattle Church Singles retreat in Port Ludlow several years back and inspired our Singles Ministry greatly. He has always been an insightful teacher and preacher. He’s also been a famously mischievous teaser and talker. He loved to push the boundaries of appropriateness and indulge in hilarious self-depreciating humor. We are kindred spirits in those and many other ways.
I will miss Dan until we are together again in a place where there are no more tears.
Click to see the Disciples Today announcement.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Shering Reeves Gets Baptized!
By Jay Kelly
Believe me when I tell you you've never seen a baptism quite like this one. It was so encouraging to see these three fly through the air on their way to the waters of salvation. The hot tub was just to warm up after the inspiring Lake Washington baptism.
Click here to see the video on YouTube
Believe me when I tell you you've never seen a baptism quite like this one. It was so encouraging to see these three fly through the air on their way to the waters of salvation. The hot tub was just to warm up after the inspiring Lake Washington baptism.Click here to see the video on YouTube
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Who is My Father?
The past weekend was a time for depth. Saturday night, Ron and Linda hosted our first annual Father-Daughter dance at the Queen Anne building. Fun, beautiful, kinetic (I guess this applies to both the dance and to my daughter Ariel!) and of course, "deep," (the Brumleys had armed each table with a series of cards with questions for the Dads like, "when's the last time you cried?") the evening was just enchanted enough to be believed.
Sunday morning church services featured a thank you to all the Dads out there--you, know, we appreciate it even more than we think! The UW ministry ran the whole church service--graduation Sunday--and it was a brief reminder of how much we love and need the next generation of zealous disciples.
Some close friends of ours lost a Dad on Father's Day--we are grieving with them.
On Monday, the staff sat at the feet of Steve Staten, an elder, evangelist, and teacher from the Chicago church. Steve taught on the subject, "Who is my brother?" helping us navigate the confusion endemic to denominational Christianity as we seek to share our faith with patients that need the healing rather than with doctors who don't. Stay tuned.
The question can be confusing: who is my brother exactly? A better question, that keeps the first one in humble perspective, is, "Who is my Father?" The closer we are to Him, the better we know Him, the longer we walk with Him, the clearer it all gets...
Sunday morning church services featured a thank you to all the Dads out there--you, know, we appreciate it even more than we think! The UW ministry ran the whole church service--graduation Sunday--and it was a brief reminder of how much we love and need the next generation of zealous disciples.
Some close friends of ours lost a Dad on Father's Day--we are grieving with them.
On Monday, the staff sat at the feet of Steve Staten, an elder, evangelist, and teacher from the Chicago church. Steve taught on the subject, "Who is my brother?" helping us navigate the confusion endemic to denominational Christianity as we seek to share our faith with patients that need the healing rather than with doctors who don't. Stay tuned.
The question can be confusing: who is my brother exactly? A better question, that keeps the first one in humble perspective, is, "Who is my Father?" The closer we are to Him, the better we know Him, the longer we walk with Him, the clearer it all gets...
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