neljapäev, august 12, 2004
Plugging the Leaks
This weekend we will be visiting the Narva Corps. We can't wait to travel to Estonia's northeast corner (http://www.narva.ee/eng/) where we will be able to look across the river and see Russia. There are many historic sites there (including a castle) that I'm sure will be very interesting, but we are especially excited about meeting the corps officers, Captains Anya and Dan Henderson. They opened the Army's work in Narva, and I'm sure their experience and insight will be a great help as we look at what we should do in Tartu.
They asked me to preach this Sunday, which after more than six weeks out of the pulpit leaves me feeling both excited and nervous. I will be speaking with a translator who will translate into Russian (the predominant language in that part of the country), which I have done a few times, but I always worry about saying too much at once, making it difficult for the translator, or too little, so that s/he is having to speak in little snippets. But I know I tend to worry about these things too much and so am trying to relax and enjoy the opportunity to share with the people there.
I've been drawn toward Mark 12:28-34, which speaks of the greatest commandment being to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself. As I've been preparing for this sermon, I've seen in a fresh way that anything I do for others cannot be driven by motives such as obligation, the desire to do right, or any other noble thought. I need to love God wholly--a true love relationship--and let that love be the model and the motive for the love I show to others. That has been a good word for me to hear, a caution to check my motives now while we are still in the beginning stages here. It reminds me of the prophetic words of Samuel Logan Brengle: "It is not enough to wear the uniform, to profess loyalty to Army leaders and principles, to give our goods to feed the poor and our bodies to be burned. We must love one another. We must make this the badge of our discipleship. We must wrestle and pray and hold fast that we do not lose this ... Love is the life of The Army ... But if love leaks out we shall lose our crown, we shall have a name to live and yet be dead. We may still house the homeless, dole out food to the hungry, punctiliously perform our routine work, but the mighty ministry of the Spirit will no longer be our glory." (Ancient Prophets, "What About the Future of the Salvation Army?", http://www.sabooks.org.uk/downloads/Ancient%20Prophets%20-%20Samuel%20Logan%20Brengle.pdf
I am so grateful for this reminder to plug the leaks.
--Tim
They asked me to preach this Sunday, which after more than six weeks out of the pulpit leaves me feeling both excited and nervous. I will be speaking with a translator who will translate into Russian (the predominant language in that part of the country), which I have done a few times, but I always worry about saying too much at once, making it difficult for the translator, or too little, so that s/he is having to speak in little snippets. But I know I tend to worry about these things too much and so am trying to relax and enjoy the opportunity to share with the people there.
I've been drawn toward Mark 12:28-34, which speaks of the greatest commandment being to love the Lord your God with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself. As I've been preparing for this sermon, I've seen in a fresh way that anything I do for others cannot be driven by motives such as obligation, the desire to do right, or any other noble thought. I need to love God wholly--a true love relationship--and let that love be the model and the motive for the love I show to others. That has been a good word for me to hear, a caution to check my motives now while we are still in the beginning stages here. It reminds me of the prophetic words of Samuel Logan Brengle: "It is not enough to wear the uniform, to profess loyalty to Army leaders and principles, to give our goods to feed the poor and our bodies to be burned. We must love one another. We must make this the badge of our discipleship. We must wrestle and pray and hold fast that we do not lose this ... Love is the life of The Army ... But if love leaks out we shall lose our crown, we shall have a name to live and yet be dead. We may still house the homeless, dole out food to the hungry, punctiliously perform our routine work, but the mighty ministry of the Spirit will no longer be our glory." (Ancient Prophets, "What About the Future of the Salvation Army?", http://www.sabooks.org.uk/downloads/Ancient%20Prophets%20-%20Samuel%20Logan%20Brengle.pdf
I am so grateful for this reminder to plug the leaks.
--Tim
