Dear Friends,
On Monday morning this week, I tested positive for Flu A.
The timing was good. My symptoms started on Saturday night as I was about to wrap up what had been a busy week of travel and ministry.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, I had been with about 500 pastors in Southern California for a conference that featured Alistair Begg and Hershael York.
Wednesday night I flew to Chicago and then traveled by car to St. Joseph Michigan, arriving at my hotel at 3:30 Thursday morning. After a few hours of sleep, I led a meeting of the Board of Directors for Revive Our Hearts ministries.
Friday, the Board Meeting wrapped up and the Board was joined by dozens of couples who had come for a weekend Vision Gathering to celebrate the 25thAnniversary of the ministry and to hear about the plans for the future. I served as emcee for the event and preached at the closing worship service on Sunday morning.
As I traveled back to Chicago on Sunday afternoon and flew home that evening, my flu symptoms were beginning to spread. I felt weak. Sluggish. I was mentally foggy. My head was not aching exactly, but throbbing. I texted Mary Ann to tell her I’d be sleeping in the guest room when I got home.
I was glad the flu symptoms didn’t begin until my work was complete. It had been a full and rich and rewarding week. And with a few adjustments to my schedule, this week I’ve been able to spend time doing what people who have the flu are supposed to do, which is very little. Resting. Napping. And taking my Tamaflu.
Today, I am feeling much better than I was on Monday. I’m on the mend.
And so I’m thinking about lessons that can be learned from getting the flu.
Here are a few of my thoughts.
- I have the flu because Adam was passive. If he had done what he should have done and stepped between his wife and the serpent and said “Shoo, snake. We’re not going to listen to you and follow you advice” I wouldn’t have run a fever or had a sore throat all night Monday night.
- Even though it’s all Adam's fault, I suppose I might be just a tiny bit culpable. I thought I could push my 70 old body this week the way I used to be able to push my body when I was 35. And it almost worked. Until it didn’t. My wife tried to warn me, but I didn’t want to listen. I wanted to push myself. I wanted to believe I could still defy the odds. It’s not easy accepting the unwanted limitations that come with aging.
- When we take time to rest, we are doing the Lord’s work. He made us so that thirty percent of our lives (give or take) would be spent sleeping. He tells us to take a day out of each week for rest. And sometimes when we push too hard, He makes us lie down in green pastures. Or in a recliner (my paraphrase).
- A few days of aches and pains is good for us. My relatively mild moments of misery this week can expand my capacity for coming alongside someone else who is feeling miserable with something more than a detached sympathy for what they are feeling. Being able to say “I’ve been where you are” is a gift of empathy I’ll be able to extend to a brother or sister in the future.
- God heals our diseases, every one of them, right up until the one that takes us home. God is Jehovah Rapha – the God who heals. And we take for granted that when bruise, the body heals itself. That when we cut ourselves, the wound closes and repairs itself. There is of course a sickness that leads to death. But before that one comes, there are hundreds of coughs and fevers and earaches and nosebleeds and other wounds and scrapes that God heals. No disease is deadly until He says it’s time.
Lord willing, I’ll be back to 100% by this Sunday. In the meantime, I’ll do my best to let this momentary affliction produce in something eternal in me. My few days of feeling yucky will be over soon. By God’s grace, they will have made be even more ready for the glory that is to be revealed.
ROOTS HANG OUT
This Saturday night is Hang Out time for our Roots students with Cole and Hannah. Here are the details.
MEN'S FOUNDATIONS COURSE
Men – If you missed the first of our Foundations And Why They Matter course back in September, you’re welcome to come be part of the group when we meet for our second session in a couple of weeks. We’ll be exploring the Doctrine of God. For those who have Paul Tripp’s book Do You Believe, plan to read chapters 3-4 ahead of time. But whether you have the book or not, you’re welcome to come take part in the discussion.
TRUNK OR TREAT
The annual Trunk or Treat event is set for Friday, October 30 this year. How can you help?
Glad you asked.
You can provide a trunk. Show up with a simple skill game for kids to play and man your trunk during the event, passing out candy for the kids (Jen Gurney is happy to help you with ideas for your trunk game if you’re willing to help)
Provide candy for us to give away. Next time you’re at the store, grab a bag or two of candy we can pass out to kids that night. Drop the candy bags in the baskets in our church lobby between now and October 25.
Pray! Pray for a fun and safe event as we seek to connect with neighbors and share the gospel that evening.
For more information about the Trunk or Treat, contact Jen Gurney
RENT A YOUTH WEEKEND
The Rent A Youth weekend is a weekend where we deploy teams of students to Church members homes for service projects – leaf raking, other yard work, car washing, heavy lifting – anything you can think of around your house or yard where you think “I wish I had a few teenagers to come help me with this…”
There are a couple of objectives here. First, we help our students practice serving members of our body. And second, church members get a chance to get to know these students better.
Here's how it works. You click here (https://us.list-manage.com/194Kfw3bovI?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf), get more info, and sign up to reserve a slot for that weekend. If the kids are coming in the morning, you might have some doughnuts or cinnamon rolls for them. After lunch, have a snack ready. Or maybe a meal. You can work that out with Cole.
Slots are limited. So pick a time slot. Think about a project they could do. And enjoy some time getting to know our students better as they serve you.
FALL WOMEN'S RETREAT
The fall Women’s Retreat happens next month. And space is limited for this two-night getaway. Dana James will join us again as the featured speaker. And there is no better way to make new friends and enjoy a relaxing weekend away than to be part of this special annual event. Registration is now open, and the event will almost certainly be completely filled. Find out more or register here (https://us.list-manage.com/181abO6vBVT?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf).
READY FOR SUNDAY
Here is the preview (https://us.list-manage.com/76Ft6TMPd0L?e=da31571acc&c2id=9646fad7312ad0e2da39a919ec1318cf) of the songs we’ll be singing together this weekend.
And here is this week’s catechism question and answer:
Question 40 : What Is the Lord’s Supper?
Answer: The Lord’s Supper is communion with King Jesus at his table with his people. We eat the bread and drink the cup, giving thanks for his body and blood, strengthened for service by this foretaste of the feast to come
Every parent has the same goal for his or her children. As much as we love nurturing and caring for them throughout their childhood years, we long to see them blossom into the mature young men and women God created them to be. God’s desire for His children is the same. He wants us to grow up in all ways into Christ. On Sunday, we’ll see just what that Christlike maturity should look like in our lives and in our church.
See you in church!
Soli Deo Gloria!
Pastor Bob
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