Pastor’s Blog, June 2007
2007:
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April May
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November December
2008: January February March
April May June
July
Progress digitizing Faith Assembly recorded sermons: March 8, 1995
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Romans 7
4:45 p.m.
The one thing that struck me during vacation is the obvious beauty and diversity
of the creation, in contrast to man’s willful refusal to acknowledge that it had
to be created, and God as the Creator. One example: the instant and absolute
change that occurs when you cross the Missouri River on I-90 in South Dakota. It
is like you enter another world. Or, the Badlands, as they just seem to appear
out of nowhere, and no one yet can explain exactly what caused them. All I have
to do is look at a leaf — any leaf — and I acknowledge God. Instead of spending
my life — what a waste that would be! — trying to explain a leaf, and how it
works — or even trying to accomplish synthetically what a leaf just does
naturally — I just worship God!
In terms of what really matters in life, nothing is more of a
dead end than science. I don’t need science to prove whether the Bible is true —
about creation and the flood, any more than sin and salvation. I know the Bible
is true because what it says about me is true, and I have experienced the
reality of personal salvation and reconciliation to God. Science is a game to
play when I don’t have anything else to do. Science is the pursuit of answers to
puzzles, and puzzles can be fun, when I have time for them. But to suggest that
science can find the answers to all the unknowns of creation, life, time, and
space is completely irrational. Let it be a way to organize your butterfly
collection, or learn the names of trees, or develop a better engine to power
your car. A station on the moon, or on Mars? “Visionary,” it is called. Nonsense
is what it is! But, still, it’s an interesting game to play when one has the
time. It tickled me that I spotted the International Space Station and the Space
Shuttle Thursday night, not long after they undocked and separated, while
settling down to sleep outdoors the last night we were in South Dakota. I saw
one, then the other, separated by about 20 seconds, which would have been about
100 miles, as they are traveling about 5 miles a second. That kind of thing
amuses me — but it horrifies me to think how much money is spent on the space
program that could be put to so much better use! I guess a lot of people are
making a living working in NASA, so at least it is putting food on their tables!
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Acts 28
8:36 p.m.
Well, we had a good vacation. I feel constrained not to spend time reporting the
trip. My children are writing up reports with pictures, and I will post them at
a separate location and give links to them here in my blog, once everything is
set up properly.
The trailer was very successful, although I plan to upgrade
to a proper frame hitch on the van I use to pull it, and I may replace the axle
with a stronger kind, and perhaps go to slightly larger wheels and tires. But,
no hurry, since we aren’t planning any more long trips in the near future.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Acts 24
9:15 p.m.
It is hard to believe I have not blogged for a week. But, then, it is not so
hard to believe, since so much has happened. Anyway, I have been very busy
working on the trailer to get it ready for our vacation. The rest of the progress pictures
are on the Trailer
Project Page.
While we are gone, the following plans have been made:
Wednesday, June 13, no meeting.
Sunday, June 17, meeting with Bread
of Life group followed by three-fold communion; no evening meeting.
Wednesday, June 20, evening meeting.
There will be no Paltalk broadcasts while we are on vacation.
The next meeting that will be broadcast will be Sunday, June 24, 2007, 10:00
a.m.
Also, don’t count on any blogging until we return from
vacation. We go in confidence that the body is in God’s care and that they
will be blessed especially by the gathering next Sunday — almost to the point
of envying them! But we are looking forward to this time together as a family,
and I am sure we will return ready for what God has next for all of us.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Acts 22
8:35 a.m.
I have added more progress pictures on the Trailer
Project Page.
Friday, June 1, 2007
Acts 22
9:00 a.m.
I have nothing new to report at this time. I worked some more on the trailer.
The framework is finished, and I am ready to put the sides on next. We have also
decided to paint it two tones of grey: a dark grey to match the metal parts of
the running gear, and a very light grey, nearly white, for the rest. Eventually
some artistic members of my family will paint pictures on the larger panel areas
of places where we have gone on vacation in the past.
Today my wife and I will go to the airport in Fort Wayne to
pick up a sister coming up from Dallas, Texas for a visit. It is going to be
pretty busy between now and vacation, with this sister, as well as guests from
Texas, beginning today clear through a week from Monday.