daily java

Daily Java:

Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:23-25)

Today has been a good day. We had a good service in church this morning with good response. The sermon went well and seemed to go over. There was the typical sleeper but she always does.

After church we had 7 people over for dinner. Left over spaghetti and tacos, two things that go over well here. The group was a mixed bag of people, my favorite kind of gathering. Our friends from North Platte left about 1:30 and everyone stayed and talked until 3:30.

It was good. I, of course, sat not eating so I did the serving of the stuff in the hot dishes. After an initial surprise at my not eating, they all got used to it. They knew I was on the fast. Lunch didn’t bother me. It was later while we were watching a movie that I found myself hungry.

That is the hardest time for me on any diet or fast or any other time. I can almost eat more at night than I can at meals. One of my favorite things is to make pimiento cheese at night and I will sometimes eat the entire batch while watching a movie.

So not having snacks is harder in many ways than not having dinner. It helps to fix for Ella. It gets the food urge out of the way to make it for someone else. I never taste anything I cook and Ella tells me that I do not use enough salt. But I figure that if she needs more, she can add it.

But the lunch today was part of my ministry. In fact, it is a large part, if not the main focus. As a teacher I feed people. I feed them in my teaching and I feed them at my table. We are blessed with a big table – a 48 inch antique oak round table – that will feed, with the right kind of chairs, 10-12. I can put 10 around it without a lot of problem and 12 if I use folding chairs.

One of these days I want to get some good chairs that are dining chairs so we can put more around it more easily.

As they left this afternoon, one commented that they needed this. And they all agreed with her. They do. Everybody does. It amazed me to hear that in churches, many people had never been to the pastor’s house for any reason, much less dinner. I want them to know that I love them and am their shepherd. The shepherd feeds his flock in every way he can. Sitting around the table visiting, talking about inconsequentials, is one of the best ways to insure fellowship.

This church has gone through a lot of problems in the past couple of years and I believe, as I told someone yesterday night, that they have clamed now. They are without that stress that the people here who wanted power and control engendered. I do have to make sure that the calmness doesn’t morph into complacency and a dead church. That will take some doing.

One of the hopes I hold is the strong church. I want this church to be strong and powerful in him. And I will do what I can do effect it by the power of God.