It's 8:41 p.m. on Saturday September 9, and it's just about bed time. I'm not a night owl. I never really have been. When I was a child my parents gave me a bedtime of 9 p.m. I abided that time until I was about 14. Then I was free free to go to bed when I wanted, but most nights I was still in bed before 10. Friends would come over after our Sunday evening service and I would look at my dad and ask what time it was. 9:16 or whatever, and I would excuse myself to go to bed. I've heard some pastors name their bed, "the Word", so that if you call him his wife can say, "I'm sorry but he's in the Word right now, I'll have him call you later." I will never name my bed "the Word", but you can be sure that I make good use of my bed.
In college when I was an RA, and in charge of the Coed lounge (open till Midnight) I would stroll out into the lobby, and say goodnight to everyone. One night a freshman said, "going to bed Ben Rainey?" (scratching his belly) I thought it odd that he did that scratching thing. I asked him about it and as I asked I noticed I was doing it. He said that everytime I came out at night that way, I said the same thing and scratched my belly the same way. He later went on to mimic me by wearing a white undershirt and making rounds before me scratching his belly and saying goodnight to everyone. I would go to sleep at midnight and wake up at 8:00 a.m. on the nose with no alarm. That was the most beautiful sleep schedule of my life. Beautiful.
Now its the night before our first service. Tomorrow is going to be exciting and uplifting and challenging, but we'll likely not forget days like tomorrow. In some tangible ways we become us tomorrow. We'll look right into the mirror of ourselves as a church and determine whether we will sacrifice to become significant or whether we will wallow slavishly to survival. The difference is a matter of our choice. The Holy Spirit has been given to us to empower us with boldness toward the mission, will we take Him along, or will we allow Him to take us along...That will make the difference.
Well, before I give away too much of tomorrow's message...(Scratchy, Scratchy) I'm headed to bed. Good night.
3 comments:
I'm so excited for you! Knock 'em dead today. I love you, bro.
"we'll likely not forget days like tomorrow". In 1967 I became a charter member of what I still consider my "home" church, Lenoir Community Church, and will never forget going into the ballroom of the local hotel for our first service. Our circumstance was a bit different in that we hadn't set out to start a new church but, as Bro. Goggin used to say, had been given the left foot of fellowship by our more traditional brothers and sisters in the Lord. For the rest of us there was no choice but to find a place to fellowship and continue our walk with the Lord.
For months we met regularly there until the Lord provided and we moved into a vacant church. Over the years that congregation has grown from the 40 or so who were there at the beginning to several hundred and many thousand who've been touched by by their ministry. They've been in 2 church campuses since the days in the ballroom and developed a church/christian camp in the mountains of NC.
I don't get there as often as I would like but who I am today began in the ballroom of the local hotel. Just think of what you all will experience and what foundations will be laid while you meet at the local college. 40 years from now you'll be telling young whipper-snappers about "the days(and the ways) the Holy Spirit led us". It's a wonderful ride.
Thought we had a great start yesterday! Thanks for bringing "The Word"... though I'm not sure I know what that means if the "The Word" actualy refers to a bed... none-the-less, we're looking forward to many more Sunday mornings at SRC!
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