Getty Band at Southern Seminary

I enjoyed a wonderful evening of music, friends, people singing harmonies around me, people expressive in worship, powerful lyrics, amazing instrumentalists, power of God.
If you don't know the Getty music - Keith and Kristyn - then you are missing out. O Church Arise, In Christ Alone, O To See the Dawn, Speak, O Lord, See What a Morning, Beneath the Cross, and many more.
I brought along my little black moleskin and jotted down some things that spoke to me during the night...
"Sweet redeemer" - a name for Jesus. Oh, that Christ would be the sweetest thing in my life - that that would clearly be seen in my daily living. Cool name for Jesus - like Gaynor's "darling of heaven"...
Their portrait in lyrics of Hebrews - that we have a Great High Priest who interceded for us - and because of that we can boldly approach the throne of grace as Hebrews says. "We draw near through the Christ who saves us." Yes, Christ saved us with His finished work on the cross. But, Christ also saves us every day - from ourselves, from death, brings us into sanctification with our relationship with Him.
"Eternity's resplendant theme" - I loved that line. Thinking that one day all I will do is be consumed with Christ - that I will see and know and love my Christ so much more than I do now. That I will be able to sing, and never be off key, never get hoarse, always know the song. That He will be one we are focused on. That we will reign with Him as co heirs! Why would He share that with us?
Kristyn read from the passage in the gospels where Jesus calmed the sea. "There was a calm." I want my life to mirror that verse. I want people to look at my life, know me, live alongside of me in community, and know that I exemplify that calm. That I would be the gentle and quiet spirit. That God would grow that in me and I would deny self to go against that.
My 2009 verse of Dt 30.19-20 came out tonight - "may this journey bring a blessing." As I was watching Les Mis the other night, I thought again of how every word we utter can bring life or death to the hearers. I want to be a blessing to everyone I come in contact with. How far I am from that! Spirit - come control my tongue and Spirit.
Some of their songs concentrated on Phil 1.6 - that He who began a good work will be faithful to complete it. Oftens times I don't see the work - I don't know what the work is - but help me Holy Spirit to believe in the promise that you will be faithful to keep. Help me not need to know and see the work - just be faithful to believe that you will accomplish what you want and have for me to accomplish.
"For death's dark night is overcome." There are so many hardtimes that my friends are facing right now: sickness, family illnesses, death, divorces, no jobs, no money, transitions, losing babies - and you know what - in all of that - death's dark night is overcome - by the power of the Cross. See, what a morning.
O To See the Dawn.
Amazing stuff. Amazing fiddler. A female vocalist who rivals Christy Nockels. Friends beside me who make it fun to worship with great harmonies and expressiveness.
Good stuff.

Colossians

I do believe this is my favorite book by the Apostle Paul. How do you say that for certainty? I like them all - and as I study them individually they all have their wonderful-ness. But, I have always loved Colossians.
Dustin, my pastor, is starting a series on this tomorrow. Well, actually - it was scheduled for tomorrow but with 'Ville Ice 09 we are just meeting together in our community groups tomorrow and reading through the book. How impactful is just the reading of Scripture.
Two of the most memorable worship times in my life were because of the reading aloud of the Word of God. Passion 2000, in Germantown, TN, before it actually began...they had a group of people reading through the Psalms. Yes, all of them. Nothing else - just the psalms. Being read aloud to prepare our hearts to worship our God.
The second time was earlier this fall here in a chapel service at Southern. David Platt, pastor of Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham. He spoke from Romans 1-9. Not just spoke from it, quoted the whole thing, not using the Word. The power of the Spirit was all in that chapel like I've not felt it before in any chapel service I've been a part of. Why - I think? Because the Word of God was placed center stage - where it should be.
So, why do I like the book of Colossians so much...I love the Christ hymn in chapter 1. I love the command and the scrutiny of the beginning of Colossians 3. Amazing book. I'm looking forward to studying it along with my church, Crossing gathered.

The Message of Missions

Last night I had the opportunity to speak to a WMU International Crafts Banquet at a church in Elizabethtown, KY (about an hour from here give or take traffic). It went great.
The ladies there were so receptive, authentic, welcoming, hospitable, joyful...how refreshing it was to see that. The pastor was from FL and a Gator fan - so that definitely helped. The ladies also didn't have any tomatoes to throw since the Gators beat UK on Saturday.
I got to talk a little bit about the women's program here at Southern. The WMI (for anyone) is great if you want to learn about seminary topics (OT, NT, Baptist history, theology, etc), but you don't want to get a degree or maybe you never graduated high school or college. This is for you. And I got to talk about what women are doing here at Southern in the way of missions - they just went to China last spring. I'm grateful for women like Lorie and Jaye who are bringing in fantastic women like Mary Kassian and Bayne Pounds to speak and teach our ladies. They are learning stuff that will impact their homes, churches, and worlds.
My main passage was Acts 1.8 - what better for a missions banquet. The three main things were:
1. We can't do missions on our own. Our power comes from the Holy Spirit - we can do nothing on our own.
2. We have to be witnesses of Jesus. The disciples definitely knew who they were talking about - they had lived with Jesus for three years. We can't be missionaries until we have a first hand experience with the risen Jesus.
3. Missions is an everywhere command. We are told to be missionaries everywhere. Not just overseas and not just in our backyard. It is a both/and thing.
I also gave a short bio of Lilias Trotter who was a single woman missionary to Algeria and worked with Muslim women. She had passionate abandonment, despite many physical obstacles, to no one but God - giving up pleasures of this world because of the infinite worth of the next world.
I pray that those ladies were encouraged to be obedient to do missions wherever they are. And that they wouldn't settle - that they would ask God to do amazing things and notice how HE does them.

Southern Seminary Learning

Well, I've been in KY for 3 days now, so I thought I would sit down and post some thoughts...

1. Always think the worst - then when you are surprised with the better - it will make your day. I thought I was going to have a small dorm room and no kitchen. But, I have the end unit, by myself, with a sink (still across the hall from bathrooms and showers), big closet, much desk space and storage space, a dorm kitchen that is big (but doesn't always function right), and it is actually quieter than I thought.

2. Louisville is really big. There are so many interstates. 65, 64, 264, 265, 71 just to name a few and everywhere is traffic. But, I am learning my way around.

3. No SUPER anything nearby. There is no S Walmart or Target close to me. What is wrong with that picture? I've always lived near one of those stores. Durham it was around the corner, WF they were both less than 2 miles, Raleigh, it was a few minutes. Lakeland it was 3 miles. Last night I went to a Walmart Neighborhood Market (just food and beauty stuff), but today I'm going across the River into IN to get to the nearest one.

4. I love knowing people. Ok, so I only know a few people here in Louisville, but I'm very grateful for the ones I know. Brad and Lindsay have been lifesavers with directions, moving in help, homecooked meal (cashew chicken and oreo dessert), and a place to watch football. "Dr. Parker", Shane, has been great in the office because I knew him at Southeastern too. His wife has been out of town, but I look forward to seeing some of Lexington when I take them up on their offer for dinner sometime. He is a pastor there. I'm looking forward to seeing Jaye on Monday when she gets in.

5. God is still a God of answering prayers for His glory! He gave me this job less than 2 weeks ago. Now, I'm here. He gave me a better room than I thought. I'm already meeting college girls (since I live in the college girls' dorm). He gave me people I know here. He is even in the business of answering small prayers - like letting me do real well on my clerical tests I had to take the other day and calmed my nerves when I was taken them. Thank you JESUS!

Anyway, those are the top 5 things I've learned in 3 days. More to come later - and I promise i'll shoot you some pictures at some point.