Famished

Chicken was on the grill when everyone began showing up.  Tables were set, candles out, baked potatoes ready.  Serijo and Xavier were the first to arrive with the others following on their heels.  This, the last Sunday in September was a perfect autumn evening…pleasant and mild but cool enough for a fire.  It was also Daniel's last Sunday with us before heading out Seattle way.  Jason and Angela were here too.  They would tell us about their new Ethne House ministry in Hinton, a small railroad community in the heart of Southern WV. 

After the meal, which included a run to the store for a new tank of gas, we took a group photo.  Then I got things started.  "Sometimes I am famished for Christ", I said to bring our focus upward. "I have learned that many things can distract us from Him, even good things like ministry, relationships or a formulaic gospel.  We can miss seeing Him - our hope and future, our Master and Savior, our all in all." 

So to focus we listened to a video clip from Tim Keller reminding us that the Bible is not basically about me and what I must do, but about Jesus and what he has done. (View the What is the Bible Basically About clip here)

Then we were on to a reading by Max Lucado entitled The Word Became Flesh:

"He was touchable, approachable, reachable.  And, what's more, he was ordinary.  If he were here today you probably wouldn't notice him as he walked through a shopping mall.  He wouldn't turn heads by the clothes he wore or the jewelry he flashed.

"'Just call me Jesus,' you can almost hear him say.

"He was the kind of fellow you’d invite to watch the Rams-Giants game at your house.  He'd wrestle on the floor with your kids, doze on your couch, and cook steaks on your grill.  He'd laugh at your jokes, and tell a few of his own.  And when you spoke, he'd listen to you as if he had all the time in eternity."