To God be the Glory (SS)

when Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’

I have to admit it, I hate to do it, but I just have to. Seminary has been pretty good to me. I have been blessed by great friendships, great professors, humbling experiences and those which make me proud, and just with the opportunity to know God more/better.

My struggle continues though as I try to tread that thin line between my pride and God's glory. Offering up each day to God's glory and not my own is helpful, and yet still I struggle. Last night on Americal Idol, Mandisa sang a praise song while everyone else sang pop standards from the last 6 years. Then the judges and Ryan all talked about the new religion with 40 million members all worshipping at the altar of Mandisa. She looked mortified. She had stepped out on a rather large career limb by singing this song and claiming her faith in Jesus as Lord and all society could do was give her the glory.

Sometimes I feel that way too. I send my notes out not to show how great I am at taking notes, nor for the praises of my classmates, but merely to share my gift for notetaking with those for whom interpreting Sedgwich speak doens't come easliy. Then my name goes up for Student Body President and it all rushes to my mind, what if people think I do this stuff just to get an elected position, what if my ego is crushed under the presumption of my hubris?

Then I read the passage of Jesus raising Lazarus. Down to his death, Lazarus glorified God. "When Jesus heard it, he said, ‘This illness does not lead to death; rather it is for God’s glory, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.’" If my ego is crushed under the presumption of my own hubris I should be thanking God for the humility that comes from glorifying God only. Thanks be to God for those moments when we come to our knees, when we are at our lowest, and at that exact moment the one God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is glorified.

Encouragement (ss)

What a great set of passages on which Scott will get to preach. We don't spend a whole lot of time talking about the other fortunate folk who have been raised from the dead. This story from 2 Kings is a fabulous one (and deserves the whole pericope if I might add). When the woman sends for Elisha saying, "didn't I tell you not to pray for me, I didn't want to have a child, and now look" it makes my heart ache. As Paul says "the sting of death is sin." In this life we make decisions; we get married, we have children, and all is fine and fun. But these decisions to love come with great heartache. People get sick, people die and sometimes we even wish we (or they) had never been born rather than bear this pain. But G0d turns it all upside down. God tells us our loved one will rise again, and we respond, "I know that he/she will rise again in the resurrection on the last day." And whether or not the conversation goes on, we are confident in that. We celebrate lives, ministries, and relationships knowing the confidence that maybe not today, but someday soon we will see our loved on again, on the other side of the river Styx.