Last Sunday

Not only this last Sunday, but it's also the last Sunday. David preached
his last sermon as the senior pastor at EBICC, yesterday. It wasn't his
usual fare as it was not an expository sermon at all... but it was certainly
of God, nonetheless.

My own tears were not that it was his last Sunday as the Sr. Pastor. It
wasn't that he a Libby sang the song I wrote for them. It was actually more
of the same, more of what's been going on for the past couple/several years.
Anytime I take the time or listen to the encouragement - whether it is the
encouragement to abstain from sin or obediently trust God or passionately
pursue and follow Jesus - or ponder again the indescribable, inconceivable,
illogical, irrational, inscrutable, undeniable love of God, I am nearly
always broken and/or in awe. I'm broken because of the realization of
unworthy I am of God's love (and always shall be) because of my sin and
unloving heart. I am in awe because of the power and majesty and glory and
(even more so) the call God has upon my life to simply be like Jesus and (as
our "church motto" puts it) - "to reproduce the likeness of Jesus in our
world."

And this is my prayer (from "Jesus, Thy Boundless Love to Me") which we sang
during our worship:

O grant that nothing in my soul
may dwell but thy pure love alone;
O may thy love possess me whole,
My joy, my treasure and my crown.
Strange flames far from my heart remove;
My every act, word, thought, be love.