Really I am not sure exactly why!  Maybe it is because we are quirky people (or I will at least speak for myself, not indicting our family).  But the other reason is that in 2010, I decided to begin a reading project in which I would read a biography/autobiography on each of the US Presidents.  No certain order of reading, no rhyme or reason.  Every 3 months, I arbitrarily pick a president and read about him.  It is fascinating to see the gifts of leadership.  It is tragic to see the flaws and their consequences.  But I have learned a lot.  So, here is the reading list so far…

1. Summer 2010–Andrew Jackson (American Lion by Jon Meachem)
2. Fall 2010–George W. Bush (Decision Points)
3. Winter 2011–Theodore Roosevelt (Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris)
4. Spring 2011–James Buchanan (Jean Baker)
5. Summer 2011–Dwight Eisenhower (Stephen Ambrose)
6. Fall 2011–John Quincy Adams (Paul Nagle)
7. Winter 2012–James Garfield (Destiny of the Republic by Candace Millard)
8. Spring 2012–??? (any suggestions?)

So, Happy President’s Day, and you can visit this page to see some of my other 2012 reading.

• I am so grateful to be at Ogletown.  I told someone yesterday in passing, that Sunday is my favorite day of the week.
• I was struck by something that Larry, one of our worship leaders, said:  “I can think of 10,000 reasons to praise God this morning, but I cannot think of ONE reason not to!  I have thought about that again today a few times.”
• I saw a ton of new faces yesterday.  I am so glad that people are coming, and that people are inviting others to come.  With those new faces, I do have questions.  Are we ready to show Christ’s love to them?  Will they find our church inviting?  Will they want to come back?  Will they get a taste of what God is doing, and want more?  Why did they come?  Why did God send them our way?  How can we show more hospitality to our guests?  As I said…1000 things go through my mind!
• It was a joy to hear the good news about those who went to Snow Camp.  Although the snow didn’t cooperate, God worked incredibly.  I thought about the prayer cards that so many had filled out.  Then, when I got the good-news-text from Chris about how God was working, I began to think, “God, you really do answer our prayers!  Thanks so much.”  I find myself praying for fruit that remains.  I was encouraged to see Facebook blow up last night with reports of how God worked.
• I saw a bunch of people lingering after church.  I have no idea what they were talking about.  Frankly, I don’t really have to know.  It is enough for me to realize that God is using 1000 little conversations to be the glue that holds are church together and pushes us toward Christ.  Much care is shown in these everyday conversations.
• I saw a picture (with some comments) on Facebook.  It was a picture of a Sunday School class.  A group of people, Bibles opened, engaged with Scripture.  Good stuff.
• This morning Al Demers shared with me some of what God is doing through Celebrate Recovery.  Truth be told, a lot of it will never show up in headlines, and yet the undercurrent of God’s grace is an amazing thing.
• Speaking of God’s working, I read something about God’s work recently.  It was a reminder that God uses grace PLUS time in our lives.  Sometimes, I want things immediately, but our Father knows what’s best and when we need it.

God is at work, bringing much glory to Himself.  I am glad to have a front row seat!

• 1 Peter by Karen Jobes (Baker Exegetical Commentary)
  
• 1 Peter by Wayne Grudem (Tyndale NT Commentaries)
• Teaching 1 Peter by Angus Macleay
• 1 Peter by Scot McKnight (NIV Application Commentary)
• 1 Peter by Tim Chester (The Good Book Guide)
• Homeward Bound by Philip Jensen and Tony Payne (Interactive Bible Studies)

Specifically, you can pray that God would be glorified with these things in mind:

1. Wisdom for our committee–There are many candidates, literally from all over the country, who have expressed interest in this position.  It is a daunting task to sort through these resumes and discern which candidates to pursue.
2. Priorities for our committee–The person who will be our next Associate Pastor must be a godly example to the rest of the church.  In addition, we need someone who will fit well with the vision/mission of our church, be ready to minister to people in this area, have a heart for those who don’t know Christ, etc.  We need God’s wisdom in discerning those things.
3. Unity for our church–Big decisions in a church can unify or polarize the congregation.  I believe that our church will be unified by this decision, and I am praying toward that end.
4. Future growth of our church–Our prayer is that adding to the staff in this way will help our church to grow to look more like Jesus.  Our congregation has room to grow, and the pastor who comes will play a vital role in encouraging that growth.
5. Transition for the candidate–Our committee recognizes the difficulty of transition and change.  Whoever God might send to us will be transitioning from another place/role in their lives.  The transition may be huge, or it may be minimal.  Still, we need God’s grace especially when we are going through times of change.

These are just a few ways in which you can pray for our search committee in the upcoming days.

#1–A chosen race–this is language drawn from Isa 43:20-21 and Exodus 19:5-6.  It is used in reference to the Israelites during the time of the Exodus and the time of Exile.  Peter applies it to all of God’s people, regardless of their physical background.

#2–A royal priesthood–this is language drawn from Exodus 19:5-6.  We are royal because we are God’s possession.  As priests, we have been made holy and able to offer sacrifices to God.  We have been set apart for a very clear purpose and for purity.

#3–A holy nation–this label is from Exod 19:6 as well.  Once again, it is significant that in the OT this label was applied only to the nation of Israel, but now it is applied to all people in the New Covenant.

#4–God’s special possession–this idea emerges from Isa 43 and from Exod 19.  Because we are His special possession, we should be quick to speak of His excellencies: salvation, His work of transformation, the work of Jesus Christ, the hope we are promised.

#5–The people of God who have received mercy–these words are taken from Hosea 2:23.  The verses in Hosea remind us of the spiritual adultery of Israel and God’s love and faithfulness to them.

All of these labels have some amazing cumulative effects.  God is reminding His New Covenant people of their historic roots in the OT.  He is shaping their identity around Christ.  He was opening up their thinking to embrace God’s people as being a multi-national bride!

• What Is the Mission of the Church? by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert–I appreciated some much-needed clarity on a big subject.
• Eisenhower: Soldier and President by Stephen Ambrose–Part of my goal to read a biography on each of the presidents.  This one made me Like Ike.
• Theodore Rex by Edmund Morris–Ditto Above as far as my president’s project.  Enjoyed learning more about a colorful character and his White House years.
• God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts–Ended up using this as a basis for teaching on Wednesday night.
• Notes from the Tilt-A-Whirl by N.D. Wilson–Probably the most entertaining, stimulating book I read all year.  I cannot wait to read it again.
• Unbroken by Laura Hildebrand–Enjoyed this book greatly.  Made me appreciate those from the Greatest Generation.
• The Deep Things of God by Fred Sanders–This book propelled me to teach on the Trinity on Wednesday night in early 2011.
• Reverberation by Jonathan Leeman–I love this book’s HIGH estimation of the power of the Word in the life of the church.
• The Gospel of Ruth by Carolyn Custis James–I preached through Ruth on Sunday morning, and was so helped by James’ perspective on this beautiful gospel-filled story.

In 1 Peter 1:22-2:10, he revisits these concepts that were introduced in 1:1-21:

• Obedience (1:2, 14, 22)
• Being born again (1:3, 23)
• Things being perishable/imperishable (1:18, 23)
• The concept of glory (1:7, 21, 24)
• Good news preached (1:12, 25)
• Holiness (1:15-16 and  2:5, 9)
• God’s choosing/election (1:1 and 2:4, 9)
• The idea of calling (1:15,17 and 2:9)
• Mercy (1:3 and 2:10)

There are probably many others I missed, but even from this list, it is clear that these truths Peter is teaching run deep in the book.

It would be well worth the exercise to consider each of these words, their meanings, and what truth Peter is conveying in pulling these images from daily life.

• Birth (born again)
• Seeds and Grass
• Milk (pure spiritual)
• Stone(s) and cornerstone
• Spiritual house
• Priesthood
• Race/Nation
• Darkness and Light

Each of these words is loaded with meaning to the believer in Jesus Christ.

1 Peter 1:23–25  …since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;  for “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls,  but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

The verses above are quotes from Isaiah 40.  The time of Isaiah did not lean toward stability for God’s people.  Really, it was just the opposite.  The Babylonian invasion was an inevitable reality.  That would mean disastrous, painful, life circumstances for the nation of Israel.  Babylon seemed so powerful, strong, and threatening.  It would have been easy for the people of God to question whether even God could stop the Babylonians.  And yet, Isaiah reminded the people that ALL flesh will eventually fail.  All empires will begin to age.  All kingdoms will show signs of weakness.  But the living and abiding Word of God would last forever.

Peter then goes one step further to remind the people of God that this reliability of God and His Word is what has been preached to them.  Isaiah gave good news to Israel.  Peter uses the same words to bring good news to God’s people.  The original readers of this letter were also experiencing the effects of being exiled (1:1-2), so looking back to this time of Israel’s pain and God’s faithfulness would have been especially encouraging.

We all need to be reminded of the reliability of God’s Word even when life around us seems somewhat chaotic.

• I see people hungry for the Word, whether it be in our gatherings as a church on Sunday mornings, or in Bible studies throughout the week, or in personal devotions.  People are hungry for the Word (1 Peter 2:2-3).
• I was blown away Sunday night hearing college students talk about their desire to give their lives to Christ, rather than playing it safe.  Immediately following that was a senior adult who humbly confessed to living a life that was not kind and respectful to his family.  The seniors in the room were listening intently to the college students.  The college students could not take their eyes off the humble, contrite man.  What makes that happen?  God’s grace and God’s Spirit at work!
• I see people making changes to address sin in their lives.
• I saw a room last night filled with people of all ages, all backgrounds with Bible’s opened ready to engage and learn more about Jesus.
• I see the body of Christ in action, ready to meet each others’ needs.
• I see people lingering after our services talking with each other, encouraging each other, praying for each other, and being there for each other.
• I see a willingness to go public with our faith, rather than keeping it private.
• I see a greater desire to reach out to those in need, rather than playing it safe.
• I hear the voices of God’s people at OBC singing loud, confessing to God and each other, “I need You, Oh I need You!”
• I look forward to Sunday as more people take the step of committing to our church family formally through baptism and membership.
• I sense a growing willingness to pray for each other.

In the midst of this, I do see the enemy attacking…

• We often face temptations to divide over preference, rather than uniting through the Word and Spirit.
• Several people are facing long, protracted illnesses which can have a draining effect on faith.  Many are also care-givers which also poses a great strain physically, emotionally, and spiritually.
• Marriages and families are being assaulted on a regular basis.
• Misunderstandings and confusion often can go unchecked and damaged relationships ensue.
• There is grief in watching those who fall away from their first love of Jesus Christ.  There are chilling reminders that “but for the grace of God,” any one can stumble and fall away.  There is such desire to see them move back toward Jesus Christ and our body!
• We continue to fight our tendency to be satisfied with being a disconnected body with minimal commitment to each other.

But, I am confident that God is faithful.  Matthew 16:18 reminds me that Jesus’ church will prevail.  Revelation 2-3 gives us marching orders to fall in line with our King, and enjoy His victory as He overcomes sin and the world.  1 John 4 reminds me that the One in us is greater.  With all this in my mind, I am so grateful to God for all that He is doing, but so much more aware of our need to depend on Him.

Lord, shape (and re-shape) our church into Your likeness, and be patient with us and kind towards us, as this process is not always easy.  Hear these prayers, and answer them in ways that would bring glory to our Savior!  Amen