Friday, June 27, 2008

Where am I?

It has been awhile, seems a thought has been stuck in my mind, " Work out your own salvation"
In the last prison ministry ( 4 days) as we talked into the wee hours of the night I kept postulating the premise that No one is 100% right, a little of this and a little of that seems a good mix to me. Calvin was only partially right, every reformer that came along had some of it right, so we take what we need and leave the rest.
Except for the word of God, Scripture being Gods word, all this other stuff is either pure blather or gold that God has led us to read.
Predestination can free you, at least me from the rabid desire to drag everyone by the hair to Christ. because God chooses YOU, I am Free, and still we need to speak the words. Holy Spirit will convict, but our lives, lived as a living sacrifice and our words of proclamation bring those who are lost to meet God.

I am now a graduate of an ELCA Lay school, got the diploma and everything. It was the very best of time and I loved it, could not wait fore it to start every Thursday night. Now It is over,,,I had asked to teach a course, I doubt i will be blessed with that task, seems I am a bit to reformed to teach Lutherans and Presbyterians.
So ther is a slim chance that the ELCA will bless me with me performing Pulpit suppy, which I have always loved, I have filled the Pulpit over 20 times and have given communion solo a few times, But the ELCA is very gaurded who speaks in there name, I cannot find fault in that, It is after all the represenatation of God. But at Synod convention I realized this, an Idiot with a masters degree in teoligy is still and Idiot. kinda like the person with the worst grade in med school is called........Doctor.
Here is the odd thing. I always LOVED preaching, a month or so ago I was filling in for pastor Tari and I was feeling during the whole service unfullfilled, odd, out of place. and so I wonder was God telling me that preaching in a church is not for me at this time?
Because
Doors have burst wide open for me to expand Keryx into another Prison, and I love prison ministry. I relate to the guys and I feel at home.

So I thought the gifts of the spirit God gave me was to be a Preacher,,,seems I am to be a evangelizer with a strong inclination to also be a Disiple.

God is good, all the time, in time, throgh time, and as we die to self dailey we remember,,, Our lives are forfit to he whom created us... And so in Love and Humilty we become the hands and feet of the annointed one of the most high God. Adonai.
Amen.

2 comments:

Joe VonDoloski said...

Don't you think it strange Rick that the ELC will ordain a young woman to preach because she has book learnin' but prohibit a wise man, long in the faith who senses the call of God upon his life to preach? The pulpit should indeed be guarded and sacred, but degrees, seminary, etc. doesn't amount to much in my opinion.

Great to find you on the web.

Joe VonDoloski
Vanderbilt Community Church
jvondoloski.blogspot.com

Joe VonDoloski said...

I love your comment about being too reformed to preach in a Lutheran or Presbyterian church.

I fear much learning has made these once great denominations, "Mad."