"Gratitude..............................."

With Vacation Bible School occupying the sanctuary and many people working to see that take place, not only was the usual mid-week service cancelled, but our Wednesday evening’s class was down to but four of us plus a substitute teacher found at the last minute. The lesson was reduced to discussion concerning those initial verses of Christ’s Parable of seed being sown and the idea that evangelizing was an on-going work of Divinity on either side of the equation. Indeed, we were agreed that the real “identity” of that which believers are to somehow invest in others is not the Bible, but the reality of Jesus, alive in us via the Holy Spirit, a matter which, in truth, only He can accomplish and only in so much as we surrender ourselves to it happening. That said, however, it makes me consider the reason for my having maintained this sort of on-line journal for more than a decade. From the very start the theme herein has, for the most part, consistently expressed my Christianity in one way or another, not in any attempt to convert whomsoever might drop by to visit, merely a matter of it being where this old man’s thoughts are almost continually. Never has it really been successful in gaining conversation with others positive, negative, or otherwise, just a comment here and there along the way; and, while at one time as many as thirty people or so read me at least occasionally, nowadays “membership” is down to five that I know, all of whom profess the same religious faith as this old man, but only one deeply entrenched with me in a like-mannered perspective of the Gospel. What this particular post is trying achieve, therefore, is not an apology for my frequent tendency to preach my views about some portion of the Book, oftentimes announcing in the middle of it all, as well, my opinion as to the state of the Church at large. It has nothing to do with trying to “mug” anybody, demanding a throwing up of your hands and surrendering to my mentality. Writing is a relaxing way to sort out all that’s going on in my head and I am very thankful for friendship in this journey. God bless each of you…