An Advent Tuesday

I wanted to give you a glimpse of an Advent Tuesday.

Most Tuesdays, Pr Justus and I meet at 6am in the Trinity prayer chapel. This morning he was on his annual mission run to orphanages just south of the border. I am thankful for the weekly connection with Justus. When we meet we pray for Trinity and Community (our respective congregations), other pastors and congregations here in town, San Pedro, and our own families. This morning I prayed in the prayer chapel. I did what I do most mornings (though I rarely use the prayer chapel). Usually I am in my study at Church for my morning prayer, on my day off and other times I am in my chair in my bedroom or the couch in our living room or on the back patio.

I sing the matins service from the hymnal with the recording of the Kantorei from Concordia-Ft Wayne. I read the Psalm, the OT and the NT daily readings (this morning they were Ps 25; Isaiah 24.1-12; and 1 John 1.1-2.14. The matins service closes with general prayer, to which I add supplication for those the Lord brings to mind who are hospitalized, sick, searching, missionaries, etc.

After prayer, I returned home and crawled back into bed for a few more minutes of rest.

After breakfast and parting with Joy and the kids, and letting Ruby into the back yard, and the chickens out of their coop, I went to church.

I get to work with the best staff around. George usually greets me outside, but this morning he was in the office with Shelly. Tuesday morning is usually busy around Trinity.

9:15am We have office prayer with whoever is around from the Moravian Daily Text (today was Proverbs 21.2). We give thanks to God, repent, intercede for the congregation, and plan to incorporate the truth of the text into our day.

9:30am we sing Morning Prayer (on Tuesdays). Usually a group of 7-15 show up for this. Today was the commemoration of Ambrose, pastor and hymnwriter. His story is inspirational to me. He was 34 years old (1 year younger than me), and a catechumen in Milan , Italy. They needed a new bishop, and the church agreed that Ambrose was the one! Tradition says that on December 7^th 373 (or 374) he was baptized, ordained priest, and consecrated bishop. He wrote, “For I was carried off from the judgment seat, and the garb of office, to enter on the priesthood, and began to teach you what I myself had not yet learned. So it happened that I began to teach before I began to learn. Therefore I must learn and teach at the same time, since I had no leisure to learn before.” I can relate. Learning and teaching at the same time. BY GRACE ALONE! Augustine, in his Confessions, thanks God for Ambrose, and was won over, not just by his excellent teaching, but also his kindness. We sang Ambrose’s “Savior of the Nations, Come.” The 7^th verse is translated by Pr. Gifford Grobien of South Bend, IN. He is the son of Karen and Gifford, thankfully in the praying congregation this morning.

10:00am Bible Study begins in the lounge. We are studying one Psalm a week. This week was Psalm 13. A lament psalm that moves from complaint, to call, to credo, to commitment to praise. This group is terrific as it bears one another’s burdens, prays for one another, and eats together occasionally. Against custom, I left before lunch.

11:00am Staff Meeting in my study. Often in our home, but today worked better on campus. We take turns with a devotional thought and prayer. Today Darcie BROUGHT IT! God gives her such timely insight and an excellent word from Ephesians. We look ahead. We look back. We get off track. We get back on. We laugh. We cry. Today we missed Ray, our faithful servant of the congregation. He helps with so much. We also missed Sue, our Deaconess who is travelling. Sue and Shelly help us by looking look further down the road than we would if they were not on staff. Different gifts, each one from God!

12:15pm Travel to Long Beach

1pm Pr Bob Mabry and Mo Olson (shared Youth Director) and I each lunch with each other occasionally. I love it when we do. In Long Beach we go to $1 Taco at Hole Mole. In SP we usually go to Shin Shin. Sometimes we meet half way at Buono’s on Ocean in LB. We connect, we sort, WE EAT! Then we pray for each other. I’m very thankful for both of these men. Mo is doing a terrific job at a hard job. Youth ministry is one of the toughest jobs on the planet. He is doing it with grace!

3:30pm I got back to church and received a call from a friend about the lot next to the church. I (and others) have been praying about that lot for well over a year. It sits empty, and would be very helpful for parking, or… We lack parking at Trinity, and are thankful for our neighbors who let us park in their lots on Sunday mornings.

The friend had information about that lot from the owner. After a conversation with the church president (Gordy Rich), we agreed that it would be a good time to pray for God to show us what He thought about the lot. Would he provide direction, provision, a “yes” to move forward and purchase it? Would he provide it by another means? I don’t know—but I know Who does.

Walking back to my office,

I took a picture of the beautiful job George does lighting up Broadway for the Advent/Christmas season.

Usually I go home at 5pm for supper, but tonight we stuck around because Joy had one more drama practice for the God Rock’s (Trinity’s kids choir) Best Christmas Present Ever program coming up on Sunday afternoon at 4pm. Fun to have kids running around the campus. Now I take Peter home, and find some dinner. Maybe tomorrow I’ll give a glimpse of Wednesday.