Away

We're chilling this weekend in the highlands, and Caryn and I have come over to Greenville, SC for some coffee and a place to chat. We're at Port City Java (free wifi, it rocks!) and en route we found gas in Landrum, SC for $1.99. Its been a good time together, we're amped about the EZ37 internship.

Retreat

Caryn and I are leaving later for a retreat center, Restoration House, near Landrum, SC. Its a two day retreat for us, something to help us slow down and listen for a couple of days. With the move and work project and family transition to Ft. Mill, we've sensed the Lord saying, "Rise up and come away...". The EZ37 internship is cranking up next week, the work at Morningstar is moving ahead, The Grid project for the Boiler room will take shape in coming days and weeks - things are clicking along. If we come to mind, pray for us.

John Piper quote

"You might want God's forgiveness because you are so miserable with guilt feelings. You just want relief. If you can believe that He forgives you, then you will have some relief, but not necessarily salvation. If you only want forgiveness because of emotional relief, you won't have God's forgiveness. He does not give it to those who use it only to get His gifts and not Himself."

"Or you might want to be healed from a disease or get a good job or find a spouse. Then you hear that God can help you get these things, but that first your sins would have to be forgiven. Someone tells you to believe that Christ died for your sins, and that if you believe this, your sins will be forgiven. So you believe it in order to remove the obstacle to health and job and spouse. Is that gospel salvation? I don't think so."

"In other words, it matters what you are hoping for through forgiveness. It matters why you want it.
If you want forgiveness only for the sake of savoring the creation, then the Creator is not honored and you are not saved. Forgiveness is precious for one final reason: It enables you to enjoy fellowship with God. If you don't want forgiveness for that reason, you won't have it at all."

"God will not be used as currency for the purchase of idols."

- John Piper

Petersen on meditation

I'm about one third through through Eugene "The Message" Peterson's book titled Eat This Book: Conversations in the art of spiritual reading. This morning I found an audio message of his on this topic at Calvin College, located here: http://www.calvin.edu/january/2006/peterson.htm

Moravian daily text

I get the daily bible text from the Moravian email list, which you can find here: http://www.moravian.org/daily_texts/

One of the verses for today I'll post here as to its incredible promise:

Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. Psalm 34:5 (NIV)

Streaming worship

Worshipmusic.com is streaming the worship project called "Cover the Earth" this week, find it here: http://www.worshipmusic.com/40882.html

Happy birthday, Matthew! Happy new year everyone!

The new year went out swooshing. Quite a simple flourish. First, Caryn and I went to Eric's birthday bash at Ru-San's suishi bar. He turned 35 yesterday. It was my first time at Ru-San's and I'm not well-versed in suishi gnoshing. I went suishi bar hopping once with Jon Petersen back in Sacramento as he was an MK (missionary kid) raised in Japan and that has pretty much been my education in terms of suishi. So I jumped in, probably ate some things that I'm better off not knowing about. But the flavors were great and the company was fun, a small group of the St. Clair friends and family. Happy birthday Eric!

Got back to the prayer room about 7:30 last night, Becky was keeping watch for me during the suishi outing. We had the video stream going from KC, almost felt like we were there. By 11:00 the room was pretty bare, just Matthew and myself. I watched him and was so proud to see him there, reading the bible and listening to God. He turned 18 at midnight, and I am grateful for him to esteem the wisdom of prayer, and set his course upon growing in the knowledge of God and pursuing intimacy with Jesus. It was a special moment to me, being there together before the night watch crew came in to the prayer room. Matthew, Tom Lacy and I then had a time of reflection as the old year went out and the new year came in, I found myself prophesying some about the new year and the privilege we have to be part of what the Lord is doing so wondrously in our day, building night and day prayer to trigger the harvest and prepare the Church for the return of Christ. I think we all re-punched our tickets, telling God we're excited and good to go in to another year.

OneThing

Here is Kirk tonight, speaking at OneThing before the offering was given to the Lord.

Jenn telling us what time it is...

Jenn's post here while she is at OneThing in Kansas City is powerful, check it out.