Sunday Mind Dump - September 9, 2012

A very good day at PCC.  One of the best we’ve had in a long time.

Attendance was up.  Way up.  In fact, it was the highest it’s been in about four months.

The youth worship team ministered in service, doing an exceptional job.  The acoustical presentation had a different feel than our normal fare.  It was so enjoyable.  Not to mention, it was well-done!  All of the music was vertically focused too.  The communion song they selected was very meaningful.  I think they ministered to everyone in the room.  Most importantly they ministered to God.

The biggest challenge they faced was interacting with me during the communion service; especially the transitions.  It’s not easy to do that.  Me and Renae have been doing it together for so long, that a simple glance at one another is all it takes to communicate.  Yet today, Felicia and her team stepped in beautifully.  You would have never known it was our first time working together during a communion service.

Remember last Sunday’s message? – “The Next Generation” – well, today demonstrates that we’re actually doing something about it.

Exit Elijah.  Enter Elisha. God never missed a beat. 

Other things are going to be happening too, involving me.  You might want to read my blog this week to find out.

Look at today’s service this way:

·      The youth worship team led worship

·      The devotional talk was penetrating and insightful (i.e., The End of Passover & the Beginning of the Lord’s Supper)

·      We received communion – an ordinance of the church, commanded by the Lord Jesus Himself

·      We recited the Lord’s Prayer together

·      We heard the Apostles Creed

·      And concluded with the Doxology

Wow!  What a great day!  It had all the elements.  Something new, something old.

I met ten new people this morning.  Most were second-time or third-time guests.  It was very exciting to hear them say such positive things about PCC – particularly how the worship services have ministered to them, or that we are exactly what they have been looking for.

God never ceases to amaze me.  He always sends the right people at just the right time.  He never misses a beat.

The work at PCC is bigger than me, Renae, you, or anyone else.  It’s goes on with or without us.

While not theologically appropriate, I was hoping the worship team would pull of a rendition of “Are You Ready for Some Football?”  Lovin me some Bocephus.

Man, I’ve got to be careful what I say.  People take me too literally sometimes :-)

I’ve had a very busy week:  two deaths in our church family; one funeral; a wedding; six meetings with six different groups of people; a family medical crisis; today’s service with communion; and another funeral next week.  

Consequently, I missed a surgery my mother had, as well as a ministers meeting I needed to attend.

Missing the ministers meeting was okay.  Missing my mother’s surgery was inexcusable.  That will never happen again.

Seven weeks ago I began a new work-out routine.  It's a strict plan of weight training, cardio,  and better eating.  I’m very committed and already seeing results.

Most importantly, my hip pain is almost non-existent now.  I’ve been a jogger all my life and hip pain (bursitis) has plagued me since I was 18 years old.  The new routine has helped a lot.

I still avoid sugar.  It makes you fat, causes cancer, disrupts your sleep, makes you feel sluggish, imbalances your blood-sugar levels, raises blood pressure, and causes your energy to crash-and-burn to.  Listen to your body after you eat sugar, and you’ll know what I’m talking about.

I have purchased two new implements for my tractor, (a middle buster and a row builder), to use for planting a fall garden.  Can’t wait to get started.  I plan to plant collards, mustard greens, kale, turnips, garlic, onions, and carrots.

I’ll post lots of pictures.

Hope to do some shrimping this week.  I’ll post picture of that too.

Thanks to all the ushers who made today’s communion service so successful.  They absolutely know how to pull it off.

I’ll be writing a post this week about the privilege of serving as an usher.  You might like to come back to this blog to read about that too.

Headed to Philip’s house (the piano player) for some dinner.

Blessings.