Is it Saturday already? O yes. Time for another blog-post. What a busy week we’ve had! Trying to enumerate the number of inches of snow or the number of days below freezing would be pointless. Our cargo van broke down with ignition-problems Wednesday, forcing us to use one of our smaller vehicles for donation pickups through Thursday, our busiest day. We’re all adjusting to working with one person less than our normal crew as we prepare for Ryan Hurd’s departure. Ryan’s last chapel sermon was today.
For the first time since 1874, Manor Church has working restrooms on the main-floor level of the church. Until now, the only two restrooms accessible to the church’s congregation were on the second story and in the basement. Thanks to God’s overarching provision, and with Pastor Bill’s and the Jones boys’ skill plus a little financial backing, as of today we have two additional restrooms.
This week I started an expository sermon series through the book of Hebrews in the Tuesday afternoon chapel service. At the rate of a chapter (or logical-unit) per week, I anticipate the series to run for the next nine weeks. I defer to a former academic dean’s advice that a young preacher never take a sermon series past ten sermons for any single book of the Bible. Actually, this timeframe is perfect for me, as I like to preach a chapter of scripture per sermon. Some regular Tuesday chapel attendees are telling me they are benefiting from the simple exposition of Scripture in its grammatical and historical context. “The entrance of thy words giveth light…”
Pastor Bill often stresses the importance of beneficial deeds done by believers in the name of Christ for those who have legitimate need. I just helped push a Smart Car out of the snow. I chuckle at how little effort was needed to provide this beneficial deed. But pray that God would prepare a young man to be willing to sacrificially serve with New York Gospel Mission in the near future. Much of the job of the temporary staff is the drudgery of driving Manhattan’s streets and avenues, picking up donated food for our food pantry, hauling it into the church, and helping with its distribution. I use the term “drudgery” not out of complaint, but simply to convey the true nature of this aspect of the work. There is also the more glorious and enlightening aspect of the work in preaching the Word of God, conducting Bible studies, and helping people in a one-on-one fashion. We have dishwashing duties. We take care of a former pastor’s widow who still lives in an apartment upstairs and suffers with Alzheimer’s disease. This is truly a multi-faceted work. New York is truly a great city, and much opportunity for the Gospel and a biblical witness exists here, though one need learn to be discreet in lifestyle in order to get along well here. May God bless the readers of this blog post.
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