This past weekend the 24 people in our little proto-church went to a rural retreat center. The kids played ping pong, tennis, minature golf, volleyball and soccer, and took long walks looking for Australian wildlife. Our kids have seen enough kangaroos now that they've lost a little of their novelty. The challenge now is to see a koala in the wild. They're small, nocturnal and mostly stay in the tops of certain types of gum/eucalyptus trees, so you don't often actually see one. No luck this weekend, but they saw lots of kangaroos. The picture below is just of the Brisbane river near it's source, running right past the camp, and nearly dried up from the drought that is severely effecting Queensland.
I did a lot of sleeping, reading, sitting around visiting with folks, and eating. I gained a pound or two over the weekend for the first time since my cancer diagnosis, so that was encouraging.
We had a couple in attendance who normally are active in a Wesleyan Methodist church. They're good folks who enjoyed the weekend. Saturday night we watched Bruce Almighty and afterward discussed how it portrays God.
On Sunday morning we had a wonderful church service with communion. At the end of the service Roland had the whole group, kids first, gather around me, put their hands on me and pray for my physical healing. It was very moving.
I'm not at all afraid or unwilling to die, as far as it just involves me. But I would dearly, desperately, fervently, intensely love to be the miraculous answer to the prayers of those kids that builds into the DNA of this new church we're planting that the God they love is not only a God of love but a God of power who can, indeed, miraculously, instantly, supernaturally and completely do things that are humanly, naturally, physically, utterly impossible. Even if they get a hundred no's for every yes, I want them to know that, no matter how big or impossible the request, sometimes the answer is yes. I want them to have the opportunity to remember last Sunday morning for the rest of their lives as proof of that to carry them faithfully through all the hard, dry, discouraging times that every life brings.
Love,
Brad
2 comments:
Well It's been almost two weeks
sence you started taking anti-constipation medication.
You said you gained a couple of pounds. It must be working.
It's great to see your doing better.
Love ya!
It's amazing how easily we can become dis-satisfied with our changing circumstances. The picture of the river reminds me of the drought we were having the last two years and praying for rain and complaining about the high water bills and high electric bills and this year we are having record rainfall and the second wettest June in history and now I'm complaining it is raining too much. I guess you just can't please some people.
On a different note, I love seeing the picture of the family. I miss you all very much.
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