I do remember your personal stories. And in contemplation I gotta say, I think about God’s grace every time I think of one of your stories. You relate your experience and encourage me to read the bible and pray and contemplate God’s truth too… and I actually do that too, imperfectly but I do read and pray and contemplate the truth of the words and in your experiences as well as my own.

The example that comes to mind is your cousin and the collie.

A learned God-fearing man told your cousin to sit in contemplation of God’s truth. I’m sure you cousin was exposed to God’s truth by default of the family and the experience in church, a God-fearing family, church, etc… He was encouraged not to show his face again until God speaks, that takes a heck of a lot of courage and trust from your Uncle, how did he know that the little boy would do what he said? How could he be sure God would speak?

The whole crowd was humbled and disarmed by a simple answer that brought on laughter and an inability to fight anymore. Who can stand up to God’s truth?

“Forgive them father, for they know not what they do.”

Years later you tell the story of how you and a whole crowd ran to be onlookers to another person’s punishment and you were a witness to Grace instead. You tell the story to illustrate how prayer works, but I hear much much more.

In just that story alone I see the illustration of Christ’s death on the cross and what it means for us. I felt the condemnation of adults and authorities who are living by the laws and are flawed and incapable of keeping others or themselves in line just by trying hard, I see crowds of witnesses lined up to see justice done… almost willing a good show for their own entertainment (we’re very excited by someone else’s humbling experience aren’t we, somehow we don’t feel so bad anymore about our own experiences when we hear someone else is gonna get it. Human’s are a sinful lot and we look for ways to feel better about our own sinful nature.)

I saw someone forced by circumstance and authority to submit, and in contemplation of God, I saw the miracle of God showing up and of Gods love shared.

Your cousin received an answer so profound that it disarmed not only earthly authorities, but a whole crowd of witnesses who were there to watch his performance in the suffering.

We all have a casual relationship with the Truth don’t we? Different casualties for each of us, but none of us are without sin that causes casualty are we? After all your cousin’s experience with “casual truth” didn’t stop you from blaming spilled red soda on an innocent kid… but it reminds you how blessed you are to have the same heavenly father who loves you through others surpassing your best attempt to live in perfect truth and love yourself.

Christ stepped in and took the death blow, showing us a life beyond our human demise. He provided the miracle, the answer that disarmed the law and a crowd of people who were there to see justice done.

I may have gotten it completely wrong, but it’s what I saw in the experience.

I saw the truth of Corinthians 13: 8-13
I saw the truth of Matthew 5
I saw the truth of Matthew 6 (especially Matt 6: 5-6)

Couple of stories, lots of learning about myself and my inability to live without Christ through your honest relation of sin at the head of the table.

I’ll end by asking who has heard about Calvin beeing run out of town? When he returned he started back at the very chapter and verse he left off at. That’s not a commitment to boredom but rather a guard against letting personality shape the preaching rather than vice versa.

http://www.reclaimingthemission.com/if-i-just-preach-a-good-sermon-they-will-come-three-dying-myths-of-christendom-about-preaching/