Here’s a video of us driving up to the orphanage in Lo Tung, Taiwan where we would meet Ethan for the first time. I’m the one behind the camera (sorry for the jumpy video) so you are able to see things from my perspective.
Every time I watch this clip I am reminded of how my love for Ethan doesn’t even compare to God’s love for us.
Hope you enjoy it.
So, a couple of days ago, my wife Melissa thought it would be funny to play a practical joke on Jimmy Purchase, the Worship Pastor at our church. So she drafted the following email and sent it to him. To me, this email kind of represents a Worship Leader’s worst nightmare - a potentially seriously awkward conversation with your pastor’s wife, in which you have to tell her she actually can’t sing as well as she thinks.
What I find so funny (and devious) about this email is that if you’ve been a worship leader, it sounds so believable!
Hey Jimmy!
I have a quick question for you…Jon doesn’t know I am sending this email to you yet…
I was planning on serving in the Kid’s Ministry but ever since we’ve come home with Ethan, I have been feeling like the Lord has been leading me to audition for the worship team. I’ve never sung before on a worship team and don’t even consider myself a “singer” but every night I sing to Ethan before bedtime and I really feel like my singing ability has greatly improved!
Anyhow, I just wanted to run this by you first to get your thoughts before I talk to Jon about it. If you say no, I completely understand. No pressure of course…
I look forward to hearing back from you!
Thanks!
Melissa Elswick
Day off = Painting Day
Monday was my day off, so I had a few buddies come by and help me paint Ethan’s room. Turned out great!
Our Crossway Church Men’s Community Group has been studying Disciplines of a Godly Man by Kent Hughes for the past three weeks. The book has been incredible and has instigated a lot of great discussion from the guys. This Monday night we were discussing his chapter on marriage. In it, Kent Hughes challenges men to really consider if they are truly dying to themselves in their marriage. He also discusses the importance of praying for your regularly and thoughtfully.
Here was one of his most powerful quotes:
“Men, do you pray for your wives with more than, ‘God bless Margaret in all she does’? If not, you are sinning against her and against God.”
Good stuff. If you don’t have the book yet, buy it!
A few years ago, my friend Brandon Wells and I wrote a song that reflects the beautiful dual reality about God that I wrote about in my previous post.
Below are the lyrics of the song:
Here is our God - Brandon Wells & Jon Elswick (c) 2006
Here’s our God
High and exalted
Here’s our God
Closer than a friend
Here’s our God
A Father to the nations
Here’s our God
The hope of sinful men
He heals the wounded and the broken
He sets the hopeless prisoner free
He turns our weeping into songs of joy
He proves His faithful love to me
Yours is the Kingdom
And the power and the glory
All yours
Forever, Amen.
Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, 4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.”
It is humbling to consider that the same God who numbers and names the stars also cares enough about us that He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:4 depicts God as far above us. Not only does God possess the authority to name the stars, but He is capable of numbering them as well. The Psalmist is reminding us that God is infinitely more wise and powerful than we are. We could no more number and name the stars in the sky than we could number and name the grains of sand at the beach. He is so far above us that we are unable to fully grasp how much greater and more glorious He is than us.
Next Sunday at Crossway Church, I’m going to start a new teaching series through the book of Jonah. The exciting thing is that Jonah is so much more than just a book about a man getting swallowed by a big fish. It is an incredible story that highlights God’s sovereignty over all things and His heart for the lost.
In preparation for our teaching series, I’ve started reading through Sinclair Ferguson’s book on Jonah called Man Overboard. Here’s a great quote:
No past privilege, nor all past privileges together; no past obedience, nor fruitfulness in service, can ever substitute for present obedience to the Word of God. (p. 8)
I heard this version of Holy, Holy, Holy at my good friend Phil Letizia’s wedding recently. Sufjan Stevens really does a nice job of breathing fresh life into this song.
It’s hard to believe, but tomorrow will be Crossway Church’s fifth Sunday service! I’ve been having a great time preaching through our Core Values. Tomorrow? Core Value # 4 - Community. We’ll be discussing how all of us have been created with a need for community, and how Jesus wants His church to fill that need.
I’m praying that Crosway can be the kind of church Jesus talked about in John 13:35:
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
