Dinner and a Journal

By Pastor George Antonakos

Last Sunday and Monday we all experienced Psalm 19:1 at a new level - "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands." The skies definitely showed forth God's work and power as a record snowfall caused us to cancel services and brought us all to a standstill for a few days. Some may still be digging out!

Psalm 19 speaks further about the witness of the natural world to God's glory, but then comes an abrupt change of subject in verse 7. It goes this way: "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. (8) The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes."

The psalm goes much further in trying to convince the reader of the benefits of constant exposure to God's word. So I have a question - "Why this parallel between nature and scripture?" Here's what I think:

The beauty of the skies, the perpetual cycle of day and night, the consistency of the Sun's course and the pervasiveness of its presence all point to God's power, order and provision. And just as the created order is steadfast and predictable, so the word of God can be trusted to provide all we need for spiritual growth. In fact we really cannot understand or experience our true place in God's order and plan for us apart from the regular intake of God's word.

And look at the familiar final verse of the psalm: "May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my redeemer." The only way that this prayer can be realized is by God's word seeping into our hearts and souls to such an extent that our inner lives bubble up into pleasing words and thoughts.

So, it is with this in mind that we present "Lenten Promises": A series of five Wednesday evenings, beginning March 12th, which will feature a fellowship dinner and Scripture Journaling in small groups. You will learn or be reminded how to life-journal, as well as experience the beauty, simplicity and power of sitting at the Lord's feet together. The evening schedule will be as follows:

• 6:00 to 6:45 pm - Dinner Together
• 6:45 to 6:55 pm - Large Group Presentation on Journaling
• 7:00 to 8:00 pm - Journaling in Groups and Adjournment

So, sign up on your pew cards today for both dinner and journaling, or just journaling. You may also call the church office this week to register as well. This will help us plan for both meals and materials. I can't wait to share time in the Word together with you!

See also 40 Days of Purpose at CPC.