Confusion

Just went back and saw that a post I wrote back in January about being in a holding pattern was never published.  Funny how God works through the little things.  That post was the beginning of discussions between Angela and I about my looking for a new job and the possibility of moving.  Since then, I have continued to consider this, even as far as working on my resume and starting to reach out to some contacts and look at job postings.

Then God threw another curve ball into the equation.  It looks like we are going to hire a new music/creative arts minister at WTCC who I am really excited about and whose coming is a total God thing, the elders seem to be behind a change in direction (or actually defining a direction) at WTCC that also excites me and will change our focus to more on those who are outside the church, and all these changes also look like they will result in our bringing on a new minister as well to help in the teaching and move us to a teaching team approach that also excites me.  So as Angela said to me, all these exciting things happen and now we may move.  I don't know that we will be moving, but one of the things that was leading me toward the idea was our discontent with WTCC.

If we do move it has to be for the right reasons and I have to be sure that God is behind it.  I don't want to make more money, I like the freedom and margin I have in my current job (just not the work or management right now), I don't want to lose time with my family or get caught in the "rat race" (thanks Morely), I want to get back into refractories and would not mind the freedom to work in other areas that are more humanitarian in nature (sustainable construction, water purification, technology to aid the third world).  God has been putting all these things on my heart and has been working on me from multiple angles when I look back.  I just want to be in His will, which I realize is a dangerous place to be.

Lord guide me.  One truth which I was reminded of this morning is that "Jesus did not die on the cross so I can go to heaven, he died to be my lord and master".  So I submit.  Tell me to go and I go, tell me to stay and I stay.  May the cloud lead me by day and the pillar of fire by night...

400 Years of Silence (originally written in January)

The fact that there are 400 years between the end of Malachi in the old testament and Matthew in the new testament has come up a lot lately, therefore I assume it must be important.  Even more significant than the time period is the fact that for all practical purposes, God was silent during this time.

I often feel like Angela and I are in a holding pattern at WTCC, that we are serving there and have some significant relationships there, but that we are maybe waiting (or preparing) for something else.  The sermon I heard today talked about how although God was silent during this 400 year period between the old and new testaments, he was not absent.  He was in fact preparing the way for the events of Jesus' birth and the spreading of the gospel following His death.  God has not been silent during our time at WTCC, but we are not content.  Maybe that discontent and our current activities are preparing us.  Maybe they are part of what is next.