wheels

The family got back into Waco just before dusk last night. We had traveled 2300+ miles in a week going from Waco to Memphis, TN, to Nashville (2 nights) to Albany, GA (2 nights), to New Orleans and then home again...home again.

Lots of car time and wishing to be there already time and hoping the kids will take a nap time. During the trip, the "check engine" light came on twice--once climbing the hills around Chattanooga (with 300 more miles to go that day) and the other as we rolled into New Orleans on Monday. Each time, the car ran fine and the light eventually went off.

I will confess to great anxiety when the light came on. I couldn't take my eyes off of it--it was a harbinger of doom: sitting on the side of a road with young children, waiting for a tow, getting stuck in a town while repairs are made, being at the mercy of a mechanic. Does it sound like I've done this before?!

As I tried to take my eyes and mind off the light, I thought about God giving believers a "check engine" shakeup once in a while. With the light on, I thought of how wonderful it is to have a working machine. I point it in a direction, give it gas and it goes. When it is going, rarely am I thankful; I take it for granted and fail to notice it. On that trip, I gave thanks each time we arrived somewhere. That has continued.

As a believer, maybe I expect it to go well all the time. Maybe I'm surprised when a "check engine" light or some other obstacle appears. Maybe we do that as a church and as the Church. Paul tells us to be joyful in all things. We can be joyful in many things. We usually aren't joyful when the "check engine" light appears; we are usually anxious. Maybe that light is to test our joy.


Recent reading: The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid by C.K. Prahalad; When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty without Hurting the Poor...or Ourselves by Brian Fikkert and Steve Corbett; Christian Worship: Its Theology and Practice by Franklin Seger and Randall Bradley; No Peace without Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu; Evangelism without Additives by Jim Henderson; The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective by Richard Rohr.

Calvary kids at Passport

Our children are at Passport camp this week. Keep them and our chaperones and Children's Minister in your prayers.

Digital chronicling of the week may be accessed using the instructions below:

Here is a link to the website: http://www.passportcamps.org/campphoto/files/kidsbuckner1.php
And password: sprint

Season of Repentance

Calvary served as a bright morning star to the Sanger-Heights neighborhood and Greater Waco for years. The church went through a season when its light dimmed and its halls grew dark. However, the light of Christ is returning. If we truly desire to dwell in the illumination of the fullness of Christ once again, we must repent as a church for the past few years. Please use Psalm 51 as a daily confession for this, praying it as your own each day.

A link to Sunday’s sermon on July 18 is provided below. If you missed that worship service, please take time to listen to it and join us as we seek to return to the light.

http://calvarybaptistwaco.com/media.php?pageID=12 and click on the message for July 18, Have Mercy.

More from Youth Passport Camp

For and update from camp please visit:

http://www.calvarystudents.net/documents/greetings%20from%20passport%20camp.pdf

youth at passport

From our Youth Minister Danny Steis:

http://www.passportcamps.org/campphoto/files/mercer5.php

* the password is "jump"

* expect new photos to be added each afternoon