Elliott's Muses

 I've been a church sermon listener this year.  For years my vocation as a Pastor meant I prepared teachings for Sunday morning, and for other places from time to time.  I was a sermon deliverer, and now in early retirement, have become a sermon listener. At the church that I've been attending here in Florida, I have felt God speaking to me out of his word every week since I arrived in late December.  I wanted to worship with others - I do believe in honoring the command of the book of Hebrews 10:24-25,   24  And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, 25  not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.  In our society, many have lost their belief that being with others in worship, receiving the sacraments, praying, and coming back to the authority of the word of God in teaching is worth the time every Sunday.....

The stories of Elisha in 2 Kings are remarkable for both the miraculous and the common everyday things they are about.  I wanted to "muse" on that a bit.   Most of my life is common, everyday kind of things.  Read, talk, go... get groceries, gas, stop for this or that...errands, tasks to finish, or begin... awake and doing... and then awake and eating... and then awake and resting... a good 16 to 18 hours before it's time to sleep...and then awake and start all over again. My days begin with reading and prayers.  Prayers to God for my life, needs for forgiveness, requests for health and safety, and for my family... Linda, the kids and their families...my grandchildren and children.  Also, prayers for friends, especially when needs are present.  Health is always a part of my prayers for those who are in need. Everyday life...it's usually very normal, without drama, and, while often busy, full, still normal.   Then there are those times, days, ...

  Reading thru the Bible, whether the whole Bible, or just the New Testament, isn't difficult, but requires some perseverance. I've been doing whole Bible readings in a year for over thirty years, and after publishing my "Reading the Bible in a Year - a Complete Reading and Devotional Commentary", reading the last half of the Bible is still a good investment in spiritual reading for the soul. Here's a couple of things to consider: 1. Think of it as a meal - breakfast, lunch, dinner, or late-night snack. It takes about ten minutes to read the passages and devotional material in my book - ok, sometimes a little longer - but if you see it as a meal, it's just a daily routine. After all, Jesus said, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God" - It's food, set aside daily time, and keep the time. 2. If you miss a meal, you don't gorge on the next meal, but you take it seriously that you need som...

 It was exactly 50 years ago this week that Linda and I packed our small apartment belongings into a 4 x 6 Uhaul trailer and towed it south from Wisconsin to Chattanooga, Tennessee.  I entered Seminary in January of 1972 at the age of 22.  I didn't have any idea of what Seminary life was going to be like.  It was a whirlwind of decision-making when we arrived in Chattanooga.  Where to live?  What classes to take?  What can I do to make some money working part-time?  There was nothing prepared for us and we soon realized that every day and in every way, we had multiple decisions to make. I remember driving down one of the streets near the Seminary, pondering "what have I just done...moved my new bride 800 miles from family and friends...to the South, no less, where they don't understand what I'm saying, and quite frequently someone will observe... "so, you're a Yankee huh?"  Grits? what in the world is that?  Hominy, greens, oh my! About ...