wrapping up, building up

    I ended my last blog with what was then my schedule for the following days. The trip to York was fine. It was the first time bishops were consecrated in the cathedral at York by the archbishop in 400 years. Unfortunately, I was sat so far away from the “action” that I was not able to see very well. It was interesting, regardless. Saturday was a first football tournament for a group of lads I assist, and although they didn’t win, they did well. I told them that I was most impressed by their sportsmanship. There were a few times that opponents were pushing them into the walls and the like, and they did not retaliate. Sunday was the tour of Manchester United’s stadium, which also went well. It was with a different group than the one I was with on Saturday evening. I think everyone enjoyed it, and aside from two lads wondering off for about 20 minutes on their own without letting anyone know, it went flawlessly.
    I’ve written a few times that although my time here is coming to an end, I still believe growth is possible. I was assigned “back door duty” at the community youth club this past Thursday evening, which in case you didn’t gather from the job description, isn’t the most glamorous job. Fortunately, it is near the ping-pong table. After a few minutes of sitting, two younger girls and one lad, probably 12 or 13 years old, started playing. Whenever the ball came near where I was sitting, I made a humorous show of returning it to them. Well, an hour or so later the four of us were still there, and still laughing. That said, it was one of the better nights I’ve had there, and hopefully they were positively impacted by it. I say that because there’s a good chance they don’t have great home lives, so it’s always a good thing when I see and hear laughter.
    On the personal side of things, I’ve been reading through the book of Ezekiel. So far I’ve been in the condemnation section of the book, which isn’t exactly prime reading material in the mornings, but still is useful of course (2 Timothy 3:16). Just this afternoon I was listening to a short sermon on the holiness of God, and how it is often overlooked in our thinking and living. When I thought about that sermon in relation to my current reading in Ezekiel, I began thinking about how the Israelites lost their understanding of the holiness of God, and subsequently found themselves being condemned by this holy, omnipotent God. I don’t think that was the only issue the Israelites had, but as the preacher of this sermon said, God’s holiness must be foundational in our thinking and living, and when the Israelites disregarded God’s holiness, they found themselves in serious judgment.