Sunday Night Check-In
It's been a few weeks...
It has been a few weeks since the last Sunday Night Check-In. The past two weekends were holiday weekends and I had a few other posts to share. But this is the end of the first full weekend of the calendar year, 2024. I am not someone who expects life to change because we have turned the corner on a new year. I am someone who believes if you set your mind to a new habit, goal, or effort - you can do it.
It’s been an enjoyable week getting back into the groove of the regular week without any holiday stuff going on. I like the holidays, but I also like my routine.
Sunday I began my preaching journey through the Gospel of Mark, which will culminate on Easter Sunday, March 31st. If you subscribe to the Sermons From Forsythe, you received those sermon notes this morning. I look forward to finishing my series of classes on the Holy Spirit this coming Wednesday. Following that, we will spend some time studying the Lord’s Supper. Those notes also come through on the Sermons From Forsythe substack.
The year is starting off with some losses. My friend Melvin passed away this past week. Melvin was a part of our church, a leader in the recovery community, and a friend to everyone he met. Everyone who knew Melvin will tell the same story. Anytime he would walk up to you, he had the same question: “Has anyone told you that they love you today?” It always made me smile. He was a master of encouragement and helping people with their struggles. Unfortunately for us, cancer was a struggle he couldn’t overcome. However, I am assured that he is now in a place where he knows he is loved deeply, healed, and happy.
Marjorie Ferguson was the mother of one of my longtime friends. She passed away last week as well. At her funeral, her two sons gave a magnificent tribute. She and her husband, Les, were married for 62 years. Maggy and I drove over to Kosciusko, Mississippi for the funeral on Friday. Kosciusko, if you don’t know, is precisely in the middle of Mississippi. It is the location of the Bible college I attended, where I first became friends with Marjorie’s son, Les Jr. The South Huntington Church of Christ building was packed, chairs were brought in, and we were blessed to pay tribute to a graceful, kind, and influential servant of the Lord.
This week a high school student in our city lost his life, a friend to many. That brings back memories of the beginning of our grief journey, fifteen years ago. I am brokenhearted for this family.
I didn’t start off this post to think about death so much at the beginning of a bright new year, but it is a part of our reality. On the first Thursday of each month, I try to attend a meeting of the Compassionate Friends. One of the friends gathered this last week read a quote by Henri Nouwen. I had to hear it a few times to connect … but the phrase ‘illusions of our immortality’ stuck with me. Nouwen used that phrase more than once, so I’m not sure that this is exactly the quote…but it is close.
“Patiently but persistently we must slowly unmask the illusions of our immortality, dispelling even the feeble creations of our frustrated mind, and stretch out our arms to the deep sea and the high heaven in a never-ending prayer. When we move from illusion to prayer, we move from the human shelter to the house of God.” -Henri Nouwen, Reaching Out: The Three Movements of the Spiritual Life.
That’s a lot to consider. We will begin a new GriefShare group next Sunday. I never know who might attend, but I’m always aware of the awesome privilege it is to walk with someone for a little while through their grief journey.
READING
I did finish my reading goal of 75 books in 2023 and have set that as a goal again in 2024. Now I do have to confess that to get to 75 I had to read a few children’s books and some novellas, but Goodreads recognized them as books so I feel justified. I have a few that I’m about to finish and have opened up a few new ones.
The Meal that Jesus Gave Us by N. T. Wright. It’s a small book on the Lord’s Supper.
Faith Afield: A Sportsman’s Devotional by Stephen Scott. Although I’m not a hunter or fisherman, I enjoy reading something outside of my normal selections.
The Church of the Lighted Window - Volume One by Anthony Faggioli. This is a fictional account of a man who willingly is placed in a mental institution following a breakdown. It is very engaging. I just noticed that it’s a “volume one” … I don’t see a volume two available yet!
WATCHING
Fool Me Once - (Netflix) a fascinating murder mystery with a lot of twists and turns. I’m not through with it, so no spoilers!
I finished season one of the Mary Tyler Moore Show (Hulu) and started season two. It’s light, has a smile or two every episode, and doesn’t require me to pay close attention. Sometimes you just need to unwind.
Just a few more things to share…
If you’re tired of winter, you might enjoy this poem called A Glimpse of Spring.
My new Substack The Holy Lens is off to a great start with 92 subscribers and we are just one week in! I appreciate the good response to these brief posts with a picture, a passage, and a prayer.
Thanks for checking in with me on this Sunday night. I appreciate your time. I hope your week is filled with the best of God’s great things! Work hard, rest well, and stay connected. The world needs you.
I’m glad your church is beginning a new Griefshare series. There is such a need for this scripture based program that combines videos with group sharing. Very therapeutic. It helped me to learn to lean on God and start moving again.
Your sentence about what it took to get to 75 books made me laugh. Whatever it takes!
How are you enjoying writing the Holy Lens every day? Sorry also about your recent losses.