Newsletter of Hamilton Bible Fellowship
February 2006
At the memorial service for my uncle Don Cox a local resident confided to my sister: "When you move to Naples you learn two things. You’re not that old . . . and, you’re not that rich!" Certainly in that part of Florida the bar is set high for both - for better, or for worse. Age and wealth are always matters of relative measure. There, I was feeling young! . . . and, poor. Yet statistically, I’m neither.
"For by the grace given me," Paul writes in Romans 12, "I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgement, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." The only true standard of comparison is God’s. That is the highest bar, and it is not a relative measure. We all fall short, as Paul wrote earlier in Romans 3 - way short. But we need not beat ourselves (or others) up over it; that is not what God wants. He accepts us, but never on our terms.
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy, I cannot find in my own
And he keeps this fire burning, to melt this heart of stone
Keeps me aching with a yearning, keeps me glad to have been caught
In the reckless raging fury, that they call the love of God
- Rich Mullins, "The Love of God"
"Love must be genuine," Paul continues in Romans 12. He means that ours is to be sincere, yes; but also that it is based on reality. God knows our sin, all our shortcomings and worse. Yet he loves us enough to intervene - to rescue us from the consequences and to newly enable us to live in the midst of it.
Joy and sorrow are this ocean, in their every ebb and flow
Now the Lord a door has opened, that all hell could never close
Here I’m tested and made worthy, tossed about but lifted up
In the reckless raging fury, that they call the love of God
- Ibid.
This reminds me of the description of Aslan in The Narnia Chronicles: He is a good lion, but he is not a tame lion. God is not docile; his love is not sentimental, romantic, placid or nice. It is wildly extravagant, it is costly, it is totally undeserved, it is unfathomable. Indeed, he is good: we are the beneficiaries of this love - the reckless, raging fury that they call the love of God.
NEWS AND PRAYER UPDATES
Dianne Button is in Binghamton General Hospital, receiving nourishment and treatment for an infection that has been debilitating for the last few months. The prognosis is hopeful. Her evaluation for a kidney transplant in Pittsburgh is being postponed. Keep praying!
Don Cox did succumb to cancer on Friday, January 20. Pray for his wife Jean, and children Ann and Chris. I was able to be in Florida to participate in the memorial service and spend time with my aunt and cousins.
Pray for CCF at the beginning of this new semester, and for the new leadership team in particular as they clarify rather ambitious vision and goals.
Thanks to all who have continued to help out at the jobsite. Interior walls are almost complete, and we are beginning installing electrical wiring. We are still targeting a completion date between June and August!
THE QUOTE CORNER
Love is the weapon which God reserved to conquer rebel man
when all the rest had failed. Reason he parries; fear he answers
blow for blow; future interest he meets with present pleasure.
But love is that sun against whose melting beams the winter
cannot stand.
Martin F. Tupper
Money will buy a fine dog, but only love will make him
wag his tail.
The Ulster Post
COMING EVENTS CALENDAR
Small groups are up and running again: Men’s Breakfast Thursdays at 6:15 at Coxes’; Women’s Study Fridays at 1:00 PM at various locations. The Thursday Bible Study is at Coxes’, 6:45 - 8:00. We are beginning a study of 1 Thessalonians, having completed Colossians last semester. We are looking for additional participants. The time has been set to allow for dinner to happen before, and also to leave the remainder of the evening free. Please consider joining us!
We will have a round of HBF Mini-Banquets, perhaps with a theme, sometime in late February - early March. Watch for Sunday sign up.
There will be a community Ash Wednesday Service on (Wed.) March 1st, location and time TBA.
February Birthdays: 6 Deb Pils; 12 Leroy Hodge; 16 Ashley Button; 23 Jeff Schindler; 25 Norm Button; 26 Nicole Smith