Magnificent Monday

Hey guys,

So, I was in Ann Arbor this weekend and got to attend Sunday Celebration yesterday, so I've decided to reflect on Pastor Andrew's sermon. :) Also, honestly, I'm a couple of days behind on the BRP, but more on that below.

I got to the service yesterday morning and realized I had forgotten a notebook. I figured it wasn't really a big deal, though and figured I'd be fine just listening. Then Pastor Andrew started talking. He opened by talking about this guy, Randy Pausch, a professor at Carnegie Mellon who was asked to participate in a lecture series called "The Last Lecture", the premise of which is that professors are given the chance to lecture on whatever subject they would if it were the last lecture of their life. For Randy Pausch, though, it really was his last lecture because he had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only had a couple of months to live. He chose to talk about achieving one's childhood dreams and how to live without regret. He then went on to write a book based on this lecture. Now, I know that a lot of people have found this lecture incredibly inspiring, but it really means a lot to my family and me personally. About three years ago (a year before this book was published), my uncle died of pancreatic cancer. Though his death wasn't unexpected, it hit us all really hard. It was this book that really helped us (especially my mom) deal with my uncle's death and start to move on. In fact, she even gave me the book as a gift when I graduated high school. So knowing all of this, hopefully it makes more sense when I say that I nearly started crying yesterday when Pastor Andrew showed a clip of the lecture in church. And I rarely cry. Anyway, needless to say, I knew that this sermon would probably really speak to me and that I had to write it down...so I'm now writing this reflection from notes I scribbled on the back of a receipt I found in my purse haha.

Pastor Andrew took the idea of living without regrets and talked about how we as Christians should strive to live without regrets, based from the lessons Paul teaches about in Acts 20:13-35. All of the lessons held a powerful message, but what spoke to me the most was the idea that we should strive to be completed. As Pastor Andrew put it, the Word is the main channel to God's grace. I know this is true, and I've heard it many times, but somehow I always manage to forget just how amazing and important God's word truly is. And then, sometimes even when I think I understand the magnitude of the gospel, I don't think I really do because I tend to have this mindset that it's really important for me and others who already believe, but that it doesn't necessarily need to be spread to those who don't already believe it. Sav, I completely understand where you're coming from on the issue of missions and evangelism in general. But I think for me, part of my hesitancy in spreading the gospel definitely comes from not wanting to offend others, but a large part also comes from the fear that I am inept and unqualified to do so. Luckily for me, Pastor Andrew then shared a quote from Charles Spurgeon, who was a contemporary of Whitfield and Wesley: "Whitfield and Wesley may preach the gospel better than I do, but they could not preach a better gospel." How true is that?!? This really reinforced the idea that my self-confidence (or self-consciousness) should not be a factor in sharing God with someone. After all, it's not like I'm going at it alone, God is with me.

I'll keep the update short since I've already written a lot. I spent the weekend in Ann Arbor, and between trying to catch up with everyone I know who's still there while also making it the most epic Harry Potter-filled time ever, it was ridiculously chaotic, and I'm pretty sure I only slept 9 hours total the entire time I was there. It was definitely worth it though. :D I was also able to realize that it wasn't a coincidence that The Last Lecture was mentioned in church the same day I was going to spend 4 hours straight in alone in a car with my mom, and so I was able to share a little bit with her. The conversation still didn't get that deep, since I think we were both a little uncomfortable, but I'm starting to be able to have full-length conversations about Harvest more regularly, which is definitely a good thing.

I love and miss you all,
Shelby

Btw, the life application from the sermon yesterday was to make an investment this summer that you will not regret. I really hope that all of you will continue to make an investment in your relationships with God through your participation in this blog. :)