All within me falls at Your throne

14th July 2013

At the end of this week I will write a blog to talk about Vacation Bible School “VBS” which started this evening at Fair View. But I’m going to mention some other things that took place today.

The day started with Methodist Men’s Breakfast. I was asked to lead the devotions and I read Jeremiah 29: 4 – 11. I explained how verse 11 was important to me:

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

And then I shared how I’d been called to ministry.

One man, who we’ve become very friendly with said after I’d finished whether I’d like to comment on verse 6

6 Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease.

Did I have plans to find Tom a wife? Too much laughter.

I’ve published separately the text of my sermon. This evening several people came up to me and thanked me for it. One gentleman told me he hadn’t been at the service this morning but his wife came home and recounted the sermon to him and she said it was one of the best sermons she’d ever heard! (Very kind words but I don’t think I’d but in the same league as a sermon preached by John Wesley, or Donald Soper or other great preachers.) Another man said he really liked my reflection on what Jesus might be saying to each one of us. He’d never thought of the parable of the Good Samaritan that way before.

(I’d not thought of that interpretation before. It maybe it is in a commentary but it felt as if that was the word I was given to say. So it was inspired rather than read.)

The 9am contemporary worship was good again and I felt much more at ease at both services this week without having to juggle in communion.

Towards the end of the 11am service the offertory was brought forward and the associate pastor received it. But she then realised the altar table had been moved to accommodate VBS. Now the church has been transformed into a castle as the VBS theme is Kingdom Rock. So the associate pastor placed the offering on the throne and then knelt before it to say a prayer. This was spontaneous and was so powerful and moving. I really felt something special, in this simple gesture.

I was reminded of this song
King of Kings, Majesty,
God of heaven, living in me
Gentle Saviour, closest friend,
Strong Deliverer, Beginning and End
All within me falls at Your throne

Your Majesty, I can but bow
I lay my all before You now
In royal robes I don't deserve
I live to serve Your Majesty

Earth and heaven worship You,
God Eternal, Faithful and True
Who bought the nations,
ransomed souls
Brought this sinner
near to Your throne
All within me cries out in praise


After service we were taken out for lunch by a couple we’d not met before. They were really good company and the man was very funny.

The line about marrying Tom off came up again. And the man said we needed to be careful when we went up to Sims Barbeque next weekend as the country girls were all waiting. And he warned Tom to be careful as they often have extra toes.

He went on to say though that they are not as bad as the girls from West Virginia who often share one set of teeth between six. (Tom and I were giggling away as we were reminded of the comments about people from the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.)

Our host then said to us “Of course, you know the tooth brush was invented in West Virginia?” Really we said. “Oh sure. If it had been anywhere else it would be called a teeth brush!”

Well we found funny.