2007-04-23 - Daniel

Installment 47~ Chapter 6 ~ Nice Kitties

I grew up in a mainline denomination. In spite of having some disagreements with specific doctrinal issues (secondary, not foundational), there are things I remember fondly. One of the advantages of being in an old mainline church is a sense of continuity and history. Awhile back, I mentioned the first church Janette and I attended, which recently celebrated its 125th anniversary. Many of the families who have been members for many years. Looking over the directory, we recognized names of families that we knew some thirty years ago.

Frequently, in this kind of an environment, members don't worry about a pastor they don't care for. After all, they and the church will be there long after he is gone. I remember one individual we hired in the early seventies. To start with, he was single. Next, he was British. And, to add insult to injury, on the first Sunday he preached, he wore robes. Boy, did this upset some of the people in the pews! In fact, he was never able to overcome that initial mistake of inappropriate dress. But sure enough, those who were present when he arrived were still there after he left.

It appears that Daniel's situation was similar. He stayed in civil service work and saw kings and governments come and go. But Daniel always remained, serving God in his exile. His security didn't depend on who was in power, because their power was illusionary. All they received came from God. And God was always there. He was always sovereign.

This didn't mean that things went smoothly for Daniel, nor will they always go smoothly for us. Sometimes it feels like we're looking down the mouth of a lion. The only question is, will we get our heads bitten off?

To be continued.

Comments or Questions?
Geoff

GKragen@aol.com
http://www.cfdevotionals.org