We were returning from a Sunday morning in Hillsboro, Il. We’ve out and about on four consecutive Sundays.  We’ll be back in Hillsboro on July 2, and then at Prairietown on the 9^th.

Becky said, “You’re doing what you always wanted to do.  You’re a circuit riding preacher.”

Me, “But I’m glad I’m not doing it by horse.  I like mine under the hood.”

Becky was right.  Since I retired, sort of, in 2003, I’ve been running around and preaching or filling vacancies which are often less than a year.  She also mentioned that it was good to get out of the city and into the country.

It takes patience to let God work things out according to his plan.  In the late 1990’s I began thinking about doing smaller churches, since it seemed that God wanted me to do large ones for most of my ministry.  Also, to do something in a diverse cultural setting.

I should point out that for me prayer is thinking about things.

God has granted my thinking-about-things -prayers.  As the Psalmist says, “I will walk in the land of the living.”  In my case, that’s no small miracle.   I’ve been running around and preaching for the last 14 years.  And I’ve served in a largely African -American congregation with some members originating in West Africa.

Psalm 116, says, “What shall I render to the Lord for his benefits to me?… I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.”

Well, psalm writer, I couldn’t have said it better.