Around the web this week…

 +  Mark Buchanan is a Canadian pastor –and one of my favorite authors. He finds the gospel in ordinary things.  He is thoughtful & transparent, contemplative & creative, relentlessly Biblical & Christ-honoring.  He has recently become a columnist for Christianity Today.  This beautiful meditation on community is an example of the sort of insightful writing you can expect from him. Check out his books - Your God is Too Small, The Holy Wild, Things Unseen and The Rest of God.

 + We’re called to reach the nations with the gospel of Jesus.  It’s our part in God’s redemptive plan for human history, for Jesus said “the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations.” (Mk.13:10) Billions have yet to hear His name, so that is a daunting task.  Not everybody can go-but everybody can give and everybody can pray.  Go to this site a look for unreached people of the day for a practical way to pray for the gospel to spread to the nations.

             + While you’re praying for the nations, pray for Myanmar, which was just hit with a devastating cyclone.  Multiple thousands are dead.  Pray that this tragedy could be used to share the love and hope of Jesus.       

            + Yesterday, we began a fresh partnership with Mosaic Church, a church plant in Versailles.  Pray for Pastor Todd & Kelly Probus and keep up with the church’s progress towards their September launch at the Mosaic’s blog.

      + So, I’m watching American Idol last week and the guest star for the week is Neil Diamond.  He’s ancient and I wasn’t too excited about him when he was in his prime.  He has a new album called Home Before Dark, and he sang the first single release, Pretty Amazing Grace. I was stunned by this lyric.  The Christian imagery is obvious and astonishing. I don’t know if he has become a Christ-follower, but one would have to think he is “not far from the Kingdom.”  You can listen to the whole song here.  

Pretty amazing grace is what you showed me
Pretty amazing grace is who you are
I was an empty vessel
You filled me up inside
And with amazing grace
Restored my pride.

Pretty amazing grace is how you saved me
And with amazing grace, reclaimed my heart
Love in the midst of chaos
Calm in the heat of war
Showed with amazing grace
What love was for.

You forgave my insensitivity
And my attempt to then mislead you
You stood beside a wretch like me
And pretty amazing grace was all I needed.

Stumbled inside the doorway of your chapel
Humbled and awed by everything I found
Beauty and love surround me
Freed me from what I feared
Asked for amazing grace
And you  appeared.

You overcame my loss of hope and faith
Gave me a truth I could believe in
You led me to a higher place
Showed your amazing grace
When grace was what I needed.

Look in a mirror I see your refection
Open a book you live on every page
I fall and you’re there to lift me
You share every road I climb
And with amazing grace
You ease my mind.

I came to you with empty pockets first
When I returned I was a rich man
Didn’t believe love could quench my thirst
But with amazing grace, you showed me that it can.

In your amazing grace I had a vision
From that amazing place, I came to be
Into the night I wandered, wandering aimlessly
Found your amazing grace to comfort me.

Pretty amazing (repeat 8x)

You overcame my loss of hope and faith
Gave me a truth I could believe in
You led me to that higher place
Showed me that love, and truth, and hope, and grace
Were all I needed.

                        Neil Diamond, 2008