Regular followers of my blog–all three of you–will have noticed that I have been on hiatus. I wish I could give you a really spiritual reason for this. For example, I would like to say that I spent the past three months in a cave in the wilderness seeking God and have now come with new insight. Or I preached to thousands. Neither would be true. I did spend some time on the beach and I did do some teaching.
Actually, the reason for my absence is much more mundane. I got busy. Then I went somewhere for a month without a good internet connection. I found the absence of regular internet refreshing…and frustrating. I experienced less stress, partly because I wasn’t subjected to minute by minute descriptions of the stock market’s decline, the deficit battle and assorted other ills. But I also found myself getting anxious. Why? Because I wasn’t able to get minute by minute reports of the stock market’s decline, the deficit battle and assorted other ills. Plus, even from a distance, I could feel my small flock of readers drifting away to other, more attractive blogs written by famous people. Now I am back, trying to suppress my ordinary anxiety and think of something meaningful to say on my blog.
“Care is a question addressed to the future in fear and trembling” Helmut Thielicke observes. “It is the fearful question of what is going to happen.” It is not a frivolous question, even though most of our fears about the future are never realized. Sometimes the lowering clouds do foreshadow a storm. “But the one care that should concern us,” Thielicke warns, “is that we do not throw away our trust in the Lord who would sleep in our ship and is able to walk upon the waves.” Cast your care upon him, for he cares for you.
You can now pre-order my latest book Folly, Grace & Power: The Mysterious Act of Preaching (published by Zondervan) from Amazon.com at the amazing price of $11.55! Christianbook.com has it for $11.49! IT’S A FIRE SALE YOU CAN’T IGNORE (if this was late night t.v. I’d be shouting)! You can learn more about the book at follygraceandpower.com. Please help me get the word out about the book.
Good to hear from you again, Dr. Koessler. I look forward to your posts.
I too am glad you’re back and am equally excited about your forthcoming book.
Thanks, Jonathan. I appreciate it! Jeremy-let me know how you like it. Or better yet-if you don’t like it, just lie about it and tell me you like it anyway.
Hi John,
I’m also glad you are back on your blog. I especially appreciated the reference to Thielicke, one of my favorite authors/preachers, in addition to you, of course.
Carol
Hello! I´d love to have a copy of your book. I´m a graduate of MBI, so I was once your student for one of the classes I kept asking myself “What am I doing here ?” There were only two or three young ladies besides me in a class of about 30 men. Everytime I had to stand to share something I would rather be in the Greek class, where everyone was there to study a foreing language. That was the bad part… but the good one was that I never forgot you and your teachings, and the day I stood in front of a class and couldn´t say a word in english, because I had studied my sermon in my mother tongue (Portuguese) the night before my final presentation, in fact… I had slept for only 3 hours that night :)!!! So…all I could thing of that morning was ” I should go back to bed and get some rest” (in portuguese of course). After so many years here I am back in Brasil, recalling some of the precious experiences I had while at Moody, and I often use that situation as an illustration when teaching my students that “good things may come out of bad experiences”. At least you may use it as an illustration during your sermon. I just appreciate finding your blog and being able to follow your insights. Thank you for letting me know after that morning that it was only a bad day, or night, for me… and that many good ones would come. Your words were precious to me. Blessings to you!!!