Rainbows, Thunder, and Sparrows

Last night we were blessed with an awesome, golden sunset that produced a glorious rainbow over the mesas. I always consider a rainbow a blessing, and this was the first one I’ve seen in a long time. A few nights ago there was a tiny, young sparrow on our window sill, sheltering himself from the wind I suppose. I know how he felt. There are several references to sparrows in the Bible. God knows. God knows and God cares…
And the God of glory thunders. It seems that the summer monsoons have arrived early this year. Blessings come, falling on thirsty desert ground. There is hope in the gathering clouds. But there are storms too. We dare not let up on the prayers. Recently a Bishop of the Free Methodist gave a speech which in part answers my friend Bridgett’s question about just what are Free Methodists? You can read the whole speech here http://test.freemethodistchurch.org/pdfs/GCDaily07/GC07_Kendall_PastoralAddress.pdf
“In the 18th century, the Wesley brothers sought simply to return to the doctrines, practices and ministries of the early church, the church of the apostolic era.
They did not innovate as much as recapture the Spirit of the first to be church. Under their anointed leadership the common people — the lost - were transformed by the grace of God. They were empowered to become change agents in their world. Such change provided the content of their mission to preach the gospel to the poor and reform the nation. Likewise, at its inception the Free Methodist Church sought only to recapture the spirit of
“primitive Methodism” and thus “save the church” from decline and death. As the early Free Methodists conformed to the Biblical standard of Christianity and preached the gospel to the poor, they also changed their world.”
A call to minister to the poor. A call to Holiness. An Isaiah 61 call to bind up the broken hearted and preach the good news to the poor. Yes LORD Yes!