I stayed home the first part of last week. It was my Lehigh University visit. As I was walking around the university, I reflected on what a pretty campus Lehigh has. Michael Goodlin is only in his second year with RUF. He is rapidly learning to be a campus minister, but there is much to learn! Michael and I attended Noon Prayer on Tuesday and Wednesday. I visited with Candace, the intern, Tuesday afternoon, and went to Large Group that night where Michael preached an excellent sermon from Nehemiah. Ruth and I had dinner with Michael and Natasha at the Sun Inn on Wednesday – a historic establishment in Bethlehem with colonial roots. I always enjoy returning to Lehigh and spending time with Michael and Natasha and the students.
The New England RUFs held their Winter Conference last weekend, and Ruth and I drove to Newport, RI to attend. To avoid arriving exhausted, we drove up on Thursday and had a pleasant Friday at the hotel. It was wonderful to spend the weekend with the staff and students from New England. Russ Whitfield from D.C. gave four powerful messages on the Kingdom of God. One memorable moment was when he was expounding the necessity of refusing to nurse grudges. Russ said, “I watched my wife nurse four children, and I learned that a child gets big as he nurses. Some of you have been nursing grudges, and now they are teenagers and are eating you out of house and home! Jesus calls you to stop nursing your grudges.” I posted a couple of pictures of the conferenec on my Facebook page.
Ruth and I made a determined effort to come straight back after worship on Sunday so that we could attend the ordination of Matt Franchetti, the new pastor of our church. We worshiped at Christ Our Hope Presbyterian Church in Charles Town, RI and made it in time for the ordination. We feasted on marvellous treats afterward and drove home in the snow without serious problems.
I am flying to Dallas where RUF’s national oversight committee will be meeting early this week. Next weekend Kristy and I will be helping at the Mid-Atlantic Training Conference.
David Green 