"In View of Mercy"

It was an outstanding service this morning. The youth pastor (the young, skinny guy with curly blond hair), who had lead worship my first two Sundays at Mission Village, preached on the gospel. He called it Gospel 101, or something like that. He threw tons of passages at us, some of them famous, all outlining the simple news of salvation by faith (that the entire world cannot fully come to grips with - yes, even me). It was a duh moment for me when he talked about scriptures that seem to contradict this... he used Matthew 6, the sermon on the mount... anyone who doesn't forgive will not be forgiven. I guess I haven't thought about it much, but yes, this seems to invalidate what Paul preached over and over. Faith alone. But... And... Nope! It really is that simple.

He talked about the coming of the new covenant. How Jesus says at the last supper that his blood is the beginning of it. That clearly means that the sermon on the mount (and I really feel I should slap my forehead here) was given to illustrate the old covenant. Jesus was showing us that even though we may think we keep the 10 commandments, we don't. Stuff like, "Anyone who ever says "you fool" to anyone is in danger of hell fire... anyone who hates someone is guilty of murder". That's impossible to keep... and that's the point.

And then he moved on to 1 John 1:9... and sort of shocked me with saying John wasn't talking to believers when he wrote it. If we are saved, we "forgive just as Christ forgave you" (Ephesians). Yes, we ask for forgiveness when we sin; but we are already saved. We don't have to... we want to. Because as John says, the light doesn't have anything to do with the darkness.

This has been the first time in a long time I've been made to think when I've attended church. It was so good.

And not only did they make me think, but they also served a brunch afterwords. Cheese, spinach & bacon quiche, sausage & potato soup, bread, lemon & chocolate cakes, and unsweetened iced tea! A feast!

I went directly to Balboa Park after this, to enjoy more free museums. Air & Space Museum first (James... you really need to go sometime!). I went back in 2009, and it was fun again. Paid attention to some of the things I overlooked in a hurry then. The portraits of people in the Flying Hall of Fame throughout... the new display on naval aviation... the detail of the Dauntless, the Hellcat and the Wildcat they have on a created deck of a carrier (with a zero flying overhead). I loved seeing it all again. They had "Flyboys" playing in the very good WWI exhibit, and "Tora,Tora,Tora" playing under the makeshift ready-room of the carrier.

Okay... and for the first time I saw the houses of Pacific relations... the title confused me, as most of them were European countries. Little huts with tid-bits of that specific country displayed in each, along with traditional treats and travel books. I was impressed.

Also for the first time, the Hall of Sports Champions from San Diego... including a live large mouth bass in a tank by the pictures of sports fishermen. I stopped in the Museum of Photography again for a new exhibit on portraits, and again to the San Diego History Museum for a look at the paintings. But they also had a new permanent exhibit... a big collection of photographs was donated by the family of a local studio for black people back in the 1960's. Interesting to look at!

And for the first time the Model Railroad Museum. This I paid $2.50 for, but I didn't mind. :) They had several models of downtown San Diego and the surrounding country from different periods... first the 1930's, then moving on through the 60's or so. The even had a couple different models of El Centro... one with a working drive-in theater, playing Laurel and Hardy. lol

Dinner was a modest half sandwich and a lemon bar at the cafe near these last three things. And as I was leaving the park I thought again how I wished I had my camera, with all the interesting clouds and lovely light... and while driving back I decided to come back with them. I loaded the best onto Facebook as I talked with Mike back on base.

What a day.
Jp