Meeting and Talking with Moses

I've been out of the blogging business now for quite a time. My excuse, of course, is that I'm serving as the Interim Pastor of Zion Lutheran Church of Tomball, Texas and simply don't have the time—and the energy to keep it going. Well, that's my excuse at least.

Now that the year and a couple months I've been serving this congregation are coming to an end, I've decided that it is possible—maybe even necessary—for me to pick up this work once again. The congregation's Call committee has found three candidates they like and within a few weeks they may even be prepared to present them to the congregation to consider for the call to the office of pastor. The current nomenclature is "senior pastor" (a non-Biblical term). The idea is that the one fulfilling this office will be the overseer or Bishop of a growing staff of congregation servants, because Zion sees great possibilities for expanding the kingdom of Christ in this area.

If that happens and if the man called agrees that the Lord of the church is calling him to this work, there is a distinctive possibility that he will indeed become the senior pastor of Zion congregation sometime before or after the Feast of the Resurrection (Easter), the first week in April, 2015. But let me be very clear. This remains in the hands of the Holy Spirit. I am only speculating.

But what's my point? Ah, there you have me. I am considering what is the next step in my life. I shall be putting down the mantel of interim pastor and will step to the side. I've thought a lot about that in this past year. I recall that Moses was 80 years old when he began to lead Israel to the promised land. And 40 years later his work was done. Whoever completed that part of the Deuteronomy story wrote this:

So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD, and he buried him in the valley in the land of Moab opposite Beth-peor; but no one knows the place of his burial to this day. Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated. - Deu 34:5-7 ESV

That's not the last we hear of Moses, however. He was there on another mountain—when the Lord Jesus was transfigured.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah." - Mat 17:2-4 ESV

Can you imagine what it will be like to meet Moses? ! And talk with him? And Elijah? And all the other prophets and apostles? What a humbling, wondrous experience that will be. When you get to be over 80 years old, that's the kind of thoughts one has.