O Lord, you are my God;
    I will exalt you, I will praise your name;
for you have done wonderful things,
    plans formed of old, faithful and sure. – Isaiah 25:1

IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE! Today I’m feeling especially thankful for the opportunity I have to live what has turned out to be one amazingly blessed, adventurous, affirming, and beautiful life.

This morning is a kind of microcosm of what I enjoy the most. I’m upstairs, writing here in my study, and Rebekah is in the dining room, working on two messages she’ll be preaching this weekend.

I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee, Scout Labradoodle has positioned herself at the stairwell, equidistant from us both, and both Rebekah and I are doing what we love – immersed in God’s good word and sharing the riches of this faith journey with others through our work.

I – finally – have traction on a new book. I actually have two in the hopper, but as one is tied up in “conversation” right now with a publisher, I’ve decided to move forward with the other project on my own. I’ll let you know what shakes out.

SWEET PERFUME: Rebekah – downstairs – is immersed in the Lenten “R-word” sermon series at WFPC. Sunday morning her message will be on “Rejoice!” And then Sunday afternoon, at the service of installation for Rev. John Fawcett, she will speak to the idea of “Redolence”. Redolence involves the qualities of a pleasant fragrance, a pleasing aroma, along with a sense of reminiscence and positive suggestion.

I was so taken with the discussion we’ve been enjoying around the topic (Yes, Rebekah and I constantly find ourselves deep in conversation about faith, theology, and the practical living out of our lives as disciples) that redolence found its way into this week’s Wake Forest Today column.

My article, “Good News is Like a Sweet Perfume,” concludes with the following:

“Fact is – and I believe this is especially apropos to the faith dimension of this column – if you listen to voices characterized by negativity, by dissent, by complaint, by disparagement, by judgment, or by division, then I don’t believe you are hearing much in the way of gospel.

“The writer of 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 put it this way (and my wife, Rebekah, will be preaching on this text Sunday March 8): God uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.

“That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it! It’s a good-news story, and we live in a good-news town.”

Is our witness to God’s love redolent with the sweet fragrance of grace, love, and the inclusive, constant, invitation that characterized the life of Jesus?

I’d like to invite all of you to both events. Wake Forest Presbyterian Church meets for worship Sunday morning at 9:00 in the CLC (Praise service) and at 11:15 in the sanctuary. Then, this Sunday afternoon at 2:00, John Fawcett will be officially installed as associate pastor for discipleship and mission.

All are welcome. Believer, seeker, skeptic, curious. WFPC is a good news story, and we worship a good news God.

– DEREK