Freedom in the Furnace!

Despite the preacher (!) God's word continues to strike me. Daniel's 3 friends were courageous enough to disregard the kings orders and threats. They had the guts to go counterculture. They disdained the furnace. All this because they knew HE IS ABLE.
So often frustration comes because of a perceived stalemate situation. In many areas it's almost as though things are not progressing. Yet, HE IS ABLE.
And the idols try to convince us to fall down and worship.
The 3 friends stood firm and strong. They counted the cost and knew HE IS ABLE. They ended up in the furnace and in that place of weakness and apparent defeat, a resounding victory was accomplished. GOD IS ABLE!

Works in progress...

I have been chosen to be one of the Italian delegates at Lausanne III, at Cape Town from 17-24 October. Part of this implies wading through documents, statements, papers in view of further discussions and the elaboration of statements at the conference itself. It is a very meticulous job. It certainly requires much more time and attention than I will be giving it. There are some very good emphases which are emerging, such as the need for a better ecclesiology in the church today. But there are also concerns over a tendency, I feel, to blurring distinctive lines of Gospel definitions, for example, or give excessive attention to minor (though important) elements like ecological or political involvement. Some bits are quite worrying. It will be interesting to have the perspective of 4000 or so world leaders and to be able to take the pulse of the world church.... Meanwhile... works in progress!