Third Week of Ministry: June 22 - 28

This week we started a men's Bible study on the book of Galatians.  Six men attended the first meeting at which we read through the entire book together and discussed some introductory questions of the occasion and purpose of the letter.  We expect three more men to join us next week. 

"Open Abbey" is a ministry of the church in which we simply open the doors of the church, invite people to come in and engage them in conversation.  Our hope is that we will have an opportunity to speak to them about Christ and the gospel of grace.  This week we had several opportunities to do that.  But the most notable part of the week was when a local homeless man came in.  William is mentally disturbed.  He came to "Open Abbey" for most of the day on Friday and Saturday.  During that time, he was rummaging around in the church and muttering to himself.  When we engaged him in conversation, he told us that Abbey was his church and that we didn't belong there.  During those two days we tried to talk to him many times.  Paige Larson seemed to have some success in speaking to him.  Luke Whipple's music had a calming effect on him.  But eventually William became angry.  Also, two knives went missing from the church kitchen after he was seen there.  So, sadly, we had to call the Guarda and have him removed from the church.  Of course, that didn't stop him from coming to church on Sunday.  Fortunately, he did not cause a disturbance and sometime towards the beginning of the service left quietly.

That same service seemed to be the one in which the largest number of people attended since we've been at Abbey.  Perhaps it's because it was a communion Sunday.  Nevertheless, it was great to see the center section of the seating rather full.  Also, some of the people we saw this Sunday were people we met at Open Abbey during the week.  One was a Hindu woman named Nita from Maritius (off the SW coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean).  She came with us to dinner after church.   Nita is Hindu and speaks English, French, Hindi and her own country's language.  At Stephanie's suggestion she has been reading the Gospel of John.  She's up to chapter 5 and has been asking Stephanie all kinds of questions about what she's reading.

Please continue to pray that the Lord will bring many in Dublin into his kingdom of grace and glory.