I began yesterday’s blog thinking I would tell you about two urgent prayer needs, but I wanted to go in-depth on both, ergo: two blogs!

Our pastor, Dr. David Jordan-Irwin, who answers to “Pastor Dave” is a wonderful pastor – not because he’s a fantastic speaker, but because he has a fantastic heart. I wrote about this before. Please take time to read, especially my conclusion to a vignette of his ministry:

There was a time I would have assessed the quality of a sermon by the depth of Biblical insight, clarity of the outline, and effectiveness of the delivery. No more. How about the ability of the pastor to actually apply the scripture to a real-life situation, showing by example how to love others and live out the gospel? 

Pastor Dave is sick. His wife, Becca, also a pastor, was diagnosed with breast cancer a year or two ago. She has come through just fine. In the meantime, Dave has ignored or pressed through pain that he had…until he couldn’t. Here’s a portion of a note he wrote to me after asking me to preach on September 3:

Bob, for Becca and me, this is definitely a season like no other…not sure if you heard the encouraging news from our time with the Pancreatic Clinic. The team thinks I may have two different cancers which if true may mean…that the pancreatic cancer hasn’t metastasized (the other in the Colon). (I can’t tell how often I’ve heard, “Medicine is not an exact science.”)   This is why I now qualify for surgery which is scheduled for next Thursday (August 3rd). I was preparing myself for Chemo treatment, now I’m preparing for surgery (removal of the tail of the pancreas, spleen, and 1/3 of the Colon – this will then be followed with chemo treatments). Appreciate your prayers (both yours and June’s) as always!

Well, the surgery on August 3, serious as it was projected to be, didn’t go like that. They opened him up, took one look, and closed him up again. The cancer was everywhere. They’re talking about chemo now, and I haven’t had an update since.

Pastor Dave and his wife, Becca

It’s going to be a rough go. Please join me in praying for a miracle. Dave is one of the good guys. We’d like him to stick around a little longer. It’s what Paul wanted, not for himself, but for the Philippians:

I know that through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ this will turn out for my deliverance, as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard-pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again. (Philippians 1.19 – 26, ESV)