PASTOR’S CORNER

+ “For you, a thousand years are as yesterday! They are like a few hours!” (Psalm 90:4) +

We find ourselves now in the midst of summer – “the doldrums”, as many have called it – this height of the season. As the daylight hours begin to grow noticeably shorter, we look forward to the change of pace as summer activities begin to wind down and give way to other events and more-regular schedules. School days are upon us once more, and we look off into the distance, yearning as we anticipate the approaching “holiday season.” Well past the midpoint of this 250th year of our birth as an independent country among the nations of the world – in 1776 – I invite you to reflect on the ways that God continues to guide us as a family of faith. New days and seasons bring fresh opportunities to listen, to learn, and to grow, as we live out our calling as disciples of Jesus the Christ. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., puts it in these words: “I have a dream…” Standing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. in 1963, he foresees a better world when the color of a person’s skin will not matter so much as their character. He spends his life working toward that future day, and more than sixty years later our society here in America has shown great growth in our response to Jesus’ command to love God and to love others as ourselves, that others will know us by our love, and that we are to show care to the least among us as a direct reflection on the way we treat the Lord himself (Mark 12:28-34, John 13:34-35, Matthew 25:31-46). In his ministry, Jesus advocates for kindness and human dignity; we too might dare to dream and work toward a better world for all people. So, you might take a moment to reflect on how you dream of a better world, and on what role Jesus’ command to love plays in a world that continues to be divided in so many different ways. As a person of faith, how will you work and pray for a better place? Here is a story to illustrate one person’s way of sharing the work of the Holy Spirit in his own life.

A young boy complains to his father that most of the church hymns are boring to him. They are too far behind-the-times, with tiresome tunes and meaningless words. His father puts an end to the complaining by saying: “If you think you can write better hymns, then why don’t you?” The boy goes to his room and writes his first hymn. The year is 1690, and the teenager is Isaac Watts. “Joy to the World” and “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross” are among the nearly 350 hymns he writes.  He also writes: “How Long, O Lord, Shall I Complain” –evidently, just long enough to write his first hymn. Here it is, and what a powerful consideration the lyrics present – three stanzas: “1 How long, O Lord, shall I complain, Like one that seeks his God in vain? How long my soul thine absence mourn, And still despair of thy return? 2 How long shall my poor troubled breast Be with these anxious thoughts oppressed? If thou withhold thy heavenly light, I sleep in everlasting night. 3 Hear, Lord, and grant me quick relief, Thy mercy now shall end my grief; For I have trusted in thy grace, And shall again behold thy face.” He lives, and he writes, in hope.

Isaac Watts is the son of an English school-master. Born in 1674, he is said to have been remarkably precocious in childhood; he dies in 1748, at the age of 74. Watts’ life reminds us that the Lord can use any one of us at any time at any place in his great plan. Taking a quick glance at your own life, how and where do you find God’s plan at work? Are you open to God’s activity in your daily experience? Are you mindful of the gifts with which God has blessed you? What are the ways that they can be used to glorify God, and to build up God’s church? Ask God about it, remembering that your whole life can be a prayer – communication with God.

As you reflect on such considerations, know that God continues to guide us as a community of faith, as well as you in your own individual life. Each day brings new opportunities to listen, to learn, and to grow as we live out our calling as disciples of Jesus our Christ. Of course, with every big decision that comes our way, there are mixed emotions. Some of us may feel hopeful and excited about possibilities, while others may feel uncertain or even hesitant about any changes – and that is okay. It is natural to feel a range of emotions when considering a big step in life. Remember to thank God for his faithfulness and for the opportunity to pray, to take risks and to embrace new possibilities.

Are we okay with things not being okay? God has a plan; trust God. As the days pass by and time rolls ever onward, we become acutely-aware of our humanity, and of our mortality. Here is a little prayer to consider in such moments as these: “Dear God, thank you for being the God of all seasons. We admire the way the snow and the rain fall, the grass grows green, and the leaves change color, surrendering to the seasons. The sun rises and sets according to your plan. Help us to surrender to your ways in our lives too. We want to honor you in all that we say and do, and to follow you wherever you lead. Amen.”

May the Lord bless and guide you this season, and always.

Pastor Bartos +

+ “The Lord…is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to perish, so he is giving more time for everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9) +