November 8,
2017
Please pray
with me,
May the
words of my mouth and the meditations of all of our hearts be acceptable in
your sight, O God, our rock, our strength and our redeemer. Amen.
I will make
of you a great nation, and I will bless you, and make your name great, so that
you will be a blessing.
As we gathered in the social hall for dinner and a craft this evening, the underlying
theme was blessing. Seeing the middle
table filled with food - from tacos to pork and sauerkraut - and other tables filled with people, it’s hard to miss
the blessings in this place. Then as we
painted cornucopias, we were reminded, yet again, that they overflow with food
and blessings in our lives.
In a day and
age where the daily news lifts up messages of violence and scarcity, it is good
for us to gather together and be reminded of the abundant blessings that God
has given us.
It is good
for us to be reminded that we, too, are all called by God, just like Abram and
Sarai. We are called and when that call
comes, we are to respond with action.
We may be
called to leave places of comfort and find voices that are new to us.
We may be
called to listen more deeply to others and share our own vulnerability.
As
individuals we are called, and as the Body of Christ.
We are
continually called to see how we, together, continue to live as a community of
faith and how that impacts our country and our world.
And the good
news is that this passage from Genesis speaks a powerful word today in those
instances when we are called to leave all that is known behind, when we let go
of our comforts and securities and go on a journey – where God leads us – even
without having our own map.
Just this
week, last night actually, Billy and I were talking about how long I’ve been in
Robesonia. I said, seven years. To which I pondered…huh, seven years, that’s
the longest I’ve lived in one place – aside from the house where I grew
up. Seven years, that’s the longest I’ve
been in one job. Seven years….and what a
journey it has been.
Just after
arriving in Robesonia, my friend Connie said to me, I’m not sure how you did
it…you know, moving halfway across the country all by yourself. I said, I didn’t.
Held in the
thoughts and prayers of the people of Trinity, I began the journey. But in addition to the way you carried my
spiritually, you also physically were present with me. You send people from Trinity to drive out and
bring my stuff, my cat and myself safely to Robesonia.
Upon my
arrival, I was welcomed into a home for dinner and a place to rest while all my
stuff was unloaded into the parsonage which was already filled with a pantry of
food.
I did not
make the journey alone…I couldn’t have made the journey alone.
I, we, continue
on this journey.
I continue
on this journey, called by God, guided by the Spirit and serving the people of
Trinity - you all – our community and our world.
And so the
journey, our journey continues.
The journey
may be long, often times, longer than we expect. It will have ups and downs, joys and sorrows.
But it is a journey filled with many, many promises – the most important being
the promise of God’s presence to show us the way. (Juliana Claassens)
May each of
you continue to be open to hearing God’s call in your lives, a call that may
surprise you, excite you, make you worry a bit, bring you out of your comfort
zone or all of the above.
Know that as
you answer that call, as individuals and as a community of faith, we do so
guided and guarded by the promises of God.
We will share those abundant blessings through love and care of our
neighbor and our world. We will see the
blessings of love and grace and forgiveness multiply as we share all that God
has blessed us with and continues to bless us with. And in the midst of those blessings, God will
be there.
God will go
before us, to show us the way.
God will go
with us, in the presence of one another, so we do not journey alone.
And God will
continue after us, through the generations to come, so that God’s message of
love, forgiveness, grace and abundance will be proclaimed throughout the world
and throughout the generations.
And now may
the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep our hearts and minds in
Christ Jesus and let all God’s people say, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment