“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

In the sermon on Sunday, I quoted Anglican Clergyman and biblical scholar J.B. Phillips from his thoughts on the church of the apostolic era compared to today.  He said: “We are apt to reduce Christian religion to a code or, at best a rule of heart and life.  Perhaps if we believed what they believed, we could achieve what they achieved.”

Too often we create the religious code and if someone cannot live up to it, they are out.  Or we reduce the faith to bullet points, again with a connotation of “in or out”.  For some, different denominations are not “Christian enough”, while for others there is no need for a church, only a faith statement.  Yet none of these really describe the benefit to following Jesus. 

Jesus offers us rest and offers to take our burdens.  This includes the burden of classifying people, the burden of proving ourselves right over others and so much more.

I for one would love my burdens removed.  As the summer ends and things are ramping up for the fall, our schedule (as well as many others) is hectic.  I’ve spoken with many who are experiencing health issues and going through the burdens of tests, results and procedures.  Others are facing job issues, financial stress and the like.

Following Jesus will not take all these things away, however walking with Him will reduce the burden for He will carry them for you.  Maybe, if we stop for a moment, breath and pray, we will sense His presence.  Perhaps if we allowed Jesus to take our burdens, we could experience what those original apostles experienced, the presence of God with us.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”
The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:10-11

During our vacation, I was able to take time to sit alone, in the quiet, with my journal.  I had extended prayer time and the opportunity to just sit with God.  It was a much-needed experience as I was able to work out some things, clear my head and revitalize my spirit.

Now, as I return to the “routine”, as schools are about to start, as schedule are about to go completely haywire, it is more important than ever to be still and know God is God.

Whatever you are going through, whatever you have happening this week, take some time to be still in God’s presence.  It will restore your soul.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

Our church will hold Kid’s Camp this week with a superhero theme.  The verse for the week is Joshua 1:9 so I thought it would make a great meditation.

So often we go through life afraid.  We allow fear of failure, fear of disappointing others, fear of backlash, even the fear of success.  These fears hold us back from becoming all God calls us to be and impacts our lives in a negative way.

Yet just as God commanded Joshua to be strong and courageous as Joshua took over for Moses, God calls us to be strong and courageous in our lives.  It doesn’t mean we have to get our way all the time, it does not mean we should be over-zealous, it means we should have confidence in ourselves when we walk with God, for God is with us.

As you journey through this week, be strong, be courageous, be mindful of God’s presence, and let go of all that holds you back.

Peace

Pastor Bill

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? Matthew 6:25-27

We were gathered together in the chapel for the Sunday morning prayer service.  As everyone was silently meditating the lights began to flicker.  Soon it was obvious that the power had gone out.  We continued with the prayer service and then went into the sanctuary to investigate. 

Due to a storm, power was out in the neighborhood.  We had no air conditioning, no sound system and no live feed and everyone got to work.  We got some battery operated lights for the musician and pulpit, we kept the doors closed as much as possible to retain the cool air, and we held worship.  It was amazing how silent the building can be without the constant din of electrically operated devices!

The service went well and when the power returned, we all gathered for fellowship.

Yet here is the amazing part.  These were lyrics from the hymns selected weeks ago:

“Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light” “Great Father of glory, pure Father of light.” (Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise)

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path” (Thy Word)

“Christ be my leader by night as by day; safe through the darkness, for he is the Way. (Christ be My Leader)

Brothers and sisters, God has it under control.  Things will not always work out the way we want, things will go wrong, things will even get very difficult, but do not worry.  ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?

May your journey this week be filled with God’s wonder, blessings and grace,

Pastor Bill

How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you. 

Psalm 139:17-18

Are God’s thoughts as precious to you as they are to the Psalmist?  The shear immensity of God’s “thoughts” are overwhelming and yet those thoughts can be boiled down to one word, love.  God’s thoughts are about God’s love for us.  God’s will, God’s desires for us, God’s promises to us are all centered around love.

God’s love for you is immense and precious.  As you journey through this week, share some of that immense love with others.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. Galatians 5:13

As we celebrate our nation’s independence we always need to stop and give thanks for those who continually work for our freedom.  For those who have honorably served, we give thanks.  For those currently serving, we give thanks and pray for safety. 

Our freedom, however, is not just a political thing.  We as members of the universal body of Christ, are made free from all those things that can hold us back, our past, our bad actions, our failings.  We are made free and whole, and we are freed for a purpose – to serve one another in love.

As you celebrate the Fourth, give a prayer of thanksgiving for all who keep us free, then pray for God to show you areas where you can serve humbly in love.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  Psalm 139:13-16

It’s Monday morning and do you know something important about yourself?  You are fearfully (awesomely) and wonderfully made.  You are not a mistake, you are not a mess, you are not anything terrible for you were made by an awesome artist. 

Long before you were born, you were in the eye of the Creator, and woven together as something special.  Do not let anyone tell you otherwise.  You may be different than others, you may think differently, you may be quirky, you may be orderly, you might be picky, but you are you.

As you travel through this week, remember that you are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Go out and be the original God intended you to be.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Psalm 139:7-12

Wherever you go, God is already there.  Wherever you are, God is there with you.  Isn’t that incredible?  You cannot go where God is not, therefore you are never alone.

On the other hand, whatever you do, God is there.  For some that might strike terror for God knows what you do, what you think, what you are.  However, for others, you might understand something.  Even if you are not perfect, even if you are not without blemish, God is still with you.  That is the point, through God, you can be made clean and whole.

As you journey through this week, allow God’s light to shine in the darkness of your life.  Allow God to show you areas where you may need help, and know that God is still with you.

Peace,

Pastor Bill

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.  You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.  Psalm 139:1-6

When I think of Psalm 139, I imagine the Psalmist perhaps sitting by a body of water, surrounded by lush greenery, maybe an oasis in the desert.  He is contemplating life and God, and came to the realization that God knows him, and us.  God knows us so much that nothing we do is a mystery to God.  But the Psalmist doesn’t say this in a threatening way (“you better be good because God is watching you), rather in a beautiful and intimate way, such as a parent watching a new born baby.  God knows us so well that God understands even our muddled thoughts and incomplete ideas. 

Often when I am in prayer, I get stuck.  I know I need to be praying for something or someone, or I’m trying to express myself fully to God but cannot say or even conceive of the words.  Yet God knows what I am asking.  The very act of coming before God in prayer is all we need as God will do the rest.  In Romans 8, Paul says “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.”

Thanks be to God that God knows me so well.

Pastor Bill

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” The Lord replied, “If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.  Luke 17:6-7

It sounds so simple, doesn’t it?  The apostles come to Jesus with what I think is a huge request.  They hear Jesus teach and preach, they see him do amazing signs and wonders and they might be feeling inadequate.  Or at least that is how I sometimes feel.  Jesus commands the wind, commands demons, heals the sick, brings people back to life and teaches with amazing authority.  Maybe if I had “more” faith I could do a few of those things. 

Then I thought about the mustard plant and plants in general.  A seed gets buried and as it sprouts, must work through the soil to grow.  Plants seek out the sun and will turn in that direction if necessary.  They endure hardships, lack of rain, too much rain, other plants growing around them, and more.  Yet plants keep growing. They keep going.

Perhaps that is the key to growing our faith.  We all struggle with things, not because of lack of faith, but life is filled with struggles.  Part of those struggles builds us up just as adding weights builds our muscles.  When we face adversities, we need to keep believing that we are not alone, that God is with us, and that God will guide us through. 

Faith is not a magic answer to our issues, faith is the belief in a God who answers us.

Peace,

Pastor Bill