“If One Member Suffers, All Suffer Together…”

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Meditation on I Cor. 12:12-31a

Jan. 27, 2013

***

       “For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

       Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot were to say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear were to say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body’, that would not make it any less a part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be?

        As it is, there are many members, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’, nor again the head to the feet, ‘I have no need of you.’ On the contrary, the members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.  But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another. If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

        Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it. And God has appointed in the church first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then deeds of power, then gifts of healing, forms of assistance, forms of leadership, various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But strive for the greater gifts. And I will show you a still more excellent way.”  

 (I Cor. 12:12-31a)

***

     We had just finished our study of the book of Acts one Tuesday morning a few weeks ago, when I asked each person what they liked to do for the church and for the Lord. What was it that they used to do when they were younger and before they moved into Meadows, the assisted living center in town?

      One loved to sew and quilt.  Another enjoyed serving on committees. Still another played organ and piano during worship.  Others enjoyed singing. One loved to grow flowers and arrange them in vases.  A few women enjoyed teaching Sunday school or VBS.  But others were most comfortable working in the kitchen.  One said her favorite thing of all was to scrape food off plates before they were washed! Some of the quieter men would work behind the scenes, doing whatever they were asked to do or whatever they saw needed to be done. One man spoke passionately about his trips to China with his wife, taking Bibles to the underground church.

      I wasn’t surprised that in a room of 18 or 20 people, so many different spiritual gifts would be evident.  A variety of gifts are needed for God to accomplish His purposes. We need people to work in the kitchen, on the building and property, and other labors behind the scenes just as much as we need teachers and preachers!

    Listening as they shared what they liked to do, I could feel something happening in the room.  The Spirit was knitting us closer together in His love and the joy of shared mission.

    And then, when I was with the same group again last Tuesday talking about spiritual gifts, the one who had said she enjoyed scraping plates said she doubted that she could be of use to the Lord anymore—now that she has health problems and difficulty getting around. 

     A hush fell in the room and I could feel something happening, again.  The Spirit was knitting us closer together, once more, but this time it wasn’t because of the joy of shared mission; it was because one member of our group was suffering.  Because we love one another, we all felt the suffering as if it were in our own bodies.  And we wanted to take away her pain and lift her spirits.

     People began to encourage her, reminding her of how she has visited and reached out to others in need. They pointed out that even though she had physical limitations, God was using her, anyway.

     Another person reminded her that although she could not do all the things she used to be able to do, she could always do the one thing we are all called to do; she could pray!

    

***

    

    In his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul is also trying to encourage people that God is using everyone in the Body of Christ.  No gift is more honorable or prestigious than another.  All are needed to work together to accomplish His will!

     The problem in the Corinthian church isn’t that some are feeling unworthy and doubt that God can use them for His work.  The problem with the Corinthians is that those with certain spiritual gifts feel they are better than everybody else!  They who live in a society stratified by class and socioeconomic status have brought those same worldly views and prejudices into the life of the Church.  They are prideful of their spiritual gifts and talents, instead of giving God all the glory and thanking Him for the Spirit that is equipping them and leading them to do His work!

    They don’t understand that life in the Kingdom of God isn’t like life in their class-conscious, money-loving society.  Christ, who associated with the lowly, weak, and poor, has made us all the same through His suffering work on the cross. He is the great equalizer, dying to wipe away the sins of the world and rising again to show us the eternal hope for all humanity.  He sent us His Spirit not so we could lord our gifts over others, but to unite and empower us to humbly serve and do what we are supposed to do as a church: love God and care for one another!

      Paul says,  “The members of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and those members of the body that we think less honorable we clothe with greater honor, and our less respectable members are treated with greater respect; whereas our more respectable members do not need this.  But God has so arranged the body, giving the greater honor to the inferior member, that there may be no dissension within the body, but the members may have the same care for one another.  If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.”

 

***

      As we prepare to ordain and install new ruling elders on our session, I encourage us all to continue seeking the Lord for the most excellent gift—love.  Remember that the work of the church and our session is first and foremost about loving God and caring for one another. Remember the job of every Christian—to pray.

     And when one member might feel unworthy or useless to God, we should lift them up with encouraging words.

      To Tammy, Larry, and James, I say this to help you in your work for the Lord.  You may be feeling unworthy right now, wondering why you are being chosen to be a ruling elder in our church.  You may be worrying that you don’t have the spiritual gifts or experience needed for the job.  You don’t know what challenges lay ahead.

      Let me assure you that we are in this together.  We don’t have faith in our own abilities.  We trust in Christ, who has made us worthy through His work on the cross.

       We are all members of His Body—united in Him.  When one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honored, all rejoice together with it.

       We may have different gifts and callings.  But we all drink from the same Spirit.  No gift is more honorable or prestigious than another!

       And God will use each one of us, no matter our situation or physical limitation.  All are needed to work together to accomplish His Will.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gifts you have given us to do your work.  Thank you for your Spirit that guides and nourishes us, filling us to overflowing.  Remove any pride or selfishness from us.  We give you all the honor and glory for what you have done for us through the sacrifice of your Son, and for what Your Spirit will do through us to accomplish Your Will.  Give us more love and show us how to be your Church.  Let us never forget that our most important work is to love You and care for one another.  In Christ we pray.  Amen. 

“Do Whatever He Tells You”

Meditation on John 2:1-11

January 20, 2013

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     On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

     And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.”

      His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”     

      Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.  Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

     Then Jesus said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it.

       When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

       Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. (John 2:1-11)

   ***

      A Christmas card arrived in our mailbox this past week with a sparkling winter scene, children sledding in the snow. My friend Hugh Miller from Pine Grove Presbyterian Church in the village of Sunnyburn, Pennsylvania, had sent it.

      Hugh is a widower, a retired teacher of high school history, German, and mathematics. He hasn’t hardly missed church or Sunday school at Pine Grove his entire life, save for when he was overseas serving his country in WWII. He grew up on a farm within walking distance of the church and still lives in the old family farmhouse.

     Hugh is an awesome Sunday school teacher. He is one of the most gentle, humble men I have ever met. With his quiet and unassuming manner, he leads shy, older adults to interpret and apply the Bible to their everyday lives.

     Hugh was teaching the adult Sunday school class when I came for my internship in 2008.  My friend Bessie has been a member of the church since her husband and she moved up from Baltimore and bought land to farm in the area in the 1960s. Bessie taught the children and youth.  Hugh and Bessie write me every year. 

   Hugh’s letter went like this:

“Dear Jim, Karen and boys:

    I enjoyed your letter so much and was very glad to hear from you.  I am still teaching the adult class in Sunday school.  We were going to combine the adult and young adult classes but the young adult class was unhappy about that.  I am not sure whether it was because of me or they wanted to stay with Bessie. She and I were going to take turns at teaching to lighten the load for each of us.

    I am glad you are enjoying your pastorate and I am sure they feel they are ‘blest’ to have you.  We haven’t had much snow here yet but I expect you would be very willing to share. 

    Best wishes for a great year ahead in His service.  I am sure I’ll continue likewise, as long as my church will have me and the Lord allows me to serve.  (Signed) Hugh”

       When I arrived at Pine Grove, I wasn’t sure what the Lord was preparing me to do for Him. Bessie and Hugh encouraged me by word and example to continue my discernment of a call to pastoral ministry. They demonstrated with their humble, cheerful service that there was no higher honor or calling than teaching, equipping others to follow and serve the Lord. 

      But teaching wasn’t all they did; no task was beneath them or too difficult.  Or required too high a level of commitment to Christ and His church. From cleaning to putting up Christmas decorations to shoveling icy sidewalks or taking out trash, from delivering food to the hungry and washing dishes, to serving and clearing tables at the annual Thanksgiving dinner.  They would direct traffic, sing in the choir, usher and greet, set up chairs, bake cakes and roast turkeys, or serve as a deacon and elder.   They were willing to do anything the Lord and the church asked them to do.

    They showed me that this is what being a servant means. Giving Him your all!

    And that when we do in faith whatever the Lord asks, expecting His blessings, we would be blessed and be a blessing to others.

    And good things—sometimes even amazing things—would happen.

***

     In our reading in John, we see faith and obedient service rewarded by divine action.  Jesus, his mother, and all the disciples were at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. And they ran out of wine.  Jesus’ mother expected her son to do something about it.  She said to him, “They have no wine.”

    Jesus protested that it was not their concern.  His time had not yet come. But Mary ignores his protest. Demonstrating her faith in his divine power, she turns to the servants and says, “Do whatever he tells you.”

    The servants obey.  They fill with water the stone water jars. They draw out some of the liquid and bring it to the chief steward, who doesn’t know what is going on. He confirms the miracle, without knowing a miracle has taken place.  He pulls aside the bridegroom and compliments him on saving the best wine for last, instead of serving the best wine first, before the wedding party became too tipsy to notice their cups were being replenished with less expensive, inferior wine. 

     Seems like such a small thing, water into wine, compared to Christ’s miraculous healings and the feeding of the 5,000 with a few loaves and fish that would come later.  Only Mary, the disciples, Jesus and the servants knew that the good wine was ordinary water with the necessary ingredient of faith that something amazing was about to happen. Because of who Jesus really was.

      This was the first of His “signs,” proof of His glory to His disciples, whom he had just called to “come and follow me.”

***

     I am very excited for our congregational meeting today! I know the Spirit is empowering people in our church to be leaders.  When the nominating committee asked them to serve on session, they prayed about it, searched their hearts, and conferred with their families.  And today they will, with our encouragement, accept the challenge and responsibility, knowing they are not alone.  That God is with them and they are truly called to this ministry.

      We are all just ordinary people, those who are called to lead in Christ’s church.  But Christian leaders have two things in common—they have faith in His power to work through them and are willing to obey God’s call to ministry.

       Today, several people will stand up and accept that call. They will proclaim the Gospel through humble service to our Lord and to our community.  With hearts open to the Spirit’s work in and through them, they will be ruling elders.

     But all of us must have faith that God will use us, even those who are not comfortable serving in such a public call to ministry as a ruling elder. We must believe without doubt that something good will happen in and through us—not because we are good.  But because of who Jesus really is!

      Someday we will look back and think, water into wine is really such a small thing, compared to the miracles of healing, spiritual nourishment, and reconciliation that have happened in this community. 

     But I have learned from my Christian friends, loyal servants like Hugh and Bessie, that we all must be willing to do anything—anything—the Lord tells us to do.  No task is beneath us or too difficult.  Or requires too high a level of commitment to Christ and His church.

     And when we do in faith whatever the Lord asks, expecting His blessings and divine action, we will be blessed and be a blessing to others.

    And good things—even amazing things—will happen.

    Let us pray.

Holy Spirit, renew and refresh us.  Give us your wisdom and guide us in your will as we choose leaders in our congregation.  Equip them to be your loyal, humble servants.  Equip all of us to be your loyal, humble servants. Forgive us if we have lacked the faith that you will work through all of us and build your church.  Forgive us when we have not believed that something amazing will happen here because of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and His saving work.   Forgive us if we were critical of our leaders in the past, but were unwilling to walk alongside them, give them our prayerful support, and help them to be effective leaders. Make us all, Lord, into who you want us to be.  In Christ we pray. Amen.

“Redeeming Our Memories”

Meditation on Isaiah 43:1–7

January 13, 2013

***

     “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you, nations in exchange for your life.

      Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you; I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not withhold; bring my sons from far away and my daughters from the end of the earth— everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” (Isaiah 43:1-7)

***

      I visited with some of the area pastors this week at Pastor Dan’s house in Sacred Heart.  Pastor Dan served homemade barley tea simmering on his stove when we arrived and cowboy coffee cake he had just made that morning with flour he had freshly ground.  As I looked around the table at my fellow servants in the Lord, I thought again how grateful I am that I am not alone in this ministry to our communities.  And I marveled at how God is able to use this diverse group of people to work together for His Will.

       We are, after all, very different. I am often aware that I am not like other pastors I know and admire. Take for example preaching style.  I always have a written text when I step into the pulpit, but I know that Pastor Tom and Pastor Dean don’t preach that way.  The writing of the sermon, for me, is part of my spiritual discipline and preparation for Sunday morning. Through meditation, prayer and writing, I hear from the Spirit. I learn what God is teaching me and wants me to share with others.

       I work slowly. I write a little, then make changes. I read aloud what I have written to make sure the words are pleasing to hear and easy to say. And I check to see if they speak what it is in my heart. I cut, cut, cut until I am satisfied that it is not too long and that my one key point is clear.

      I am hard on myself. Sometimes, after spending a whole day writing, I decide I don’t like my sermon. I throw it away!  I get up the next day and start again. 

     And during the time of meditating on scripture and writing, my mind is flooded with so many thoughts and memories. Some of these memories end up as sermon illustrations. But often these memories are just distracting or just plain painful. The stuff of bad dreams. Things I would rather forget.

     If I had my wish, I would do to my life what I do to my sermons each week—write and rewrite it, and cut, cut, cut until I am satisfied! Remove all the painful memories and stuff of bad dreams. Make it so they never happened.

     

***

     But God, the author of all Creation, doesn’t work this way.  He doesn’t see us or our lives in the same critical light that we see ourselves. God our Heavenly Father is loving, gracious, and merciful.

    When I read Isaiah 43:1-7, the phrase, “For I have redeemed you” jumps out from the page. This is one of those passages that everyone should have in a handy place.  On a card in your wallet, a bookmark in your Bible. Or taped to the refrigerator door. Anyone who is going through a time of struggle or self-doubt should meditate on this passage, day and night.

     “Thus says the Lord, he who created you…he who formed you…Do not fear, for I have redeemed you!  I have called you by name.  You are mine!!!

     “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned….for I am the Lord your God…Your Savior…You are precious in my sight, and honored!

       “And I love you!”

       Listen! This isn’t a God who holds our sins against us! He formed us—he knows our weaknesses!  He has always been with us, so he knows our history. He is the one who redeemed us with the sacrifice of His own Son!

       When we read, “I have redeemed you,” hear also “I have forgiven you” and “I have healed you.” Because we are all wounded and in need of healing, whether we want to admit it or not. We are wounded by our own sin and from the sins of the world. The wounds go deep into our hearts and are etched on our minds. We all have regrets.   We would all like to cut, cut, cut away at our lives until all the painful stuff, the stuff of bad memories, has been removed.

      But this is how God’s redemption in Jesus Christ works: it is a healing of mind, body and soul.  It has already taken place, and it is still going on.  It is a process. And it is a God thing. We aren’t doing it!  We aren’t in charge or in control! We can’t remove the painful memories or keep painful things from happening again.  We live in a sinful, fallen world.

     That’s why the Lord says, “when you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you….Do not fear, for I am with you!”  

    We can’t heal ourselves or “fix” the past. But there is something we can do that will help us deal with our painful memories and be empowered with the grace to forgive. We can have faith in what God has done for us.  If we believe God has redeemed us—that we are forgiven and healed body, mind, and soul—then we can accept ourselves as loved and honored by God. We will know we are precious to Him!

     And when we believe that God is doing his redeeming work in us—in all of us—then we begin to see the signs of His redeeming work among us, including the redemption of our memories.  God will open our eyes to the truth and beauty of His redeeming love, and the Spirit will reveal to us things we have not yet seen or understood. Our stories will change with these new understandings. And we will be able to tell others how God was doing his loving work in and through our struggle and pain. He will show us how he was with us and brought others to help us when we thought our hearts would break and we were all alone in our despair.

       Our memories, with the Spirit’s transformation and healing work, will no longer be “bad.”  They will become part of our Christian testimony. A part of our redemption story! When God, in our weakness, showed Himself to be strong. When we finally had ears to hear Him saying to us,

     “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you!  I have called you by name.  You are mine!!!

     “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned….for I am the Lord your God…Your Savior…You are precious in my sight, and honored!

       “And I love you!”

Will you pray with me?

Holy Father, Loving Creator, thank you for seeing us as “precious” and “honored.”   Thank you for your promise of presence and protection from trials that may be ahead.  We thank you that you have forgiven us of all our sins and are healing us of all our wounds.  We ask that you give us grace and mercy so we may learn to forgive and love ourselves as the new creations in Christ that we are! Help us to be patient as we wait for your Spirit to reveal what we do not understand and show us how You will use the struggles of the past for your glory and your kingdom.  Restore our faith and open our eyes to your redeeming work among us. Help us to live not in the sadness or disappointments of the past, but instead as living testimonies of your love. In Christ we pray. Amen.

                                                                                                           

“Strange Stargazers”

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Meditation on Matthew 2:1-12

Jan. 6, 2013

***

       In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking, “Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to worship him.”       

      When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.

       The religious authorities told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: ‘And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.’”

       Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage.”

      When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

     And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road.  (Matt 2:1-12)

***

      I woke up Saturday morning thinking again about the curious way that God led my family and me to Minnesota. Pat and Joel’s long distance phone calls, seemingly out of the blue in 2011, when I had never heard of Renville or visited Minnesota before.  I thought about how, at the time, I was considering other calls to ministry, other jobs, and a graduate assistantship, but also how I have never regretted turning them all down to come here.

      I thought about how God must have planned all along for us to have this adventure together—to live and minister in this place at this time—and we didn’t know it until He suddenly revealed it— to my family and me, this church, and the presbytery.

      God could have chosen someone else to pastor Ebenezer. He could have chosen a Minnesotan, or at least a Midwesterner! But He didn’t. He could have led me to another place. California. Arizona. Australia! But He didn’t. He chose me, and He chose the people of Ebenezer. He knew the time. He knew the place.  

     Ministry in this small country church is, in many ways, what I expected and hoped it would be. 

     But my greatest challenge so far is finding the right balance, knowing when I have done enough work for one day and when it’s OK to rest awhile, enjoy some family time and even take a vacation.  The Lord has reminded me, over and over, that a minister is first of all a lover of Christ, a child of God, a sheep of the Good Shepherd. If I want to lead others to the Lord and help them along their faith journeys, I need, first of all, to seek Him out for myself and come and worship Him.  In Him, I will find strength and wisdom to carry on.  In Him, I will find my joy.

***

   As I read our gospel in Matthew this week, I couldn’t help but marvel at the people God chooses to accomplish His purposes.  He calls a band of stargazers, these "wise men," to announce to the world that Jesus Christ is born. Herod, the king of the Jews, and all Jerusalem tremble in fear when these strangers come bearing the news of His birth.  The prophets had warned of the Messiah to come, but now with the prophecy threatening to be fulfilled, Herod is prepared to lie and kill to hold onto his power and status.

       Before the arrival of the strangers, Jesus’ birth and identity are known to only a few—immediate family, angels, some shepherds, and God Himself. What’s remarkable is that those whom God has called to bring the announcement and worship the child who would be King of the Jews are not Jewish! They are outsiders, foreigners, not from a named town or country, but simply from the East. These new believers are Magi, astrologers— well respected in Ancient and Medieval times, much like we respect astronomers or other scientists today.  The Magi could find meaning and make predictions about the future by looking up at the night sky.

      Some scholars think the Bethlehem star might have been Halley’s Comet, which would have been visible in that area around 11 or 12 B.C. and may have seemed to hang in the sky for up to a month.  Others say that it was more likely the planets Jupiter and Saturn, which were aligned three times in 7 B.C. 

      The Magi end up going to Jerusalem and requesting help to find the babe. A greatly disturbed Herod secretly calls his own wise men—priests and scribes—to ask them where the child would be.  And they quote the prophet Micah, saying that out of Bethlehem will come the ruler who will shepherd God’s people Israel.

     The Magi, despite their gift of seeing hidden meaning in the stars, do not suspect Herod is lying when he dispatches them to Bethlehem to find the child and come back and tell him. They are fooled into believing that Herod, the current King of the Jews, would want to come and worship Him, too.

      But God blesses His chosen messengers. The Magi find Jesus with Mary in Bethlehem.  Filled with the joy of the Lord, they fall down and worship him and give him extravagant gifts —gold, frankincense, and myrrh—fit for the One who would be king, high priest, and atoning sacrifice not just for the Jews, but for all people.

      The Lord watches over and protects these men of faith from the evil, scheming Herod, warning them in a dream not to return to him. God has plans for the Magi who will carry the joyful news of the Savior back to their own people and to the unnamed country from whence they had come. 

***

    

       We never hear about the Magi again after they have completed their mission and have sought out, found and worshiped the Christ child.  But God shows us through the brief story of the Magi that He can and will use anyone to accomplish His purposes—to bring the news of His salvation to the world. God will surprise us by using the most unlikely characters—even you and me!

      God planned all along to bring my family and me here, though I had never given ministry in Minnesota a thought before Pat and Joel called me, seemingly out of the blue, in 2011.

      And God has planned that you would be who you are, where you are as a person of faith at this time.   And don’t be surprised this year if the Lord leads us in a different ministry direction or to do new things for Him through Ebenezer. And don’t think that God can’t or won’t use you because you are too old, too young, too busy or too __________(whatever, fill in the blank.) 

      But it is important for us to be spiritually healthy and ready to hear God’s voice and obey.  If we are exhausted and overwhelmed, we won’t be able to be His faithful, loving servants, ready to go where He wants us to go and do what He calls us to do. It is important for all of us to find the right balance in our lives of ministry, work, and family time. We need to remember that we are all the same in God’s eyes—no ministry gift is more special or better than another. We are all, first and foremost, lovers of Christ, children of God, sheep of the Good Shepherd.  And we all need time alone to seek out the Lord and worship Him, like the Magi so long ago. 

     In Him, we will find strength and wisdom to carry on.  In Him, we will find our joy.

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, we praise you for your wonderful, mysterious plan to bring your salvation to the world!  We thank you for using the most unlikely characters to accomplish your Will –people like us, here in snowy Minnesota. Help us to bring our lives into balance so that we are not working too much, neglecting family time, or failing to get enough rest. Forgive us when we have forgotten how important it is to seek you out every day and come and worship you.  Remind us where we find our strength, where we find our wisdom, where we find our joy!  In Him we pray.  Amen.