Posted on Jan 31, 2024 in Pastor's Blog |
“But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little” (Luke 7:47, NRSV).
I enjoy attending twelve-step meetings. The beauty of the recovery community is its transparency. The ability to stand in front of a group of people and say, “Hi, I’m Suzy, I’m an alcoholic,” requires humility. By humility I mean self-knowledge that goes public.
Self-admitted addicts know their weaknesses, are painfully aware of their past misdeeds, and are willing to share their story of redemption with others. In Jesus’ parlance, they aren’t afraid to publicly share their story because they have been forgiven much.
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Posted on Jan 30, 2024 in Pastor's Blog |
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20, NIV).
Forgiveness requires a number of steps. Psychologists identify the act of reframing to be one of the crucial of these steps. Reframing is the process of understanding the offense that was committed against you from a different perspective.
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Posted on Jan 26, 2024 in Pastor's Blog |
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44, NIV).
I had a rather upsetting experience last year. My Facebook page was hacked. My son-in-law had received a friend request from a rather salacious source. My technologically savvy wife quickly helped me remove the nefarious culprit from my account. I soon forwarded a word of apology to all of my Facebook friends for any distress the matter may have caused.
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Posted on Jan 25, 2024 in Pastor's Blog |
“So, Moses took the staff from the LORD’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to them, ‘Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?’ Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank” (Numbers 20:9-11, NIV).
Oftentimes God puzzles me. This story of Moses is one of those instances. God instructs Moses to speak to a rock, so that water would gush forth and quench the thirst of the Israelites. However, Moses adjusts God’s instructions slightly and slams his shepherd’s staff into the rock. Even though Moses deviated from God’s orders, water still surges from the rock. Yet, God is not happy. God proceeds to punish Moses by banning the leader from entering into the Promised Land together with the Jewish people.
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Posted on Jan 24, 2024 in Pastor's Blog |
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” (Luke 10:35-37, NIV).
Who is my neighbor? This is the question that prompted Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan (read Luke 10:25-37). I’ve often wondered what might have happened had the man lying wounded on the side of the road was a relative or friend of the Priest and Levite. Most people would conclude that these two religious men avoided the injured fellow because they would have defiled themselves by touching blood. I find such an explanation a convenient excuse. I believe that Jesus’ point of the parable is that indifference was their true motive.
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Posted on Jan 23, 2024 in Pastor's Blog |
“[Love] does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs”
(1 Corinthians 13:5, NIV).
Several years ago, I was appointed to a church whereupon the first year several members who had left for various reasons had returned. Some of those who had previously left the church had created quite a fuss prior to their departure. Those who remained with the church carried unfavorable memories of their counterparts, and in some cases, held grudges. I was seeking a way to help reconcile the differences between these two groups of people when a very wise woman shared with me an insight. Judy said:
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