Mid-week News 2-20-13

Dear Family of faith, I just got back from Bible Study again. I am always amazed at the life and teachings of Jesus. More than anything else I do as a pastor, I relish the chance to make the Gospel known. It is so freeing, so refreshing in this world caught up in its own self-centered smugness. Yesterday when I was driving, I came up behind the most awesome red Corvette convertible. It was a shiny, the chrome all bright, and the top all clean; and I found myself a bit jealous…maybe even covetous. Then I noticed that this gorgeous, hot car had a handicapped license plate on it! I thought to myself, “That’s the way I want to live my life—never giving up in spite of the challenges and heartaches that come my way.” Instead of bemoaning my problems, I would rather look for opportunities. Surely that’s what the driver of that Corvette was doing—in spite of physical limitations, he was taking advantage of what he could enjoy in life. Apparently his right food was doing just fine, and he was going to use it to drive his fancy car. Would that we would all look to the joys of life and not let the troubles overshadow life’s possibilities! Last night I looked into our fruit bowl and saw a very shriveled up grapefruit. It was all wrinkled and dry-looking, and I was just about to throw it out when I thought, “I’ll just cut it open and see if it’s all moldy inside.” When I did manage to break through the tough skin, I found the most juicy, bright red fruit I had ever seen. It was incredible, and so tasty that I ate both halves! It got me to thinking about life and how we often count those among us who are ‘shriveled up’ and have a lot of wrinkly skin as not much value for anything. And yet, hidden beneath that tough exterior is something very sweet and good—the experiences of a lifetime molded by courage and determination, faith and hope. Next time you run into someone whom you think is “past his or her prime,” take time to explore what lies within. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover how sweet the inside really is! I appreciate you more than words can express. With affection, Pastor Carlan

Mid-week News 2-13-13

Dear Family of faith, I’m just getting back in the office after a wonderful Ash Wednesday experience. The soup and bread were absolutely delicious (I had two helpings myself!), and the Holy Spirit’s presence was very real to me and others around me as we looked into our hearts and accepted God’s grace anew. I am so glad that this congregation has been open to having such a service, for many Protestant churches don’t have any traditions associated with ashes and Lent. This past week I had the privilege of finally seeing Bob Edmonds. (Bob had a liver transplant in Massachusetts last fall.) He and Joann shared how they surrendered Bob’s life to Jesus (since his chances of a successful surgery were so small). They talked about how hard it was to “leave things in Jesus’ hands.” We so want to control everything, to be in charge of our own destinies. I find that a lot lately. I want to control my future, want to determine what happens to me and when. But life gets to be too much for me at times, and I have either to surrender it to God or break. Maybe some of you know what I’m talking about. If you feel like you can’t take it anymore or can’t deal with all the troubles of life, just let go! Put your future in God’s hands and leave it there. Ask God to give you a vision of something beautiful to come out of whatever is worrisome or horrible. And then just trust, remembering that God is the Author of miracles we can’t even imagine. That’s what Bob and Joann found out. Bob looks better now than I’ve ever seen him look! A friend of mine put the following Rick Warren quote on Facebook recently: “Strong people affirm the strengths of others. Weak people attack the strengths of others.” I have found that to be painfully true in my life. The stronger we are, the more interesting we become to those who wish to bring us down. Yet our true strength is never our own, but God’s. And when we trust in God, we can weather any attack. I am so grateful for all of you and your love. Continue to help each other and bless those around you. With affection, Pastor Carlan