Grace Notes June 10, 2010

Grace Notes, June 10, 2010

We humans. God made us so we would have free will, be able to make our own
choices, big or small, pursue our dreams be it on the road less or more
traveled. Did God trust us too much? To make the “right” decisions? To
serve one another, to love one another, to know deep down that sometimes
sacrifice of our own dreams and plans is absolutely necessary in order to
help someone else?

Once, years ago, I asked a Lutheran pastor how he “understood” God, as
much as a mere human can. He thoughtfully, carefully chose his words,
saying he believed that the closest he could come to understanding God was
to think of God like he thought of parents. We teach and protect and
nurture our Little Ones. . . and then the day comes when we have to let
them go. They are off to school, to their own lives. It begins with
kindergarten or even preschool. We have prepared them, we hope and pray,
to get along in the world, to have good manners, to shake hands firmly, to
look both ways before crossing, to share, to flush. What we haven't taught
them, they will be taught by the world, the big bad world that doesn't
love and cherish these beloveds the way we do.

Have we done enough, taught enough, shared enough, loved enough so they
are safe?

Every parent, if asked, would confess to having late night questions like
these, painful questions because the later the hour, the tougher the
questions, the more the inadequacies and failures come to mind. Do these
questions stop when one of our children graduates from high school or
college? Gets married? Becomes a parent him or herself? Absolutely not;
all these events are just more 2 AM fodder.

Are we helpless to stop our children from doing foolish things, from fire
or flood or stupid decisions? Can we stop them from drinking too much,
doing drugs, saying horrid things to their friends or family? No. No, we
cannot. No. How painful to watch or to learn of consequences for their
failures in good behaviors. Do we grieve about them? Yes, of course. Do we
get angry with them? Yes, of course. Do we want to intervene, make it
better, fix it somehow? Yes, of course.

What does God think and do? Surely God is saddened by some of our
stupidity, shortsightedness and selfishness, like continuing wars, both
local and international. Like still having homeless, hungry people in The
United States. Like cutting down trees and putting huge piles of waste on
our earth instead of planting trees and recycling what we buy, use,
discard. Surely God is unhappy with us when we think or speak meanly about
someone, be it a neighbor or pew mate or a group of people of different
nationality than ours.

But the everlasting consolation: does God stop loving us? Does a parent
stop loving his or her child? Never. Or rather, sometimes parents DO stop
loving their child. But God doesn't. God always loves us. God always wants
us to confess our sins and come home to nestle in God''s arms. God loves
us to death and back. Thank BE to God.

Judy Bergeson, Diaconal Minister
Salem Lutheran

UPCOMING EVENTS AT SALEM
This Sunday, June 13, at 2:30 the two Salem softball teams play each other
at Sycamore Park. A barbecue follows at the church around 5 PM. Please
come &
bring a dish to pass. Meat will be provided.

Wednesday, June 16, at 6 PM will be a cookout in the Fellowship Hall
followed by Pastor Janet's first of eight classes on the book Receiving
the Day: Christian Practices for Opening the Gift of Time. The $9.50
book is available at church. All are welcome.

Synod Assembly is June 18 & 19 at Augustana College in Rock Island.