us also lay aside the weight and sin that clings so closely, and let us
run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the
pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was
set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken
his seat at the right hand of God." --- Hebrews 12:1-2
"Planning to go home tonight? Work safely today." Sign on a construction
site in DeKalb
"All I have is the next step right in front of me." Bonnie Lindgren after
her surgery when she was at a rehab center in Rockford.
I find these three bouncing around in my head this morning.
The first because it was last week-end's second lesson. I can still see
the two children up front for the children sermon on Saturday night. I
asked them to run in place and oh did they run, until they were
breathless. And then we sat down and talked about what we needed for a
race. Things like good shoes. And water. And people to cheer us on. And a
friend beside us. And how that is also true in this race of life where we
have a whole cloud of witnesses cheering us on and Jesus right beside us
every step of the way.
The second because I passed it on my morning walk yesterday and I got to
thinking about our big goals in life --- and while at the end of each day,
we want to go safely home, at the end of our lives we do also plan to go
'home.' But in the meantime we are called to stay in the moment. To live
in and with and through the gifts of God right here and now. It's a little
like how on a construction site, we have to stay in the moment in order to
be 'safe.' Only it's true that we may not always be 'safe' in the earthly
sense as we do that in our lives for lives of faith call for risk and
sacrifice. Even so, we will always be safe in God's care as we pay
attention to the things that matter right now today.
And the last because Bonnie died last night. Her journey was hard. But
even in her last year she continued to offer gifts which stay with me. A
sure reminder that God doesn't quit using us --- not as long as there is
life and breath. Now perhaps it's obvious that for a person rehabbing
from surgery all they have is the next step. But it's also true for all
of us, don't you think? This next step is the one that counts.
But back to those words from Hebrews. Our youngsters on Saturday night
ran like the wind staying in place. There will be times in life we will
be called to run like that. And there will be times when it seems we
aren't going anywhere when we do. A lot of the time though you and I are
called to run 'with perseverance'. Not necessarily fast perhaps, but
steady and strong. This kind of 'running' is what we do as we show up at
the nursing home day after day. It's in the doing the laundry at night
after a long day of doing so many other things. It's in the mowing the
lawn that seems to never quit growing in this long hot summer. It's in
the checking on the neighbor yet one more time to be sure there's nothing
she needs. It's in the teaching children to read, step by step, word by
word, in the checking the charts, in the reading the maps and on and on.
It's in offering our prayers of thanksgiving and hope, hour after hour,
day after day. This is not a sprint, it's a marathon --- or so I've been
told and have found to be so, again and again. It's the next step that
counts. And it is all done under God's watchful, protecting eye --- with a
whole cloud of witnesses cheering us on.
So here's to the race. May you be blessed with all that you need as you
run it.
Peace to you and many blessings,
Pastor Janet
Coming up at Salem:
This is a great time of year to consider joining the Puppet Praise Team,
Celebration Voices Choir, the Handbell Choir or Salem's Praise Team. Check
out the sign up sheets downstairs outside fellowship hall and join in the
fun!
On Sunday, August 29 at 9:15 a.m. in Fellowship Hall, we will be
celebrating Marie Carlson's 95th birthday. Come dressed in blue (her
favorite color) and bring a birthday card to bless her day!
On Saturday/Sunday September 4-5, we will be celebrating our daily labor
and blessing hands. Come dressed in your normal 'work clothes' and bring
along a symbol of your labor to be blessed.
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