grand view of time. Our grandparents were born in the late 1800s and our
grandchildren are born in the early 2000s so we get to hear stories of
pre-electricity and pre-penicillin days from our Grammy and Grampas AND
watch technology unfold in all its myriad ways through the hands of our
grandkids. Our minds get to span a century, at least, and we are blessed
and flummoxed both.
I lost an uncle to a floor burn from a basketball game in 1927. The sore
got infected; he died in short order. No penicillin. I have a 10 year
old granddaughter who uses e-mail with more skill than I, perfect
spelling, emoticons, colored fonts, the whole works. We take these things
in stride, more surprised by a floor burn death than a computer expertise.
How amazingly we are made!
For centuries the kinds of labor available to people was pretty simple:
farming and soldiering for the many, ministering and teaching for the few.
The Industrial Revolution put an end to those limited lives. Now the
number of careers is staggering! That coupled with the extended lifespan
means that each person can have two or three careers, easily! If you were
born in 1900, the life expectancy was about 40 years. If you are born
now, the life expectancy is about 87 for women, 81 for men. Double! We
have double the time on earth, if no accident or illness shortens our time
here. So imagine: if we War babies have a century's view of time, how
about God's view? God started life on earth. Imagine what God has seen
over the thousands of years of humankind.
What would God say if we could interview this Lord of the Universe?
Remember what was written on those tablets God gave to Moses? You shall
have no other gods. You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the
Lord your God. Remember the Sabbath day to make it holy. Honor your
father and your mother. You shall not kill. You shall not commit
adultery. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness against
your neighbor. You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not
covet your neighbor's wife or his maidservant or his manservant or his ox
or his ass or anything that belongs to your neighbor. These commandments
have been known to mankind for so many generations. How obedient have we
been? How many could stand up in proud posture, indicating obedience to
each and every one of those commandments? How many across the centuries?
And what did God's Son say? "Love one another". "Love one another as I
have loved you". He was whipped within an inch of his life and then
nailed, NAILED, to a wooden cross and that cross with Jesus on it was
stood upright so Jesus' body sagged down from his arms, his side, and his
feet. Can you imagine loving someone that much, that you'd undergo such
punishment? It's terrifying. And yet that's what Jesus did for us and
so, logically, asked us to do it for each other.
Do you ever wonder if God gets annoyed with us or tired of us or irritated
with us and our ongoing disobedience? God seems to be patient through the
days of century after century, watching us make choices that either bring
us closer to God's kingdom or farther away. We have a sense of God's
endless patience as we see Jesus in the Garden finding the disciples
sleeping, after asking them specifically to stay awake. We see more of it
when we watch Judas enter the Garden with the Roman soldiers and Jesus
presents his cheek for Judas to kiss, knowing already that that was the
sign of betrayal. Jesus knew what He was to do and He stayed on course
all the way through. Can we say the same?
We are blessed beyond all imagining by the love our Lord and Saviour has
for us, has had for us, and will always have for us for all of time. This
unbelievable grace is the most precious gift we have. Let us try, each
day, to be worthy of it, to honor it, to live up to it. We are God's
children. May we do our Father proud. Amen.
Judy Bergeson,
Diaconal Minister
COMING UP AT SALEM:
Every Sunday afternoon from 3 till 4:30 the Grief Support Group meets in
the Chapel Lounge at Salem. For anyone who has lost a loved one, be it
recently or long ago, this is a safe and confidential place to grieve.
All are welcome.
Sunday, November 14 between services Kathy Koll from Avancer (formerly
Genesis House) will come tell us about the 80 or so mentally challenged
adults in their care in Genoa. Each Christmas we pick a name from the
Christmas tree and become santas for these adults as we shop for their
Christmas gifts.
Communion will be delivered to several homebound by communion teams
Sunday, November 14.
Also, at 6:30 that evening there will be a Peter Eide concert in Salem's
sanctuary; this is co-sponsored by Salem and Bethlehem in DeKalb. Tickets
are $8 per person, no more than $24 per family.
Feed the Starving Children hopes to pack a million bags of nutritious food
to send to countries where children, if fed this nourishing food, can
thrive, not just survive. Salem has been asked to send 40 people to work;
56 signed up, so we can do more than asked on that Friday evening,
November 19 at Cornerstone Christian Church from 6 till 8 PM.
You are invited to the Thanksgiving eve service Wednesday, November 24 at
7 PM followed by pie and coffee in the Fellowship Hall. Bring a neighbor!
Looking ahead: Come join us for Advent services with the magnificent
music of the Holden Evening Prayer and lighting of the candles, week by
week, as we approach Christmas.
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