March 2009 Pastor's Ponderings

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

What are some of the events that mark distinct changes in your life? Some of those points in my life include moving to South Carolina, going to seminary, marrying Nancy, moving to Florida, and becoming your pastor. What comes to your mind?

At each of these points my life was forever changed. Each of those I listed were good changes. Some, like moving to South Carolina, took a little getting used to but soon led to people and times that I now cherish. Others, like marrying Nancy, are true gifts and an ongoing blessing. Sadly, life isn’t always that kind. I’m sure that each of us has painful and life shattering events in our past as well. Each of these events may fit into a specific time and date on a long discarded calendar but their effects are every bit as real today as when they first occurred.

We are entering into a period of the church year preparing to remember and celebrate great events that forever changed all of creation: Good Friday, Easter, and Pentecost. I must admit that it would be easy to observe them by repeating everything we did last year and the year before, to be caught up in the ritual rather than the reality, and to celebrate mere holidays rather than being eternally transformed by their power and truth. What a shame!

In Jesus’ death God’s great love as well as the cost of our sin is revealed. In Jesus resurrection is proof that death and sin are vanquished. Pentecost reminds us of God’s commissioning and empowering presence in the Holy Spirit.

These truly are events of cosmic importance. Not only were those present as they occurred changed, but also all of creation for all of time. These are days when the hand of God radically reshaped the clay of his creation from broken shards into a vessel of purpose and hope.

Good Friday, Easter and Pentecost reveal God’s love and purpose, our brokenness as well as God’s healing, and our being equipped for new life serving him. The world will never be the same, why should we?

Your brother in Christ,
Paul