Pastoral Thoughts

Pastoral Thoughts

    I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth Psalm 121: 1 -2

    Grace and Peace be to you from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The other day, I was playing remote roulette and came across an old favorite movie. Do you know what remote roulette is: pushing the button on the television's remote, looking at different channels, and seeing if a show or movie catches your eye? It’s a game that annoys my family. ’Would you just find something to watch already?!?” Anyway, towards the end of this movie, the main character sings a song titled “I would die for You” and it made me think, “Would I die for someone?’”

    Seriously, this is something that many of us say pejoratively, but rarely does a moment in time challenge the possibility. I write this the day after the anniversary of 9/11. It does not matter where we stand politically to realize and appreciate the police, military, firefighters, paramedics, and ambulance drivers of our country because many first responders made an oath to protect, and they must answer the question, “Would you die for us?” “Will you try to save a life and possibly forfeit your own?” Many times, the reality of their answer goes unappreciated. Now and then, we do pay homage to the military, police, firefighters, and all who put their lives on the line for us.

   This reality is a fact as well regarding our faith. At times, as we live our lives, we forget that we have a Savior who died for us so that we have everlasting life. What have we done to respond to God’s answer we posed to God; “Would you die for us?” Through the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, we have a life filled with love and everlasting spiritual presence.

    God does not ask that much of us; give praise, repent, and do good works as our response to the saving grace of Christ. Every day, we are challenged to respond to this grace. We have a call not to focus our lives solely on our wants, thinking that we do not need to worship, do not need to pray, do not need to seek things that will help our spiritual lives. This month, we uplift the Reformation. It was a time when Martin Luther changed the conversation, saying it is not the works that save us but the love of God through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Knowing this, we know that God has saved us how to respond and be sanctified in the graces of God. God calls us to lift our eyes to God, understanding God’s everlasting saving help.

Peace, Pastor Brian