Monday, May 18, 2020

Pastoral Thought--May 18

In 1937, Christian mystic Evelyn Underhill wrote a wonderful little book entitled: The Spiritual Life. It's a short little book that I treasure. Page after page, we find her writing powerful words that are applicable to us as we still live with, and in, the covid-19 crisis. In this book she wrote: 

"Sometimes we are servants, left year in, year out to the same monotonous job. Sometimes we are conscious fellow-workers with the Perfect, striving to bring the Kingdom in. But whatever our particular place or job may be, it the means austere conditions of the workshop, not free-lance activities of the messy but well-meaning amateur; clocking in at the right time and tending the machine in the right way. Sometimes, perhaps, carrying on for years with a machine we do not know very well understand and do not enjoy; because it needs doing, and no one else is available."

Those words of Christian determination speak loudly to us, if we listen. I encourage you to read it again. . .  Her also words remind me of Isaiah 6:8 where God asks:

 “Whom shall I send? 
And who will speak for us? 
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”

The prophet did not wait to learn all that was required of being sent into the community preach and live out God’s word. He was not well trained necessarily for the work. He did not fall back on any teaching or learning for his past—that we are aware of. Instead, he honestly responded to God amid the heavenly court that he was before. He was vulnerable. He was determined. He did not hold back but realized that he was called to a specific job that he might not completely understand, but God’s call could not be ignored. 

I wonder, where Evelyn’s words hit you today and what they call you to press on toward? 

Blessings
Rev. Derek

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