Church Family,
As you can tell, this pastoral thought is coming out much later in the day than normal. And that is interesting to note. My morning has gone by smoothly, but also very busily. Let me speak to you briefly about the morning, and then say something about God’s work and discerned desire because of it. . . This is going to read like a shopping list. . . .
This morning, I spoke with Rev. David Oyler at our presbytery office. He had some questions for me about a project that I am working on. We were excited to catch up and left the conversation with the reminder from Paul to “Pray continually.” The call with David lifted my spirits a great deal!
Then, I needed to speak to my doctor about an MRI that they want to perform on my elbow. I have a small cyst that needs attention on my left elbow by a surgeon. Nothing serious, but yet still important. I have been putting off scheduling the MRI because, honestly, I keep forgetting.
I spoke with Angela about the plans for the new school year and talked about messages that I received for her from parents looking for spots for their children.
I responded to a lot of emails about ministry here at Plains. While other churches are still seeking discernment and direction from God as to how to begin accessing the world during this pandemic, we are ‘full steam ahead.’ That is a wonderful blessing to share and participate in!
My truck is going in for some work and I phoned the dealership to confirm the details and learn about the process. It was exactly what I expected, so I breathed a sigh of relief.
A few years ago, I officiated over at Plains for a community members. That family reached out to me today asking about the sacrament of baptism for the wife and their new ‘bundle of joy.’
Ann and I talked about plans for the remainder of September and handled a few office housekeeping issues that were coming up. All the while I was messaging Emma and JonMark about getting lunch together for Jennifer and I. Both kids are home, and in class, so they were willing to help make lunch and do some basic housework for us.
I have been so active today that my iced coffee still sits inches away from this keyboard untouched—I will remedy that in a few minutes!!!
So the purpose of this list is not to demonstrate how busy I am, or to prove my worth, but to say something about how even while we are busy and working hard, there is space to be thankful. Space is present to practice gratitude if we are willing; if we will try. Sy Safransky wrote:
"Let me start with gratitude: The world is broken in ten thousand places. Can I be thankful for the brokenness? How else can I learn to love the broken world?"
I know that you agree with me that our world feels broken more often than it does healed. I know that you also lament the change and we wonder together where is God at work in the ever-changing landscape of this country and this community? The divide seems too great to bridge. . . And I know that you have busy days, fully days, overwhelming days, all of the time. Days when it feels like there is no room, and no time, to reach out to God even in the brokenness as a means to love the world around you.
Today, I wonder, as you identify the brokenness in our world, as you live with it, work with it, as it live next door to it, or even down the hallway, can you find a way to love that broken world? And by loving that world, be thankful to God that God entrusted you with the care and ministry in it?
Blessings
Rev. Derek
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