“’Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
“Our God says, ‘Calm down, and learn that I am God! All nations on earth will honor me.’” Psalm 46:10 (CEV)

My family are fans of “Doctor Who.” From time to time I will walk through the family room and catch a glimpse of The Doctor. Usually, it seems, he or she is running. I commented on this once and they all laughed. Apparently this is a continuing bit on the program. I just looked it up. There are fan-made tributes online to “The Man Who Keeps Running.” There are songs entitled “An Awful Lot of Running.” Apparently The Doctor is not only impatient, but is running away from something. (“The Man Who Keeps Running. Never Looking Back Because He Dare Not. Out of Shame…”)

This, unfortunately, is true for many of us. We keep busy – we keep moving – to avoid the reflection that stillness brings. Even in a lockdown, we have things to do, arrangements to make, and we have to keep up with all the remarkable things people are accomplishing with all this free time!

It was a little like that for the Disciples during what we now call Holy Week. They run from their association with Jesus. The move from place to place to avoid the crowd. They gather in secret, always on the lookout. Even when they are still they are tense, and keep listening to hear the latest tragic news. On Easter morning, once the women share the news of what they have seen at the tomb, they are all off running again. Followers are running off to Emmaus when Jesus meets them on the road. The fishermen run back to their boat. When Jesus calls out from the shore Peter jumps out of the boat and runs – OK, wades quickly to the shore….

Did they have time to consider what was happening?

I like the Contemporary English Version of this passage from the psalms. We don’t have to be completely still to know about God. In fact, I reflect best when I am moving about a bit, whether it be gardening, or walking, or catching a wave. Focusing on one thing allows my inner voices to calm; then I can reflect, remember, and learn about God anew.

I pray that in this coming Holy Week, you take some time to be still and know – or to calm down and learn – that God IS.

Grant us focus, O God. Grant us peace. Allow us to hear your voice. In the busy-ness and in the stillness enter our beings and remind us of your love. When we are afraid, when we are angry, when we are alone, when we are overwhelmed, help us to know that you indeed are God. You are working your purpose out in us. We pray this in the name of Jesus. Amen. 

Your questions for Sunday:
1. When have you been able to move from lament to trust?
2. What hurt do you still carry?
3. What does the cross mean to you?

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. Proverbs 17:22

We, as a world, just recently crossed the 1-year threshold of the pandemic. It has definitely been a challenging year and we aren’t done yet, but we are getting closer. It is easy to look at the negative things about this pandemic and get caught up in the pessimism but that can be tiring and cumbersome.   Throughout this past year I have tried, sometimes more successfully than others, to look at the positive. That has helped me to recognize the God moments.

So, as I reflected on the past year I started thinking about the negative comments that have consumed our conversations, social media and our news. I decided to see if I could turn the negative into a positive. We can say schools have been closed for a year but just like our church hasn’t “closed” neither have the schools. I see God with all the teachers who have gone above and beyond to make sure that school is still happening, and learning is still taking place while keeping children as safe as possible. We can look at masks as awkward, uncomfortable and a complete annoyance or we can remember that masks keep everyone safer. Those that have been blessed with God’s gift of creativity went to work and began sewing millions of masks and giving them away. Masks have now evolved as a way to support our favorite sport team, the causes we feel passionate about and for the fashionably conscious they have become an accessory to our outfit. We can get caught up in how slow the vaccine is rolling out and in the confusion about when it’s your turn and how we even get in line or we can thank God for the wisdom that God has given those creating the vaccines we now have access to and for the many people who have volunteered to help with distributing them. 

Finding the positive has helped me to see that God has been with us this entire time.  This pandemic hasn’t been easy, but God hasn’t promised that life was going to be easy. God has promised to be with us in the easy and hard times, the good and the bad times, the happy and sad times.  As we are getting closer to moving out of the pandemic tunnel we may feel joy, anxiety, and concern but we can find comfort in the fact that no matter where we are or how we are feeling God will be with us there too.

Gracious and loving God, it can be easy to get bogged down with pessimism which is a bummer because  then we miss your presence.  We ask for your help to stay positive so that we can be aware of the  God moments. We give thanks for all the people who have brought us joy and comfort and have shared their gifts with all of us.  Amen

Marty

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

This scripture has been going through my mind and heart a lot lately. Our youngest, Ryan who is 26, is moving back to St. Petersburg Florida. He went to college there and has been wanting to go back to make his life there ever since he came back home to California. He has worked here at a couple of jobs, however not full time or not in his chosen field of Marine Science. While he doesn’t have a job back in Florida that he is going to, there have been openings that he would be perfect for but seeing California on the application has not been helping him get a job in Florida, so off he goes with a good amount of savings, and hope.

Ryan is stepping out on faith in a way that boggles my mind, worries, and makes me proud of him all at the same time. He believes that he is called to make the world a better place by helping us take care of our oceans and marine life. He trusts that God has put that call on his heart for a reason and is going for it. We can learn a lot from our children, even when they are adults.

We are so blessed to be in relationship with God. A God who loves us so much that he gave his own life up to show how much he loves us. During this time of Lent when we focus on what Jesus went through to try to get us to understand the true nature of God, it is so important to remember that all those events happened because we didn’t get what Jesus was trying to show us and God loved us anyway. The idea that God, who created the vast universe; created us, knows us, loves us, and wants us to thrive in life is utterly amazing, awe inspiring and humbling. As we approach Holy Week, we need to remember that Jesus went through all that to show us the love that God has for us. Our God has plans for our world and our lives and those plans include us working together to help bring God’s kingdom here on earth. Something that we say every time we pray the Lord’s Prayer. During this season of Lent let us take the time to listen to God and to try to discern it the way we are trying to go is God’s way or our way. Let us try to align with nature of God grace and love, that Jesus tried to teach us about while he was physically here.

Blessings,
Suzanne

Gracious & Loving God, We are so blessed to be called your children. Create in us a heart that the courage to trust in you and listen to your will for our lives. Help us to realize that we need you in our lives to save us from ourselves and humanities selfish tendencies. Create in us a clean heart and renew our spirits that we might live more fully into your plan for our lives and for our future.

Amen