12-31-2013

Good Morning to All,

    Psalm 68:35; “God, the God of Israel, is awe-inspiring in his holy place.  He gives strength and power to his people.  Thanks be to God!"

    I had a neighbor who has an automotive/fix-it shop.  His wife was our mail carrier.  She drove a little pickup that had over 300, 000 miles on it.  I think it helped that he was a mechanic.  It seemed about every other week or so, he would have this little pickup up on the hoist and he was changing oil or replacing u-joints, or bushing, or brakes.  He was always fixing or replacing something.  Maintenance is always important to keep the vehicle running right.

    We used to notice this when we would go to farm sales where the sales were somewhat distressed.  That is the farmer didn’t want to sell but couldn’t afford to keep farming.  You could see that often the maintenance of the equipment was not what it should have been.  You knew how it worked.  Maintenance takes money, when money is tight often maintenance is pushed down the list.  Yet it never takes long for this lack of maintenance costs more in the long run.  It often shortens the lifespan of the equipment plus you end up spending more on repairs as well.

    Our faith life is a lot like taking care of a car or other equipment.  You need to do the maintenance in order for it to work properly.  You need to do the maintenance so that the equipment works when you need it the most.  This is true of our faith life as well.  Now this doesn’t mean that we have to work on our salvation; that is already settled by God’s mercy.  Because of this mercy, God gives us the grace to face our daily struggles.  He gives us His Spirit to help us as we deal with our daily struggles.  He gives us the gift of His Words of forgiveness, his sacraments, and the gift of prayer and of His written Word.  We also have the gift of His Church, the body of believers, who are there to comfort and console us.  These gifts are all there for us to face the daily grind of our life here on earth.

    But we must use them and often.  This is how we maintain our faith.  We need to regularly attend worship services.  This is where we hear God’s Words of forgiveness and grace spoken to us.  We can hear the precious joy of God’s pronouncement of his unwavering love for us.  We need to share in Holy Communion with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  This nourishing of the spirit and soul will strengthen the bond of fellowship with our fellow believers.  We need to spend time in the study of God’s Word and in prayer.  This is the rhythm of our devotional life that can serve as a major part of our maintenance program.  God gives us the tools and the desire to follow through with them.  So do your maintenance every day!

   Gracious Father, you give strength and power to us as we face the daily struggles of this life.  Guard us by your Spirit and move us to maintain our faith in you.  Move us to search your Word, to partake in your sacrament, and to trust wholly in you.  Be with those who have let their maintenance lag.  Help them to return to the safety of your loving arms.  This we ask in the precious name of Jesus, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret