5-19-2017

Good Morning All

         Isaiah 55: 8-9; “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

    I was reading a blog the other day when a young lady was trying to make the creationist view of world development and the evolutionary view of world development.  She used a lot of words but basically she wanted the six days to be different than twenty four hour increments.  She was using what is called Kairological time.  This is a measurement of time by an event.  For example, harvest time is a kairological event.  It starts when it starts and ends when it ends but it is very rare that from year to year the calendar dates ever correspond.  She was trying to make God’s work of creation “fit” into her understanding and to make creation something that she could understand.

    Personally, I rarely get involved in the old earth vs. young earth argument.  Is the earth billions of years old or is it 10,000 years or less?  I really don’t know but I really have no need or desire to know or worry about it.  I do wonder and worry about the desire to always be able to “explain God”.  It seems more and more that we are shrinking God to fit my understanding.  It would be better to simply let God be God and truly grasp our verse for today.

    As I teach this to my confirmands, I tell them that compared to God; we are thimbles and God is the oceans.  You will never fit the entire ocean in a thimble; you can fit a thimbleful of the ocean in a thimble and never anymore.  God is far and away above us and beyond us and we only have to look at the cross to realize this.  I have three sons and two grandsons, one granddaughter and one on the way.  I would not sacrifice any of them for you.  If I had to choose between them and you; I would choose them every time.  I don’t feel guilty; partly because I highly doubt that you would sacrifice one of your children, grandchildren for me.  If we are honest, sacrificing the live of one of our loved ones for someone who may very well, not even know or like us.  Remember, this is you, as a parent, specifically choosing one of your children to die so someone else can live.  The thought of this is beyond my comprehension so it is good that God is beyond my comprehension.

    I cannot begin to fathom the love that God has for us.  Even though we sin and deserve only punishment; God continues to forgive, restore and reconcile us to himself.  God has a love that is so far above our type of love that we can ever come to grips with.  The beauty of a God that is so far above us that it is perfect and will never fail is that we do not need to comprehend only trust.  We only need to trust this love of God displayed for us on the cross and with the empty tomb, will never fail and that love, much the ocean will always fill our thimble.

Father of all love, your mercies are new to us each day and your grace overflows us like a river.  All that you freely give us is beyond our grasp.  Heal our wounds, calm our hearts and lead us in peace to be your servants.  Be with those who are in pain or are lost.  Restore them to your holy family.  In the precious name of Jesus we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret