2-9-2018

      Good Morning All,

         1 Peter 2:10; “Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

     Our last confirmation class ended with a (to me) rather amusing event.  A common occurrence during aa typical class is asking the students to be quiet in an effort to return sanity and control.  I asked them to “be silent” to which a couple of them started singing “The Sounds of Silence” by Simon and Garfunkel; at least I thought.  I asked them if they like other tunes by Simon and Garfunkel like “The Boxer” or “Homeward Bound” or “Bridge over Troubled Water”.  They looked at me and said who?  Did they sing that song too?  Apparently, there are other versions and once again a generational difference crept in.  But it did lead to a discussion that, hopefully; made a point that was not planned on.

     I asked them if they knew the words and what the lyrics mean.  I told them the words spoke to an emptiness and a hollowness that exists within society and man.  It speaks to broken relationships and how people often withdraw into themselves when they feel betrayed by family, friends or other relationships.  They seemed to get that so I pushed a little more.  It is into that darkness that Christ speaks to us.

    Sin breaks relationships.  The relationship between Adam and God was broken first followed shortly by the breaking of the relationship between Cain and Abel.  Man and God and Man to Man now had brokenness, emptiness and hollowness.  Sin brings isolation but God reconciles us through Jesus to be brought back into a holy, sacred relationship with Him.  It is a relationship where God, through His mercy and love makes us His beloved people.  He takes us from isolated and lost individuals and makes us a people, a community or family, holy unto Him.

    There are many ways to describe the Church but one of the first and foremost ways is that it is a community or a family that seeks the uniting of these lost individuals into a holy family, the very Body of Christ here on earth.  We, as believers, are a people.  We are a clan or a family which God has declared holy to Him by His mercy.  It is here that we should find our comfort, our visible consolation.  It is here we should hear the voices of love and concern and to experience the shoulder to cry on or the ear to speak to.  The Body of Christ, the Church, is to be the very physical presence here on earth until Christ the ruling king returns in triumph.

    We, the believers here on earth, are to be the compassionate Body of Christ to those around us.  We are to be the hands, arms, voice and compassionate shoulder to the hurting and the suffering especially to our fellow brothers and sisters.  If we are hurting, if you are hurting do not close the door and suffer.  Seek the comfort of the loving words and compassion of your people, your fellow believers.  Hear the voice of Christ and His compassion.

Father, darkness is not our friend but your mercy, poured out on Calvary to all people to make a people gives us healing.  Guide those who are broken and lost to hear your words of peace, your words of hope and your words of love.  Enable us to speak your words of love.  In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.  

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret