For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Remote Ministry Communication 20200702

Holy Trinity friends,

Greetings in Christ on this Fourth of July holiday weekend when we give thanks for the freedom to express, witness and demonstrate our faith freely for the benefit of all God’s children.

Prayer Update

In addition to praying for continued healing for Diane Whalen and Alice Larrimer recovering from leg infections, please remember too, Gail Svendsen at OSU hospital receiving non-COVID medical treatment.  We remember Kris Eicher whose mother Nancy Hawk died earlier this week after extended illness and time on our prayer list.

Plans to Gather Anew

The first priority for our plans to Gather Anew at church is to commend and affirm the faithful responsibility that everyone is taking with regard to their own level of community interaction.  Only you really know your own circumstances.  So please understand that we have prepared to worship again in person only when you are already to do so, continuing to provide online worship so that we might gather together as widely as possible.

You will find our worship service at                          www.engagedbygrace.org/livestream

and at the “Online Worship” tab of our website        www.engagedbygrace.org.

The worship bulletin is still available at                     www.engagedbygrace.org/bulletin

For any who are feeling well and want to worship in-person this week, we will gather at our normal times on Sunday morning, July 5, at 8:30 and 10:30, with an additional service at 11:45 on Wednesday, July 8 as well. As a most safe practice, we have also decided now to require  everyone at church to wear facial coverings of the mouth and nose.  Extras are available just inside the front doors.

When you arrive for worship on Sunday, you will see a table of individually packaged communion safe-spaced across at table at the sanctuary door.  Communing worshippers will take one of the packets and parents of non-communion children will pick up a sticker for each child.  You will be instructed during the service how to make use of each from your own seats.  This communion is also available for delivery to your home by request to Pastor Steve at steve.wachtman@me.com or calling the church office. And offering will be collected at the door as well.

As you enter the sanctuary, an usher will help you identify a seat or cluster of safe-distance seats that will accommodate your household, and help make adjustments to a cluster of seats as necessary. We also have four armchairs marked for use by those who use the arm of a chair to help them stand.  Service bulletins will already be in place at each seat.

We look forward to an uplifting if somewhat different worship experience as well.  While there will be no group reading or singing, we will have a song leader to sing the words of hymns while the rest of us follow along.  We will pray together the Lord’s Prayer.   And we’ll explore new ways of sharing the peace, without touching each other while including gestures to all those who are worshipping with us from home.

At the end of the service, ushers will help dismiss the congregation from the back of the sanctuary moving toward the front.  Once out of the sanctuary, everyone will be directed to exit the building through the Service Door.  Signs and markings on the floor will serve as a guide as well, just as there are new hand-sanitizing units installed at strategic locations through the building too.

If you would like to preview what the worship space will look like when you arrive or how the new cameras will broadcast the service into your homes, please click this link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7OXql6Z5Ng&feature=youtu.be

Whether online or in-person, we look forward to gathering again for worship this week with the God who finds new and meaningful ways to touch us with grace for us to share with the world.

Be safe.  Stay well.

Yours in Christ,

Mike Christman, President (michael.d.christman@gmail.com; 419-356-9565)

Pastor Steve (steve.wachtman@engagedbygrace.org; 614-579-8128)

Vicar Sara (sara.wunsch@engagedbygrace.org; 513-581-6006)

John K. Galbraith wrote, “Money ranks with love as man’s greatest joy.  And it ranks with death as his greatest source of anxiety.”  Money has the potential to control our thought and our decision-making process.  The apostle Paul expressed some keen insight when he wrote, “The love of money is a root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10).  Money is not dangerous, but evil flows from the love of money.  “One eager to get rich will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 28:20).  If we love money, our view of life will be affected, and we will suffer many griefs.  For more information about stewardship, please contact Max Buban.

A Daily Dose of Good News

 Tuesday, June 30, 2020

At 10:30 today, this devotional will be offered online at https://youtu.be/VSCGuTY5zkM
and will remain available throughout the day and the week.

For a printer-friendly version of today’s devotion, please click DDGN 20200630

 Good morning!  It’s June 30 and it’s time for our Daily Dose of Good News. Today we’re going to read from 1 Kings.  So, for any of you who may not be familiar with that context, 1 Kings starts with the kingship of King Solomon, and it was all unified as one kingdom, until his death.  Then it split into two kingdoms- the kingdom of Israel and the kingdom of Judah.  We’re going to be reading about the kingdom of Judah today, with King Ahab.  So, starting in chapter 21, I’m going to give you a little bit of backstory, and then jump in with our verses from 21:17-29.  So, starting in 1 Kings, 21.

 Later the following events took place: Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard in Jezreel, beside the palace of King Ahab of Samaria. 2 And Ahab said to Naboth, “Give me your vineyard, so that I may have it for a vegetable garden, because it is near my house; I will give you a better vineyard for it; or, if it seems good to you, I will give you its value in money.” 3 But Naboth said to Ahab, “The Lord forbid that I should give you my ancestral inheritance.” 4 Ahab went home resentful and sullen because of what Naboth the Jezreelite had said to him; for he had said, “I will not give you my ancestral inheritance.” He lay down on his bed, turned away his face, and would not eat.

5 His wife Jezebel came to him and said, “Why are you so depressed that you will not eat?” 6 He said to her, “Because I spoke to Naboth the Jezreelite and said to him, ‘Give me your vineyard for money; or else, if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard for it’; but he answered, ‘I will not give you my vineyard.’” 7 His wife Jezebel said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Get up, eat some food, and be cheerful; I will give you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.”

As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, Jezebel said to Ahab, “Go, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give you for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead.” 16 As soon as Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, Ahab set out to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it.

Elijah Pronounces God’s Sentence

17 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying: 18 Go down to meet King Ahab of Israel, who rules in Samaria; he is now in the vineyard of Naboth, where he has gone to take possession. 19 You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: Have you killed, and also taken possession?” You shall say to him, “Thus says the Lord: In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs will also lick up your blood.”

Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, O my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you. Because you have sold yourself to do what is evil in the sight of the Lord, 21 I will bring disaster on you; I will consume you, and will cut off from Ahab every male, bond or free, in Israel; 22 and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin. 23 Also concerning Jezebel the Lord said, ‘The dogs shall eat Jezebel within the bounds of Jezreel.’ 24 Anyone belonging to Ahab who dies in the city the dogs shall eat; and anyone of his who dies in the open country the birds of the air shall eat.”

25 (Indeed, there was no one like Ahab, who sold himself to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord, urged on by his wife Jezebel. 26 He acted most abominably in going after idols, as the Amorites had done, whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites.)

27 When Ahab heard those words, he tore his clothes and put sackcloth over his bare flesh; he fasted, lay in the sackcloth, and went about dejectedly. 28 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 “Have you seen how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself before me, I will not bring the disaster in his days; but in his son’s days I will bring the disaster on his house.”

Here ends the reading.

That reads like an exciting novel or story which is full of intensity, gore and drama.  As we look at this text, it’s easy to get caught up in the initial reading particularly, about the dogs eating the flesh.  That’s just gory and horrific to think about.  I want to help us think about that symbolically, because the point is:  it’s not going to be a death of honor.  It’s not going to be something where people are grieved at the death and there is ceremony, pomp, and honor.  It’s a very dishonorable death.  And remember this is a place where honor means alot.  So the idea that no-one is going to care when you die, people aren’t going to be grieving, you’re just going to be there and the dogs are going to consume you.  It’s a reflection of honor in that.  And that basically was the sin of Ahab: he thinks too highly of himself. He comes to this neighbor who has built an entire vineyard (and imagine all the time, effort and labor in that)! And King Ahab says ‘Give me that piece of property because I want to demolish it and make it into a vegetable garden for me, because it’s close and convenient to my house.’  It’s an insulting request for someone who has done years and years of work on it.  And, it’s his ancestral inheritance, it’s his family’s land from generation to generation. King Ahab is treating it very dishonorably and in that, treating Naboth very much as if Naboth is insignificant.  Because, this is King Ahab and he wants it for his vegetable garden!  So, his wife takes matters in her own hands and Ahab allows that- doesn’t stop her, doesn’t try to change her mind in that.  And as soon as she says, ‘he’s dead, the land is yours, if you want to go take it’, he hustles down there to go put his stakes in the  ground and claim it.  So, he doesn’t have a problem with what she did and he’s sprinting out the door to take advantage of the opportunity.  Then, Elijah comes and confronts him on his actions.  God says “You have brought sin on Israel. What you have done is dishonorable and you’re going to be dishonored in that”.

And the Good News in this text, (finally, finally!) is at the very end, when Ahab heard the words of the Lord.  He really heard them, right?  There are times when all of us hear, but don’t listen.  Or we put our walls up, or have a hard time hearing something said to us.  But in this moment, Ahab heard the words that Elijah said, which were from the Lord, and his reaction was intense.  His reaction is: that really grievous, ‘I’m really sorry’ reaction.  And very much, Ahab humbles himself.  He tears his clothes, puts on sackcloth, is fasting and laying in the sackcloth, and going about dejectedly.  Ahab has gone from viewing himself as: King Ahab who can do anything and can come demolish somebody’s vineyard if he feels like it, on a whim; to recognizing ‘I have done evil and I’m really not following what God wants there, and I’m not being a good person in that, and I’m so sorry and I feel so badly about myself.’  This is not a token apology.  This is not saying ‘I’m sorry’ in a superficial way to smooth it over.  This is a heartfelt grieving by King Ahab, which is why God said “do you see he changed his heart?”  God says, “I see he changed his heart, so I’m not going to bring disaster on him, during his lifetime.  I am going to bring it in his son’s lifetime.”  (And if you continued to read 1 Kings, you’d learn that his son was even worse.  So, it makes sense why he’s eventually going to get consequences for his own actions.  God seems to have a sense of that ahead of time).

But, I think the portion for us to hold on to, is the idea of:  God wants us to listen.  God wants us to really hear things, even when they’re difficult, and take them to heart.  To recognize our own sinfulness and bring that to God.  To very humbly and genuinely, recognize our sin and admit that.  So, while that’s difficult, intense, heavy and sad, it’s worth it.  Because it restores our relationships with God.  God loves us all.  God wants the best for us.  And that’s Good News!  Enjoy the day, everybody.  Bye-bye.

A Daily Dose of Good News

 Monday, June 29, 2020

At 10:30 today, this devotional will be offered online at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gBx0DGQ_3c
and will remain available throughout the day and the week.

For a printer-friendly version of today’s devotion, please click DDGN 20200629

Good morning!  It is June 29 and I found a pretty spot for us out here, to enjoy our Daily Dose of Good News! So, today is from Psalm 119:161-168.

Princes persecute me without cause,

 but my heart stands in awe of your words.

162 

I rejoice at your word

    like one who finds great spoil.

163 

I hate and abhor falsehood,

    but I love your law.

164 

Seven times a day I praise you

    for your righteous ordinances.

165 

Great peace have those who love your law;

    nothing can make them stumble.

166 

I hope for your salvation, O Lord,

    and I fulfill your commandments.

167 

My soul keeps your decrees;

    I love them exceedingly.

168 

I keep your precepts and decrees,

    for all my ways are before you.

Here ends the reading.

I think this text is an interesting one.  It’s unusual to hear people talk about how they love the law so much.  How much they love following the rules and following what God wants them to do.  Usually we chafe from being told what to do or how to do it.  Often we find God’s rules and standards impossible to keep perfectly and we fall short of that.  So, it’s unusual to have this kind of respect, honor and love for the law. But what I hear in this passage, is the way that the psalmist is oriented.  The psalmist talks about:  “princes persecute me and falsehood is all around me”. And I think about any of us who feel attacked by another, or who feel like people are saying wrongful things or critical things, or things about us that we don’t want to hear, or don’t like to hear- and how that can feel jarring and disorienting to us.  We can kind of bang into things like that.  We hear something from somebody here, and something else upsetting here, and it’s sort of like we’re a pinball in a pinball machine, getting banged around in different ways.  But what I hear in this, is not a pinball in a pinball machine.  I hear peace and constancy and vision and direction.  The psalmist is saying:  “I know Your laws and I’m keeping Your decrees in front of me and I love them”. And what I hear the psalmist saying is: ‘This is providing me with stability and constancy, no matter what happens around me.  All these jarring impacts- I don’t have to be jarred by them. I can live in the constancy and peace of Your laws and Your ways, knowing that I’m trying to do my best for what You, God, are asking me to do’.  There’s a peace in that.  There’s gratitude that the psalmist mentions.  The psalmist is praising God seven times a day.  The psalmist is oriented in this direction (points ahead). Similar to a horse with blinders on. The psalmist is looking straight here- at God- and not letting all these other components jar them.

I think that’s really good news! Because we’re bombarded with lots of stuff right now, both in our larger world, as well as, potentially, in our personal lives.  It’s a good reminder and a good orientation for us.  Focus on God, don’t let these other aspects- as difficult and upsetting as they are- jar you off track.  Don’t be like a pinball in a pinball machine.  Focus on My laws, Focus on who I Am, rest in that.  That gives peace and that creates thankful hearts in all of us, as we praise God for the consistency of who God is, the righteousness of who God is.   That feels reasonable and fair, it sounds like, to this psalmist.  This feels like a safe place to be- right in the middle of God’s law, and the psalmist appreciates it.  So, I encourage you to stay grounded in God today, no matter what jarring things happen, whether those are falsehoods, or whether that is people persecuting you, or whatever that looks like.  Stay in what God offers you.  I hope you have a great day.  Bye-bye everybody.

To download a printer-friendly version of the bulletin for the online worship service for Sunday, June 28, click here

For a printer-friendly version of this week’s news, please click Remote Ministry Communication 20200625

Holy Trinity friends,

With prayers for the health and safety of you, your families and all in the community, here are our updates for this week.

Prayer Update

We rejoice with Fred and Chris Burton at the birth of their granddaughter, Leona Christine Royalty, on June 19. Mom Sarah and baby are doing well.

We also pray for Bill Eubanks who is awaiting test results from scans that were done, Diane Whalen who was discharged from the hospital to treat her leg infection with oral antibiotics and for Alice Larrimer at home recovering from a hip infection.

Plans for Gathering Anew

We will resume in-person worship on Sunday, July 5 at 8:30 and 10:30 am with the addition of a midday service on Wednesday, July 8 at 11:45 am to help distribute worshippers across more worship times.  CDC guidelines of maintaining 6′ of social distance, wearing face coverings, and washing hands regularly will be observed.  Whenever you decide to worship again at church (online worship will always be available too), ushers will be available to help direct you to a seat or cluster of seats suitable for the size of your household.

Weekend Worship

Because of vacation schedules, there will be no live Zoom worship at 4:00pm Saturday, June 27. Live-recorded worship will be available at 8:30am, 10:30am and throughout the day Sunday, June 28 at www.engagedbygrace.org/livestream or on the website under the Online Worship tab.

Bulletins are available at engagedbygrace.org/bulletin. Offering may be sent via US Mail, bank check, or online at engagedbygrace.org/offering.

Be safe. Stay well.

Yours in Christ,

Mike Christman, President (michael.d.christman@gmail.com; 419-356-9565)

Pastor Steve (steve.wachtman@engagedbygrace.org; 614-579-8128)

Vicar Sara (sara.wunsch@engagedbygrace.org; 513-581-6006)

A Daily Dose of Good News

Thursday, June 25, 2020

At 10:30 today, this devotional will be offered online at https://youtu.be/U2mbILlDiio

and will remain available throughout the day and the week.

For a printer-friendly version of today’s devotion, please click DDGN 20200625

 Good morning everybody! It is June 25 and it’s time for our Daily Dose of Good News. Today we’re reading from Galatians 5:2-6. See if you can hear the good news in this…

Listen! I, Paul, am telling you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 Once again I testify to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obliged to obey the entire law. 4 You who want to be justified by the law have cut yourselves off from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything; the only thing that counts is faith working through love.

Here ends the reading.

I bet you weren’t expecting to be talking about circumcision this morning. But, we’re actually not really going to talk about that. Because the point of this text is: it’s not about obeying the technicalities of the law and getting hung up on: are you circumcised, are you uncircumcised? It’s more about: what is your heart? Are you following the technicalities just because you’re being legalistic, and just because you’re trying to look good to other people? And you’re trying to impress others and pretend that you’re more loving than you are? I think that’s a good question- for both then and for now. Because it’s easy to get focused on some of the technicalities. Part of that, I think, is because they’re concrete. We can think, we’ve checked the box, and it’s done. Without thinking about: have we really? Have we really set our hearts towards whatever we’re trying to do and whatever we’re trying to pursue.

So, today, because I love to give examples…I’m wearing a t-shirt that talks about being loving. It lists all these groups to whom I should be loving. And I can walk around proudly in this t-shirt and act like I can do all of these things 100% or a 1000%, and, I can’t. And I struggle with that. Some of the groups that are listed on this shirt, I specifically struggle with loving. But I can wear the shirt, like I’m doing great. Or I can wear the shirt and admit to myself, I struggle with some of these. Or I don’t even have to wear the shirt. I could wear a different shirt, and admit to myself: I struggle with some of these on my list. My list is everything from: my homeless neighbor, my Muslim neighbor, my black neighbor, my gay neighbor, my immigrant neighbor, my Jewish neighbor, my Christian neighbor, my atheist neighbor, my addicted neighbor. There’s a whole list on here. And I need to be honest with myself and with where I struggle and with where I treat any of these groups as “other” and give them “the Heisman” right away, that I hesitate to engage with them, that I judge them, that I’m not very loving to them. I’m going to own that I do, to some of these listed on my shirt. I’m not saying that to brag about it, I’m saying that to be honest. The fact that’s what we’re talking about in this text. It’s not about trying to look good for others or even trying to pretend to myself that I’m being righteous; it’s about owning when I’m not, and asking for God’s help with that, and realizing that what really matters is faith through love. Faith in God, and love overflowing out of me because of that, to groups that I struggle with, ok? Bringing that to God and asking God to help me be more loving, be more forgiving, be more open and to recognize God in all people. So, today, as much as I might try to do that, I’m gong to challenge myself in that. I invite you all to join me in whatever reflection is helpful to you, as you think about “where am I being faithful and showing love, and where am I struggling with that?” And where might it be helpful to have an honest conversation, with both ourselves and with God, to ask or help in that, in our humanness, and ask for forgiveness in that. So that we can operate better through faith in our Lord and Savior and in love. Have a good day everybody. Bye-bye.

Sunday, July 5 is the date Holy Trinity will once again gather for in-person worship at our usual Sunday times of 8:30 and 10:30 am, as well as Wednesdays at 11:45 am (beginning July 8) to help distribute worshipers across more service times.  Ushers will be available to help direct you to a seat or cluster of seats suitable for your household size.  While we’re excited to see people’s faces, we want you to feel safe.  CDC guidelines of observing 6′ of social distance, wearing face coverings, and washing hands regularly are key.  When you’re ready to venture out of your home, click here for a list of protocols put in place with guidance from the state of Ohio as well as Holy Trinity’s parish health ministry team.  If you’re more comfortable staying at home, you’re invited to continue to worship with us online at www.engagedbygrace.org/worship-service-stream/.  You will find a printer-friendly version of the bulletin at www.engagedbygrace.org/bulletin
Offerings may be contributed at worship in person, via US Mail, bank check, or online at www.engagedbygrace.org/offering.

Jim Elliot, who was a missionary and a martyr for his faith, gave us this profound statement: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”  Through faith, we understand the truth in this statement.  All of our worldly possessions will at some time be taken away from us.  We will lose them during our lifetimes, or they will be taken away at death.  They cannot be kept forever.  However, we have the opportunity to use our material possessions in service to the Lord by giving to those in need and God’s Church. What we give through faith will provide spiritual dividends for us as well as for others.  As Paul wrote, “The gifts you sent are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God” (Philippians 4:18).  In verse 17, he wrote, “Not that I am looking for a gift, but I am looking for what may be credited to your account.”  What we do in Christ’s name for Him, we cannot lose.  For more information on stewardship, please contact Max Buban.

A Daily Dose of Good News

 Tuesday, June 23, 2020

At 10:30 today, this devotional will be offered online at https://youtu.be/iswfo8sB990
and will remain available throughout the day and the week.

For a printer-friendly version of today’s devotion, please click DDGN 20200623 

Good morning!  It is May, no June!- 23 and it’s time for our Daily Dose of Good News.  But before I start that, I need to give a few prayer updates- three to be precise.

1). Chris and Fred Burton are grandparents!  Their daughter Sarah, had her baby girl, Leona Christine.  They are thrilled and everyone is doing well.

2). Diane Whalen is home from the hospital!  She was readmitted due to the infection and then she was suddenly released on Saturday and she is thrilled to be home!  She was shocked and stunned when they gave her the offer and she hustled out of there, before they could change their mind.  She’s home and on oral antibiotics and doing much better.

3). Also an update for those of you who are on the Prayer Alert- we had sent out an alert about Caleb Snyder, who is the son of Pastor Kevin Snyder and his wife Cori.  They were neighbors of the Eberles previously and are now neighbors with the Roth family.  Basically, their 14 year old son, Caleb, had fallen while “creeking”, they’d taken him to the hospital, he’d gotten stitches and been diagnosed with a concussion, and then due to some symptoms, they’d taken him back and he’d been admitted to Nationwide on Friday.  Basically, when they got him there, they found out he had a skull fracture, a blood clot, and an infection.  So, they did an MRI on Friday, a surgery shortly after that to drain the infection off of his head, and they had another MRI on Monday.  At this point, when they did the surgery, they found a pebble had gotten lodged in his head from the fall.  They were able to remove that, do cultures on the pebble to find out what bacteria remained, in order to best treat with antibiotics- the infection that remains in Caleb.  So, the end result is… he is doing better, he’s starting to eat solid food, and they’re starting to look at an eventual discharge of him as they continue to treat him. That’s really good news, as well.

So, we’ve got three pieces of really good news this morning and now we’ve got some more… from Jeremiah 26:1-12.

At the beginning of the reign of King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah, this word came from the Lord: 2 Thus says the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house, and speak to all the cities of Judah that come to worship in the house of the Lord; speak to them all the words that I command you; do not hold back a word. 3 It may be that they will listen, all of them, and will turn from their evil way, that I may change my mind about the disaster that I intend to bring on them because of their evil doings. 4 You shall say to them: Thus says the Lord: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set before you, 5 and to heed the words of my servants the prophets whom I send to you urgently—though you have not heeded— 6 then I will make this house like Shiloh, and I will make this city a curse for all the nations of the earth.

7 The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord. 8 And when Jeremiah had finished speaking all that the Lord had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, saying, “You shall die! 9 Why have you prophesied in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant’?” And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the house of the Lord. 

10 When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king’s house to the house of the Lord and took their seat in the entry of the New Gate of the house of the Lord. 11 Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, “This man deserves the sentence of death because he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your own ears.”

12 Then Jeremiah spoke to all the officials and all the people, saying, “It is the Lord who sent me to prophesy against this house and this city all the words you have heard.”

Here ends the reading.

And that’s a cliffhanger of what happens next to Jeremiah!  You can read chapter 26 if you want to know the answer…

But, what I wanted to focus on in this text, is that Jeremiah has some really tough stuff to say to the people, that God wants him to share.  And God conveys to Jeremiah, “do not hold back a word.  Not a word.”  I think about how sometimes we have to say things to each other that we may not want to hear.  These people do not want to hear what Jeremiah had to say.  But God said,  “you’ve got to say it, and hopefully they’ll listen, and hopefully things will change, because they’ll actually listen and change their behavior.”  So it’s necessary.  Even if it seems harsh, or it’s not going to be well-received.  And we’ve got lots of phrases for that, right?  ‘Constructive feedback,’  ‘Constructive criticism.’  ‘A growing edge’ is what we called it when I did my chaplaincy in Cincinnati through my CPE program.  That was the thing I was working on, ‘your growing edge,’ right?  So, we’re all going to, sometimes, hear things that we don’t want to hear.  I think having some openness to sifting through that, and trying to be open to: is God in any of that? Is any of that stuff, that while I might be defensive, or I may not want to hear it, or I may not like that information; is that something that I need to hear, need to change, need to do, that God wants me to know- so that things can be different? And things can be better?  I encourage you on that today.  Whether you are giving feedback or receiving feedback. To try and be in that space with God and say ‘God, what do You want me to hear in this?  What do You want me to know in this?’

And it strikes me, we’ve got some gorgeous examples today, in those prayers!  In those situations, two of which were infections, which needed to be treated in order to get better.  And I’m sure Diane Whalen didn’t like hearing that she had to be readmitted to the hospital in order to get this infection taken care of.  I’m sure she didn’t want to hear that.  None of us would!  It’s been an ongoing saga.  But, yet, that change in terms of antibiotics, and getting that handled, needed to occur, in order for her to get to healing.  Likewise, with little Caleb, that surgery uncovered a rock that they didn’t know had gotten lodged in his head.  If they hadn’t done the surgery, they would never have found the rock. The infection would never have healed. I’m sure his parents didn’t like hearing that he was going to need surgery, as a fourteen-year-old boy.  But yet, God brought healing out of that. And God brings healing even out of the birth of a child!  Even though the route is childbirth- which is not super pleasant- as I can vouch for… So, even through painful routes, God wants to bring healing.  So, in whatever way we can be open to that, I think there’s an invitation from God.  So, good luck with that today.  That’s tough and you’ve got God next to you, so I know you can do it!  Take care.  I hope that God brings healing to you, even if it needs to come through routes that are uncomfortable, or painful, or hard to hear.  Trust God in the faithfulness of that.  Alright, take care everybody.  Bye-bye.