Hi,
I hope that
your journey through Lent has been a
thoughtful and reflective one. I appreciate
this time each year as we prepare ourselves
for both the terrible crucifixion and
glorious resurrection of Jesus the Christ. I
keep several books by my easy chair in our
den, and lately, most nights I grab one of them
to read before I crash for the night. One of
the books that I love is a collection of
writings and sayings of Pope John Paul II.
The subtitle is His Essential Wisdom
and it
is packed with words of wisdom.
This little
book is also filled with amazing words of
faith. Of course, you would expect the Pope
to write and speak amazing words of faith. He
talks about love, and faith, and peace, and
the family, and the church. The Pope has
a great way of crafting words as he speaks to
the masses, but he is always personal and to
the point.
Today, I read
some of his words about the church. Here
they are:
The church has endured for two thousand
years. Like the mustard seed in the Gospel,
she has grown and become a great tree, able
to cover the whole of humanity with her
branches.
As long as I
have been alive, the church has been a great
tree in my life. With my father being a
minister and my mother right along side, of
course, I grew up in the church. My parents
taught me that the church was at the very
root of our faith. They taught me that the
church was a home away from home for me.
They taught me that the church was a
sanctuary, a safe place.
I learned how
we are called to serve others in the church.
I learned how to love my brothers and
sisters, both at home and in the church. I
was taught how to love my neighbor. I
learned who my neighbor was in the church.
I can remember
the story about how my father preached a
sermon about justice and love and civil
rights the Sunday after Martin Luther King,
Jr. was assassinated back in 1968. Hard for
me to begin to imagine, but some of the
people in the church in Henderson, a small
town in East Texas, didn't like their
preacher lifting up Dr. King. Thankfully,
the church stood tall and Dad was back in the
pulpit the next Sunday.
So you can
imagine when I read the Pope's words about
the church, they grabbed me. I love the
imagery of the church being a great tree that
is covering the whole of humanity. The
church does reach out in so many ways to
provide comfort and help and peace and
stability to so many. Memorial Drive Church
certainly does this. We reach out here at
home and throughout our world. MDUMC has
roots that provide a foundation for all of
us. A foundation of worship and growth. A
foundation of witnessing and giving.
I hope and pray
that as we continue through Lent that you
will let Memorial Drive Church be a rock for
you. I hope you will encourage your entire
family to be the church as we journey towards
Easter. Do all you can each week, to
worship, grow, witness, and give. If you do,
the church, the great tree will cover you and
yours with its mighty branches and the church
will endure even longer.
See
you Sunday,
Steve
p.s. Be careful during spring break. Be
sure to remind your youth who they are and
what you expect of them as some go on special
trips with friends.
