CONNECTIONS

Today Merritt stayed home from school with the crud. Susan is sick too. When I took the kids to school Holland stopped before jumping out to say with tears in her eyes, “but daddy Merritt and I always play together on the playground and I will miss him so much today.” Yes they are in different classrooms with different friends but the playground is their time to reconnect and celebrate their twin connection. Where is your playground and who do you love to connect to there? May the tears in your eyes and the smile on your face remind you of those important life connections.

YOU CAN BE OF SERVICE

A powerful reflection from David Cole on this MLK Day 2019. 

David L. Cole

January 15, 2018 ·

He was a lifelong depressive, having first attempted suicide before10. Although he graduated with a Doctorate before 30, he didn't get hired as a Dean of Students at Xavier U., because he "didn't have the qualities of a leader". Friends and family dissuaded his relationship with his white girlfriend because stuff like that could get a black man hanged. He smoked like a chimney, and could play pool till dawn--much to the displeasure of his father with whom he argued over his life's direction.

From ages 26 to 39 he led a public life while he continued to struggle personally. He was picked to lead the Montgomery boycott largely because he was new in town. He turned down an enriching book and speaking deal early on and would die with $5000 to his family's name. Drama at his church. Strain in the marriage. Hated by as many who loved him...and the realization that he would likely not see 40. He did not see 40.

Martin Luther King, Jr, is a hero not because he was brilliant, but because he decided to say yes to things that benefitted others more than it would him. it. He is great not because of some inaccessible quality, but because he decided that GIVING was as important as having. Imagine if he'd stayed in Boston married that girlfriend and became the academic. Imagine if he had taken that HUGE book/speaking deal rather than march on. Imagine if he let his depression take him. Imagine if he thought more about him less about us. Many of us don't have to Imagine because we do it all the time.

Let's do this--this year as we mark 50 years since this flawed, BEAUTIFUL man was killed fighting for you (and if you want a more perfect union, he was fighting for you), let's take him down from the rarified air of worship. Let's ground him to the foundation of example. Let's do what he did--work for a better world. You don't have to go broke or risk your life--don't worry. But speaking Truth to power, resisting intolerance, seeking and promoting solutions, and wait for it...ACTIVELY LOVING EACH OTHER is a pretty good start.

My mother used to keep a picture of King next to a pictures of her grandmother and me. When at five I asked who he was she calmly said, "He is what Mama told me we all should be--a light and help onto others." She said he worked to make my life easier in a hard world and one day I will get to do the same "in big ways or small--it don't matter, as long as you do something for somebody". Frankly, I thought the cat was my uncle, but the idea that I could be of service (and we SHOULD all be of service) never left. Imagine our world, filled with people living those truths: We should be of service. You can be of service.

Brother Martin. Thank you for your example of stepping up despite the twists, despite the storms. More than ever, we need to DO what you and countless others have done to conquer the darkness. Rest easy, we'll take it from here.

We all got some serving to do.  Let’s get on with it.

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God's Got This!

Have you ever heard that phrase?  Has someone spoken this directly to you in the midst of a struggle that you were enduring?  Have you ever wondered if that statement is really true? 

I mean if it is, then why were things not fixed or healed up or accomplished in the way that you wanted?  If God really had IT handled, then why do so many things seem so far outside of our control?  

I admit that I heard this phrase repeated many times over throughout my life.  When dad nearly died when being hit by a drunk driver, when my mom was dying from brain cancer, when my grandma was slipping away with alzheimers, when my uncle was diagnosed with ms, when we were going through our difficult adoption processes, when the Columbine shootings affected those that we loved, when our Haitian family lost property and lives in the earthquake, when Susan lost a job.  We heard these words, “God’s Got This,” when our friends lost their jobs, when divorces happened, when unexplainable tragedies impacted their lives, when wars broke out and towers came tumbling down and lives were forever changed.   I’ve heard these words in the hushed tones spoken at funerals and memorial services.  I’ve heard these words spoken aloud when new opportunities emerged through the midst of loss, when new love was discovered after a time of hopelessness, when new seasons and new insights were discovered.  God’s Got This!  

I think this phrase was planted deep in my soul in my childhood years as we stood in the midst of a rural congregation and sang loud and proud, “God’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.”  You too know that song well.

God’s Got This.  God’s Got This.  God’s Got This.

What is THIS?  The THIS is not the situation.  The THIS is not the circumstance in which you find yourself. 

The THIS is YOU!

God’s Got YOU!  God’s Got YOU!  God’s Got YOU!

And YOU live in the midst of a messy world.  You live in the midst of the out of control.  You live with the challenges and the hurts and the sickness, unemployment, broken relationships, and chaos.  And it’s there in the midst of your THIS that GOD’s GOT YOU!  That is God’s promise.  And that Church is Call for Celebration!  This Good News Changes our Lives!

We hear in the Gospel of Luke, Chapter 3, of the Baptism of Jesus.  Jesus, down in the river Jordan, was given a promise.  The Holy Spirit did not descend upon the situation – the issue – the concerns that Jesus would face.  The Holy Spirit descended upon Him!  The Holy Spirit entered his life.  Why?  Because God’s Got Him!  God Holds Him!  God will Raise Him!  

Did the Holy Spirit save Jesus from hardship, temptation, suffering, and distress?  No.  Did the Holy Spirit make his life easier?  No.  Was the Holy Spirit of God with Jesus in every moment of every passing day.  Yes.  Was that Holy Spirit there on the Cross?  Yes.  Was the Holy Spirit there in the cold dark tomb raising him to life?  Yes.  Ahhhhhhhhh……..that’s why we can say with faith conviction…..God’s Got This!  God’s Got Him and God’s Got You!  This is great news!  It is humbling news.  It is hopeful news.

The writer of Isaiah 43 reminds us……God redeems, God calls, and God promises to be with us through it all.  Redeemed from the pit….from despair and depression…from pain and loss….from our mistakes and accidents…..redeemed from the beautiful mess called us.  Called….called to live by faith and not by sight…called like Peter to step out of the boat and take on new challenges….called to fully live life and pour out our lives so that others too can experience life in all its beauty and splendor….called to never throw in the towel and quit but to be empty tomb people in the midst of every situation…the call of life is to live in the light of the resurrection.  All while living as redeemed and called people….never forgetting who holds us and shapes us and refines us….God with us through it all.  

This redemption, call, and promise that we see in Isaiah and see in the Baptism of Jesus, reminds me of the character Joshua in the Bible.  The whole book is a powerful read.  It is filled with every dynamic of life.  Many of the things we wish were not part of the human ordeal and many of the parts that we also enjoy.  If you have never read Joshua, pick up your Bibles this week and give it a read and see how God speaks to you.  

In Chapter One we hear how Joshua is commissioned to takes the reigns of leadership after Moses has died.  He is reminded that God promises to Moses still are intact and now given to Joshua.  The Lord promises that he will be with him and that God will not fail him.  Over and over again he is told, “Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  Powerful words.  Maybe we need to hear that more in our lives as well.  “Be strong and courageous; the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”  A shorter version of that:  “God’s Got THIS – God’s Got YOU!”  

The ensuing pages are filled with everything that life can throw at a person.  In the midst of the challenges, Joshua stays the course, he holds onto the promise.

We get to Chapter 24 where Joshua’s life is coming to a close.  On those pages we read of how the Tribes all renewed with Joshua the same covenant God had given to him and to Moses.  We read of God’s generosity, of God’s leadership in their lives.  Then we get to verse 14 and following:  

“Now therefore revere the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. 

Now if you are unwilling to serve the Lord, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” Then the people answered, “Far be it from us that we should forsake the Lord to serve other gods; for it is the Lord our God who brought us and our ancestors up from the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, and who did those great signs in our sight. He protected us along all the way that we went, and among all the peoples through whom we passed; and the Lord drove out before us all the peoples, the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve the Lord, for he is our God.” But Joshua said to the people, “You cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions or your sins. If you forsake the Lord and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you harm, and consume you, after having done you good.” And the people said to Joshua, “No, we will serve the Lord!” Then Joshua said to the people, “You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen the Lord, to serve him.” And they said, “We are witnesses.” He said, “Then put away the foreign gods that are among you, and incline your hearts to the Lord, the God of Israel.” The people said to Joshua, “The Lord our God we will serve, and him we will obey.” So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and made statutes and ordinances for them at Shechem. Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God; and he took a large stone, and set it up there under the oak in the sanctuary of the Lord. Joshua said to all the people, “See, this stone shall be a witness against us; for it has heard all the words of the Lord that he spoke to us; therefore it shall be a witness against you, if you deal falsely with your God.” So Joshua sent the people away to their inheritances. 

After these things Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being one hundred ten years old. They buried him in his own inheritance at Timnath-serah, which is in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and had known all the work that the Lord did for Israel. 

We are witnesses to this same faith and same promise of God.  Over and over the words jump off the page:  “God’s Got THIS!”  “God’s Got YOU!”  So……All of YOU……US Together…..no matter what the world seeks to throw at us or whatever the challenges to come may be, “Be strong and courageous, do not fear or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go!”  The Israelites were Redeemed, Called, and God was ever present.  For Moses and Joshua the same was true.  Dare I say, I believe it is true for us as well.

A vision was birthed through the challenges the Israelites faced.  The vision: “All the days of our lives we will serve the Lord!”  And they did.  Never perfectly, but faithfully.  And it wasn’t easy.  

Hear today, “You are God’s kids……God loves you….God is proud of you!”  Trust the promise: “God’s Got THIS…..whatever your THIS is…..because God’s Got YOU!  

Pastor Chad

Faith Responsiveness in a Turbulent World

The vision and voice of Martin Luther King Jr. is as needed today as ever.  He led with passion and purpose in taking on systemic racism and blatant injustice.  He was battered and beaten down but he never quit.  He had his eyes set on a vision worth giving his life to. 

In the midst of our world’s turbulent dysfunction, his principles of nonviolence and steps for nonviolent social change can lead the way.  The key is getting folks to gather at table and map a future together.  

A lie of this world is that we can be totally independent from one another and to hell with the rest.  That does not work and it has never worked.  We need each other.  We need to walk together.  We need to work together in creating a better world.  Demeaning, dismissing, and ostracizing the other – no matter the other – leads to separation and loss.  Working together, building each other up, listening deeply and then diving in to work hand in hand will lead to life.  

On this week of Thanksgiving, for which there is so much to be grateful and yet so much to work for, I offer these words from the King Center website. 

SIX PRINCIPLES OF NONVIOLENCE

Fundamental tenets of Dr. King’s philosophy of nonviolence described in his first book, Stride Toward Freedom. The six principles include:

1.      PRINCIPLE ONE: Nonviolence is a way of life for courageous people. 

It is active nonviolent resistance to evil. 

It is aggressive spiritually, mentally and emotionally.  

2.     PRINCIPLE TWO: Nonviolence seeks to win friendship and understanding. 

The end result of nonviolence is redemption and reconciliation. 

The purpose of nonviolence is the creation of the Beloved Community.                                                                      
PRINCIPLE THREE: Nonviolence seeks to defeat injustice not people. 
Nonviolence recognizes that evildoers are also victims and are not evil people. 

The nonviolent resister seeks to defeat evil not people.

4.     PRINCIPLE FOUR: Nonviolence holds that suffering can educate and transform.

Nonviolence accepts suffering without retaliation. 

Unearned suffering is redemptive and has tremendous educational and transforming possibilities.    

5.     PRINCIPLE FIVE: Nonviolence chooses love instead of hate. 

Nonviolence resists violence of the spirit as well as the body.           

Nonviolent love is spontaneous, unmotivated, unselfish and creative.  

6.     PRINCIPLE SIX: Nonviolence believes that the universe is on the side of justice. 

The nonviolent resister has deep faith that justice will eventually win. 

Nonviolence believes that God is a God of justice.    

SIX STEPS OF NONVIOLENT SOCIAL CHANGE

The Six Steps for Nonviolent Social Change are based on Dr. King's nonviolent campaigns and teachings that emphasize love in action. Dr. King's philosophy of nonviolence, as reviewed in the Six Principles of Nonviolence, guide these steps for social and interpersonal change.

1.      INFORMATION GATHERING:  To understand and articulate an issue, problem or injustice facing a person, community, or institution you must do research. You must investigate and gather all vital information from all sides of the argument or issue so as to increase your understanding of the problem. You must become an expert on your opponent's position. 

2.      EDUCATION:  It is essential to inform others, including your opposition, about your issue. This minimizes misunderstandings and gains you support and sympathy. 

3.      PERSONAL COMMITMENT:  Daily check and affirm your faith in the philosophy and methods of nonviolence. Eliminate hidden motives and prepare yourself to accept suffering, if necessary, in your work for justice.

4.      DISCUSSION/NEGOTIATION:  Using grace, humor and intelligence, confront the other party with a list of injustices and a plan for addressing and resolving these injustices. Look for what is positive in every action and statement the opposition makes. Do not seek to humiliate the opponent but to call forth the good in the opponent. 

5.      DIRECT ACTION: These are actions taken when the opponent is unwilling to enter into, or remain in, discussion/negotiation. These actions impose a "creative tension" into the conflict, supplying moral pressure on your opponent to work with you in resolving the injustice. 

6.      RECONCILIATION:  Nonviolence seeks friendship and understanding with the opponent. Nonviolence does not seek to defeat the opponent. Nonviolence is directed against evil systems, forces, oppressive policies, unjust acts, but not against persons. Through reasoned compromise, both sides resolve the injustice with a plan of action. Each act of reconciliation is one step closer to the 'Beloved Community.' 

Based on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" in Why We Can't Wait, Penguin Books, 1963.

We often view the Six Steps as a phases or cycles of a campaign rather than steps because each of them embodies a cluster or series of activities related to each of the other five elements.

The above cited from the King Center website.  http://www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy?fbclid=IwAR1TGUVldmpHk_zyFjCBjUEfMdEbSHdc-WHEKr4mf4DiUCQrO73RYtFzLmA

May we the church, through nonviolence, create a Beloved Community for the sake of all!  In Gratitude for all those who pour out their lives in service to humanity and all of creation.

Pastor Chad

A Hive of Endless Thanksgiving

We the church are a Hive of endless thanksgiving - each and everyone here gathered into community where all are blessed and all are fed.  

Take a moment and just consider the activity that buzzes around this place of Grace.  There is an unfolding work that takes place every day that in turn builds up the life of the body.  Each person – each ministry – each mission – creatively working together.  Moment by moment – person by person – the Hive generates life.  

It is God at work within us that makes this possible.  God picking us up – God giving us faith – God growing perseverance – God making something of us for the sake of the world.  

One of the songs by U2 and Bono that I love is a song entitled “40.”  It is written as a Song of Thanksgiving - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XzHlySYR_Y.  As you listen what hope and life is grown within you?  What are you and we most thankful for?  Great questions to consider as we gather around tables this Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is an extra special time in our home.  For the last twelve years it seems there has always been an international ministry focus that has blessed us during that week.  Several of those years filled with travel to India to accompany ministry partners in the outreach and compassion work of Titus and his family.  In India, Feed the Hungry programs, Aids Relief Nutrition Food Packet Distribution, Sewing Center Graduation Blessings and Dedication, After School Tutoring Programs, Worship and Dance, time spent exploring the World Religions and their Holy Sites, learning about Gandhi and the way of peace, and shared inspiration while visiting the Taj Mahal.  All of it blessed because of the shared time as God’s family and friends.  Another year spent in Ethiopia and South Sudan dedicating the work of the ELCA and Reconciliation Lutheran Church and Medical Center.  In 2015, traveling home on Thanksgiving Day with our daughter Jewel.  We landed at Washington Dulles at 8 am, her papers stamped by US Customs as a future US Citizen, and landing in Denver to a joyous homecoming and first ever turkey dinner.  Oh the memories of this time of the year are rich with so much life transformation and blessing.  This Thanksgiving Day, after a banquet with our family here, Susan and I will be flying to India that evening to preside over the wedding of our Indian daughter Maraline.  We have watched her grow up and we now get to participate in a joyous occasion of her life.  What a precious and thank-filled time!  

The Hive called the Church has been the collaborative swarm that has made all of this life possible.

(this pic taken at the Glass Museum in Tacoma – it gave me the idea of the Hive and the Church)

I hold this very idea of the beautiful work of the church in the world in tension with an article I read this past week.  The article was published by the New York Times and the title is: ‘Toxic’ Is Oxford’s Word of the Year.  No, We’re Not Gaslighting You.  Here is the link:  https://apple.news/ACe1Es1KNSKW0FDKq2_ktfA.

Toxic?  The word of the year?  While I understand the dynamics out of which this word was chosen I simply refuse to accept this as the core narrative out of which we live.  Yes it is part of our human experience.  Yes it seems that a toxicity has infiltrated so many aspects of our lives, but there is so much more!  I admit that I do not know how to live by the conditions and terms of a toxic world.  We are made for so much more than that.  I also get to participate in the work of the local church where I see and know the stories of thanksgiving and generosity that are leading the ways of our life.  The swarm of the disciples of Jesus are seeking to make an impact and to take on the ills and broken places of this world.  The energy and spirit is there to do it.  The compassion and faith to do it is alive and well in God’s people.  When we see the heartbeat of God alive within the Hives of the church we celebrate it.  We shout it from the rooftops.  We draw others into the blessed work of being the church.  We catalyze one another and the entire body for blessing.  

One example at Grace is that the hungry are being fed and provided for, the systems of injustice that keep people poor and hungry are being addressed, the resources needed are being given, the network of partnerships are being continually knit together, stories of transformation are being told, and others are being drawn into this good work.  Little by little, day by day, person by person, the hive is nurtured and lives are being changed.

Toxic will get us nowhere.  A Hive of endless Thanksgiving will generate life.  What will you and I dedicate our lives to this Thanksgiving Season?  Whatever you are rejoicing over, I rejoice with you.  Whatever you are weeping over, I weep with you.  May we be open to the story of life that God is writing with us – right here – right now – for the life of ALL!

With Gratitude,

Pastor Chad      

A Charmed Life? and the Aha’s of God’s Grace!

On Sunday, two of our daughters were blessed to attend the Birthday Party of some dear friends here at Grace.  While they were in the midst of their fun, I drove the side roads of the surrounding area, took in the sights and sounds of the beautiful hillsides, and stopped by Elliot Bay Brewing to read a book.  The next two hours rushed by as I viewed one TV with three different games playing on the screen, two TV’s with the Seahawks game, and two additional TV’s with the Sounders soccer game.  All while, music from the 70’s and 80’s played over the loud speakers.  I was able to get through about 100 pages and jot down some journal thoughts on life as well but by the end of two hours I was tapped out with the noise and activity around me.  On the drive home thoughts of the last week flooded my brain as our daughter’s shared their love and laughter with me. 

I love when the spirit moves and the right words seem to just flow out from the mouths of babes.  There is innocence – wonder – and surprise!  Our daughter Norah, while sitting at the dinner table, with her inquisitive mind whirring, stated boldly, “we all need each other!”  Yes, yes we do!

She went on to articulate how the grocery store depends on the ice cream maker to make the ice cream and that the ice cream maker relies upon the farmer and the cows and that they all depend upon the truck drivers and that we all need jobs in order to have the money to buy the ice cream that makes it possible for everyone to experience life.  Whew!  We went on to add several more links in the chain, which brought even more laughter to the table.

We need to remember, “We need each other.”  Life is not meant to be lived alone or in isolation.  Life is not a pull yourself up by the bootstraps and hope for the best exercise.  Life is not about a declaration of independence but rather a humble and vulnerable experience of grace.  We are interdependent.  We need each other.  We need God.  We need grace.

I saw this quote this week and it grabbed me by the gut.  "There is no culture that can fully keep out the descent of God. And when God comes, stuff happens." -Dr. Esther Meek, in conversation with Chelle Stearns and Dan Allender at the Stanley Grenz Lecture Series.

In the midst of our human madness, God comes here and stuff happens.  It is the experience of grace that keeps us going.  It is the shared experience of grace that draws us together.  It is the never throw in the towel spirit of God that changes us.  How often we forget that.  How often we rebel and desire to go it alone.  How often O Lord have we missed the grace amongst us.

In our family’s recent journeys of endings and beginnings, several who have gotten to know us have stated how it seems that we live quite the charmed life.  Each time that the words were stated I busted out in a fit of laughter.  Yes, we are surrounded with much joy and grace AND we are no picnic of perfection.  In the midst of the madness called US, we try as much as we can to choose joy.  Not always easy and we often miss the mark.

Try riding in a mini-van of madness with our five and you will soon discover that it is close to an experience like the movie A Night at the Museum.  All hell breaks loose early and often.  When we arrive at our destination, it takes a good five minutes for mom and dad to compose ourselves. 

The pace of life for a family of seven is intense.  We spin the plates called homework, housecleaning, laundry, dishes, arts and crafts, a home based business, a pastor, lawn and garden, fish and a favored dog, bedroom messes galore, after school activities, and the making of family memories – and sometimes the plates come crashing down.  We stopped buying glass dishes and are into cheap but durable.  The crashing of the plates seems a bit more bearable that way.  In the midst of the hive of busyness, there is grace.

Our oldest really struggles in school.  Academically yes.  Relationally even more so.  The daily rodeo of bull riding for her is going to be a challenge.  Our prayers a bit longer and yes a bit more intense.  Recommendations are helpful and the list of decisions to make is long.  Which pathway do we take O Lord?  Sometimes those school fights come home to our doorstep and they spill into the evening of relating to one another.  Where did I put my zebra striped shirt and whistle?  Wait, I can’t whistle because our dog barks and freaks out to that blowing sound.  The last thing we need is more barking.  Sometimes one of our littles will climb up on one of our laps and offer up suggestions on how we failed as parents and how we can do better tomorrow.  Ahhh, to be understood and corrected at the same time.  Keep spinning, and transforming, and moving forward. 

Leaving friends and family behind in our moves, it bites.  Having two mortgages the past seven months is dizzying.  I tip my hat to those who can manage two homes with grace.  For us it is stressful.  Feeling angry comes easy.  The first week of every month I find myself a bit grumpy and a little less willing to laugh.  As the month progresses I sing “Let It Go” on repeat and de-ice a bit with each passing day.  Just as I begin to emotionally regulate that all is well the first of another month rolls around.  My joke of owning a vacation farm home in a county without a natural lake doesn’t tickle my fancy as much.  This financial stuff has long-term consequences on our kid’s future education choices and on our ability to be a blessing to others in the here and now.  The good news is we can cover the bases and that certainly means we are spoiled.  We live in an area of increasing homelessness.  Folks sleep on our church floor each night because they have no place else to lay their heads.  That reality smacks us in the face every day.  The old adage of focus on what you can control and let go of that which you cannot crosses my brain daily just like the old Good Year blimp crossing the field with an advertising banner during the holidays.  Okay, I will remember – I will remember – I will remember – and I keep telling myself that. 

Family and friends dealing with physical and medical challenges, Parkinson’s disease, a heart attack, home health care, pregnancy struggles, cancers, retirements, college funding, relationship hurts and hopes, and the list is endless.  The world continues to spin.  New Life. Life Struggles.  Transformed Life.  End of life.  Parts of our life are charmed.  All parts of our life are graced.  Can we see and hold on to that?

We all need each other!  We all need God.  In the silent, momentary, laughter-filled, stress-induced, pauses of each day I want to remember that.  Will you remember that with me?  Will we each remind others all along life’s way that God’s grace is here – in the place we find ourselves – wherever that place may be? 

Little by little the bird builds the nest.  One little offering at a time. 

Onward,

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Living Saints

A few years back I was traveling in Tennessee and ended up one night at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.  With a bit of luck I ended up with a ticket to the evening show.  It is the longest running live radio show in America.  As part of the entrance fee, we got a backstage tour and got to stand on the stage and hold the mic that most sing from.  It was pretty cool to stand where so many have stood and performed their greatest life’s work.

Later that evening, Randy Owen came on stage.  He was the lead for the band Alabama.  I remember listening to his music as a young man and would often run the section with his tape playing in my headphones.  That evening the Grand Ole Opry was raising funds for St. Judes Children’s Hospital.  Randy, through his band and his life’s work, had spearheaded an effort that has raised over 400 million for this work.  So he talked about that blessing and then he brought his children and their children on to the stage.  And then, two children who were patients from St. Judes came forward and stood with him as they all sang together, Angels Among Us.  This was one of my childhood favorite songs of Alabama. 

It was powerful.  Tears streamed down my face as my mind ran like a motion picture of those heavenly saints and angels who have gone on before us.  The earthly saints and angels danced in my mind as I thought of how they continue to teach us to live, pray, give, and guide with the light of love.       

Take a moment today to watch this video and reflect on the Saints both in heaven and on earth.    Our call to action??????  Be living saints with the life that we have been given!

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_4Xfj2LRSA

Peace and Hope

Pastor Chad