Retirement Celebration for the Mwamasika Family
Wednesday, October 8th at St. Matthew’s in Cridersville
Bishop Peter Mwamasika of the Dodoma Diocese in Tanzania will soon retire, and the Northwestern Ohio Synod plans to celebrate the important role that he and his wife Anna have played in our companionship with his synod. There will be a Welcome Banquet and Celebration Worship with Holy Communion in his honor on Wednesday evening, October 8th with dinner beginning at 6:00 p.m. St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church in Cridersville is hosting the banquet and celebration worship with Holy Communion. The Celebration Worship with Holy Communion will begin at 7:00 p.m. The church is located 5050 Saint Matthews Dr, Lima, Ohio 45806. Free Will donation will be taken at the banquet. The worship offering will be designated half to Aya School and half to Bishop Mwamasika’s retirement. St. Matthew would appreciate RSVP’s for the dinner by October 1st. No RSVP is necessary for the worship celebration. St. Matthew's phone number is: 419-999-5329 or email: stmattsoffice@bright.net
Chocolate Lovers’ Tour - Thursday, October 9th
Tour of DeBrand Chocolate Kitchens in Fort Wayne
with Anna Mwamasika from the Lutheran Synod in Tanzania
Details of this event were announced in last month’s newsletter. RSVP’s were needed by October 1st, but it may be possible to sneak in at the last minute. Pastor Katherine is coordinating this event in conjunction with other Lutherans from the synod; contact her if you are interested.
Outdoor Movie Night
Saturday, October 11th, 7 PM
At the home of Rick and Marla D.
The Fellowship/Outreach committee is hosting a movie night at Rick and Marla’s house (call church for address and directions). Wear layers, bring your favorite drinks, snacks, and lawn chairs as we gather at 7 PM. The movie will start once it is dark enough to project. The choice of movie will be announced in service on Sunday, October 5th, but we are going for something family-friendly that will appeal to persons of all ages. We will also be serving fresh-popped popcorn!
Before the movie starts, a hat will be passed, and any “admission” received will be used to benefit future projects of the Fellowship/Outreach committee.
Come to support the committee’s efforts and have a great time with your friends from church!
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
150th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrating 150 Years of Ministry and
God’s Faithful Presence in Our Midst
Please join us for the
150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26TH, 2008
9:00 AM CHILDREN’S “BIRTHDAY PARTY”
The children are invited to join us at 9:00 for a special birthday party – for the church!
10:00 AM WORSHIP, BISHOP MARCUS LOHRMANN PREACHING
This day is also Reformation Sunday! You are invited to dress in red, which is the liturgical color of the day.
11:30 AM BALLOON LAUNCH
We will be launching 150 multi-colored balloons to celebrate this milestone.
11:45 CATERED LUNCHEON AND SHARING
There is no charge for the luncheon, but donations will be welcome. We do need an estimate, however, so please RSVP to the church by October 16th. You can sign-up in the red binder in back of the church, or call or email the church office to confirm your reservation.
God’s Faithful Presence in Our Midst
Please join us for the
150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26TH, 2008
9:00 AM CHILDREN’S “BIRTHDAY PARTY”
The children are invited to join us at 9:00 for a special birthday party – for the church!
10:00 AM WORSHIP, BISHOP MARCUS LOHRMANN PREACHING
This day is also Reformation Sunday! You are invited to dress in red, which is the liturgical color of the day.
11:30 AM BALLOON LAUNCH
We will be launching 150 multi-colored balloons to celebrate this milestone.
11:45 CATERED LUNCHEON AND SHARING
There is no charge for the luncheon, but donations will be welcome. We do need an estimate, however, so please RSVP to the church by October 16th. You can sign-up in the red binder in back of the church, or call or email the church office to confirm your reservation.
Message for October 2008
Last month, Ralph and Ella Theis celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary at the church. They kicked things off by renewing their vows inside the sanctuary. The bride and groom each wore a traditional square-dancing outfit – because square-dancing is something that has brought them even closer together over the years. Ella secretly edited Ralph’s vows, so he ended up promising “to take you (Ella) square-dancing as often as possible!” The party then moved to the Fellowship Hall, where the guests enjoyed food, games, jokes, and other forms of entertainment. A wonderful time was had by all.
Ralph and Ella had been planning this party for at least one year – maybe more. What some guests may not have known is that the party didn’t go exactly as planned. The Theises were going to renew their vows in the garden, but the weather prevented that from happening. The storm also prevented their friend, Joe Chiles, from coming to the party – Joe had planned to sing a solo and be a caller for the scheduled square dance.
Sometimes our celebrations don’t always turn out the way we had planned. We plan meticulously for a Thanksgiving dinner, but we burn the stuffing. We plan a lovely Valentine’s dinner with our sweetheart, and end up in a stupid argument before the salad course has finished. We throw a baby shower, only the guest of honor doesn’t show because she is in early labor! Try as we may, our celebrations and parties often are ‘crashed’ by minor or major details that are usually beyond our control.
We’re going to celebrate our 150th anniversary as a church this month. 150 years! But I can’t help but wonder if our celebration will be ‘crashed’ in some small way. Maybe the kids will be bored with our activities. Maybe our guest preacher, Bishop Lohrmann, will be unable to come at the last minute (and the Pastor prays: Preserve us from this, heavenly Father!”). Maybe the balloons will get all tangled up in the launch. Maybe the Power-Point presentation won’t work right. Maybe after the celebrations have ended and everyone has gone home, one of our volunteers will say to themselves, “You know what we should have done differently…”
But we must remember that our source of true joy comes not from the celebration itself, but our joy comes from that which we are celebrating. We are celebrating 150 years of God’s faithful presence in this congregation. We are celebrating the Holy Spirit’s work in this community. Thousands of individuals have been baptized here, brought to faith here, have heard of God’s love for them here, have received God’s forgiveness here, have been empowered to go and serve their neighbor through the word – here. Here, God has brought people together in marriage – and here, we have said goodbye to loved ones who have gone to their eternal home.
That is something to be joyful about. That is something to celebrate. How we celebrate is much less important. Ralph and Ella ultimately knew that, and cherished their special day even though things did not go exactly as planned. Why was it such a special day to them? Because of what they were celebrating – a beautiful love that has sustained them across the years. We will take a cue from them and be thankful for what we are celebrating – while trusting that the celebration itself will also be enjoyable. Thanks be to God for God’s faithful presence among us throughout many generations. May God’s name be hallowed and God’s will be done among us for many more years to come. Amen.
Ralph and Ella had been planning this party for at least one year – maybe more. What some guests may not have known is that the party didn’t go exactly as planned. The Theises were going to renew their vows in the garden, but the weather prevented that from happening. The storm also prevented their friend, Joe Chiles, from coming to the party – Joe had planned to sing a solo and be a caller for the scheduled square dance.
Sometimes our celebrations don’t always turn out the way we had planned. We plan meticulously for a Thanksgiving dinner, but we burn the stuffing. We plan a lovely Valentine’s dinner with our sweetheart, and end up in a stupid argument before the salad course has finished. We throw a baby shower, only the guest of honor doesn’t show because she is in early labor! Try as we may, our celebrations and parties often are ‘crashed’ by minor or major details that are usually beyond our control.
We’re going to celebrate our 150th anniversary as a church this month. 150 years! But I can’t help but wonder if our celebration will be ‘crashed’ in some small way. Maybe the kids will be bored with our activities. Maybe our guest preacher, Bishop Lohrmann, will be unable to come at the last minute (and the Pastor prays: Preserve us from this, heavenly Father!”). Maybe the balloons will get all tangled up in the launch. Maybe the Power-Point presentation won’t work right. Maybe after the celebrations have ended and everyone has gone home, one of our volunteers will say to themselves, “You know what we should have done differently…”
But we must remember that our source of true joy comes not from the celebration itself, but our joy comes from that which we are celebrating. We are celebrating 150 years of God’s faithful presence in this congregation. We are celebrating the Holy Spirit’s work in this community. Thousands of individuals have been baptized here, brought to faith here, have heard of God’s love for them here, have received God’s forgiveness here, have been empowered to go and serve their neighbor through the word – here. Here, God has brought people together in marriage – and here, we have said goodbye to loved ones who have gone to their eternal home.
That is something to be joyful about. That is something to celebrate. How we celebrate is much less important. Ralph and Ella ultimately knew that, and cherished their special day even though things did not go exactly as planned. Why was it such a special day to them? Because of what they were celebrating – a beautiful love that has sustained them across the years. We will take a cue from them and be thankful for what we are celebrating – while trusting that the celebration itself will also be enjoyable. Thanks be to God for God’s faithful presence among us throughout many generations. May God’s name be hallowed and God’s will be done among us for many more years to come. Amen.
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
GoodSearch for Lutheran Social Services
Today I attended a meeting in Lima, at the home offices of Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio. LSS provides services such as behavioral health care, senior services, family resources, adoption services, and a food pantry - among other things. To learn more, visit www.lssnwo.org.
They presented this information to me and I thought I would not only participate, but pass it along to you. It is a way to be generous doing something that you are already doing every day - surfing the internet!
----
Visit www.goodsearch.com and give to charity, just by searching the internet!
How often do we us an internet search engine like Yahoo!, Google, or Ask.com? What if Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio earned a penny every time you did a search? Now it's possible!
GoodSearch.com is a search engine, powered by Yahoo!, that donates half of its revenue (about a penny per search) to the charity fo the searcher's choice. In fact, LSS received a check at the end of 2007 for about $62 - the benefit of 4,649 searches through the end of September - about 1.3 cents per search. It works!
TRY IT! Go to www.goodsearch.com. You will see two boxes - the search box and a box that asks "Who do you GoodSearch for?" Simply enter "Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio" in the second box, click on "Verify," and start searching.
There are also prompts to add GoodSearch to your tool bar or to make GoodSearch your home page.
You might also want to try GoodShop Online shopping at Kohls, Macy's Target, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CIrcuit City, and more. A designated portion of sales comes to LSS.
They presented this information to me and I thought I would not only participate, but pass it along to you. It is a way to be generous doing something that you are already doing every day - surfing the internet!
----
Visit www.goodsearch.com and give to charity, just by searching the internet!
How often do we us an internet search engine like Yahoo!, Google, or Ask.com? What if Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio earned a penny every time you did a search? Now it's possible!
GoodSearch.com is a search engine, powered by Yahoo!, that donates half of its revenue (about a penny per search) to the charity fo the searcher's choice. In fact, LSS received a check at the end of 2007 for about $62 - the benefit of 4,649 searches through the end of September - about 1.3 cents per search. It works!
TRY IT! Go to www.goodsearch.com. You will see two boxes - the search box and a box that asks "Who do you GoodSearch for?" Simply enter "Lutheran Social Services of Northwestern Ohio" in the second box, click on "Verify," and start searching.
There are also prompts to add GoodSearch to your tool bar or to make GoodSearch your home page.
You might also want to try GoodShop Online shopping at Kohls, Macy's Target, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, CIrcuit City, and more. A designated portion of sales comes to LSS.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Why Wednesday Worship?
Out of town for the weekend? Remember that you can attend our Wednesday evening worship services at 7 PM. God's love doesn't take a break in the summertime - so we don't take a break from worshiping God! Each Wednesday service is a slightly shortened version of the previous Sunday's service. Exceptions to this rule are:
Wed., June 25 - Vacation Bible School worship program at 7 PM
Wed., July 16 - Campfire worship at 8 PM
Wed., Aug 13 - Outdoor Worship and Beach Party - 7 PM
These worship services will be nothing like the previous Sunday's service, therefore everyone is encouraged to attend these special events!
Holy Communion will be held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Wed., June 25 - Vacation Bible School worship program at 7 PM
Wed., July 16 - Campfire worship at 8 PM
Wed., Aug 13 - Outdoor Worship and Beach Party - 7 PM
These worship services will be nothing like the previous Sunday's service, therefore everyone is encouraged to attend these special events!
Holy Communion will be held on the second Wednesday of each month.
Popsicle Sundays
Hot coffee sound too icky on sticky summer mornings? Welcome to "Popsicle Sunday," held on the first Sunday of each month throughout the summer. A member of the Faith Sharing committee will hand you a Pop-Ice as you leave the sanctuary after worship. Stick around and chat with others as you eat your cool treat, or take it to go if you're in a rush!
We will also have "Popsicle Wednesdays" on the first Wednesday of the month for our evening worshipers.
We will also have "Popsicle Wednesdays" on the first Wednesday of the month for our evening worshipers.
Sermon: May 25, 2008
Texts: Isaiah 49:8-16a, Psalm 131, Matthew 6:24-34
A few weeks ago, I nearly rear-ended another car on Elida Road in Lima. I was traveling along, when a car stopped very suddenly right in front of me. Want to guess where I was on Elida Road? Close to the Swifty gas station, of course. As is typical for Swifty, nearby stations had just raised their prices to $3.90 or so, but Swifty was holding out at $3.65 for as long as they could. The traffic was backed up for several blocks going in both directions as drivers attempted to fill their tanks at this “low” price. Crazy.
We are living in tough times these days. The word “recession” is on many lips. The prices of milk, eggs, and gasoline are skyrocketing. Last month, Costco and Sam’s Club began rationing rice. Thank goodness the government is saving the day with those rebate checks, right? (Sarcasm) With all the bad news, it’s easy to be worried and stressed. Will we see this tough time through? Will the value of our homes go down the drain? Will we keep our jobs? The questions loom large, and worry many of us.
And yet we have this word from Jesus. “Do not worry.” “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.” It’s sometimes hard to take these words of Jesus to heart, perhaps his words seem out of step with what we face in the modern world. As one scholar put it, it seems like this teaching – “Do Not Worry” –“could only have been written by a single guy living a carefree life on the beach in sunny Galilee.” [1] Is Jesus telling us to just chill, kick back, and relax instead of doing all we can to stay ahead and stay secure?
Jesus is not calling us to abandon our responsibilities and leave the well-being of our families up to chance. Jesus is not telling us to throw good financial sense out the window, he is not inviting us to squander our paychecks and empty out our retirement savings. But he is teaching us to not let excessive worry and anxiety about the future rule our lives to the point where we can no longer trust God and joyously serve others. Therefore, he is teaching us a different way of living. Jesus is calling us to trust God more than we trust ourselves. He is calling us to trust the simple fact the Lord gives and the Lord provides. In the Lord, we have everything we need and more. We have enough.
Jesus doesn’t say “Don’t strive for food and clothing.” He is saying “strive first” for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added. Do not worry about the future, but enjoy the blessings that God gives in the present, trusting that God holds the future together just as surely as God holds today together.
Jesus says, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.” What would happen to our lives if we truly strove for the purposes of God first and foremost – before we attended to the stuff of our everyday lives? What if we woke up each morning saying, “Ok – what does God want me to do today – and then what do I need to get done to keep my material life in order?” We definitely do it the other way around, don’t we. Especially that is true of our time and finances. I’m gonna take care of my needs first, then my wants, then I’ll see if I have some extra time or money leftover for a neighbor in need.
Part of this we do out of our sinful and selfish nature. But part of this we do just because we are worried and anxious about the responsibilities we have to our families and our self. It’s difficult to trust in God, and trust that if we strive after his righteousness first, we will have enough provision and enough blessing to see it through the day. How would our lives be different if we did indeed “strive first” for the kingdom of God?
I’ll tell you one thing. We would be happier and more content. We would know peace. We would be more generous people. We would know what it means to feel full, alive, and secure. Ok, you’re thinking. Sounds great. So how do we start to re-prioritize, shift gears, and strive first for God’s purposes?
Well, starting anew is the easy part and the difficult part. It’s easy because God is the one who does this work for us! God gives us forgiveness in those times when we fail, grace to start again, and peace to meet each day. God’s Holy Spirit meets us and fills us when we come to God in worship and prayer – and with the Holy Spirit within us, anything is possible for us. But starting anew is also hard because we will forget what God has done for us over and over again, and will always need to be reminded. That’s why we never “graduate” from going to church, or from reading the Bible. We have to keep coming back to the simple truth of God’s love and grace over and over again – we need to be re-converted to living the life of a Christian every day.
So in order to re-convert you, and to help you re-direct your life, let me do my job as a preacher and paint you a picture of this God who loves you and longs to be first in your life. Because in contrast to this anxiety we experience everyday, we have these beautiful images from the Old Testament Scriptures describing the love and the peace we have with God. The passage from Isaiah brings to mind a mother’s love. The Lord says to Israel, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.”
It is possible for a mother to forget her child, even her nursing child. Likely, no – but possible. But God has said that it is NOT POSSIBLE for God to forget his people – and that includes you. Not possible for God – can you believe that? That God has made something impossible for God’s self? God is faithful to us and God will not forget us in our time of need. God has us tattooed on his hands. God is mother to us in a way that no earthly mother can be – and a lot of us know some really good mothers. When we know that God’s love for us is that rich, how can we not trust God with our lives, and selves?
In today’s reading from Psalm 131, the poet describes resting in the arms of God – and again this mothering image is brought forth. The poet writes: “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”
Think of yourself as that weaned child. Now, when you hear that term, weaned child, you think of a child that has moved on from his mother’s milk, or formula, and is now on to drinking cow’s milk, and you may bring to mind a child that is about 1 or 2 years old. Now most of the 2 year olds you know are not quiet and serene but rather boisterous and all over the place! But I did a little digging and discovered that the Hebrew word may not mean “completely weaned” in the sense that the child no longer nurses, but the word might better describe a child that has just finished nursing. So the baby described is weaned only for the moment. [2]
Those of you that have had the pleasure to witness a baby’s face just after nursing will know that there is no better picture of calm and tranquility in this world. Think of a small baby, just a month or two old, after he has finished nursing at his mother’s breast or has finished the last bit of his bottle, and is now lying in his caregiver’s arms. Usually a baby is fast asleep about this time, finally satisfied. The kicking and squirming is no more – he has everything he needs and is completely calm and secure. His cheeks look almost a little swollen, flushed with milk. The baby has no thought of where his next meal will come from, or what tomorrow brings. In that moment he only knows complete peace and satisfaction.
Can a nursing mother not love her baby? It’s possible. Not likely, but possible. Can our God not love us, his children? NOT POSSIBLE. If he cannot forget us, he must love us. When we believe what God says about us and how much he loves us, then we will know peace and satisfaction. So if a baby can rest so securely in a human mother’s arms, how much more securely can we rest in the arms of God? Do you what Jesus called God? What he taught us to call God? Abba. Abba, an intensely familiar and trusting word which means “Daddy.” Think of yourself as a trusting little child calling for your Daddy. Or as a fully-satisfied baby sleeping in her mother’s arms. Be the child. Be the baby.
If we can trust God enough to trust God like this, then striving first for God’s kingdom becomes a whole heck of a lot easier. Then those of us who have resources must ask themselves – “What am I doing hoarding all this blessing from God when there are people around me in need and God has proven to me over and over again that he will provide?” Or, “What am I doing, running around chasing a million tasks, trying to please everyone, when God has already declared that I am loved, and will not be forgotten?” “What am I doing up late at night, preemptively worrying over all the troubles tomorrow might bring?” In order to seek first God’s kingdom, we must first and foremost rest securely in his love. When we rest securely in his love, we do not worry excessively about how to obtain security for ourselves. We do not worry about tomorrow. So strive first for the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well by the God who lovingly holds you safe and secure and satisfies your every need. Amen.
[1] Commentary on Gospel, May 25th, 2008 by Richard Beaton, referencing Ulrich Luz: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx#
[2] Observation from Laurel A. Dykstra, “Living the Word: The Creator of Life,” Sojourners’ Magazine, May 2008: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0805&article=080549&cookies_enabled=false
A few weeks ago, I nearly rear-ended another car on Elida Road in Lima. I was traveling along, when a car stopped very suddenly right in front of me. Want to guess where I was on Elida Road? Close to the Swifty gas station, of course. As is typical for Swifty, nearby stations had just raised their prices to $3.90 or so, but Swifty was holding out at $3.65 for as long as they could. The traffic was backed up for several blocks going in both directions as drivers attempted to fill their tanks at this “low” price. Crazy.
We are living in tough times these days. The word “recession” is on many lips. The prices of milk, eggs, and gasoline are skyrocketing. Last month, Costco and Sam’s Club began rationing rice. Thank goodness the government is saving the day with those rebate checks, right? (Sarcasm) With all the bad news, it’s easy to be worried and stressed. Will we see this tough time through? Will the value of our homes go down the drain? Will we keep our jobs? The questions loom large, and worry many of us.
And yet we have this word from Jesus. “Do not worry.” “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear.” It’s sometimes hard to take these words of Jesus to heart, perhaps his words seem out of step with what we face in the modern world. As one scholar put it, it seems like this teaching – “Do Not Worry” –“could only have been written by a single guy living a carefree life on the beach in sunny Galilee.” [1] Is Jesus telling us to just chill, kick back, and relax instead of doing all we can to stay ahead and stay secure?
Jesus is not calling us to abandon our responsibilities and leave the well-being of our families up to chance. Jesus is not telling us to throw good financial sense out the window, he is not inviting us to squander our paychecks and empty out our retirement savings. But he is teaching us to not let excessive worry and anxiety about the future rule our lives to the point where we can no longer trust God and joyously serve others. Therefore, he is teaching us a different way of living. Jesus is calling us to trust God more than we trust ourselves. He is calling us to trust the simple fact the Lord gives and the Lord provides. In the Lord, we have everything we need and more. We have enough.
Jesus doesn’t say “Don’t strive for food and clothing.” He is saying “strive first” for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added. Do not worry about the future, but enjoy the blessings that God gives in the present, trusting that God holds the future together just as surely as God holds today together.
Jesus says, “Strive first for the kingdom of God and God’s righteousness.” What would happen to our lives if we truly strove for the purposes of God first and foremost – before we attended to the stuff of our everyday lives? What if we woke up each morning saying, “Ok – what does God want me to do today – and then what do I need to get done to keep my material life in order?” We definitely do it the other way around, don’t we. Especially that is true of our time and finances. I’m gonna take care of my needs first, then my wants, then I’ll see if I have some extra time or money leftover for a neighbor in need.
Part of this we do out of our sinful and selfish nature. But part of this we do just because we are worried and anxious about the responsibilities we have to our families and our self. It’s difficult to trust in God, and trust that if we strive after his righteousness first, we will have enough provision and enough blessing to see it through the day. How would our lives be different if we did indeed “strive first” for the kingdom of God?
I’ll tell you one thing. We would be happier and more content. We would know peace. We would be more generous people. We would know what it means to feel full, alive, and secure. Ok, you’re thinking. Sounds great. So how do we start to re-prioritize, shift gears, and strive first for God’s purposes?
Well, starting anew is the easy part and the difficult part. It’s easy because God is the one who does this work for us! God gives us forgiveness in those times when we fail, grace to start again, and peace to meet each day. God’s Holy Spirit meets us and fills us when we come to God in worship and prayer – and with the Holy Spirit within us, anything is possible for us. But starting anew is also hard because we will forget what God has done for us over and over again, and will always need to be reminded. That’s why we never “graduate” from going to church, or from reading the Bible. We have to keep coming back to the simple truth of God’s love and grace over and over again – we need to be re-converted to living the life of a Christian every day.
So in order to re-convert you, and to help you re-direct your life, let me do my job as a preacher and paint you a picture of this God who loves you and longs to be first in your life. Because in contrast to this anxiety we experience everyday, we have these beautiful images from the Old Testament Scriptures describing the love and the peace we have with God. The passage from Isaiah brings to mind a mother’s love. The Lord says to Israel, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands.”
It is possible for a mother to forget her child, even her nursing child. Likely, no – but possible. But God has said that it is NOT POSSIBLE for God to forget his people – and that includes you. Not possible for God – can you believe that? That God has made something impossible for God’s self? God is faithful to us and God will not forget us in our time of need. God has us tattooed on his hands. God is mother to us in a way that no earthly mother can be – and a lot of us know some really good mothers. When we know that God’s love for us is that rich, how can we not trust God with our lives, and selves?
In today’s reading from Psalm 131, the poet describes resting in the arms of God – and again this mothering image is brought forth. The poet writes: “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me.”
Think of yourself as that weaned child. Now, when you hear that term, weaned child, you think of a child that has moved on from his mother’s milk, or formula, and is now on to drinking cow’s milk, and you may bring to mind a child that is about 1 or 2 years old. Now most of the 2 year olds you know are not quiet and serene but rather boisterous and all over the place! But I did a little digging and discovered that the Hebrew word may not mean “completely weaned” in the sense that the child no longer nurses, but the word might better describe a child that has just finished nursing. So the baby described is weaned only for the moment. [2]
Those of you that have had the pleasure to witness a baby’s face just after nursing will know that there is no better picture of calm and tranquility in this world. Think of a small baby, just a month or two old, after he has finished nursing at his mother’s breast or has finished the last bit of his bottle, and is now lying in his caregiver’s arms. Usually a baby is fast asleep about this time, finally satisfied. The kicking and squirming is no more – he has everything he needs and is completely calm and secure. His cheeks look almost a little swollen, flushed with milk. The baby has no thought of where his next meal will come from, or what tomorrow brings. In that moment he only knows complete peace and satisfaction.
Can a nursing mother not love her baby? It’s possible. Not likely, but possible. Can our God not love us, his children? NOT POSSIBLE. If he cannot forget us, he must love us. When we believe what God says about us and how much he loves us, then we will know peace and satisfaction. So if a baby can rest so securely in a human mother’s arms, how much more securely can we rest in the arms of God? Do you what Jesus called God? What he taught us to call God? Abba. Abba, an intensely familiar and trusting word which means “Daddy.” Think of yourself as a trusting little child calling for your Daddy. Or as a fully-satisfied baby sleeping in her mother’s arms. Be the child. Be the baby.
If we can trust God enough to trust God like this, then striving first for God’s kingdom becomes a whole heck of a lot easier. Then those of us who have resources must ask themselves – “What am I doing hoarding all this blessing from God when there are people around me in need and God has proven to me over and over again that he will provide?” Or, “What am I doing, running around chasing a million tasks, trying to please everyone, when God has already declared that I am loved, and will not be forgotten?” “What am I doing up late at night, preemptively worrying over all the troubles tomorrow might bring?” In order to seek first God’s kingdom, we must first and foremost rest securely in his love. When we rest securely in his love, we do not worry excessively about how to obtain security for ourselves. We do not worry about tomorrow. So strive first for the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well by the God who lovingly holds you safe and secure and satisfies your every need. Amen.
[1] Commentary on Gospel, May 25th, 2008 by Richard Beaton, referencing Ulrich Luz: http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx#
[2] Observation from Laurel A. Dykstra, “Living the Word: The Creator of Life,” Sojourners’ Magazine, May 2008: http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=magazine.article&issue=soj0805&article=080549&cookies_enabled=false
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