Speaking for yourself

Yesterday was Confirmation Sunday at St. Andrew.   Four of our young people stepped up to a microphone and spoke to our congregation and told us what their faith and their relationship with God means to them.  They had the opportunity to speak for themselves and claim the blessings given to them at their baptism.

If I could pick one unifying message from each of their speeches it would be this:  Each one of them is confident that God will be with them throughout their lives, no matter what.

Hallelujah!

All those Sunday School lessons, confirmation classes, Sundays in worship, servant hours and fellowship events have not been wasted.  They get it!  They feel it!  They know it in their hearts!

What a glorious reason to celebrate the Affirmation of their Baptisms as they CONFIRMED what their parents had promised for them, on their behalf as infants, when they were too young to ask to become a child of God with their own words. 

They have now claimed for themselves the membership in the body of Christ given to them at their baptisms.  Their membership fee has been paid in full by Jesus Christ. 

Congratulations to Ryan, Viviane, Hannah and Andrew. 

May you continue to always feel the Creator’s presence, the love of Jesus Christ and the guidance of the Holy Spirit in your lives, trusting in this faith that you have affirmed as a beloved child of God.

Come worship with us this Summer at 9:30 am on Sundays.

www.elcaAndy.org

Taking Comfort in the Midst of the Lightning

Tonight as I write this there is a severe thunder and lightning storm going on outside. 

I am safe inside and I am not afraid, probably foolishly so.  Any one of the 10 oak trees on my small property could drop a large branch or come crashing down.

But yet, I am not afraid because a lifetime experiencing storms like this has shown that I can find a safe place where I need not fear the extreme elements; and I have access to scientific information that will explain what this incredible noise and light show is made of and why it happens. 

I am not afraid because I have faith in the constructs of my world, simple though they may be, that protect me from the damage these elements can cause… my home, the power company, emergency personnel and first responders, etc.

I am not afraid because I trust that God will be by my side and protect me and my family.

And yet, I think about how our dog in the other room is tucked under my son’s arm, shaking in fear.  She does not understand the science or that our house will protect her.  Yet she seeks comfort and safety in the one place she knows she is safe.  Her boy.

I think about our children, when they ask in fear, “what is that noise, Mommy?”  and we answer… “The angels are bowling.”  They can not understand what science has told us, so we offer something they might be able to understand, and they trust us to protect them and seek comfort in our arms.

I think about how vulnerable we are, even with all our technologically superior camping gear, should a storm like this crop up while we are camping.  Where would we seek shelter?  The meager protection of our nylon tent?  A trail side lean-to?  A cave perhaps?  Where would our comfort come from then?  I’d bet we’d be praying to our God for protection in addition to flipping through that Wilderness Survival Guide.

And what about earlier peoples in times before our scientific research led to quantifiable answers?  What did Noah think of this type of storm as the rain began to pour down from the heavens?  What about the Israelites wandering 40 years in the desert?  How many storms did they see across the open expanses of sand and scrub, watching it approach closer and closer, praying for it to pass and spare them?

God has given us the gift of science to help understand our world around us, to help us put in place the protections that will help to keep us safe from the extremes of nature.  But in the process, do we rely falsely upon these constructs so much that we no longer turn to the One who can guarantee our safety?  Do we forget to be in awe of the incredible power of the One who created that lightning and thunder?

It has been a wild year, no …make that a wild few years, in the realm of natural disasters and wild weather for this country and for others around the globe.  Our science and prediction devices can only protect us so much.

We must rely on the One who has the only true power to save us.  We must trust, like children, in the protective love of our Father.

“But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you.” Psalm 5:11

Join us for worship on Sundays at 9:30 am

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What frightens you?  Where do you find comfort from your fears?

Do you trust God as much as the pilot?

I was outside enjoying the beautiful weather and blue sky today, and watched a jet airplane cross the sky. It got me to thinking about trust.

First of all, I know there is a mountain of physics behind it all, but it still amazes me that several hundred tons of metal can get enough lift to fly. Then I thought about how much we trust those airplane design engineers, airline mechanics and pilots to safely transport us from one location to another. For most people, air travel may invoke a small amount of anxiety, but we generally trust that we will arrive at our destination safely. We board that plane without much thought about the trust we have placed into the hands of strangers.

The same goes for travel on a train, bus, or in another person’s car (although if you are driving with your teenager you might be having some anxious thoughts and stomping that imaginary brake pedal).

I wondered, do I trust God that easily? When we get on that plane we turn everything over to that pilot, entrusting him or her with our lives. When we get up in the morning, we often probably also move along into our daily activities trusting that we’ll go to bed at the end of the day without any tragic incidents. But do we think about who is at the controls of our life?

Many people will debate the issue of free-will or fate but ultimately the argument will boil down to your faith. As a Lutheran Christian, I believe that God has a plan for me but that He has given me the free-will to make choices as to whether or not I will choose to follow the road that gets me to that destination God has planned. Along the way, I believe that God gives me the Holy Spirit to constantly point me back toward the path I should be traveling. I will continue to choose to listen or not and the Holy Spirit will continue to try to show me the way back. So in this analogy, I am at the controls but God has filed the flight plan and the Holy Spirit is my co-pilot. Is my safe arrival at my destination guaranteed?

It’s hard to give control of your life to someone else, yet we relinquish at least some of that power all the time (to airline pilots, bosses, spouses, children, parents, friends, advertising agencies and marketers, banks, governments, etc.). But considering how much can go wrong each day, is that wise? Do these entities to which we relinquish partial control of our lives have our best interests at heart? It is only human to want to control the path of your life, or to regain control of it if you’ve given too much control to others.

But we are more than just human. We are children of God. God will not let his children perish if we give Him the controls.

Will I choose to be the co-pilot and let God be the pilot, or will I assert myself and rule the cockpit?

How much do you trust God to pilot your life?

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