January 13, 2015

“And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window, sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead. But Paul went down and bent over him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed, for his life is in him.” And when Paul had gone up and had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a long while, until daybreak, and so departed. And they took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.” Acts 20:9

Yesterday we had an ice event here in South Central PA. My wife, who does safety reports for PennDot, was out reporting on the road conditions, when she slipped on the ice and fell. In the process of falling she bruised her hip and hit her head on the ice. A doctor’s exam and a few x-rays later and I am glad to report that she is ok, just a little sore, but none the worse for the wear.

Life often brings us surprises, don’t you agree? We never know when we get up in the morning what might happen that day. From our reading, the young man Eutychus was anxious to hear Paul preach. But as his sermon went on and on, Eutychus also slipped – first into a deep sleep and then fell out the window.

The eternal question that many would ask here is: “Was this G*d’s plan for Eutychus to fall seemingly to his death?” My pastor’s answer would be the same as Jesus’ answer about the man who was born blind in John 9: this has happened “so that the works of G*d might be displayed in him.” The things that happen to us in life are not G*d’s way of playing the “Puppet Master”. But all things that happen to us can be opportunities for G*d to work in amazing ways in our lives. It begins with ultimate trust in G*d. We trust that G*d knows a higher path, but also trust that G*d will help us see a way through whatever it is that happens. For my wife, this injury allows G*d to work through the doctors, the physical therapists, her family, and others in her healing process. Today may not bring the things we were planning, or expecting, but every experience is an opportunity for G*d to do amazing things in our lives.

Pastor Dave

January 12, 2015

“As Jesus passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” Jesus answered, “It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of G*d might be made manifest in him. Jesus spat on the ground and made clay of the spittle and anointed the man’s eyes with the clay, saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam (which means sent). So he went and washed and came back seeing.” John 9:1ff

“…G*d is seen by those who are capable of seeing him, once they have the eyes of the soul opened. All men (and women) have eyes, but some have eyes which are hooded by cataracts and do not see the light of the sun. But the light of the sun does not fail to shine just because the blind do not see…” Theophilus of Antioch (c.185) “For All The Saints” volume I

I was out jogging the other day, and it was one of the coldest days of the year so far. As I slogged through the bitter wind, I soon began to realize that ice was forming on my eyelashes, making it difficult to see. But as soon as I wiped away the ice, my sight became clearer. Throughout my run I needed to wipe away the ice so I could see the obstacles coming into my path. Throughout our lives, we need to do the same in our spiritual run. From time to time we will find that there are things that blind us to the presence of G*d in our path. Living without G*d is like jogging with our eyes plastered shut by ice – we will soon find our progress impeded by obstacles both big and small, tripping us up and tossing us here and there. But when we live “In Christ”, with our thoughts and actions immersed in the Word, and in turn Christ living in us, then our eyes will be open to seeing the beauty of G*d’s presence – and we will find that we are not blinded by the sin that wants to cling to us like ice on our eyelashes.

Pastor Dave