Monthly Archives: January 2016

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on January 29, 2016
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Where’s The Beef? — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

                                            January 29, 2016 

“all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate. They told the scribe Ezra to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. Accordingly, the priest Ezra brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month. He read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law.” (Nehemiah 8:1-3)

The people wanted to hear the word from G-d – so Ezra decided to read — and read, and read, and read. And the people wept – but not for the reasons we 21st century Christians would weep. If I preached for six hours, people would weep, but not for the chance to hear the word. They would weep for obvious reasons – like “He never preaches six hours, why now?”. But the people were so hungry for the word that they stood and listened because they didn’t want just a nugget– they wanted the whole beef. And Ezra gave them the whole beef, and they were filled with so much joy, they wept.

We need to have that same hungering for the Word of G-d. We often look at the process of beginning a bible reading plan as drudgery, as something we “have to get done today”. This is not the attitude to have when reading the bible. We have to hunger to read, hunger to study, and hunger to know more. When Jesus came to his home town of Nazareth (Luke 4) and entered into their Synagogues to read, teach and preach, the people were anxious to hear what he might say about the word of G-d. And when he read from Isaiah, they were sitting on the edge of their seats waiting to hear what he might have to say. And when he said “This scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing today”, they were also weeping – crying out in anger. Reading the word should promote some amount of reaction from us – joy, sadness, hope, anger, trust, and longing for more. As you read G-d’s word, expect to be moved to many different emotions.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on January 28, 2016
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Tunnel Vision — Rev. David J. Schreffler

                         January 28, 2016

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not rely on your own understanding; acknowledge Him in all your ways and He will make your path straight.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

When our son was a member of the high school bowling team, his team bowled for the State Championship. This required us to travel to Pittsburgh, PA – the first I had been to this city since I was in college. I did not remember much about the city, especially the roads around and in the city, except for the area where three rivers converge. I was surprised by two things driving around Pittsburgh: the first was how many hills there are; the second was the number of tunnels you encounter driving around the outskirts of Pittsburgh.

I do not have a good relationship with tunnels you are required to drive through. I am nervous entering the tunnel, and grateful when I come to the other end. I think of the possibility of an accident inside the tunnel, and the probability of being stuck in the middle of a mountain. Similarly in life, sometimes we encounter unexpected tunnels on our way to a destination. Tunnel experiences vary depending on our life experiences. Unexpected bills come in, but finances stay the same, and we feel as if we are surrounded by a tunnel of fear. We send out resumes, but the phone remains silent or the email in-box remains empty, and we feel as if we are in a tunnel of doubt. The sun can rise every day but our minds feel overcast and dark. And these experiences can have an impact on our Bible reading, on our worship and on our faithfulness. It is easy to develop tunnel vision, allowing ourselves only to see the tunnel, and not focusing on the fact that there will be a day where we exit the darkness. This is where the text from Proverbs helps us realize that trusting in the Lord always will guide us through and out of the tunnels of our lives. Sometimes we may feel as if our path is blocked, but G-d promises to provide a way out (1 Corinthians 10:13ff).

When you feel blocked in life, or in your reading, remember to look for the bigger picture, and pray with trust knowing that G-d will always help you persevere through the tunnels, and stay on the right path.

Pastor Dave