Monthly Archives: January 2016

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on January 21, 2016
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Clearing Out Space — Rev. David J. Schreffler

January 21, 2016

Getting involved in reading the bible in this New Year includes giving something or some “things” up for the coming year, and it also involves taking something on that is new. It almost sounds like the season of Lent where we either give up something or take something on as a devotional exercise as we prepare for Holy Week and the death and resurrection of Jesus. To include something new into your lifestyle and into your schedule may require you giving something up. You are almost a month into your process of reading the bible every day, and I hope you have taken this challenge seriously. What is it you have found that needed to go as you have taken on this new devotional exercise?

Each one of us has a problem we need to overcome or something about how we live our daily lives that needs to change or needs to go so we can get our lives more centered on Jesus Christ and the words of eternal life he is teaching us.

I relate it to my office at the church. I have a wonderful office here that, over the last two years, has turned into a dumping ground for all kinds of things. I have received tables and chairs, books of all kinds, various other nick-knacks and I have been trying to build a puppet theater, the process of which ended about 15 months ago because I lost my creativity. Between Christmas and New Years Day I determined to throw things out and try to find my desk again. After three days and several bags of garbage, I have found what I had lost so long ago – an office in which I am not embarrassed to invite strangers and members. It was hard letting go of some of the items, but they needed to go, because they were impeding with my movement into the future.

If you are finding it difficult to keep to your reading because other things are cluttering your mind and your schedule, determine what it is that needs to go, or to change, and get rid of them. Make the time and make the room for Jesus, the Word made flesh. You will find that you have not lost stuff as much as you have gained much needed space and room for a future with the Word of G-d.

Pastor Dave

Unknown's avatar Rev. David J. Schreffler 4:44 am on January 20, 2016
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Stretching Is Good — Rev. David J. Schreffler

 

January 20, 2016

“The Israelites left the desert and moved from one place to another each time the LORD ordered them to. Once they camped at Rephidim,[a] but there was no water for them to drink. The people started complaining to Moses, “Give us some water!” Moses replied, “Why are you complaining to me and trying to put the LORD to the test?” But the people were thirsty and kept on complaining, “Moses, did you bring us out of Egypt just to let us and our families and our animals die of thirst?” Then Moses prayed to the LORD, “What am I going to do with these people? They are about to stone me to death!” Exodus 17:1-4

Change is rarely easy when the change is necessary – when the change comes from outside our own thinking. Though the Israelites were not happy being slaves in Egypt, still their needs were provided and they were cared for. However, the more they grew in number, the more Egypt would likely oppress them. So, it was necessary for G-d to send Moses to free them from slavery and set them on the path to freedom. And so they followed – though we could say they were reluctant to the change in environment – and their fears usually came out in the form of complaints. “We have no water to drink”. “We are tired of this manna”.

When You begin something new, like taking on a bible reading plan, it often comes with some complaining. “I don’t have the time to read”. “I just don’t understand it anyway”.

Starting something new is taking the step towards stretching yourself beyond your comfort zone. And just resolve yourself to the reality that you will struggle with some of what you read, you will not understand some of what you read, and you will be enriched by most of what you read.

“If you are tired of starting over, then just stop giving up.” This is one of my favorite quotes from the instructor on the exercise program my wife and I are currently following. And, as Jesus said, “Ask and it will be given, seek and you shall find.”

Pastor Dave