February 8, 2023 — “Egg-Shell Christians”

“When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22:34-40

“The folks around him (Jesus) were arguing about whether or not it is right for religious people to pay taxes to the government, and who’s going to be married to whom in the resurrection. Then one of the religious men, in an effort to pin Jesus to the wall, asked him what may have been the toughest question of all: “What is the most important of all the commandments in our religious laws?” Jesus never hesitated. Perhaps he was relieved that someone had finally asked a question that had some substance to it. This was his immediate reply: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” According to Jesus, what’s absolutely essential is loving God, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Those three relationships — with God, with our neighbors, and with ourselves — sum up everything that’s ever been said or written about God’s will for the world.” (The Presbyterian Outlook; Nov. 29, 2022)

If we are always looking for slights by other people we shall see plenty of them—even where none were intended. If we are expecting to be wounded by someone’s words, we shall receive them even when no one intends to wound us. Self-love, or better said “self-sensitivity” has a great imagination. It can see a great many evils, it can hear a great many slights, and it can be offended by many a comment where none was intended. It is like a petulant and spoiled child. They are truly “lovers of their own selves.” Paul said, “When I became a man, I put away childish things.” It is high time that we, as Christians, start doing the same thing.

Suppose Christ had been as sensitive as so many people are today, would he have saved the world? If Paul had been an “egg-shell”, would he have endured the persecution and dangers and tribulations and misrepresentations that he bore to carry the gospel to the world? Look, we are to learn to love ourselves if we are to love others. However, loving ourselves is not supposed to lead us to being so sensitive. We should look for opportunities to serve others, not to spend our lives looking for slights.

We are called to love G-d and others with the intensity that we love ourselves – but not allow self-love to mire us in negative emotions. The secret is to love G-d with all our heart, mind and strength, and to love the others in our lives just as Christ loved others more than he loved himself. ; therefore he could endure all things for the sake of the world, so that all people might be saved.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, I know I must learn to love myself. Help me to love myself and still learn to love the unlovable, including myself when I stray into selfishness. Amen.

Pastor Dave

February 7, 2023 — “The Practical Side Of Religion”

“I have concluded that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to enjoy themselves as long as they live, and also that everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God.” Ecclesiastes 3:12-13 

“Notice that God has given us four things in this passage. First, He’s the one who gives us the ability to rejoice and enjoy life; there’s nothing better for us than to rejoice. God’s perspective and hope gives the believer the ability to rejoice regardless of the circumstances. The second thing that God gives is the ability to produce divine good in one’s lifetime. Notice that the doing of good is in this lifetime. Galatians 6:10, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.” There is a third gift in verse 13, which is an appetite to eat and drink. People who are very successful and wealthy don’t always have an appetite. Quite like a good night’s sleep, it can’t be bought. One can buy drugs to put him to sleep, but he cannot buy the ability to sleep. This is a gift from God. Then there’s a fourth gift mentioned in verse 13, to see good in all our labor, it is the gift of God. Solomon said that each of these four things is a gift from God, as does James 1:17, “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom no variation, or shifting shadow.” (The Eight Experiments of Man: A Commentary on the Book of Ecclesiastes; p. 88, Robert R. McLaughlin)

There is a practical side to all things – and all things practical do not bring to us glamour or recognition. In the church, there is plenty that happens that few people notice, few people think about, and few people even care that someone is doing it. They just expect that it will be done, and there will be hell to pay if someone forgets. These things do not bring anyone glory – but they do bring satisfaction that it is done for the comfort or the necessity of a job well done. For example, someone needs to vacuum the Nave and make sure the heat or air conditioning is scheduled to come on before the services. Not everyone is called to preach – not everyone is called to play the organ, the guitar or the piano for worship. But for the church to function, there is a weekly grind that happens so the bulletin is done, the altar is prepared, and the coffee hour is staffed.

Just because the work does not bring recognition does not mean that G-d does not see the joy that people feel for doing the little things, the uninteresting things, and the drudgery of church-life. The same is true in our daily, secular lives. G-d blesses those practical Christians, people who are willing to do the work even if it means weariness, or a lack of emotion, and especially if it requires sacrifice. Just because our faithfulness seems to fall upon blind eyes, our Lord sees all that we do, for the glory of G-d, and for the practical side of life – and the Lord blesses us for it.

Let us pray: Dear G-d, as the writer of Ecclesiastes states: “…everyone should find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God.” Help me see my work today as a gift to you. Amen.

Pastor Dave