Author: stmarksneenah

Pastor’s Ponderings for February

stmarksneenah

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever- present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

I recently read a short devotional written by the late Rev. Donald L. Deffner.  Rev. Deffner told of a great churchman who lay dying. It seems the man had  been touring world missions when he had contracted a rare disease that left    him almost totally paralyzed. He couldn’t speak, but he could still hear, and in an attempt to track his mental clarity, each day his doctor would ask him to tap a finger 50 times. This he did each day, with precision.

Then one day he tapped only 46 times, and they thought, “he is starting to slip away.” Then the next day he tapped exactly 46 taps again, and the next, and the next. Now, they wondered, “What is he trying to tell us?”

Finally, one person realized: “Forty-six, 46, 46! The 46th psalm!”

Rev. Deffner writes, “Here lay this great churchman, inert, powerless on his deathbed. But as he lay there facing heavenward, his finger was tapping out the faith-filled message: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble!” (Psalm 46:1)

Psalm 46 shows up in our readings on the last Sunday of church year. This is a Sunday that emphasizes the end of days, and the Psalmist goes on to talk about earthquakes, storms, turbulent waves, and wars. And, although kingdoms fall and the very earth melts away, the Psalmist states that we will not be afraid, for our God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

These past several months have been an especially difficult time for many of us, and for millions of    people around the world, as we continue to battle the effects of COVID-19. Millions of people have lost loved ones to this virus. It has caused an untold amount of grief, not only from the loss of life, but also from the economic hardships and the day-to-day disruption of our lives.

Of course, even apart from the virus, everyone has their own share of troubles, perhaps it is the struggle of managing home schooling, a business, a household, or personal  relationships. Even in the best of times, trouble seems to find us.

Still, God has blessed us with a beautiful world and each day brings new opportunities, hope, and promise.

When trouble comes, which it eventually does, hopefully you will reach out to your network of support, your family, your friends and neighbors, and your church, because God has placed these people in your life to love and             encourage you.

And hopefully, like the great churchman in Rev. Deffner’s story, your ultimate source of refuge and strength is your God. Even if everything around you were to give way to destruction, there is someone there for you whose love, mercy, and forgiveness is rock solid. So, when you feel overwhelmed and helpless, remember the number 46 and do not be afraid, because God is your refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble!

God’s blessing for the journey,

Pastor Bob

Pastor’s Ponderings for January

stmarksneenah

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14 NRS)

One thing we, as a society, are not particularly good at, is waiting.

We wait for many different reasons throughout our lifetime. We wait with great expectation for special events such as birthdays, weddings, vacations, and holidays to come to pass, and we wait for simple mundane things like the mail to come or the toast to pop up.

We wait in lines at the supermarket and we wait in traffic jams. We even have special areas in many service industries specifically designated for waiting.  And although we live in an age of microwave ovens and instant messaging, we still grow restless for having to wait.

The year 2020 was a year that truly tested our capacity to wait. We have delayed the gratification of meeting with family members for special occasions. We have reframed from going out to eat, taking vacations, and even getting our hair cut, all in an effort to help control the spread of the coronavirus.

We have even deferred many group events at church and our gathering for worship services to ensure the health and welfare of our worshiping community.

In the Hebrew language of our Old Testament there were a few different Hebrew words that were translated as “waiting,” each with a slightly different meaning, but when it came to waiting on the Lord, the clear emphasis was the need to wait for God’s divine protection and restoration in times of distress.

As people of God, our heritage is one of waiting—although not always patiently—for the Lord to act. The Israelites waited 430 years for God to deliver them from bondage in Egypt. Then they wandered 40 additional years in the wilderness before being brought into the Promised Land.

Later, they waited for centuries for the promised Messiah. Then, after their temple was destroyed in 586 BCE, they were taken captive once more, this time to Babylon, and again they waited 70 years to be set free.

During their time of exile, they reasoned that God could not be confined to a building and that they surely could worship God apart from the sacrifice at the temple. They learned to become people of the book, as their sacred      scripture took on even greater significance. They learned patience and perseverance, if not contentment, and they marked their days with designated times of prayer and individual worship. And most significantly, they never gave up hope as they encouraged and reminded one another that God is faithful. 

This March will mark one year since our last in-person worship, and we are all anxious to be gathering once more in worship and fellowship. I do believe we will soon be back to in-person worship, although for a time it will feel not quite normal, as we will continue to take precautions to keep everyone one safe.                                                                                                      

In this, our time of exile, let us continue to wait on the Lord patiently and actively,  as we pray for and encourage one another. Let us devote ourselves to the study of God’s Holy Word and expand our own vision of God and strengthen our relationship with our Lord. Let us learn the secret of contentment as we trust in God’s provision, protection, and gracious timing.

Finally, let us take encouragement from the ancient words of the Psalmist, “Wait  for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Bob