I have returned from sabbatical.. Ok, not really. I am writing this one week before I begin. In order to clear my schedule of normal responsibilities I have chosen to write my article early. So this is what I project as being the case by the 1st week of September.

1. I have become holy. What? Are you crazy?! Well, ok, I am doing the best I can but I need grace, we all need grace. Hopefully at the time of this reading I will have been reacquainted with the grace that God promises even me! You too should  strive for faithfulness, but have a firm awareness of God’s abundant grace.

2. I have learned all there is to know about the Bible. Once again, not even close. There is much to learn and understand, but if in our learning about Jesus rather than meeting Him we have missed it.

3. I have changed beyond recognition to the person I thought I was supposed to be. Wrong again… Actually, becoming or putting on the new man is quite biblical, but not at the expense of ignoring or rejecting the blessing of who you are. Let me explain. God tells us we are corrupt, that our flesh is tainted! He teaches us that we need to be saved, something we cannot do on our own. He, through Paul, even speaks of hating the flesh (our own). This is, however, meant to teach us that we are to be aware of the corrupt nature of the human self over against the pure, untainted way of the Spirit.  What we must be careful to avoid is the assumption that, though broken and sinful, everything about us is awful and without value. Sometimes we ignore the precious gift of personality, talents and other God dreamed realities. The point is, be who you are, led by God’s Spirit, molded as He sees fit, with joy and confidence. We are all different. Let us celebrate those unique traits as we together make the body of Christ what it can be.

4. I serve a congregation who graciously allowed me this time away. You have truly blessed me and I thank you for it!!

So, here we go. Let us see what the God we know and love has in store for you and me - those known and loved by Him.

Pastor Mark

           If I could pull Jesus aside while walking with Him along with the other disciples, I probably would have one or two questions and maybe an observation. Sounds pretty heady, I know, but the truth is these questions and observations are spinning around in my mind anyway and affecting everything I do and don’t do. I figure asking Him a question or two would at least make me feel more honest in my relationship with Him.

The first question would be something like this: “Am I okay with You?”. In other words, am I loved, forgiven, accepted, desired, etc. by God? The truth is, most of us from time to time feel a bit unwanted and undone. We may secretly wonder if God has given up on us. So, yeah, that would be my first question.

My second question would sound something like a request for directions by a guy who knows the general path, but wonders if he is missing or had missed a turn or two. We all question whether or not we are really getting it (God’s path for us). With so many decisions and opportunities for missteps, it is easy to wonder if we have missed something.

My observation would be: “Jesus, this is a hard walk and it sure is a long one”. Don’t get me wrong, there is no other way to life and the blessings, peace, and promises are deep and abiding. But, you know, sometimes I get caught up in the challenges and lose my momentum. Quite frankly, it is easy to lose heart and want to stop, sit by the side of the road and watch aimlessly as life flows by.

Anyway, if I could speak words such as these to Jesus, what do I think He would say? “My strength in your weakness?” Yep. “Count the cost?” Uh huh. “If they did it to the Master then they will do it to you?” Right. Many other such things He did say and is saying to me. But I have a sneaking suspicion He would look at me with that knowing look, ignoring the busyness around Him, grip my arm, help me stand and walk right beside me. Somehow He would help me be okay by His presence rather than all the right answers. Maybe we all need more presence. A sense that we aren’t alone goes a long way in the dark. So, listen for His footsteps, He is always close by, always knowing, always believing. 

In His Grace,

Pastor Mark

I was reading an article on-line about Lake Superior’s hold on the surrounding region. The author wondered if May would be the month when the driveway would again be clear of snow. May?! Snow?! Yep, uh, I mean yup (as in Yupper). Winters grip is quite tight in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the surrounding areas. Matter-of-fact, it was this snowy grip that helped make my decision to finish my college education further south. Snow, wind and cold can cause even the hardiest soul to look for warmth. Just as those living in the Great White North have few practical options but to endure, hoping for spring, we must have the same determination. So many shadows linger in our midst. So much hangs on to us, slowing our momentum, pulling us backwards. This is June. Winter should be a distant memory. Yet many of us live with frost in our hearts.

How can we live with two realities? The reality of the promise of life and peace AND the reality of stubborn “wintertime” not losing its grip? A poet once said, “I’ve come to terms with those demons that wanted me.” What he was saying, I think, was that there is only so much a person can change about what was and, to a degree, what is. So much energy is spent wrestling with a foe whose tactics involve guilt, blame and condemnation. It’s like punching the air. Nothing is done or undone. Nothing altered.  The only thing that is accomplished is heart-wear. Wearing out the heart is easy to do when we dance with the partner of regret. When we choose to live backwards instead of forwards, ignoring, or simply not seeing, the blessings of the present, we get lost in the haze of our “stuff”.

So, what can we do as thinking Christians, unafraid of seeing life for what it truly is?

1. Acknowledge our weakness, fear, etc… being Christian does not mean we are to be fake. Life is hard, spattered with laughter. Jesus waded into those whose sin and disease had no answer. He offered forgiveness and, for many, healing. This did not mean He made every problem go away for those who followed Him. Rather, He helped them interpret their lives differently… not simply through pain and absence. I see this from time to time in ministry. People being identified by their sin, pain, or problems. What a way to minimize a life! Our lives can have more meaning, be richer, than the problems that shadow us (winter’s grip).

2. Fight for the joy that is set before you. Granted, life is what it is, BUT I have a hope beyond this life, people who love me, a mind that works (I saw you laugh), and the possibility of other blessings just around the corner. I don’t know what God has in store but as long as He is here there is the potential for something other than what is. Jesus taught us that we will have trouble in this life, but we should be of good cheer (not discouraged) because He had overcome the world.

3. Do what you can to strengthen your life. Granted, as in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, winter hangs on. This doesn’t mean we should sit in our “parkas” until we sweat. Prepare your life for better things. Do what you can to create the life you hope to have. Good things often come to us once we position ourselves to receive them. Come on, I didn’t say this is the only way blessings came AND I certainly don’t want to    appear “Pollyanna-ish”. What I am saying is, for example, if you are alone and have no friends, decide to be a friend with whomever you desire friendship. You would be surprised what happens when we invest in that which we desire.

So, live in the now with the promise of God’s grip. Sometimes it is only His grip that sustains you, especially when “winter” whispers your name.

In His Grace,

Pastor Mark