A Few Pastoral Thoughts for Difficult Times

Letters, Pastor's Corner

Tuesday, 12 January 2021

Image may contain: one or more people and meme, text that says '"He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God His Father. All glory and power to Him forever and ever! Amen.' Rev.1:6 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.' Eph.1:3'

Well, Brother & Sister — Saints – All, especially in this present time of spiritual, physical and political crisis, WE — THE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST — ARE an Essential Service to our community, nation and world. Pray like you’ve never prayed before. Proclaim the Word of God with every breath, deed, thought and word!
And through it all, let us remember that we are a Kingdom and nation of priests to our God!

You know, for all the times I think that I’m pretty smart and that I’ve studied a lot (Which I have), I’m still pretty stupid and Jesus is Pretty darn smart.Today was just one more proof of this to me. I spent a lot of time studying The Word this week & did my best to present it (Haltingly & not so well as I should have), and yet!!!! . . . . It’s always the “And Yet” that jumps out and bites me on the butt. Jesus takes my very poor words, and directs them at precisely the people who need to hear them — even in a pandemic when I shouldn’t be heard at all, AND YET he magnifies what I say WHEN I say what HE SAYS.We, who are faithful to Him, WILL suffer any number of difficulties, but, our faith and lives will shine out, bear testimony to His faithfulness, and give hope to the least, the lost, the hopeless, the helpless and the ones in need.Politicians and popular pundits will tell you what you want to hear. Jesus tells you what you need to hear.I know that quite a few of you are probably saying, “OK, Al/Rusty, it’s late. Put down your keyboard & Go to sleep!” AND YET, I have had testimonies from so many today — in the midst of DEEP DARKNESS — of the things God has done & the ways in which He reaches down and touches us.Look for every “AND YET” moment you can find, my friends. I know, I’m “That preacher guy” or “the geek you never liked in High School” or even “that arrogant prat who won’t shut up”, BUT, more than a quarter century ago, I gave up being a journalist to be a REPORTER of the greatest news ever told. Jesus, son of Joseph, son of Mary, SON of God, — the Christ — a little kid of no WORLDLY account was born into this world to be God with and for us. He’s the ONE who understands how screwed up we are; He KNOWS what we suffer, what we feel, how we’re tempted, what we’ve done, what we HAVEN’T DONE when we should have. . . . AND YET, in the midst of that, in the midst of all we see around us … wars, rumors of wars, revolutions, and riots in capitols and capitals, He meets us where we are.. . . He knows WHO we are . . . He TOUCHES us where we hurt, and bleed and need.Reach for this Jesus of Nazareth, the Christ. He Will Touch you, Heal you and Lift you up.My friends, brothers, sisters, He is the answer to the questions posed in the midst of our deep darkness of this present time. SEEK Him, put aside who you think you are, what you fear you’ve done and where you are afraid you’re headed and cling to Him.He will lift you from your darkness & give you peace.OK, Rusty/Al will shut up now and return you to your regularly scheduled programming (and even as I say that, I realize how out-moded a turn of phrase that is!!!!)I say all of this because I love, care and pray for all of you.Good Night & I pray for your peace.