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Do Not Fear |
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Location: Blogs Brad's BlogMid-Week Missive |
 | | Posted by: Brad Miller | 9/17/2008 1:19 PM | Greetings on this dreary morning,
As I look out my window at the grey, overcast sky, it strikes me that this morning’s weather is a good reflection of the somber mood that many people find themselves in this week. It has been an unprecedented week of financial upheaval in the United States, with major financial institutions declaring bankruptcies, offering themselves for sale at bargain basement prices, and seeking government help to weather the crisis. Economists hold their breath over the potential worldwide impact of such moves, and the government seeks to act in the best interest of the American economy as well as the world economy. A word that I have heard a lot in the last few days is “fear.”
It’s been used in many contexts: fear of the individual share holder of the effected companies; fear of loss of jobs by the employees of those companies; fear of the economists that we may be on the brink of the dreaded “r” word – recession – or worse; fear of the “person on Main St.” who wonders what this will mean to the costs of goods and the value of their retirement funds. Fear is a powerful agent that often drives our decision making in financial matters. We want to be safe. We want our investments to be safe. We want the economy to be safe. It is human nature to fear; and sometimes it is well warranted and well grounded. When we act to make ourselves safer, when we act to lessen our fear, that is a good thing.
In the bigger picture, scripture tells us that the things of this world are not important. The riches we store here will do us no good. Better, Jesus counseled, that we store up treasures in heaven than accumulate wealth which will ultimately go away. For some that might be an important scripture to heed, but for the majority of people, we’re not talking about excess wealth, are we? We are talking about survival, the ability to pay one’s bills, to house one’s family, to put food on the table. In this instance, Jesus is addressing the sin of greed. What some people are dealing with today is the fear that they will not have enough on which to live.
Just this past weekend I learned that in the Bible, there are 365 instances where God sends the clear message, “Do not fear.” Through the prophets, through Moses, through Jesus, in God’s own voice, over and over again we are directed: “Do not fear.” Essentially, God is telling us that for every day of fear you might have, there is an admonition to overcome that fear. The symmetry is remarkable, and hardly a coincidence. God knows us. God understands us. And God wants us to be clear: we have nothing to fear. God will never leave us. Through the best of times, through the worst of times, we have something more important than anything the world can throw at us: the hopeful and gracious promise of God’s eternal presence.
We do not know how the financial “crisis” will work out. We will do our best to act as good stewards of our resources, we will work to make sure things are stable, and we will pray for the best for all concerned. But in the end, we must remember that for every day, and every situation, God speaks to us: “Do not fear, for I am with you.”
For an updated prayer list and list of coming events, please go to www.brookhavenchristian.org
For your prayers;
Our office manager, Ruth Luckett, is undergoing a procedure to remove a stint in her gall bladder today and will find out later today about scheduled surgery. Please keep Ruth and her husband Doug in your prayers.
Cynthia Freeman is scheduled to go home this Friday. She is working hard and doing well and thanks everyone for their prayers, notes and calls.
Darrell Freeman has had a setback with his back pain. He is scheduled to see a doctor tomorrow to see if they can’t figure out what is causing his pain.
Upcoming Events:
This coming Sunday is the third Sunday of the month which means it is potluck fellowship lunch day. Bring a dish or two to pass and have some great fellowship and fun.
Don’t forget to bring your “travel size” toiletries for hygiene kits to be assembled at the “More Hands for God Day” on October 12. You can bring them to church Sunday and put them in the marked box in the Narthex. And also, remember that with the financial uncertainty and high gas prices, our canned goods for the Oglethorpe Food Pantry are more important than ever. Please bring 2 or 3 canned goods to worship this Sunday and deposit them in the box marked “Participating in the Miracle of Abundance.”
I hope to see you all in worship this Sunday as we gather once again to celebrate the Lord’s Day together. I will be finishing up the sermon series “We Call Ourselves Disciples: An Exploration of our Faith Heritage”, with a sermon entitled “Our Polar Star”. The scripture lesson is Ephesians 4:1-6. Have a great rest of the week.
Be peaceful,
Brad | | | Permalink | Trackback |
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