From the Pastor's Desk
Reverend David Kaul
“Matthew, "Come to me all you are weary and carrying heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart. You will find rest for your souls!"”
- Matthew 11:28, 29
Dear friends in Christ,
Following Jesus Christ is an adventure. This week I read about a man who took a roll of blue tape and began marking all the things that were temporary in his life.
He put a piece of blue tape on his house.
He put a piece of blue tape on his wallet.
He put a piece of blue tape on his resume, his current job, the family checkbook, and his retirement plan.
He put a piece of blue tape on the furniture and the clothes in his closet.
He put blue tape on his troubles and worries.
Temporary satisfaction, temporary meaning, temporary, temporary emptiness, temporary tough times.
When the man came to his relationship with Jesus Christ, to God and the church. When he began to think about his family. The man put the blue tape away. These things would live on.
The love of Jesus surrounded him each day. Jesus promised him an eternal life! The love given to his family would live on from one generation to the next. Shared goodness would multiply and grow. Kindness would give birth to more and more kindness.
Would you take a moment and think about what in your life is temporary and what is eternal!
Take an inventory of your areas of concern and place blue tape on the temporary. Now mark Jesus Christ and your family as eternal. What is receiving the majority of your attention? What does the check book reveal about your priorities and values? Where are you investing your talents and gifts?
We are traveling with Jesus this summer of 08. He contrasts himself with your mortgage, credit card charges, job, teachers, other spiritual gurus, philosophy and religion. Think of the heavy burdens these place on your shoulders. The yoke that Jesus places on our lives is light! He invites even you, "Come to me all who are weary and carrying a heavy burden." What burdens are you backpacking right now! The invitation is to put those burdens down and to place our trust and confidence in Jesus. You can exchange worries, disappointments and emptiness for His peace, joy, love, hope, forgiveness and new life.
The summer of 08 has brought many important opportunities that included both the Cubs and White Sox in first place, softball and baseball games, mini-vacations, weekends away, delicious sweet corn and green beans, some marvelous weddings and baptisms, great out door worship and wonderful conversations. My prayer is that God will help us to now turn with fervent desire and renewed interest toward taking on the yoke of Jesus. To be faithful in worship and more disciplined in learning from Jesus. So we might value that which is eternal.
See you at worship.
In His love,
P. Dave