From the Pastor's Desk
Reverend David Kaul
And say to Archippus, “ See that you complete the task that you have received in the Lord. ”
Who am I?
- Bake chocolate chip cookies.
- Visit New York City, Chicago, Rome.
- See a baseball game at every major league stadium.
- Take a cruise.
- Climb a mountain.
- Get an autograph of someone famous.
- Snorkel in the Pacific ocean.
- Be a good child, brother, spouse, parent and grandparent.
- Fix the leaky faucet.
- Pray.
- Make a difference in one person's life.
- Read the Bible.
- Attend a Broadway play, a child's concert, a college football game.
Dear friends in Christ,
Lists. All of us have them. Some are grand and take years. Others can be accomplished in a minute, a vacation or in rolling up of the sleeves. Lists include places to travel, people to visit, experiences to share, foods to taste, the repair of things that are broken, relationships or things that require mending, the accomplishing of personal and professional goals.
Last week provided the opportunity to check off several of my list items. One, the center supports on your family's beautiful oak pews were cut too short or the pew ends were cut too long by Gunder pew company! An ugly metal screw was attached that led to a white or black plastic foot which bent with too much weight. ( O.K. a little bit of weight for those of us who are sensitive about these sort of things!) Judy and I called and e-mailed the company a minimum of 15 times to have them correct the situation over the last year. Eventually the president of the company phoned to report their awareness of the situation and desire to do something about it. To our surprise two men showed up in a white van. For a day and one half they went to work attaching a new oak foot to each center piece. The results are outstanding. Two, I finished a two year project of reading the book, “When pride still mattered. A life of Vince Lombardi,” by David Maraniss. Like Joan's many projects that lie unfinished around the house, I usually read three to four books at any given time. I read a chapter or two and delay the finish. I savor the material as my admiration for each person and understanding of the obstacles they battled grows. All human stories have the same ending. Their passing brings an experience of loss, mild grief and the wish that their light still burned. The third was to write a letter to a friend. His wife had suddenly died. To begin life again, he left the area. Some time passed until he suddenly appeared desiring to pay some bills and leave a gift for myself and the church. How good to send my letter of thanks and to recall his kindness and the blessing of friendship.
I am thankful to God for the opportunity, the spark, drive and ability to bring these items to finish. What is on your list? Don't delay. List items arise from deep inside , in core values, and a desire to use each moment of God's precious gift of time. Their completion empowers, brings humility and God's blessings. I caution that only some will prove worthwhile. Didn't Robert Lewis Stevenson say, "I have miles to go and promises to keep before I sleep."
I pray that God will help you to complete one list item during the next six weeks of Lent.
See you at worship this weekend.
P. Dave