From the Pastor's Desk
Reverend David Kaul
“ I do not call you servants any longer, because a servant does not know what the master is doing, but I have called you friends because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father! ”
- John 15:15
The Friendship Factor
Dear friends in Christ,
Basketball great and member of Pro Basketball's Hall of fame Bill Russell has just released a book about friendship entitled "Red and Me." He was the starting center on the Boston Celtics who rivaled the Jordan era Bulls for the greatest Baseketball team of all time... Red Auerbach was the coach. The book describes the importance of the friendship the two shared. "When he died I felt a profound loss." says Mr Russell. "I wrote this book because I wanted to honor him. The friendship was essential to my success and ... to his success as well!"
Near the end of his life, Jesus tells the disciples of a change that is coming in their relationship. He is going to use a new word to describe them. After sharing the last three years together, they have become more than mere students sitting at the feet of a learned teacher. "I no longer call you servants. I have called you friends."
Friendship is a rare gift in 2009. All of us struggle with overloaded schedules. We move and relocate frequently due to work. We can fear to invest in relationships or to put down roots. We often hide behind masks. There is an impulse toboth reveal and protect ourselves. Out of fear of rejection, we build walls of being tough, self-reliant and remain aloof. Yet friendships importance cannot be overstated. A friend is someone who shares the journey of life. They are a reference point and source of support for this roller coaster entitled life. Ironically friends are not often someone we choose or seek out. You may find a friend or they may find you at a class or at work or church. Friendships may form with the new family that moves in next door or arise from the roommate assigned on the first day of college. Friendships form over time. You strike a common bond. There is a shared experience. Walls begin to come down. Trust begins to form. We begin to reveal more about ourselves. Some of my most treasured relationships are with the very young and people in their 80's and 90's. There is no longer a need to pretend or impress. There is genuine joy in just seeing the other.
Jesus thought forming friendships was important. C.S. Lewis said "few value it because few experience it" in his "Four loves." I invite you to spend part of your summer 2009 discussing friendship. Some time ago I purchased 10 copies of Alan Loy McGinnis "The Friendship Factor" for $2 each! Would you like to join the summer book club? Sign up in the narthex. Let's set a time to get together.
In the love of Jesus Christ,
P. Dave