By Becky Majesky
One of the really great things about belonging to a multi-site church is that we’re a community blessed with three really great pastors. Every once in a while they rotate sites and we get the opportunity to experience one of the other pastors. It’s sort of like getting pumpkin pie instead of peach. How can you go wrong?
This Sunday Pastor Justin was preaching on the stewardship of teachings. While I did appreciate his message, it was after the message that the message got real. Pastor Justin shared one small phrase with a massive impact: “Byron fell asleep in Jesus”.
As he began, he reminded us that this is precisely one of the times Jesus taught us to be fed by him. Times when the breath is knocked out of us or when you recognize that life as you know it is forever going to be different or times when you witness the changing of another’s whole world.
It wasn’t until a full 24 hours later that I would go back to Pastor Justin’s message on the stewardship of teachings. The graphic illustration shown on screen had been of two hands holding a rope. The word picture painted in our minds was of our hands holding the line on a boat in order to secure our footing, to stand firm on unsteady ground.
It’s those safety lines that you know you can rely on to keep from being swept overboard. Most of my sailing has been on pretty calm water but I’ve experienced enough to know that I wouldn’t sail without those safety lines in place. This life voyage is full of rough waters and occasions which rock the boat or threaten to capsize. Our safety line is always God’s word.
Our safety line is always God’s word.
You’ll see a Bible every now and then that’s so…used. Things are just coming out of it. Some pages are falling out, bookmarks poke out, passages are underlined, prayers and notes fill the blank pages in the front and back. I laugh now, thinking of people I know who are like those Bibles. Prayers for friends and loved ones spring forth. Favorite verses ready and waiting whenever the need arises. Every step shakes another teaching loose. Life itself is pointing others to the Creator of all.
Jesus gave His Word for us to hold on to now and in time opens His arms for us to pass into.
Here is another response to this sermon.
