The 220th General Assembly of our denomination will convien on June 30th. I wish I could go to Pittsburgh with them, but I was not chosen this time... But I hope to go some day. Each presbytery elects elder and minister deligates and sends them with their blessing. The Presbytery can't tell them how to vote. Their church can't tell them how to vote. No one can bind a person's conscience. Your prayerful decisions are between you and God.
In our flavor of the Presbyterian church we believe that a group of people prayerfully making decisions can better find the will of God than individuals alone. That is why an elected session is in charge of the church, not the pastor; why the presbytery is run by its members, not the executive; and the General Assembly is run by the delegates not the moderator. So if you don't like the decisions, don't go villanizing the moderator. It is on our heads!
Now, if you thought the last General Assembly was controversial... There are some very sensitive issues up for vote again this year. Many are worried if the General Assembly will make the right decision. That is where we have to trust our political process. Can the Assembly make a wrong decision? Yes, it is made up of sinful human beings just like us. But we trust that the wisdom of the body will be better than a single individual.
Our denomination is almost as clearly divided on issues as our country itself. So there will probably be 40% or more who will believe that the wrong decision has been made. So what do we do? Many say, "Well if the vote doesn't go my way, I am leaving the denomination!" That did happen in a few cases last time. It is painful and unpleasant, because ir seldom will be a whole congregation that leaves. Many churches split over it. Suddenly they believe that they can't sit and worship together if they do not agree on such and such an issue. "I can't take communion with that person." They wash their hands of the brothers and sisters that they have loved for years. It makes me sad. I know it makes God sad.
At the last presidential election I heard people say "If (insert the candidate of your choice here) gets elected, I am moving to Canada!" I don't know of anyone who actually did. They stuck it out and waited for the next election, where they will have another say. That is what I beleive is the faithful response to a General Assembly vote that you do not agree with. You are still part of the family of God.
I believe that God is bigger than our denomination! So, if we make a decision that truely goes against God's will for the church, God can fix it! Look at how many times the disciples got things wrong. Peter in particular was good at getting things completely backwards. Jesus just corrected them and moved on. If we are truely praying for God's will, then things will eventually go along God's plan. If you just walk out when things don't go your way, then if you are right in what you wanted to happen, then you will miss out on being part of God's solution. And remember we are all human. If the vote goes against what you want, you may need to consider that your opinion is the one that would have gone against God's plan.
So what will I do if some votes the General Assembly makes don't go my way? The same thing I always do... pray, and keep loving and working with my brothers and sisters. I believe that is what Jesus would want me to do.
"How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity." Psalm 133:1
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
Where Are Our Priorities? God or Society
"Now therefore revere the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness; put away the gods that your ancestors served beyond the river and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. Now if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served in the region beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:14-15 (Note: In the NRSV when LORD is in all caps, it means that it is actually God's personal name Yahweh in the text, not the Hebrew word for Lord)
We have a gracious and loving God who came down in Jesus Christ and suffered and died for our sins. Surely we would choose Him. But do we put God first in our lives?
When I was a kid (no that wasn't the dark ages, althogh the 70s were pretty scary) pretty much everyone went to Sunday School and church. The blue laws were still hanging on a bit, so nothing opened before Noon on Sunday. Sunday was God's day and you would spend it in church. Today it doesn't seem so clear cut, and it doesn't help that society has scheduled any number of things for Sunday morning.
God has asked us for one day out of our week for us to spend in praise and fellowship. To be honest, most churches have boiled that down to somewhere between one and three hours. Is it really too much to ask for us to focus on our Savior from 9 'til Noon on Sunday?
Now I realize that some of you have to work on Sunday, and your employer doesn't always give you a choice. The ecconomy is still down. You are lucky to have a job, and you don't want to rock the boat too much, or you might find yourself the next one cut. God understands that. You don't have a choice. That is not what I am talking about.
Working with teens for 16 years I started to feel that not only did Jesus and the church not come first, they came dead last! Sports teams, band practice, going to the lake or the beach, or even sleeping late because you partied too late Saturday night took precedence to worship. Where are your priorities? God died for you, what did your coach give up?
Now the one that really gripes me was the partying too late excuse. In team sports and stuff they can threaten to throw you off the team. But are you really going to tell me that you put ALCOHOL above God? Really? I promise you that no matter how boring you think church is, it is better than throwing up or a hangover. If you choose partying over Jesus, then you can't really call yourself a disciple.
Teams are trickier, especially your kids teams. But there should be a way to have your sports and still honor God. In Orlando most sports teams did not hold games or practices Sunday morning or even Wednesday evening because there was too much of a conflict with church. It got that way because people complained and the teams accomidated their members! When Alexander was in Coach Pitch Baseball, they tried to keep the games off Sunday morning, but one week we had to make up a missed game. The coach set it for Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Being a pastor that just wouldn't work for us so I walked up to the coach and said, "Alexander will have to miss. We have church." The coach said, "OK." The other parents looked shocked. They didn't know you could ask off for church. The coach was suddenly swamped with parents telling him that they couldn't play because of church. The game got rescheduled for 3:00 p.m.
People just think that they have to live with the schedule that the coach sets. No one bothers to ask. Try asking. What's the worse that could happen? He or she could say, "no." But they don't know there is a conflict unless someone says something! Maybe you might even shop around. Not all leagues have Sunday morning games. Support the leagues that let you support your faith!
Then, there is the excuse, "I commune better with God out in the middle of creation, at the lake or in the woods." OK, I will buy that if you show me that you are really spending that time with God. What songs of praise did you sing? What scripture did you meditate on? What did you pray about? (No, "Lord let me catch a big one" is not what the type of worship God deserves.) You can hunt and fish on Saturday, too you know.
What about, "Sunday is our only time to be together as a family." What better way to build strong family bonds that to worship God together. Those families who worship together raise stronger, healthier kids than those who don't. Our family always goes out for a nice lunch after church, and sometimes even to a movie. Good quality family time that let the kids know that God comes first in our lives.
Where does God rank in your life? Do you put God first? Second? Somewhere after shoping the sales at the mall? God created us, gave us everything that we can enjoy including lakes, woods, and even sports. God gave us life! Jesus gives us eternal life. What is that worth to you? Is it worth an hour or two of your time?
Parents: Your kids will not pick up faith on their own. If you do not make God a priority, neither will they!
Well, now that I have alienated all of my readers: As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
We have a gracious and loving God who came down in Jesus Christ and suffered and died for our sins. Surely we would choose Him. But do we put God first in our lives?
When I was a kid (no that wasn't the dark ages, althogh the 70s were pretty scary) pretty much everyone went to Sunday School and church. The blue laws were still hanging on a bit, so nothing opened before Noon on Sunday. Sunday was God's day and you would spend it in church. Today it doesn't seem so clear cut, and it doesn't help that society has scheduled any number of things for Sunday morning.
God has asked us for one day out of our week for us to spend in praise and fellowship. To be honest, most churches have boiled that down to somewhere between one and three hours. Is it really too much to ask for us to focus on our Savior from 9 'til Noon on Sunday?
Now I realize that some of you have to work on Sunday, and your employer doesn't always give you a choice. The ecconomy is still down. You are lucky to have a job, and you don't want to rock the boat too much, or you might find yourself the next one cut. God understands that. You don't have a choice. That is not what I am talking about.
Working with teens for 16 years I started to feel that not only did Jesus and the church not come first, they came dead last! Sports teams, band practice, going to the lake or the beach, or even sleeping late because you partied too late Saturday night took precedence to worship. Where are your priorities? God died for you, what did your coach give up?
Now the one that really gripes me was the partying too late excuse. In team sports and stuff they can threaten to throw you off the team. But are you really going to tell me that you put ALCOHOL above God? Really? I promise you that no matter how boring you think church is, it is better than throwing up or a hangover. If you choose partying over Jesus, then you can't really call yourself a disciple.
Teams are trickier, especially your kids teams. But there should be a way to have your sports and still honor God. In Orlando most sports teams did not hold games or practices Sunday morning or even Wednesday evening because there was too much of a conflict with church. It got that way because people complained and the teams accomidated their members! When Alexander was in Coach Pitch Baseball, they tried to keep the games off Sunday morning, but one week we had to make up a missed game. The coach set it for Sunday at 10:00 a.m. Being a pastor that just wouldn't work for us so I walked up to the coach and said, "Alexander will have to miss. We have church." The coach said, "OK." The other parents looked shocked. They didn't know you could ask off for church. The coach was suddenly swamped with parents telling him that they couldn't play because of church. The game got rescheduled for 3:00 p.m.
People just think that they have to live with the schedule that the coach sets. No one bothers to ask. Try asking. What's the worse that could happen? He or she could say, "no." But they don't know there is a conflict unless someone says something! Maybe you might even shop around. Not all leagues have Sunday morning games. Support the leagues that let you support your faith!
Then, there is the excuse, "I commune better with God out in the middle of creation, at the lake or in the woods." OK, I will buy that if you show me that you are really spending that time with God. What songs of praise did you sing? What scripture did you meditate on? What did you pray about? (No, "Lord let me catch a big one" is not what the type of worship God deserves.) You can hunt and fish on Saturday, too you know.
What about, "Sunday is our only time to be together as a family." What better way to build strong family bonds that to worship God together. Those families who worship together raise stronger, healthier kids than those who don't. Our family always goes out for a nice lunch after church, and sometimes even to a movie. Good quality family time that let the kids know that God comes first in our lives.
Where does God rank in your life? Do you put God first? Second? Somewhere after shoping the sales at the mall? God created us, gave us everything that we can enjoy including lakes, woods, and even sports. God gave us life! Jesus gives us eternal life. What is that worth to you? Is it worth an hour or two of your time?
Parents: Your kids will not pick up faith on their own. If you do not make God a priority, neither will they!
Well, now that I have alienated all of my readers: As for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.
Monday, June 18, 2012
The Bible as a Weapon
I have had three different 20 somethings come to me with questions about how the church or individuals were using the Bible to put forward their own agenda. Since this is the generation that is becoming so disillusioned with the church, I think that it needs to be addressed. I have gotten permission from one of them to use his questions to spur this blog. (His name is with held to protect his innocence ;-)
"I have been participating off and on in discussions with a Christians vs. Atheists group on Facebook. As I do, I see a significant number of Christians with little or no education on what is really in the Bible and what is not... I learned a great deal about these subjects and have learned to dig deeper for understanding. Why is it that so many people and their churches seem to avoid learning/teaching these things?"
One answer may be that they don't know any better, and no one has offered to teach them...
But more often, I think that people don't want to know how deep some of these verses are, and how dynamic God's Word can be. If you really study the Bible, then you know that God's answer is never simple. You also know that you must take things as a whole and not pull things out of context. For example if you know that the Pharisees and Sadducee's are fighting over whether or not there is life after death, it makes their trick questions to Jesus much richer. It helps if you can learn their agenda.
The danger in reading the Bible is that it spanned a great deal of time and covered almost every situation that God's people could face. That is good, in that you can find help with almost any problem you are facing in your life. The bad side is that you can prove almost any argument by taking scripture out of context. The Bible has been used as a "weapon" ever since it was written down. The Pharisees were using scripture to put people down and make them selves feel superior back in Jesus' day. That is one of the reasons Jesus argued with them so much.
Throughout history people have used the Bible to justify slavery, war, genocide, racism, sexism, ageism, and practically any other "ism" you can think of. Those who were anti war pointed to the verse about beating your swords into plowshares. Those who wanted war, point to the opposite verse telling you to beat your plowshares into swords. (Yes, that is in there, too.) That is not what the Bible is for. The Bible tells the story of humanity's relationship with God. It tells us about the loving, grace filled, God who won't give up on us no matter how far we stray.
As a Presbyterian, I believe that the Word is living and with prayerful study the Holy Spirit can give us God's word for us today. But I do NOT believe that God means for us to use it to beat each other up.
I will give just one example, then I will stop (because people using the Bible in a way that is driving the next generation away really upsets me and I don't want to turn into one of the ranting lunatics that are driving people away, myself...)
One scripture that is often pulled out of context and used without studying the situation and the time is 1 Corinthians 14:33-34. (The women be silent in church verses...) Leaders of the church throughout the ages have used a shallow reading of that verse to say that women can't preach or even teach in the church. Some churches are still using it today. If you actually do in-depth Bible study, you will find that Paul was writing to a particular church that was having a particular problem. You will note that it is ONLY the Corinthians that he tells this. If you study Corinth in the first century, you will find that one of the most popular religions of the day was a form of goddess worship that involved wailing and cutting yourself with knives. One problem with the early church (just like today) was that popular culture tried to sneak into the church. If we had a group of women screaming and cutting themselves while the rest of us where trying to worship, I would tell them to be quiet, too. So knowing the setting is important.
The other important thing is to look at Paul's writings and ministries as a whole. Paul was always working with women in his ministry. In Philippi, he left a clergy couple in charge of the only church he wasn't scolding. Pracilla and Aquilla were two of his most faithful helpers. In the first century AD, (or CE if you prefer) a man would never address the wife first UNLESS she was the leader, or in this case the pastor of the church. Also, he mentions them in Romans along side Phoebe who serves at Cenchreae. In Philippians Paul asks Euodia and Syntyche, his faithful partners in ministry, to put aside their differences because conflict among the church leadership hurts the congregation. So if you look at Paul's ministry as a whole, he often put women in places of leadership in the churches he founded. So to take that one sentence of Paul's and use it to "prove" that God doesn't call women to serve is totally misrepresenting Paul's ministry.
Unfortunately, good Christians do that every day. They misuse God's word either by ignorance or knowingly so that they can prove their own point. That is not nourishing to their own souls or to the church as a whole.
So, I will close with a quote from the 1st century poet, Petronius:
"A little learning is a dang'rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, And drinking largely sobers us again."
Blessings on your Bible studies!
"I have been participating off and on in discussions with a Christians vs. Atheists group on Facebook. As I do, I see a significant number of Christians with little or no education on what is really in the Bible and what is not... I learned a great deal about these subjects and have learned to dig deeper for understanding. Why is it that so many people and their churches seem to avoid learning/teaching these things?"
One answer may be that they don't know any better, and no one has offered to teach them...
But more often, I think that people don't want to know how deep some of these verses are, and how dynamic God's Word can be. If you really study the Bible, then you know that God's answer is never simple. You also know that you must take things as a whole and not pull things out of context. For example if you know that the Pharisees and Sadducee's are fighting over whether or not there is life after death, it makes their trick questions to Jesus much richer. It helps if you can learn their agenda.
The danger in reading the Bible is that it spanned a great deal of time and covered almost every situation that God's people could face. That is good, in that you can find help with almost any problem you are facing in your life. The bad side is that you can prove almost any argument by taking scripture out of context. The Bible has been used as a "weapon" ever since it was written down. The Pharisees were using scripture to put people down and make them selves feel superior back in Jesus' day. That is one of the reasons Jesus argued with them so much.
Throughout history people have used the Bible to justify slavery, war, genocide, racism, sexism, ageism, and practically any other "ism" you can think of. Those who were anti war pointed to the verse about beating your swords into plowshares. Those who wanted war, point to the opposite verse telling you to beat your plowshares into swords. (Yes, that is in there, too.) That is not what the Bible is for. The Bible tells the story of humanity's relationship with God. It tells us about the loving, grace filled, God who won't give up on us no matter how far we stray.
As a Presbyterian, I believe that the Word is living and with prayerful study the Holy Spirit can give us God's word for us today. But I do NOT believe that God means for us to use it to beat each other up.
I will give just one example, then I will stop (because people using the Bible in a way that is driving the next generation away really upsets me and I don't want to turn into one of the ranting lunatics that are driving people away, myself...)
One scripture that is often pulled out of context and used without studying the situation and the time is 1 Corinthians 14:33-34. (The women be silent in church verses...) Leaders of the church throughout the ages have used a shallow reading of that verse to say that women can't preach or even teach in the church. Some churches are still using it today. If you actually do in-depth Bible study, you will find that Paul was writing to a particular church that was having a particular problem. You will note that it is ONLY the Corinthians that he tells this. If you study Corinth in the first century, you will find that one of the most popular religions of the day was a form of goddess worship that involved wailing and cutting yourself with knives. One problem with the early church (just like today) was that popular culture tried to sneak into the church. If we had a group of women screaming and cutting themselves while the rest of us where trying to worship, I would tell them to be quiet, too. So knowing the setting is important.
The other important thing is to look at Paul's writings and ministries as a whole. Paul was always working with women in his ministry. In Philippi, he left a clergy couple in charge of the only church he wasn't scolding. Pracilla and Aquilla were two of his most faithful helpers. In the first century AD, (or CE if you prefer) a man would never address the wife first UNLESS she was the leader, or in this case the pastor of the church. Also, he mentions them in Romans along side Phoebe who serves at Cenchreae. In Philippians Paul asks Euodia and Syntyche, his faithful partners in ministry, to put aside their differences because conflict among the church leadership hurts the congregation. So if you look at Paul's ministry as a whole, he often put women in places of leadership in the churches he founded. So to take that one sentence of Paul's and use it to "prove" that God doesn't call women to serve is totally misrepresenting Paul's ministry.
Unfortunately, good Christians do that every day. They misuse God's word either by ignorance or knowingly so that they can prove their own point. That is not nourishing to their own souls or to the church as a whole.
So, I will close with a quote from the 1st century poet, Petronius:
"A little learning is a dang'rous thing;
Blessings on your Bible studies!
Friday, June 15, 2012
Thoughts on Father
In the past few years (even decades...yes I am getting older) there have been many people who want to get rid of the image of God as Father. The Feminists say that it misrepresents God, since God is not male. Some say that since so many were abused by their earthly father that thinking of God that way is hurtful. I undestand and sympathize with both these views, but I think we can go too far in the other direction.
I believe that as long as we lift up other images of God, like the mother who would not forsake her suckling child, the bird that shelters you under it's wings, the rock and fortress that protects you, then father is also a helpful image. I think we need all the images of God to even begin to understand the majesty and Glory of our creator.
A couple of thoughts on the protests. No, God is not male, God is God. But there are aspects of the father image that are true and can better help us come to know God. Also, eartly fathers are human! None of them live up to the image of God. If you had a bad father on earth, thinking of God as the perfect father can give hope for a love that was not found here.
As Father's Day approaches I think the most valuable reason to keep the image of God as Father is to give our earthly fathers an example to live up to. The best human fathers reflect God in the way they care for their families.
For a clear image of God as Father, we just need to look at the Prodigal Son. (You can find it in Luke, chapter 15, verse 11 and following if you want to read it for yourself.) The Father was generous. He gave his ungrateful son half of the inheritance. He let the son be his own person. He didn't tell him he shouldn't leave the farm. He let his son go out and discover his own way. But in spite of it all the father still truely loved the son. He went to the gate every day to watch for his return. He was patient. The father didn't come after the son when he had been gone too long. When the son returned, the father was gracious and forgiving. He welcomed him with open arms, letting the son know that his father truely loved him no matter how much he had messed up.
Finally, the father even took time out of the welcome home party to seek out the older son that was pouting. He loved all of his children equally, wanted the best for them, and wanted them to be happy. This is the image of God as Father that is dear to my heart. I think we lose something if we get rid of this vivid story that helps us understand the nature of God.
For all you fathers out there. You are blessed, because you have the best role model ever! Blessings on you this Father's Day. May you strive to reflect our heavenly Father more and more each day.
I believe that as long as we lift up other images of God, like the mother who would not forsake her suckling child, the bird that shelters you under it's wings, the rock and fortress that protects you, then father is also a helpful image. I think we need all the images of God to even begin to understand the majesty and Glory of our creator.
A couple of thoughts on the protests. No, God is not male, God is God. But there are aspects of the father image that are true and can better help us come to know God. Also, eartly fathers are human! None of them live up to the image of God. If you had a bad father on earth, thinking of God as the perfect father can give hope for a love that was not found here.
As Father's Day approaches I think the most valuable reason to keep the image of God as Father is to give our earthly fathers an example to live up to. The best human fathers reflect God in the way they care for their families.
For a clear image of God as Father, we just need to look at the Prodigal Son. (You can find it in Luke, chapter 15, verse 11 and following if you want to read it for yourself.) The Father was generous. He gave his ungrateful son half of the inheritance. He let the son be his own person. He didn't tell him he shouldn't leave the farm. He let his son go out and discover his own way. But in spite of it all the father still truely loved the son. He went to the gate every day to watch for his return. He was patient. The father didn't come after the son when he had been gone too long. When the son returned, the father was gracious and forgiving. He welcomed him with open arms, letting the son know that his father truely loved him no matter how much he had messed up.
Finally, the father even took time out of the welcome home party to seek out the older son that was pouting. He loved all of his children equally, wanted the best for them, and wanted them to be happy. This is the image of God as Father that is dear to my heart. I think we lose something if we get rid of this vivid story that helps us understand the nature of God.
For all you fathers out there. You are blessed, because you have the best role model ever! Blessings on you this Father's Day. May you strive to reflect our heavenly Father more and more each day.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Why Blog?
Blogging is not something that comes natural to me. With the exception of sermons and such I have always been taught that the safe thing to do was to keep my ideas to myself. It would prevent arguments and hurt feelings, because of course everyone knows that religion is up there with politics as something you shouldn't discuss...
But then one of the preachers at the Festival of Homiletics (that means preaching) pointed out that there are lots of people out there who are blogging about God, Jesus, faith, hope, religion, etc... Some of them are good, and some of them are giving the world the impression that Christians are crazy extremists. He suggested that what the Internet needs is just honest expressions of faith. Someone needs to be shining the light of love and grace to a hurting world.
I am not an expert, just a fellow pilgrim on the journey. I have spent a lot of time studying, and earned my MDiv, so I may be qualified to help find some answers. But as a Presbyterian, I believe in the Priesthood of All Believers. Each of us is able to read scripture and pray to God.
But I am screwing up my courage and putting myself out here so that we can travel this road of faith together. I hope that our musing together can bring us all closer to the God of love.
But then one of the preachers at the Festival of Homiletics (that means preaching) pointed out that there are lots of people out there who are blogging about God, Jesus, faith, hope, religion, etc... Some of them are good, and some of them are giving the world the impression that Christians are crazy extremists. He suggested that what the Internet needs is just honest expressions of faith. Someone needs to be shining the light of love and grace to a hurting world.
I am not an expert, just a fellow pilgrim on the journey. I have spent a lot of time studying, and earned my MDiv, so I may be qualified to help find some answers. But as a Presbyterian, I believe in the Priesthood of All Believers. Each of us is able to read scripture and pray to God.
But I am screwing up my courage and putting myself out here so that we can travel this road of faith together. I hope that our musing together can bring us all closer to the God of love.
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
On Life, Death, and New Life
I have found out about the deaths of two dear friends in the past week. Both were too young to go, (at least in my opinion) Both loved the Lord and were faithful disciples, so I know where they are now...
So why am I so sad? They were both beloved husbands and fathers, so I am sad for their wives and children who will miss them dearly. I know I am sad because I will miss them, but they are better off now. They are with Jesus in heaven.
I think it is because without their witness, the Light of Christ in the world seems a little dimmer...
Tom was an elder. He was always willing to help out whether it was repairs, cleaning, or even cooking. He was a scout leader, and showed so many young boys how to be strong men of God.
Darin spent time in the Peace Corps and was a soldier. But in his career, he worked on bridging gaps, learning to relate to people in their own language and culture, and bringing the understanding that is needed to have peace.
The light of Christ shown brightly in both of them. They made a difference. They lived radiating the light of God's love. So, when they went home to heaven, we lost that bit of light. Now we have to make up the difference. The world so desperately needs people who live into hope, light, love and peace.
I thank God that I had the chance to know them both. Now that they are gone, we have the duty to follow their example and try to let the light of Jesus shine through us as it did through Tom and Darin. That is a huge task.
Thank you, saints, for your faithful service.
I will do my best to keep the light shining until I join you "leaning on the everlasting arms."
So why am I so sad? They were both beloved husbands and fathers, so I am sad for their wives and children who will miss them dearly. I know I am sad because I will miss them, but they are better off now. They are with Jesus in heaven.
I think it is because without their witness, the Light of Christ in the world seems a little dimmer...
Tom was an elder. He was always willing to help out whether it was repairs, cleaning, or even cooking. He was a scout leader, and showed so many young boys how to be strong men of God.
Darin spent time in the Peace Corps and was a soldier. But in his career, he worked on bridging gaps, learning to relate to people in their own language and culture, and bringing the understanding that is needed to have peace.
The light of Christ shown brightly in both of them. They made a difference. They lived radiating the light of God's love. So, when they went home to heaven, we lost that bit of light. Now we have to make up the difference. The world so desperately needs people who live into hope, light, love and peace.
I thank God that I had the chance to know them both. Now that they are gone, we have the duty to follow their example and try to let the light of Jesus shine through us as it did through Tom and Darin. That is a huge task.
Thank you, saints, for your faithful service.
I will do my best to keep the light shining until I join you "leaning on the everlasting arms."
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