“Young man, I say to you, rise!” (Luke 7:14b)
This morning I went to my usual cardiovascular physical therapy class from8 a.m. until 10 a.m. Only about half the class showed up, probably because it was a rainy, gray morning! I have to admit, when the alarm rang 6 a.m. for me, I had second thoughts about getting out of bed! There are days when it is hard to get going—to move forward—for a vast number of reasons. Maybe it is more than just a rainy morning: maybe it is because of a lingering struggle with family or work; maybe it’s part of a recovery from illness or accident. It could be just from the doldrums of life that make us often so lethargic.
My last sermon with you was on Easter Sunday, March 31, 2013. I have been away from the pulpit (beautifully filled by Pastor Ed, and, last week by Becky Whitlock) for exactly nine weeks. I will be preaching – finally – this Sunday, and the lessons and Gospel couldn’t be more meaningful for me personally!
I am touched by the psalmist’s words that ring so true with me when he sings:
“O Lord, my God, I cried out to You, and You restored me to health” (Psalm 30:2) and “Therefore my heart sings to You without ceasing; O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!” (Psalm 30:12)
The Old Testament Lesson and the Gospel for this Sunday are powerfully similar because they talk about miracle stories of bringing children back to life. They are wonderful reminders of how – in the mundane, boring, and doldrums of this world – God finds ways to lift us up, step away from the rainy clouds that surround us sometimes, and give us hope once more! God gives us new life every day of our lives! Every moment is filled with miracle and divine passion, if we are willing to see it! Maybe it’s not as traumatic as triple-bypass; maybe it’s not a social train wreck in your life—maybe it’s something simple and less complicated. God guides us all through thick and thin and raises us up to a newness that we never have known!
I hope to see you soon (if not this Sunday!)
God loves you and so do I!
Pastor Jim