You Are Essential

1 Corinthians 12:27 (ESV)

Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

This morning, for the umpteenth day in a row, I have been spending time on work related to the COVID 19 pandemic.  Today, I have been trying to figure out our county’s new stay at home order and what it means for our staff at Fishers.   I am thanking the Lord for two lawyers from the congregation, Donna and Johnnie, who helped me with this. Basically, everyone on our staff has to work from home, unless carrying out activities in preparation for and/or the broadcasting of our live-stream worship at 9:30am on Sunday.  This is all part of the new normal – the new COVID 19 normal.  Personally, I hope this doesn’t last too long. I miss everyone from church.

Right now, though, you can only go to work if the government considers you and your work essential. IN other words, are you essential to the basic functioning and well being of society – medical workers, hospitals, police, firefighters, grocery stores and so forth are all considered essential.  The one that made me laugh, was to see that liquor stores were listed as essential in at least one list I read.  Really?  We can’t live without whisky?  Judging by all the people staying at home – there are a whole bunch of us who are not considered essential. 

Thank God, that to Him you are essential.  I was reminded of this the other day on a zoom call with a Pastor friend.  I asked him how he was doing, and he replied, “I am basking in the joy of being essential.”  Did the county where he lives designate Pastor’s as essential?  No.  He was talking about being essential in God’s eyes.

The truth is that in God’s eyes, each and everyone of us is essential.  Don’t get me wrong.  God can do everything he desires without you and me.  What makes you and me essential is His undeserved for us in Jesus Christ.   In the scriptures, in two or three verses, you and I are referred to as “the apple of His eye.”    You and I are so precious to our Lord, that He gave Jesus. “In this is love, not that we loved God but that He loved us and gave His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”  “For the joy that was set before Him, Jesus endured the cross, despising the shame and sat down at the right hand of God.”  Your salvation and mine, our spending eternity with God is the joy for which Jesus endured the cross.  God counts the very hairs on your head.  You and I are the treasure hidden in the field for which Jesus went and sold everything He had – even His own life – to purchase that field and buy us for God.  In baptism He has called you by name.  He has adopted you into God’s family.

By adopting you, He has made you a part of the church, the body of Christ.  In the body every part is important.  The eye can not say to the hand I have no need of you.  The foot can not say that because I am not a hand I am not needed.  Every part of the body is needed. “Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”

In this time when you are staying home, sometimes feeling stuck… in this time when you are worried about your jobs and the economy… when you are concerned about health… when the government has designated you and me as not being essential… Remember this.  Cling to this great truth.  Someone far more important that the government has the last word on whether you and I are important.  Your God and Savior has made this so clear by His love for you = You are essential to Him.  So am I.  Amen.

Hard or Easy

Philippians 4:13 (ESV)

^“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

https://youtu.be/XS2Z9nDJg8U

Hello!  I know its my first blog in a long time.  I was taking a break from the blog and from social media.  Hope you understand.  The present COVID-19 pandemic seemed like a good time to bring back the blog.

This morning, as I was doing some reading in preparation for my sermon this coming Sunday, I read this statement – “Just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s bad.”  I think that’s a pretty profound statement.  Add this thought – “Just because something is hard doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it, or at least try it.”  I think too often when something is hard or painful, our instinctive reaction is to do all we can to avoid the hard thing. Most of us probably would love it if all of life is easy.  The problem is, much of life in this world is not easy. Sometimes, no matter how hard something it, we can’t avoid it.

The present COVID 19 pandemic is one of those hard things that is unavoidable.  There is literally almost no place in the world where you could run to avoid this.  Our son in Germany is pretty much having to stay at home.  Stores, businesses, churches and more are shut down there too, just like here.  People all over the world are being told to stay home.  Stock Markets all over the world are in a mad spiral – mostly down.  The economy everywhere has taken a nosedive. People are worrying about their health and their jobs.  A good friend in Germany has family in Italy who are sick with this virus.  Last time we heard from our friends; one member of that family is in the hospital on a ventilator.  Anyway, you look at this – it’s hard!

But that doesn’t mean it’s all bad.  Oh, there are somethings that are very bad – those struggling with illness for instance.  Where is there good in this?  Well I can think of a couple of things.  Families are home together… not rushing around with no time for one another.  That’s good.  We are all starting to really appreciate things we take for granted – the good restaurants we eat at… our health… our jobs…being able to go to church on Sunday.  That’s the way it normally is – we don’t appreciate something till we don’t have it anymore. 

One other good thing out of this hard time – God is teaching us once again to trust Him.  James tells us this in his epistle – “ Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”  Some things are just too hard for you and me.  We can’t handle them on our own.  We need God’s help.  Times like this force us to learn to trust Him.

What do we learn when we trust Him?  We learn something that was illustrated for me. Linda and I have these huge planters. We wanted a couple of them moved from the front yard to our back yard.  However, they were too heavy for me to move, or even for Linda and me to move.  So, I asked one of our members and his son if they could do it.  Before I knew it, they had them both moved to the back yard.  Now I don’t know how easy or hard it was for them – but they sure did it.

Here’s my point.  Yes, this COVID 19 pandemic is hard for you and me.  But its easy for Jesus!  That I think is one of the lessons God wants to teach you and me through any hard time.  Even when life takes a turn we weren’t expecting, Jesus is not surprised.  Yes, many things are hard for us, but they are easy for Jesus.  That is what St. Paul was trying to tell us in Philippians 4:13 - “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”  Amen.