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"A Bumper Message"
A pastor reports seeing this bumper sticker on a car in Baltimore:
LIVE SO THAT THE PREACHER
WON'T HAVE TO LIE AT YOUR FUNERAL
I know that I have a professional interest in such a sentiment but the truth behind the humor is on target. We live day by day in ways that reflect our faith and give witness to our Lord Jesus Christ or else we fool ourselves into thinking it doesn't really matter or that we'll get around to it tomorrow.
Days, weeks, months, even years pass without making our discipleship a priority. We fail to live each day as a believer in Christ, and pleasing God by our priorities and our choices simply falls to the bottom of the "TO DO" list. Then come times of reckoning, of taking stock and being held accountable. We would do well not to wait till the end of our lives for such times. In fact the church calendar provides annually such a time during this season of Lent-the forty days before Easter.
During Lent we emphasize self-reflection, correction, and discipline. Start now to live out the faith we already have and God will lead us into new paths of service and faithfulness. The prophet Jeremiah states simply enough the core truth out of which we are to live. "Do not let the wise boast in their wisdom, do not let the mighty boast in their might, do not let the wealthy boast in their wealth; but let those who boast boast in this, that they understand and know me..." (Jeremiah 9:23-24). If we focus first on understanding and knowing God, if that is what we pride ourselves in, there will be good things said of us at our funerals and, perhaps more importantly, even now.
Understanding and knowing God requires listening - to God, to the Spirit's leading, to teaching and instruction, to encouragement and correction, to new ideas and old truths. Many of us might be well advised to "Listen for Lent." How hard it is to listen, really listen.
Listening needs cultivating. It's a habit, a ministry, a way of life. Maybe we could start by listening to our children, to our spouse or friend, to an elderly person, to a teacher, to music, to the sounds of nature, and especially, listening to God. It may require that we give up some of our talking time for Lent! (Perhaps shorter sermons??)
God bless you in your listening,
Susan
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Questions
about Middletown United Methodist Church should be sent to the Church Office. |
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7108 Fern Circle · Middletown, MD 21769
voice: (301) 371-5550 · fax: (301) 473-8090
TTY: (301) 473-9892 |
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