Hello,
I don’t know if I’ll be saying this in December, but right now I really
like my drive to and from
work. It is about a 23 mile ride,
and it begins with a winding incline to the top of the ridge on a two lane road
that cuts through the woods. This
past week has been the peak of the fall colors, and on my ride over the ridge I
am surrounded by orange, red, yellow, green and burgundy to my right and my
left and above. Ribbons of
sunlight slice through the foliage.
An occasional deer or raccoons stands on the side of the road and follows
me with their glace, turning their heads as I pass by. Birds swoop from one tree to
another. Once over the ridge the
road takes me to a panoramic vista that spans for miles and gathers in the
hillside farms, the small towns, and multicolored tree lines. Further along my ride, I pass through
the towns where the children await their bus, and sometimes there’s some brave
souls out for their daily jog. I
often share the road with only a few cars, and sometimes with no cars at
all. It is peaceful. It is a blessing. It is beautiful. Describing it falls far short of seeing
it. I wish that you could ride
along with me and see the beauty that I see.
To me, this is also what the heart of telling others about Jesus is all
about. It is an invitation to ride
along life’s path and take in the beauty that I have been graced to see. As I wind my way from life’s valley to
ridge, the warmth of Jesus
compassion envelops me like an autumnal forest, to my right and left and above
me. As I exit the woods Jesus
takes me to a hilltop crest see a vista of hope that is more than my eyes can
take in, a crest that holds a
cross stained with Jesus’ sin gathered blood…..taking my sins away….taking my
breath away. It is peaceful. It is a blessing. It is beautiful. Describing it falls far short of
seeing. I wish that you could ride
along with me and see the beauty that I see. That is why I tell you and others about Jesus.
I don’t find myself to be one who tells others about Jesus in order to
save them from the fury of hell, because I know that life is hellish enough,
with cesspools all over the place.
I don’t think I have to turn people’s eyes to the painful realities of
this world. It is easy to have our
eyes caught upon the cesspools of life and turn to despair and
hopelessness. And I don’t think
that I am being simple and naïve to think that one can keep from seeing the
pain all around us by just looking elsewhere. No, when I turn people’s eyes to Jesus and the beauty that
is there to behold in him, I am hoping that they see something that I have been
given to see… amazing grace, Jesus loves me, for unto us a child is born, a
beautiful savior….
I hope you will be part of the ride this Sunday in
church…and see what I have be graced to see….something that will leave an
impression on you….an impression of hope, an impression of peace, and an
impression of delight. There is a
beauty to Jesus that is greater than the Pennsylvania hills in the autumn. Let me invite you to catch a glimpse of
it!
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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