Hello,
Another day of rain in western Pennsylvania. We are caught in one of those weather patterns that clouds
the skies day after day and drops sheets of rain upon the already saturated
ground. The mountain streams are
swelled, the fields are waist high in lush grass, the wildflowers are full
abloom, and the trees are an umbrella of shade over the soft, moss covered
paths.
But not so in the mountains of Colorado where I recently spent a couple
of weeks. Rain has been rare and
spotty. The ground crackles under your feet as you walk upon the grass that
struggles for life. Small flowers freckle
the dry ground, yellow and purple and blue. Pine trees send their roots deep
into the earth hunting for a sip of water and their needles pad the ground with
firey danger, “NO OPEN FIRES”.
It is amazing what water can do, and what the absence of it also can do.
Out of water life springs, out of drought life struggles.
When Jesus said that he came that we might have life and have it
abundantly, it seems to me that it is the abundance of a rain drenched
Pennsylvania hillside, compared to a thirsty Colorado mountainside of which he
was speaking.
When God sent his Son, Jesus, God held nothing back. God did not just moisten our lives with
a foggy mist of his love that the hot sun of this world would burn off as soon
as it hit. God did not just send a
sprinkling shower that only would only wet the surface and leave our hearts dry
and arid. God did not send a short
downpour of cats and dogs, that like cats and dogs would run off and do no
good. NO…when God sent Jesus, he
ushered in a gentle, never ending rain (reign) of his grace a mercy – akin to
what we have been experiencing here in Western Pennsylvania, rain-wise. In Jesus, God sent a soaking rain that
permeates deep into the hardest soil, that softens old and dry clay, and that
turns the best soil into black gold.
Life explodes out of cloud watered soil, and life explodes out of God
watered lives. Hope like grass,
can’t be kept down. Joy, like
shoulder high flowers, soars our spirits high. Love, as energy from the sun (Son) itself robs the night of
it’s cooling pride. Abundantly
life flows out of watered lives.
Sure, hope and joy and love are found in the water strapped world, but
just like in the water strapped
Rockies, these things struggle to stay alive, are easily dried up, and are
fragile when trod upon.
So if you feel a bit parched, and your life is arid let me invite you to
come to church this Sunday.
Church, where you can get soaked in the grace of God and discover the
wonder of life bursting forth.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry L. Nuernberger
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