Hello,
Cabinets installed….all still hanging!
I have spent the weekend in Denver visiting one of my sons. The purpose of my visit was to lend my
skills (?) in his second DIY kitchen renovation. A couple of years ago I made the same trek to Denver for
kitchen reno #1 that involved tiling the floor, constructing a shelf, setting a
countertop, installing a microwave,
and putting in a new sink.
The plan for this reno was to remove the existing cabinets (hopefully in
one piece so they can be used in his garage), remove and salvage the countertop
and sink for replacement, remove and reset the microwave, take out a part of a
wall, and the big job…install new cabinets.
In full disclosure it needs to be said that I have not done any of the
things on his reno plans prior to my visits….and neither has my son. “It will be easy, dad,” my son would
say, his youthful sense of adventure far outweighing mine. We managed our first reno
adventure with no mortal injuries,
although we did hit an electrical wire when we drilled into the wall sending
sparks aflying and melting the drill bit.
So, I had confidence that we would also survive this second journey into
the unknown.
7:30 Saturday morning with coffee under our belt, we began unloading his
old cabinets and before noon all the cabinets were emptied and the top cabinets
were down…..in one piece! With a
little coaxing with a hammer, we removed the countertop, the microwave, and the
kitchen sink. Victory. The bottom cabinets, though were a bit
more stubborn. Finally they gave
way to our brawn, and by late afternoon we were ready to start hanging new cabinets. “I suppose we should watch the
installation video,” said my son.
So we watched the two minute video, considered ourselves readily
prepared, and began drilling holes, applying brackets, and lifting the cabinets
to the wall.
Sunday morning we went to church, and when sunset arrived our project
was finished. Cabinets hung, wall
removed, water lines reconnected. As I sit in the Denver airport on Tuesday
morning, the cabinets have not fallen, the water is not spraying, and the
ceiling has not come down.
Alleluia….(oops…it’s Lent….supposed to wait until Easter to say that
word….but even though the success of our project does not match the victory of
Easter….it seems at least a reserved “Alleluia” is due.)
I suspect that many of us feel as ill prepared to take on the adventure
of inviting people to church as I felt prepared to tackle kitchen
renovations. Not wanting to force
our beliefs on others as if wielding a heavy sledge hammer, nor wanting to
strike a nerve and send sparks flying, most of us leave the inviting work to
the professionals. I read
somewhere that the average Lutheran (I am Lutheran) invites someone to church
once every 29 years.
Standing on this side of a kitchen renovation I find myself amped with a
bit more courage to take on the adventure of inviting someone to church….how
about you? “Just wondering if you
would like to join me at church on Sunday morning? (It doesn’t matter that you may not be able to come to First
Lutheran of Greensburg…the amazing thing about God is that God’s presence in
worship unites us no matter where we are.) When I start my week off in worship, I find myself re-grounded
in the grace and mercy of God, transforming me and transforming the way that I
look at and live in the world.
Hope transcends hopelessness.
Forgiveness overwhelms guilt.
Generosity chips away at greed.
Joy displaces despair.
Peace washes over fear.
Like a major kitchen renovation, the hour that God works on my life on
Sunday morning “makes all things new” (2 Cor. 5:17) in me. Just wondering if you might like to
join me at worship on Sunday?”
As my son said after the cabinets were hung, “See dad, that wasn’t that
hard.”, neither was inviting you to worship…..maybe you would like to invite
someone, too.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace, (ggap)
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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