The Bungee Cord  6-14-21

Hello,

 

If you are a long time reader of the Bungee Cord, you know that on Sunday mornings before worship, I stand outside on the sidewalk and wave at people driving by.  My wave is intended to be a token of God’s grace to them. A reminder to them that even in the busy-ness of their lives, God has not forgotten them, never failing in God’s love for them.  As I wave, some people return a wave to me.  Others tap their horns.  Other’s don’t see me (or pretend to not see me) and drive right by.

 

The other thing that I do before worship is I go over my sermon a couple of times, hoping to pound it into my memory so I can speak it to the people, rather than read it to them. When the weather is not nice, I find a quiet place in the church building to do that.  When the weather is nice, I sit outside on the bench that is located by the sidewalk facing the street.  Of course, when I am sitting on that bench, my eyes are looking down, and I am focused on my sermon in my own world.

 

But yesterday, my concentration was interrupted a couple of times by the honking of a horn.  A couple of people who saw me sitting there in my liturgical garb tapped their horns at me, giving me a gesture of God’s grace and mercy.  Although some might think that a pastor whose vocation it is to share God’s grace and mercy would not need to be the recipient of such, for me, that is far from the truth. I need the expressions of God’s care for me through the care of others just as much as anyone else…..maybe even more. So, both times when I was honked at and waved at by the people, I lifted my head and attention from my sermon and waved back with a spontaneous grin on my face.

 

I learned something by those couple of honks.  I learned that the little things that we do to share God’s grace and mercy do make a difference, and do move people’s hearts.  Sometimes it may seem that the struggles of life and the speed of life make it too hard for God’s grace to break through.  But yesterday, I found out that God’s grace and mercy, given in a simple wave, changed at least two people’s lives, transforming them into grace-givers.

 

So, as the Bible says, “don’t lose heart”.  When your kids do not seem to live in the confidence of God’s love for them, placing their confidence somewhere else….when you neighbors seem to be caught in the grips of anger…..when someone you deeply love is beset with addiction….when loneliness creates such a cloud of despair for those who are aging….when the days are dark and the pace of the world is rapid….keep on gracing them and others with a gesture of God’s love.  Keep on “waving” (in whatever form your waving might be).  Do not lose heart, because God’s love and mercy does make a difference in people’s lives.  I’ve seen…no, I have heard (honk, honk) that it is true!

 

Have a great week

God’s grace and peace, (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger