The Bungee Cord 1-25-23

Hello,

I am stranded in South Bend, Indiana due to a winter storm warning across Ohio. I left last Monday to visit my folks and brother in Davenport, and since I was already 2/3 the way there, and I am a. schedule-less retiree, I went further on to Sioux Falls to see some old friends. It’s been a great trip up until now as I am stuck in South Bend for another day. When I have gone to get a meal, I make sure to wear my Illinois hat….don’t want people to think I am a Irish fan!!!!

A couple of nights ago I went in search of an evening meal, and I wound up in a nice Italian restaurant in La Crosse, Wisconsin. I took a seat in the informal dining room where two TV’s were on, and Family Feud was playing. As I have written before, I enjoy the program for its humor and the glimpse into our culture that it gives. Unfortunately, as I have seen in other TV provided restaurants, the sound on the TV was off. That meant that I had no idea what question the contestants were responding to. I could only see their responses. So, I thought it might be a fun exercise to try and figure out the questions. On a couple of the rounds, I could not even get an idea of the question, but on one round, I think (but I will never know because the sound was off) I figured out what the question was….first tile turned over, dark windows….second tile turned over, coffin….third tile turned over, no garlic….and with that I think I had discovered the question, “How would you know you were in a vampires house?” The rest of the tiles were flipped over, and although I forget what they were, they confirmed my guess.

This experience got me to thinking that quite often we find ourselves doing the same thing in life with God. The world has turned God's volume is off, and all we have to see to answer our questions to God are tiles that get turned over. When troubles come and we ask God, “What next?”, a doctor’s prognosis if flipped over. When confusion hits and we ask God, “Where am I?”, a bill comes in the mail. When we come to a fork in the road and we ask God, “Which way?”, a phone call from a friend is flipped over. The world does a good job of making so much noise, or clogging our ears so that it is hard…or even impossible…to hear God’s word to you and me, leaving us to try to faithfully discern God’s word by the tiles that are flipped over.

But apparently God is well aware of the world’s attempts to silence his voice, because God goes beyond just flipped tiles. God is determined to have his word reach us..He comes to us in tangible ways to answer us with unambiguous clarity. “What next?”, we ask, and Jesus dies on a cross to embrace us with a love that nothing can sever. “Where am I?”, we ask, and with the splash of water God stakes his claim, “You’re with me.” “Which way?”, we ask, and as bread and wine slide down our throat the word of God settles in our guts, “Have no fear, I am with you.”

It is true that God’s word can sometimes slip through the cracks of noise or the ear muffs that the world places on our ears, but even then it is often muffled or mixed up. That is why churches throw open their doors on Sunday morning (and other times) inviting people to come in….come into a place where stained glass windows block out the noise of the world…come into a place where the brutal cacophony of the world is shut out by the peace of God…come into a place where the love of God for you is magnified with universal power….come into a place that looks not at the failures or successes of your life, but as one who is Jesus’ victory prize…come into a place where you don’t have to try and have your questions answered by flipped tiles…come to a place where God’s volume is loud and clear.

Have a great week.

God’s grace and peace. (ggap)

Pastor Jerry Nuernberger

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