Hello,
This week has brought snow to Western Pennsylvania. Friday 6-8 inches of soft, fluffy snow
landed here. As it fell it looked
just like one of those shake-up things where the flakes flutter their way to a
gentle landing. Like goose down,
they cover the shivering ground and soften the stark winter landscape.
Saturday morning I went up (or is it down?) to the place that we are
building our house. The building
site is on top of the hill looking west to capture the hills and the
sunset. The price we pay for
having the beautiful view is the journey up the hill to get to the view. The road that takes us up the hill is a
test to the quality of our car’s shocks, and the gripping power of our tires as
it squiggles its way up the incline.
When I arrived at the beginning of the “road” up the hill, I discovered
that I was the first one to try and ascend the hill in the freshly fallen snow. If the snow covered incline wasn’t
enough to call into question the possibility of making to the site, the snow
covered the road, hiding it like a quilted blanket draped atop a lost belt.
I bought myself a four-wheel drive pickup this summer in anticipation of
just such an event. So, I flipped
the dial to 4HD (High Drive), and turned upwards. Having traversed this “road” many a time when it was
visible, I had some idea of where it was, even though I couldn’t see it. I knew about how far away from the
fence line it lay and where the turns come and go. I can’t say that I always stayed in the middle of this
serpentine path, but thanks to repetitive travel, I made it to the top of the
hill without getting stuck on the way.
As I think about the reason that God throws open the doors of the church
every week and invites us to come in, it seems to me that it is much like my
snow-clad ascent. The repetition
of worship is meant to give us eyes to see where the road is, even when we cannot
see it. When one thing after another
piles on our lives, landing like elephants instead of goose down and deep ditches of despair
hide with a devouring hunger to our right and to our left, the repetitive
journey with the one who is the Good Shepherd (read Psalm 23) gives us eyes to
see a path of hope. When one
failure tumbles upon another failure piling neck-high drifts in our future, the
repetitive journey with the one opens up each day with a fresh start gives us
eyes to see a path of purpose to try again. When one hurt after another hurt becomes a white out of
pain, the repetitive journey with the one for whom the pain of sin was
swallowed up in forgiveness gives us eyes to see a path of peace. God opens the doors of his church every
week, not to keep some sort of holy attendance….or even to teach us how to be
good people, doing the right things….God invites us to come and repetitively
spend time with him so that we can see the path of hope, peace, meaning in a
world that repetitively is covering that road up.
I wish that I could tell you that going to worship every Sunday will
keep you from falling into ditches of despair, confusion, and struggle. I cannot.…but this I can tell you… the
repetitive time that you spend with the Lord and his people on Sunday mornings will
give you eyes to see that road, even when it is covered up, and you won’t get stuck as often as you
would otherwise….and when you do get stuck, all it takes is one word, “Help”,
and you will find that there is a community of people who care about you who
will come and pull you back up on the road. You will find that they won’t arrive and laugh at you. They won’t stand on the road and tell
you how stupid you are. They won’t
ridicule you about your life driving skills……because they have all been in the
ditch before, too.
I know that some Sunday mornings (or every Sunday morning) it seems like
not much happens in attending worship… the music is bad, the sermon is boring
(What! Even when I am preaching????), the people are petty…. More might be
happening for you than it appears.
Every Sunday, no matter what, worship sets us on the path of hope,
peace, forgiveness, and meaning…and as we travel that path week after week, we
develop eyes to see that road …. even when it is covered with 6-8 inches of
snow.
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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