Hello,
Jesus is recorded as saying in the Gospel of John, “I have
come that you might have life, and have it abundantly.”
We
arrived in Western Pennsylvania in June and have been engaged in the
multifaceted process of building a home since then. During construction we have been the guests of a most
gracious and patient brother-in-law and sister-in-law. Their hospitality has made the
treadmill of building a home less stressful.
Their home is deep in a valley several miles away from the nearest
town. Because of its remote location,
we deal with the issues that come from country living. Cell phone reception is terrible, as is
the Internet reception. (That is
why I am sitting in a coffee shop in Latrobe, Pa to send off this Bungee
Cord.) But more importantly, the
electrical service has a reputation of being somewhat unreliable. A good snowfall or a good rainfall….or
even a good wind….can knock us back into the world of pre-electricity. When that happens we aren’t totally
brought to our technological knees.
We have a wood-burning fireplace to keep us warm, and we have candles
and flashlight aplenty. The
biggest problem when the electricity dies is the water. Since we are on a well, we need electricity
to have running water….running water for drinking, for washing the dishes, and
most importantly for flushing the toilet.
I suppose since we are surrounded by woods we could answer nature
“naturally”, but I have to confess my lack of such outdoor adventure.
So, this weekend with a winter snowfall dropping upon us, my brother-in-law
and I set off to get an emergency generator, as the old emergency generator was
not old and trusty. As we secured
the emergency generator in its place, I felt a sense of relief. Although this generator would not run
all of the electrical needs of the house, it would keep a constant water flow
in the pipes.
With my emergency generator hooked up and ready to go, it got me to
thinking that for most of us, God is often a sort of divine emergency
generator. We get ourselves hooked
up to so many things that energize our lives….hobbies, work, family,
friends….and they do a pretty good job of powering us up. But just like rural electrical lines,
all it takes is a good storm to cut off their power, and when that happens that
is when we tend to find ourselves firing up our divine emergency
generator, We turn to God for the
energy we need to keep us going until the power that we are usually plugged
into is restored. Now, I am not
saying that turning to God when the lights go out is a bad thing…no, it is a
good thing. It’s just that if we
make of God to be our emergency generator, we are missing out on what Jesus
said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly.”
The fact is that God is far greater than an emergency generator. God is much more like the power plant
that generates electricity for massive cities, but only greater. God is the power that spins the
universe and holds it together.
God is the power out of which life first exploded and will explode again
when this life comes to an end.
God is beyond time and space, and his power will never fade or flicker
any second of time or in any corner of space. That is the kind of power/life that Jesus has come to give
us….not the power of an emergency generator, but the power that stands behind
all that is and ever will be.
Abundant power. Abundant
life.
So let me invite you to plug yourself into God abundant life giving
power. Come to church this Sunday
and be empowered by Jesus. Come
and be filled with the power of his forgiving and life changing word. Come and be filled with the power of
his very self in his meal, the Lord’s Supper. Come and be filled with the power
of his Spirit as we connect with God through song and prayer. Let me invite you to come and get plugged
into something more than an emergency generator. Get plugged into the one who generates abundant life,
perpetual power.
And with that power surging through your soul, you might just be amazed
at the joy that is ignited in the hobbies of your life. You might just be amazed at the peace
that you carry into your workplace and into the lives of those who work around
you. You might just be amazed at
the hope that you find for the struggles and challenges that your family
faces. And you might just be
amazed at the bonds of care that you will find between you and your friends.
Jesus has come to bring us this kind of power, this kind of life; power
that generates life and enlivens all the things that we hold dearest in this
life. So come and plug yourself
into God power this Sunday, and you will discover that God is far more than
just an emergency generator!
Have a great week.
God’s grace and peace,
Pastor Jerry Nuernberger
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