|
HOME
| e-HUM
News
|
e-HUM
ANNOUNCEMENTS
| SUBSCRIBE
|
|
|
Words from the Bishop |
|
e-HUM is a free service of Indiana Area United Methodist Communications, www.inareaumc.org. Subscribers will receive late-breaking news, announcements and Church resources via e-mail. We welcome your comments, please direct to e-HUM editor at ehumeditor@inareaumc.org. |
Reflections from the bishop:
My young son-in-law, a reservist in the Indiana Army Reserve, received a call just days ago to report for active duty. We've been anticipating such a call. He and my daughter have been preparing for it as best they could, but it was still a blow. They have a nine-month-old son named Christian, who remarkably started walking just two weeks ago. Now my son-in-law must leave his family to answer the President's and nation's call to arms. It's the same story repeated thousands of times across our nation, and across Iraq. Mostly the young, and not so privileged, put their lives on the line. They go into harm's way. My prayer remains that war can be avoided and that some peaceful solution be found to avert war. It looks doubtful. Perhaps the war will not be prolonged. Christians now do what they have always done in a time of crisis, tragedy or turbulence. They dig deep into the resources of faith and into the place that ultimately grounds the faithful, so they are not left to the whims of circumstances or the vagaries of time or even to decisions of political leaders and despots. There is a Place that somehow gets us through "near to the heart of God." As Christians, we find hope where there appears to be none. As people of faith, we dig deep! War is not the only uncomfortable situation we find our selves in these days. I am also mindful of the financial challenges being faced by both our annual conferences. I resist the reaction to run for cover, to plan for the worse, or to predict an even gloomier future. I remind the faithful and myself to dig deep! Not into our pockets or purses but into the rich reservoir of our Christian faith. We have many opportunities for service, and numerous needs to be fulfilled. God has not left the church without resources, spiritual, emotional and financial to meet the challenge of the demanding times. So dig deep! Digging deep is not rooted in ourselves. It's not seeking to tap into some hidden or dormant strength or wisdom within. Rather, it's touching and finding that God Place -- the Source that gives strength to our strength, wisdom to our wisdom, generosity to our generosity, and hope to our hope. We dig deep because there are moments in life when there is nothing more to do. We march, protest and strategize, write letters and debate. We reason, pray and weep. Sometimes we shout out in anger and utter frustration. We may leave the hospital room or cemetery and feel a sense of loss and emptiness, and believe it's over. Then, when we have touched bottom, Someone unseen whispers: "Dig deep!" And we, God's Faithful, listen and hear with understanding. As a nation we must now dig deep in the face of national crisis. As a church we must dig deep in the face of new demands. I will remind my daughter and son-in-law, now is the time to dig deep, to find that Ultimate -- God, the Source of faith and hope and our well being. Nothing seems so disconcerting than to see Christ's faithful behave faithlessly. To be carried away or along as the case might be, on momentary events, or the latest predictions and projections. What does our Christian faith mean if it does not mean to be faithful? To dig deep! To find that God Place beyond one's self, to transcend one's knowledge, resources, hopes and dreams. When God's faithful dig deep, they find a peace not negotiated by leaders or granted by benefactors, indeed it is a peace the world can neither give nor take away. A peace the world does not understand. As we ponder personal fears and anxieties, and contemplate the possible calamities of a world order, we are assured of the ultimacy of all future that rest neither in nations nor rulers, neither in principalities nor powers, neither in armies nor riches. But in Him --
Dig deep! |
|
e-HUM
copyright 2003 by Indiana Area United Methodist Communications. |
