Something to Ponder …
Aside from my first Sunday at Fairmont Community and Milligan United Methodist Churches, we have taken most Sundays since then to get reacquainted with our spiritual ancestors. Abraham, Hagar and son Ishmael; Abraham, Sarah and son Isaac; Isaac, Rebekah and their boys Jacob and Esau. You might say that Jacob, the trickster, met his match, having to labor 14 years for his equally cunning uncle Laban in order to win the hand of Leah, and then Rachel, as wife. And let’s not forget Jacob’s children … daughter Dinah and those 12 boys! If you think about it, each of them had their faults. And so do each of us. Yet, there is a vein of goodness that connects our spiritual ancestors to each other. And us to them. That lifeblood that we have in common … that is passed from one generation to the next … the gift of faith. And that got me thinking … who are those whom we have known in our lives who have that vein of goodness? I wonder if we could name those persons who have shared with us the gift of their faith. They may be parents or grandparents; teachers or coaches; Girl Scout, Boy Scout, 4-H or business leaders; farmers or gardeners; pastors or preachers; teammates, co-workers, Bible study or dance partners; older than us; younger than us; sisters or brothers in Christ. There may be a whole lot of people that we have not been in relationship with or that we don’t even know by name. Yet, they have made us a little different kind of person because they said something, wrote or sang or played something, created a sculpture, painting, or something else to express the goodness, kindness, purpose, faith, or belief within them. Their gift to you. To me. To the world. To keep us thinking. And remembering. What it is that connects us. Creator and Connector of All, the gift of faith comes from you, but we often recognize faith best when it is shared by those doing their best to be faithful. Thank you for the gifts they have shared so we can know faith … and you … today. Amen. Grace and peace … --Pastor Pat
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