A Message from the Pastor
Recently someone asked me, “Pastor, how did
you get that curly hair?” It’s a question I’ve
heard all my life, including back in the 70’s when
as a teenager my hair was shoulder length and,
given its curly nature, shoulder width as well.
(By the way don’t ask me for those photos, I’m
not sharing them!) The answer to the question
has for all the 50 some odd years of my life been
simply, “It just grows that way.”
Not long ago, I had another question posed to me, “What do I have to do to be a Christian?” The question was similar to my hair question, and so is the answer. Nothing you ‘do’ makes you a Christian, you just grow that way. Or as a noted Bible scholar once stated, “Become what you are.”
More than any other time of the year, the 40 days of Lent and the wonderful remembrances and celebrations of Holy Week remind us of who we are: “Children of God.” It is a time for us to consider what it means to live and grow as a disciple of Christ. A sign described our relationship with Christ by stating, “What is Christianity? At home it’s kindness. In business it’s honesty. In society it’s courtesy. At work it’s fairness. For the unfortunate, it’s compassion. For the weak, it’s help. For the wicked, it’s resistance. For the strong, it’s trust. For the fortunate, it’s congratulations. For the penitent, it’s forgiveness. For God, it is reverence & love.” St. Paul encourages us in his letter to the Ephesians to “live a life that is worthy of the calling you have received from God.”
To live each day committing all of our words, actions and deeds to God is a good beginning. Remembering who you are and whose you are is another great way to remind ourselves to live a life that is worthy. Finally, in this Lenten time, take a moment to just be still and let God speak to you. You might be amazed at how simple it is to grow in Christ Jesus.
