Midweek Message 4/15/2020

MIDWEEK MESSAGE 4

Well…Easter weekend has come and gone. Resurrection Sunday has come and gone.
Or has it? Of course, in one way it has. The calendar tells us it has. April 13
follows April 12 by every calendar known to man, so yes, it has come and gone. But
the truth of the Resurrection has not. For the Christ-follower, the truth of the
resurrection is a reality that filters (or at least should) into every aspect of our
lives. According to Paul in I Corinthians 15 death has been swallowed up into victory
and neither death nor the grave has any sting. What a wonderful truth!
Every Monday Diana, Ryan and I meet for staff meeting. Some days we have tons
to discuss. Others Ryan and Diana bring videos for us to watch and laugh at. (Never
me you understand. I have to be the “mature” one of the group). 🙂 This past
Monday, as we did the week before, we spent some time evaluating our online
service via FB. Diana has chosen to stay home on Sundays and since she is an
“outsider” now (I’m trying to think who gave her that nickname), she affords us a
unique view we would not normally have. We spent over an hour talking through
yesterday’s online offering. You can help us out. She will be posting a 3 question
survey that will take you about 1 minute to answer. We need your honest answers.
Thanks. Just make sure you give me a 10. (Remember I know where you live!) 🙂
Actually, that won’t be part of the questionnaire.
I read a story this week: A lumberjack was preparing to cut down several trees in a
mountain forest. As he began, he noticed a beautiful bird building its nest atop one of the trees.
Not wanting to harm the bird or its young, the lumberjack took a mallet and pounded on the tree
until the bird (quite annoyed) flew to another tree and began to build its nest there.
The lumberjack did the same thing with the second tree. The bird and the lumberjack repeated
this dance a half-dozen more times, until the bird abandoned the forest altogether and built its
nest on the side of the rock face.
I imagine the bird never understood why the lumberjack was pursuing it,
systematically attacking its shelters in the trees. But his motive, of course, was
compassion. He knew every tree in the forest was about to come down. He wanted
the bird to build its nest in a place where his axes couldn’t touch it.
I bet there are many people who feel like that bird right now. Our whole world is
being shaken, rattled and rolled and we just aren’t sure where to “light.” Things we
have taken for granted have been either taken away or shaken really well. Things
we have clung to have crumbled in our hands.

What if God, in love, was attacking foundations that will crumble anyway? Didn’t
Jesus talk about that in Matthew 7:24-27? (I’ll let you read it). That’s why it is so
important to have a firm foundation, to be standing on the ROCK. I’m no prophet. I
have no clue when this will end. I DO KNOW THIS though: God is with me in the
storm and will not abandon me. He has not before and will not now.
Last week I gave a shout out to Terrie about his extra mile for his students. This
week I want to be a little prejudiced and talk about what Jo did for her pre-school
students. She put together Easter bags-candy, juice packets, a He is Risen craft,
chalk and a book of the Easter story for young beginners (to be read by their
parents or sibling). Friday afternoon we delivered them by leaving them on door
handles and porches. She also included goodies for any siblings they may have had.
We had a blast doing it and getting out. I drove 85 miles but it was so good to see
pictures of smiling faces. Way to go Jo! Do you know someone who is going out of
their way during these challenging times? Let me know. I’d love to give them a
shout out.
You know…no matter how short I try to make these I just can’t. I think I have
someone using a cattle prod making me go longer. 🙂 I think you know by now that is
just me. I miss seeing you all and look forward to the Sunday when we can meet and
celebrate together again….whenever that may be. Love you all.
Bill
Romans 8:38-39. Paul said that about God. I agree. Stand with Him.

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