God: In Storm and Sunshine

Dear Friends in Christ,

While the precipitation in recent days could have justifiably been a cause for concern—with secondary effects ranging from upended people to sliding cars, I’m also reminded as we anticipate the Baptism of our Lord this Sunday that water is the source of all life on Earth. Whether frozen or flowing, sleeting or slippery, H2O is a building block for every known organism. The arid region where Christ walked the earth is one of the places where this truth was especially noticeable. We depend on precipitation, even as the third verse of our reading from Psalm 29 this Sunday references the foreboding sounds of a thunderstorm as a metaphor for the incomprehensible power of God’s utterances. I wonder if an attitude of awe with respect to the God of our (limited) understanding might help us keep our more human concerns in perspective. 

I for one am becoming more and more aware of how the miraculous nature of life is beyond my comprehension. And, I am thankful that we do have the traditions of the church to guide and sustain us. This Sunday, in addition to celebrating the Baptism of our Lord, we’ll gather for our Annual Meeting between services, to reflect on the past year in our church, and make plans for the year to come. May grace and peace be ours in ever-greater measure in 2020—whether we are in storm or in sunshine.

Blessings,

John