To Love and To Serve

I wrote “2026” for the first time yesterday, and it is sort of hard to believe. It seems like I was just getting used to writing 2025 and now I have to get used to a whole new year already. This past year seems to have just flown by, and although there have been many joys, there have been a great number of hard things as well, although I guess this is true of every year. It is also hard to believe some things that will be marked by 2026 for me personally. I will be having my very last birthday of my 40s, although with my back issues and artificial hips, perhaps that doesn’t seem too difficult to believe. It will also be the 20th anniversary of my marriage to my wife Amelia, and yet it seems like just yesterday that I asked her out on our first date. For the church, it will mark my 18th year as pastor, which is hard for me to wrap my mind around. I tell everyone that people in the church still seem to me to be the age they first were when I came to the church. So, take your age and subtract 18, and that is the age I still see you as. Well, not if you are 20, I guess; I don’t still see you as a 2-year-old. “Time and tide wait for no man,” as Chaucer said in the Canterbury Tales, and it is just as true now as it was in the 14th century.

The onward march of time was very true in Christ’s time as well. Even though Christ had existed from the beginning of time and would exist until the end of time, his disciples were sometimes a bit impatient and wanted things to be a bit different. We see in the Gospels situation after situation where they want more time with Jesus, or they want something that has not happened yet, or they are worried that there won’t be enough time for something, or that the world is not going as they want it to in general. Anyone else feel like that today? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that these feelings are fairly universal. Now if you are someone who has reached full contentment in life and you never worry about anything, give me a call; I’d love to know your secret.

Perhaps none of us will achieve complete peace, in this life at least. However, I would suggest that part of the secret to finding peace in life is to trust in Christ. It is also to take stock on a regular basis about what is truly important in life, what is really going to matter to you as you look back at the decades of the past, versus things you will never remember. For instance, I’m sure that in 2006 I was mad at someone on the highways of Boston (it kind of goes with the territory) but darned if I can remember a single instance of it. My wedding, though, I will never forget that. If something is not actually that important, how much of ourselves and our energy should we put towards it? What do we think Christ is calling us to focus on in our life? I’m going to tell you it is probably not the length of the Dunkin drive-thru line. In 2026 (there I go writing it again) I pray for a good year for everyone, but I also pray that we truly look for the good in 2026, and we understand that as children of God, our time and attention are precious, and thus should not be taken up by nonproductive things. May 2026 be full of the worthwhile, and may you hold those things close to your heart.

Peace and Blessings, Pastor Brian

I don’t know about you, but until recently my life has been pretty busy, going from here to there and appointment to appointment. I was handling things for the church, my own life, like doctor’s appointments and errands, my wife’s business, and doing things for other family members, too. Then there are the things we keep ourselves busy with like checking the news or social media. At the end of the day, sometimes we wonder where all the time has gone, and think about everything the next day will bring. We probably even have a list of things that are very important and yet we haven’t even gotten to yet. So much to do, and so little time. Day after day we continue on, until things just stop. By stop, I mean the blizzard of 26 as it will come to be known.

Over 16 inches of snow fell on the Dayton area in two days and we are still digging ourselves out as I write this. Some school systems will probably be closed for the entire week, and who knows how long the snow will stick around, being that weather forecasts have no end in sight for below freezing temperatures. I don’t know about you, but I have not been able to keep my regular routine going during all of this. It is interesting how we think that there is so much that “has to be done” and yet when time stops, perhaps it was only we that assigned such importance to these tasks. Even though we have 24/7 news and social media in our current times, the idea of being addicted to the hurry of life is nothing new. In Mark 6:31 we see that the disciples were so busy that they didn’t even have time to eat. Despite all of the things needing to be done while in service to the Messiah, Jesus, none the less, tells the disciples to withdraw and rest. Jesus himself takes time on many occasions as we see in scripture to withdraw to a quiet place and pray. In fact, resting every now and then is so important to God, that God made a day specifically for that once a week, the Sabbath. A day when no work at all is to be done—imagine that. So often we see our value in the things that we do and the things we accomplish, rather than seeing the value of simply being. All of us are children of God and therefore precious and worthy simply for that reason alone. Yes, there are things that we need to do now and again, but I feel that sometimes we can lose sight of the importance of caring for ourselves and simply being. If Christ demanded that the disciples take a break every once in awhile, I think we can do the same and not feel too bad about it. Sometimes it takes something like a blizzard to remind us that doing nothing is ok, but hopefully we can realize that on our own as well, and take the time we need to care for ourselves as God intended.

Peace and Blessings, Pastor Brian

As many of you know, my step-father Bill suffered a stroke recently. Thankfully, it was not as bad as it could have been, but there are some lasting issues that he is dealing with. He is having speech issues in terms of saying the right words, he is having some general confusion issues, and for now he is not able to drive. I have known a number of people like Bill that have suddenly been hit with a debilitating issue. This is such a difficult card to be dealt. One minute you are going about life mostly ok, and the next you are completely lost, sometimes figuratively, and sometimes literally. Dealing with this is a great stress, and someone starts to wonder how they will continue to navigate life. Of course, it is not just strokes or medical issues that can cause this. Sudden loss of a life, or a job, or some other traumatic life experience can often make us feel lost in general.

This is true not only today, but it was true in the time of Christ as well. Many of the common people struggled mightily with the difficulties of life. Poverty was rampant, as were periods of starvation during times of drought or blight. There was also the might of Rome that had occupied the lands of those who Christ ministered to. Rome did provide some things, but they did not tolerate dissidence, and required taxes to be paid without fail. To say that life was difficult for the common person back then in comparison to the modern age of the United States, for instance, is an understatement. These were also the people that Jesus was preaching to. Yes, he did talk with and minister to some in the trade and merchant classes, and the upper classes as well, but the majority of the people were just above poverty or deeply in poverty. These were people who often struggled to navigate life, and some had just given up hope.

We sometimes wonder why we refer to the story of Jesus as the Gospel, or “Good News”. Yes, it is certainly good news in terms of the salvation and everlasting life that we receive through Christ, but it is more than just that. Imagine truly feeling like you are in complete darkness, lost, afraid, and hopeless, and then suddenly a great light appears, and a voice says, “Come to me and be saved.” This is what it was like for the people who interacted with Christ. Not only was he saving them in terms of the world after this one, but he was saving them in this world, too. He was healing people, feeding people, and even raising people from the dead. I know that such miracles are perhaps less plainly seen in today’s day and age, but never forget that Christ is still with us. If you find yourself lost and in need, pray to Christ and focus on him. Try to hear or feel what Christ is leading you to. I won’t promise an instant miracle, but I will promise that a constant and focused relationship with Christ will always lead us to better places.

Peace and Blessings, Pastor Brian