NOTE FROM PASTOR J R FOR SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2015 FINDING PEACE IN THE STORM

This week I’m departing from the lectionary gospel text to preach from Mark 4, the portion of the chapter that deals with Jesus calming the storm.

Portion of our nation faced a great snowstorm this week.  My favorite sister, Lillian, was preparing to be homebound because of the impending snowstorm (ok blizzard) that was expected to wallop the northeast coast of the United States including where she lived.  Fortunately, Bridgeport, CT was spared the blizzard part of that storm and only got 6 inches of snow.  She experienced relatively minor inconveniences with no power outage or even cable disruption.  Just prior to what was to be a record setting blizzard for her area, I called to make sure she was prepared for the coming storm and discovered she had had the time to adequately prepare for whatever storm would come and she was feeling calm and confident she would be alright.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could anticipate all of the storms of our lives as she had for the one that was supposed to be headed her way this past week? 

Unfortunately, most of the storms we face in life are more like the sudden storm Jesus and his disciples found themselves in the midst of on the Sea of Galilee.  They are either unexpected and sudden or grievous and devastating.  Perhaps worst of all, we seem to almost always NOT be prepared for them.  Such storms have a way of knocking us off our stride and destroying our sense of peace.  Yet, in the scripture, Jesus speaks to the sudden storm they faced and said “Peace, Be Still.”   And the scripture tell us, “…the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.”  I wish all storms in my life were calmed that easy, but that has not been the case.   And I can’t promise you that the waves that you will face in your storms will cease and become calm any easier than mine either.  However, what I can promise you is that God still speaks to the storms and you can “find peace in your storms” of life.

Join us for worship this week at Covenant.  I will be preaching a sermon called “Finding Peace in The Storm.”  As part of the sermon, a long time member of our congregation will share his testimony of “Finding Peace in Three Storms;” peace in the storm of his Mother’s death, peace in the loss of a military career storm for being gay, and peace in the storm of an HIV diagnosis.”

My sermon title of course will be “Finding Peace in the Storm.”  It is based on the scriptural texts of Psalm 107:28-32 and Mark 4:35-41.

NOTE FROM PASTOR J R FOR SUNDAY, JANUARY 18, 2015

“SHARING JOY BECAUSE YOU MATTER TO GOD!”

This Sunday morning, I will conclude a 3 week sermon series on Covenant’s vision statement; “To be an inclusive community of faith – Offering Hope + Showing Faithfulness + Sharing Joy.”  This week of course is about “Sharing Joy.”

A few years back, a Mercedes TV commercial showed a Mercedes crashing into a concrete wall during a safety test. An engineer in a white lab coat walks over after the crash and kneels down to examine the damage, which is minimal. A reporter then asks the engineer about Mercedes’ energy absorbing car body. After the engineer tells all about the unique design, the reporter asks him why Mercedes doesn’t enforce their patent on the design, a design evidently copied by several other companies because of its success.  The engineer then replies matter-of-factly, “Because some things in life are too important not to share.” How true this is.

There are many things in life that fall into this “too important not to share” category. Advances in science, in medicine, in technology. But all of these pale in importance to that of sharing the joy of our faith.

This past Wednesday night I said that in every season of life we should ask four questions.  One of the questions was “How can I help others in this season of life?”  It is a question that we should ask in every season of ministry at Covenant.  One of the answers to this question is “Sharing Joy.” 

But what does it really mean “To be an inclusive community of faith – … Sharing Joy?”  There is the obvious definition of “Sharing our joy as encouragement and hope for others.”  However, I believe it means so much more than that.  It also includes sharing the good news of God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, acceptance and grace as a means of helping others discover, experience and have joy in their lives.  When we do that effectively, “Sharing Joy” is an important means of helping others to know that “You Matter to God!”  I can only imagine how much better this world would be and the lives of people would be if we all woke up each morning with a real confidence that “I matter to God.”

Near the beginning of each Sunday morning services we say “No matter who you are, where you are on life’s journey or who you love, you are welcome here!”  It is a radically inclusive invitation for ALL to share in the worship and life of Covenant!  And we mean it!  It’s one of the ways we seek to live out our Covenant’s vision of “Sharing Joy,” by helping others to know “You Matter to God.”

Join us this Sunday and be blessed in our worship as we share more of this great truth from the vision of Covenant.  Why?  It’s simply “Because some things in life are too important not to share.”   My sermon title will be “Sharing Joy Because You Matter to God,” based on Psalms 139:1-18, 23-24 and I Corinthians 6:19-20.