From the Pastor’s Desk

The Bible tells us that in “the fullness of time” Christ came to us.  The implication is that Christ came when God decided that the time was right.  It would seem that God has his own clock, which may not agree with our clocks.  God decided when is the right time.

I am enough of an independent Yankee to want to argue with that.  I like to think I know when is the right time for God to show up and give me what I need.  I get embarrassed when I really listen to what my prayers sometimes sound like.  Sometimes I sound as if I were writing an instructional manual for this new appliance called God.  I will tell God to set the dial for ten minutes of peace and quiet after one half hour of stirring things up.  I keep re-discovering that the process does not work that way.

God keeps reminding me that it is not my responsibility to decide when God is going to show up.  I am invited to recognize and respond when God does come close to me.  That means keeping my eyes and ears and my spirit open to sensing signs of God’s presence.  Moses did not decide when the burning bush would come within his vision, the blind man did not decide when Jesus was going to notice him, the disciples in the fishing boat did not decide when the risen Christ would beckon them from shore.

It is a continual learning process for me.  I keep deciding when I want God to do something, and I get reminded that it is not my job.  So, I swallow my pride and start looking for the signs of what God is doing.  Each day I look for the unusual sight which may be a sign of God’s presence, or I look for signs of healing which may be a sign of God’s presence, or I look for the invitations to new life and a new way of living which may be a sign of God’s presence.  Instead of asking God to operate on my time, I am learning to operate on God’s time.

I invite you to join me in looking for signs of God’s time.

Peace,