Greetings in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ,
This morning I washed the windows, but I’m not so sure what compelled me to do so. Perhaps the reminder that this week marked the anniversary of my grandma’s birthday and I recalled memories of her death-defying window-washing acrobatics. It may have been an unconscious desire to put off a long day of sermon writing. Whatever the reason, as I was balancing books and papers in one arm and a cup of tea and plate of fresh fruit in the other, I suddenly noticed the layer of grime that coated our sliding glass patio door. Laying aside my writing supplies I shuffled off to the laundry room for some Windex and rags. After much spraying and rubbing (just when was the last time I’d washed the windows!), I stepped back and surveyed my work. Perhaps it was just my imagination but suddenly the world seemed brighter and crisper. Much to my surprise there was a noticeable lightness to everything, inside and out. I chuckled as I re-gathered my supplies as I found myself humming “I can see clearly now the grime is gone, no more obstacles in my way…”
And what I wonderfully productive writing day I had after that! It got me to thinking about all the accumulations of ‘stuff’ in our lives, not just physical clutter or plain-old grimy dirt, but all of the emotional junk that adds to our interior gloom and lends such a dismal outlook when we do take a chance at peering out at the wider world. It all starts innocuously enough: a dusty layer of disappointment, a squashed bug of tragedy, the smudges that come from disagreements until suddenly you discover one day that no light seems to penetrate and it’s too grimy to see your way out (ok, so my windows weren’t nearly THAT bad!).
The key is to find a way to clear it all off, so that you can open up and feel the life-giving shine of the Son. Sometimes with a little encouragement and the proper resources we can do some of this work ourselves, but often times, we need to call on help (by the way, anyone want to take over my grandma’s window-washing job?). Seriously though, this is where the importance of belonging to a community of faith comes in. The church, as a collective of individuals gathered to worship and serve God, also seeks to care for those inside and outside of its walls by connecting them to Christ. The good news of Jesus Christ is that no cause is too hopeless and no life too messy. When we turn to God we are offered the hope of a brighter tomorrow, a clean heart, and a freed conscious. It is as the psalmist writes “purify me with hyssop and I will be clean; wash me and I will be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7). No one is beyond the reach of God’s love. God knows and loves each one of us completely, there is no place to which God cannot or will not go to save and redeem those whom God has created and loves (Psalm 139).
On the journey of faith the Church serves as Christ’s physical presence in the world. Through worship, small group engagement, Bible Study, ad pastoral care we seek to provide the resources and support to help all who are in search of new life. If you are feeling lost, over-whelmed, alone or overcome by the troubles of this world, I urge you to reach out, to God and to the Church, that you might find restoration and renewal.
“May the Lord bless you and protect you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up his face to you and grant you peace.” (Numbers 6:12-16)
Pastor Tara
