John Lepper will be our guest speaker in worship this morning at Westwood. John led our deacon retreat most capably this weekend and will be sharing a message based on texts from Jeremiah and his book "When Crisis Comes Home." I have known John for twenty-five years. That sounds like a long time, and it is, and yet it seems to have passed by so quickly. John and I have walked together through many experiences as colleagues and friends. To have known him over the last quarter of a century (sounds like a long time) has been a blessing indeed.
I know that some of you have had friendships that have lasted much longer than twenty-five years. What a treasure! Bernard and Emilie Bretz have been married more that 70 years...that is a long-term relationship! And yet, young Jeremiah has an encounter with God when Jeremiah is only a teenager that reminds the young boy, and the generations who would hear this story through the ages, that God has known him (and us) much longer. "Before I formed you in the womb," God tells Jeremiah, "I knew you." Our relationships are finite, based on a compressed period of time from introduction to this moment. God's relationship with God's creation is infinite...timeless. God told Jeremiah that great things had been planned for Jeremiah...great things indeed! “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” Isn't it amazing to think about the possibilities set before us by the One who has known us, even before we were born?
On this second Sunday in Lent, take a moment to ponder your relationship with the eternal God. Be grateful for this friendship you have known for weeks, months, years, or decades...then, remember that God has known and loved you much much longer.
Jim Abernathy
No comments:
Post a Comment