Through Stained Glass: relax

In Matthew 6, Jesus offers a series of poetic instructions on how to live the good life, the life along the Way (the Way was how the early church referred to themselves as followers of Jesus…who is the Way…) After giving his disciples what we call “the Lord’s Prayer”, Jesus goes on to say:  “forgive your neighbor,” “don’t let others see you fasting,” “don’t store up treasures on earth,” “no one can serve both God and wealth,” and so on.

Jesus quits preaching and goes to meddlin’. “Do not worry about your life—what you will eat or drink—or about your body—what you will wear,” he says, “is not life more than these things? Can you add to your life by worrying? Why do it?”

Which is easy for Jesus to say (or so we think!), but the question remains:  What ought we do?

As I called the first person who has taken me up on my invitation to lunch/supper/coffee, we both exclaimed how we couldn’t believe we are almost ½ way through January. Though time is flying, the new beginning hasn’t escaped us entirely. Which is good because if 2016 hasn’t started out the way we would like, there is still plenty of time to turn things around.

Good Great news for me because I already see some of my resolutions fading away into the young year. Which has caused me to worry a bit:  am I enough? Am I really capable of doing these goals? Was I a little too ambitious about hiking Mt. Everest? I’m so great at worrying!

Though we, as a community of faith, may be tempted to worry about what may lie in store, asking questions like, “Will we continue to be a thriving, growing, healthy congregation?” “Will we become sensitive to what God is doing among and through us?,” Will we have the resources to continue to do ministry the way we sense ourselves called to do it?”, we have been give another option. One that lessens the stresses of worrying.

What are you worrying about right now?

What is distracting you at this very moment?

Name it.

Say it out loud.

Then,

Relax.

Rather than worrying, questioning, fretting, and fearing what if we listened again to Jesus?

“See first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (verse 33)

Now, may I please ask a favor of you?

Reflect deeply on ways you want to “seek first the Kingdom of God” in your life in the coming year, as a child of God and as a part of our community-of-faith.

Write down your thoughts. If you desire (I certainly do!), let me know how I can be in prayer for you as you give up everything but this:  seeking first the reign of God.

What will become of us?

Do not be afraid….