Read Acts 9:10-19a
In our scripture for today, the Lord calls Ananias out of his comfort zone. His assignment is to go to Saul and restore the man’s sight. Now you can understand why Ananias would be concerned. He knew of Saul and his reputation. He feared what an encounter with him might produce – perhaps prison, torture, or even death. Yet, Ananias risked his life to obey the Lord’s command. He comes to Saul and says, “Brother Saul.” Oh…the power of those words! He could have said, “Persecutor” or “Murderer.” He could have judged Saul for his previous life of violence. But instead, Ananias addresses him as a brother, refusing to hold Saul’s sins against him. He shows Saul the same mercy, forgiveness and compassion that Jesus Christ has shown him. He does what the Lord requires, restoring Saul’s sight, sharing the gospel with him, baptizing him, and welcoming him into the church. Where is the Lord calling you to go? What is the Lord calling you to do? Remember God will never call you to do something He thinks you are incapable of doing. As long as you are willing to do God’s work, He will always give you the necessary tools for the job. May you be like Ananias, trusting in the Lord, and willing to do whatever He requires in order to share the healing love of Jesus. Blessings, Eric
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The 2016 election season was one of the most divisive in history. For months and months, negative campaigning ruled the day, with many American citizens making the choice to vote for the candidate they disliked the least. So many people became hateful toward the other side that I wondered if our country would ever be able to unify around whomever was elected.
In contrast, this morning, I meditated on Psalm 133 - a psalm about true unity, the unity of the Spirit, a unity that gives strength and on which God pours out His blessing. Unity is always good in the work and influence of a community. My best marathon running has been done in a pack, with other like-minded individuals encouraging me on, as I try to do the same for them. United, we can accomplish much, but divided, we bring strength to the chaos of this world. But…we must also see that the psalmist is not speaking about uniformity in Psalm 133. There is a difference between unity and uniformity. We were not meant to be a bunch of “cookie-cutter” people. Unity is an investing of people’s passions, ready to work together, according to each one’s unique gifts and graces. Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35 Unity takes practice and effort. May we begin practicing unity by sharing hope, peace, love, and joy…together…today! Blessings, Eric |
Bio
I am a UMC pastor, appointed to serve as a chaplain for two senior adult living communities. My wife is a general music teacher and middle school band director, and we have two sons – 18 and 14. Archives
March 2020
Reflections From The Run
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