A WORD FROM THE PASTOR….. For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
Greetings friends in Christ!
As I write to you this week Election Day is over and we have new leaders who are preparing to assume office in our community, our state and our nation. Though there are still some matters to be settled, we are living in a country with a system that has held together through several hundred years of challenging times, questions about the direction we are to take, and leadership with varying ideas of what is best for the people they are elected to serve. This really hasn’t changed. Our diversity and our varied understandings of what is the best course of action for our country still differ. In reality, that’s just as it should be. Though, “Out of many we are one” is our motto, that doesn’t mean we all agree on everything. It does mean that we are united in our belief that together we are better than we are if we allow ourselves to be divided. It is also a commitment to the idea that out of our varied perspectives, we can still find unity in what we hold in common. The job of holding us together and focusing on our common needs and hopes and desires is the responsibility of our leaders. I hope you’ll join me in praying for all of our leaders – those who have been voted in for one or more terms, those who are adjusting to the loss of an election, and those who are newly affirmed to their positions. Our nation needs our prayers and our leaders will need the support of us all to lead us into a future with continuing challenges and newly emerging challenges.
As I thought about what we hold in common in our nation, I remembered that some years ago I was invited to serve on a School District Committee with the focus of conflict resolution and diversity training in a High School where violence had erupted because of racial, religious and economic differences among the students. We developed a plan to talk with the students about “commonality” and used as our basis for discussion, the Seven Principles all major world religions hold in common. I think it’s helpful for us to think about these principles as we move ahead in our nation to find a new way to become “Out of Many One”. Here are the Seven Principle Values of all the major world religions:
- Do Unto Others as you would have them do unto you. (The Golden Rule in various forms is a common value)
- Work for the happiness and good of others (Take care of the poor and those who need assistance/help to survive by lifting up and assisting the weakest among us.)
- Focus on today/the present (Jesus said to take no care for tomorrow because tomorrow will take care of itself. The troubles of today are sufficient. Other religions have similar values/statements.)
- Have goals in life and achieve without focusing only on money. (Money, in and of itself, isn’t a worthy goal in any major religion because it takes our focus away from what really matters – Jesus said it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.)
- Interact with the Community (Offering the sign of peace is the beginning to engaging with others inside and outside of the doors of our faith community. We all acknowledge the need for peaceful relationships with others and developing networks of support with our community.)
- Take responsibility for your actions. (Asking forgiveness is essential to our faith as we acknowledge to God that we aren’t perfect. This is the beginning of how we approach others in our life and take responsibility for how we treat people. It is a value shared by all major world religions.)
- Think, reflect and pray to know your own mind and be your best self. (Shakespeare wrote, “To thine own self be true and thou canst not be false to any man.” Being true to our beliefs, to our faith, and to our relationship with God leads to a clear and ethical life. Jesus taught this in the “Great Commandment” when he said our primary purpose in life is, To love God and neighbor as ourselves.)
I hope these Seven Principles will provide us with a focus as we pray and reflect on how to be faithful Christians during these time and, also, how to come together with others in our neighborhood, communities, nation and the world. Change always brings opportunity and this time is a time of promise when we can begin to seek healing and find new ways to live in peace, hope, love and joy – personally and with people both near and far.
Let it be so!
Peace,
Pastor Betsy
RECOMMENDED FOR DAILY DEVOTIONS
Several members of our congregation have asked for a daily devotion to use at home. Here is a link to a daily devotion you can use from home, alone or with others. If you know of someone who can’t see well, is without technology or is experiencing this time of social distancing as isolation – please consider contacting that person and sharing the devotion with them by phone or any other technology you might have. Praying together with them as “prayer partners” is also a good way to deepen the connection and your personal faith.
Watch for more updates on how we are working to build stronger connections with one another while we are socially distanced!
With all in my prayers..
I love you and I need you to survive!
Pastor Betsy
Pastor Ott is presently at half-time hours which means she will be in the church for Sunday worship and in the office on average two times a week, usually on days when there are meetings. Friday is usually sermon preparation day, at home.
Pastor’s hours this week: Monday 11/9 (at home) and Wednesday 11/11 (in Delhi)
Next week: Monday 11/16 and Tuesday 11/17
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