August 6
Beloved of Good Shepherd Church,
Grace to you and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord!
In strong winds and rough waters Peter stepped out of the boat and walked on the surface of the sea with his arms outstretched toward Jesus who was walking toward the boat in the same wild weather. Do you remember that story? It’s a famous scene from Matthew’s Gospel. I take it as a marvelous illustration of the truth that we are not protected from hardship and the rough weather of life, but we are sustained and carried by God’s love in the midst of whatever may befall us. Walking on water is a metaphor for moving through tough times and reminds me that God has brought us through all the ups and downs of our lives to this moment. The task before us, lest we sink, is to remember that God has brought us this far. His track record is pretty good. Most everyone I know has lived through some pretty tough stuff; God’s not going to abandon us now. The life of faith is all about remembering that. You can walk on water. I bet you already have. Anytime you manage, with God’s help, to put one foot in front of the other when things are tough, then you’re walking on water. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Peter sank because he felt the wind, got scared, and forgot about God’s faithfulness. You can walk on water. Just remember that you’ve made it this far carried on the wings of God’s grace and sustained by the love of Jesus.
At Good Shepherd Church our Pastoral Care Teams help us all walk on rough water. In times of sickness and sorrow our pastoral care ministers are the outstretched arms and caring hearts of Jesus. We have recently invited new lay leaders into service in each Pastoral Care ministry area. Bob Owen and Grace Moulder lead the Card Ministry, Amy Johnson leads the Flower Ministry, Cinda Brown leads the Meal Ministry, Susie Lawrence leads the Eucharist Visitors, Jeri Green leads our Pastoral Care Visitors, and Mike Lewis is our Vestry liaison to Pastoral Care Ministries. The Reverend Gary Jones will soon be with us on a part-time basis as a consultant to help us enrich and grow our pastoral care ministries. Stay tuned for more information on how you can join one of our Pastoral Care teams and be a part of helping your fellow parishioners walk on water.
Remember this always - God loves you, and I love you too!
Love is all,
Hendree+