Intersections

  It has arrived - the final week of our series on Job. This reading seems to tie it all up, and hopeful even. But let’s take a step back for a minute. The title for the sermon today comes from verse 5, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eye has seen!” He had survived the suffering and accepted God’s power. Job had been told about all of this, as the Scripture says, but now… it was real. It wasn’t enough to hear of the grace; it needed to be experienced. On the outside looking in, Job appears to be blind. But maybe it was the darkness of his soul that we offered in our prayer earlier. If there is no light no hope, are we blind or just without resources? Blindness has several definitions. The first is the apparent lack of eyesight. But more relevant, it means unquestioning - as in loyalty without question, having no regard for rational thought (as in a blind choice), or even without all information to consider data without bias (like in science for a single- or double-blind test...

  Notes from the Pastor’s Desk Welcome to October! My house will certainly be busy this month. It’s Birthday Month! It seemed like we planned it this way, but Tadjena’s birthday is on September 30th, followed by Aaron’s birthday on October 6th, and then Ali’s on October 18th. It’s a packed three weeks there…  In the meantime, we will be starting a sermon series through the book of Job, in the Old Testament. The theme of the month will be OVERCOMING DIFFICULTY. This seems like a simple concept, but for some - this is very challenging. When faced with a new situation, our nerves are activated, and it can end up being taken as a fight or flight response. But after the response is over, if we find ourselves in a less than desirable place, questions, doubts, and regret can derail progress in staying positive and willing to tackle hard circumstances.  Are you feeling stuck in your faith life? That may be a difficulty you’re having trouble getting past. Here a few id...