Summer of Faith

It is summer and we are all off in different directions. Some are going on vacation, some are trying new things, some are swimming more, some are starting over, some are going on mission trips, some are looking for new ways to serve. As you celebrate a season of rest and renewal, we want to hear how God is working in your life. What are the ways God is making himself known to you?

For example, Kathy & Al Lopez are spending the summer in Colorado. We pray it is a few months of rest, renewal, and seeing God in new ways. We have asked Kathy to share her thoughts and experiences with us. May we learn to reflect and share the ups and downs of life as Kathy has…

I’ve heard it said that when god closes a door God opens a window. It’s true, I think, but simplistic. As
Allen and I head off to spend the summer in Colorado, we are facing a season of change: a change of
location, temporary as it is, also represents a series of changes currently lurking around in our lives. As
we approach retirement age, and as Al looks to sell the business, our lives will be very different in the
not too distant future, and our current problem is that there are way too many doors and windows open
to us, and no clear sense of which one to head toward.

Times of change do not just make me look toward the future. They also force me to look to the past and
all the changes I have been through in my life. As the common metaphor goes, we carry our past like
baggage, and with each season a decision of what to keep and what to leave behind is necessary. In
some ways it feels as if I have lived a bunch of different lives in my one lifetime, so the question in
moments of change is who do I want to be in the future, which of my past selves needs to be released
and which ones need to be held onto and nourished? It also invites me to examine how God has worked
in my life over the years.

As Pastor Jason discussed on Sunday, the metaphor of god of as refuge is strikingly central to the
psalms. God has been my refuge throughout my journey to this moment, and will continue to be so as Al
and I move forward. I am increasingly aware of two things, however; In the moments of struggle I have
not always been aware of God’ s refuge. Feeling alone and vulnerable is more common for me in those
moments of struggle. Second, to say that God is our refuge doesn’t mean that we are protected from
the pain that so pervades this broken world. That’s a hard truth to swallow. Despite the words of Psalm
121, I still stumble, get sunburned if I forget sunblock, and occasionally go a bit crazy as I attempt to
navigate this life. (The reference to protection from the moon is likely related to the ancient belief that
the rays of the moon could make a person go insane.)

As I look back on my journey up to this point in my life, I am reminded of the the poem about two
footprints in the sand. Yes, I can clearly see places where the two sets of footprints are lined up in sync. I
can also see those places where there is only one set of footprints, but notice that the poem reminds us
that we cannot necessarily see those times in the moment. Only in hindsight are those days revealed to
us as one of sacred care.

I would like to add a little something to the poem, though. When I look back, sometimes I see one set of
footprints running in circles around the sand with no clear direction. That’s when God patiently waited
for me while I freaked out. It’s not that God wasn’t present in those times; more that I was not willing to
believe or accept God’s refuge. And in the end, God gave me the time and space to find my way back.
The truth of God’s refuge over us is that sometimes we need to actively look for it in our daily lives. We
need to seek it. I also see places in the sand where tho footprints stop. Where a tent has been pitched. I
now know these were times when God’s refuge was the gift of a place to dwell and heal. As Al and I
drive west for the summer, I wanted to thank all of you at Hood for being that tent for me over the past
years. Al and I may be absent in body, but we are present with you in all other ways.

May The God of refuge be with us all over the next few months as we enter the season of summer. May
God be with us in our summer travels, and lead us to places of relaxation, healing, and peace until we
can all be under the same tent again!

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Join us Next Week:

Tuesday, June 11 – Volunteers are needed at the DUMA Food Pantry on Broad St. (8:30 am – 2:00 pm)
Wednesday, June 12 – Blood Drive in the Fellowship Hall from 1:00 – 6:00 pm
Thursday, June 13 – Ladles of Love Meal Preparation & Delivery (morning)
Friday, June 14 – Movie Night & Fundraiser at Sweet Frogs in Dunn (5:30 – 10:30 pm)
Saturday, June 15 – 301 Yard Sale
Sunday, June 16 – Worship; Father’s Day (Donuts for Dad)