Eyes Wide Open!

If you were with us on Sunday, you would have heard me tell a story of how I completely missed seeing something.  Something that would have created some potential problems, had someone not alerted me to it.

So, back when I was working with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship we were flown to a staff retreat just outside of Vancouver.  I had never before been to BC so the whole experience was quite exciting but the flight was long and a wee bit bumpy. I had worn my best shirt, and of course, I managed to spill food all over it during the flight.

Our hosts greeted us at the airport and we all jumped into the bus. We stopped at a shopping mall, close to the airport, so we could grab some sustenance at the food court before continuing our 2 hour journey to our Retreat Centre. I grabbed some food and took the opportunity to quickly purchase another shirt, since the one that I was wearing was no longer wear worthy.

As our host gave us the “10 min to the bus” warning— I dashed into the first clothing store I saw and quickly purchased a beautiful lightweight sweat shirt.  It really was lovely. It was black with delicate gold squiggly lines all over.  It was the right size, it was the right price …done.  Purchase made in less that 5 mins and I was on the bus with a minute to spare.

While in my seat on the bus, I pulled the sweatshirt out of the bag and proudly put my purchase on over my now filthy top.  My colleague, who was sitting beside me, watched as I brought it over my head and pulled my arms through.  I wiggled in my seat until it was properly on. Proudly, I looked over at my colleague who just began laughing.

“What?” I asked

“Did you read what was on this shirt before you bought it?”

“Read? No?”

Then I took a closer look the pretty gold squiggly lines and discovered it was not a squiggly line at all, it was writing. There were words all over the shirt that I do not feel comfortable saying, much less writing.  If you watched the Emmy’s on Sunday night, you know how they bleeped out the swear words? Well there would be a lot of bleeping going on, if you know what I mean?  There was NO way I could wear such a garment at a staff retreat for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship!  

The words were right there the whole time — hiding in plain sight.  I only saw what I wanted. 

The sweatshirt never made it off the bus.

The truth is, we don’t always see what is right there in front of us, do we?

In  2 Kings 6:8-23 Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, Lord, that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the servant’s eyes… (vs 17)

Elisha’s servant was looking but not seeing. Terrified, he only saw the army of Aram surrounding their town. He didn’t see the host of angels protecting God’s people. He was walking in spiritual blindness.

We can be the same way. We might see only disappointments, or discouragements, or enemies all around. We might fear the stranger, complain about the lazy, and point fingers at those who disagree. We might fear that the world has gone to hell in a hand basket, and we are the ones who suffer. We might be tempted to put God aside so that we can earn our fortune and have fun, only to experience everlasting loss.

Elisha’s prayer is a great way to address our blindness to the things of God. We too can pray, “Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see.” 

When our eyes are opened, we see sin as sin and we see God as God. And we come to see that this world is all in God’s hands. 

When the Lord opened the servant’s eyes, he could see that they were being surrounded and protected and with that the servant’s fear melted away. 

Wherever you find yourself today, may your eyes be wide open to God’s love, care, protection and hope, and like the servant may your fears and anxiety melt away!

“Open our eyes, Lord, that we may see.” 

It is good!

After 18 months out of the church building it was wonderfully weird to be back. Last Sunday we gathered in-person to worship together at Amberlea Church. We maintained social distance and even still there was a genuine joy in meeting with one another masked face to masked face.  It was good.

They say it takes 40 days to create a habit. Truthfully, I have now become very familiar and even comfortable preaching to a camera, seated, in pyjama bottoms. On Sunday I dusted off my heels and preached at the pulpit to the assembled. I stood the whole time and did not fall off the platform. It was good.

We did not gather for coffee time immediately following the service, as has been our custom, but we did gather in the parking lot for some outside conversation. It was good.

As I chatted with folks outside I heard the same things over and over again, “It is so good to be back.  It is so good to see people. It is so good to see you.  It is so good to hear the band play. It is so good!. God is good.”

Indeed it was good and yes, “God is good”.

We hear that a lot don’t we?  God is good.  But what does that really mean?

We know that God is in perfect power, wisdom, and goodness. God is worshipped as creator and ruler of the universe. But is goes further and deeper than that, doesn’t it? Because God provides for us, guides us, and watches over us. God’s goodness is who God is, and we are created in God’s image, so, therefore, we share God’s goodness.

In good times and in bad, when our eyes are open, we will see God’s goodness in our lives every single day, every hour, every minute and every second of the day.

It is good, and God is good!

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If you are comfortable and able, please consider joining us in person this coming Sunday.  Please check the website for instructions on how to register… I promise, it will be good!

Getting back to it!

September has always felt like a new beginning to me.  A new school year  brings to mind words like, “fresh start”, “new chapter”, “new horizons”, “high expectations”, “exciting”, and “hope filled”. I know that not everybody shares my enthusiasm in regards to a new school year and perhaps this year, more than ever, I get it. The excitement is shrouded with uncertainty and concern for our children and their teachers.

So…. Let’s pray!

Holy God,

Thank you for the resilience and determination of our students, teachers, school staff, parents and administrators demonstrated and developed over the past year. We begin this new school year in prayer because we are anxious for our students to resume school in person, yet still be safe from COVID-19.

We pray for a better year; for a safe return to classrooms; for the health of students, teachers and school staff; for school boards and administrators under pressure to make difficult decisions; and for parents exhausted by the uncertainty and constantly changing plans.

Help us, Holy God, to bear with one another in love as we face the new challenges this year will inevitably bring. We pray that our teachers banked enough summer renewal to face any new disruptions. We ask that the hard lessons students learned since the start of this pandemic will give them the confidence and courage to face whatever lies ahead. With confidence in Your ability to do more than we ask or imagine, we pray that faith will deter fear and hope will bring new life.

Bless us, Holy God, in our efforts to protect and care for students so they can focus on their healthy development and their studies. Lead us all to health and healing.

In Jesus name we pray,

Amen.