Hi everyone,
Well, it’s confirmed. Covid has made its way back into our home. It’s not me, mind you, as some of you might be wondering why I led worship this morning. I tested negative before coming to church and I’m not showing any symptoms so I’m guessing my fresh-outta-covid immune system is doing its thing (in case anyone was worried about it).
The weird thing about all this is that the kid who has it now is the one that we thought gave it to rest of us a couple weeks ago. Not sure how all that works. And to be honest, I don’t know if I need to know. Biology, physiology, and viralogy (is that a word?) are weird things that I’ve never really studied. So why should I pretend to know more than I should?
All I know is that one our kids isn’t feeling well. And I know that I don’t want to not feel well (not this week at least). So I’m going to be staying away from this particular kid for a few days (or at least until I’m done the important things I need to do this week). It just seems sensible to me as regardless of what virus is being carried, it can be passed along.
So for the sake of myself and the others that I need to come in contact with this week, I will stay away. I don’t really like it, but it’s not up to me how all of this stuff works. I just hope that kid feels better soon.
Here are the readings for next week:
Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32
Psalm 25:1-9
Philippians 2:1-13
Matthew 21:23-32
Humility isn’t an easy thing. We might think that we’re pretty humble people, but often our actions and attitudes say otherwise. And that is a hard pill to swallow.
Because we like to be in control. We like to call the shots. We like to be right… like all the time. And so when that is challenged, when things don’t go our way, when we feel like we’re not right in our assumptions and positions, then we might just fight to regain that control, put things back the way we think they should, and justify ourselves so we again are right.
It is a hard line to see, that’s for sure. But I think it’s important to remember that even Jesus didn’t see himself as equal to God, so why should we? We can let God be God in God’s place, because really we don’t have a choice in the matter. We might not think we try to be God, but I think every time we think too highly of ourselves (like we have all the answers), when we wonder “by whose authority” like the Pharisees did against Jesus, when we question God’s judgement like we know better, then maybe we actually are trying to be God. Or at very least, maybe we’re trying to make God to be us.
In putting it that way, we can see just how difficult humility can be. But by God’s grace, we can see how and where we are called, empowered, and strengthened to serve. We are allowed to realise who we are and whose we are. We are led to know our place and role as God’s people: fallen but forgiven, hurting yet healed, sinner but saint, now and forever.
Thanks be to God! Have a great week, everyone!