Messages & Inspiration
Spring Cleaning
As I am writing this, the sky is blue and sunny, but a little chilly. It does hint that spring is on the way. The snow was beautiful, but after getting snowed in a couple of times, I am looking forward to spring. I remember this was the time when my mom would begin her spring cleaning.
Dad would wash all the windows, inside and out. Everything was cleaned from top to bottom. For me, spring cleaning means going through the house and getting rid of the things I don't need or use anymore.
Our faith, our spiritual lives, sometimes need a little spring cleaning. There are things worth holding onto and things that we may want
to let go of. Sometimes there are things we've learned early in life that don't make sense to us as adults. Are there questions that nag you, but you've been told, it's in the Bible so you need to believe it? Have you been shaped – in good or bad ways – by your religious experiences? Doyou believe some things because the church has told you to believe it? Did Jonah really sit in the belly of a whale? Did Jesus really turn water into wine? Do you believe in the virgin birth of Jesus? Did the Red Sea really open so the Israelite's could walk across it on dry land? Do you believe the book of Revelations is really about the end of the world? Are all the stories of healings and miracles actual events or are they metaphors to teach us something?
Yes, it's okay, we can ask questions of our faith. We can have doubts about the Bible. We can question God. So often our faith grows when we have doubts and ask questions. This year, we will do a little spring cleaning in our worship. I started to give messages on how words of scripture have lost their meaning and power because of the way we have interpreted them. We began looking at what they meant in the early days of Christianity compared to things that were introduced in later years. For example, the concept that the Bible was inerrant and should be understood literally was not part of the early church; rather it was introduced in the late 1800's and early 1900's.
Join us on Sunday mornings as we continue spring cleaning, sorting out many of the misunderstandings and misuses of scripture. Explore what you believe and want to keep in your house of faith. And maybe you'll find some new beliefs that answer your questions and make your faith stronger. I invite you to explore your faith as we all grow closer to God. See you in church!
Pastor Rosemary