Friends, I've been reading through the book of Isaiah. And the beautiful, inspirational message it contains overwhelms me every time I read it. I'd like to share some of the verses, some inspiration points, that have hit me especially hard behind the cigarettes. Here is one: "Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the LORD thy God." -Isaiah 43:1-3 Fear not! What a powerful message! God has promised to protect us no matter the circumstance. As Christians we have been called by name by the very Creator and supreme Governor of the universe. We are His, and no other can claim us. With a promise like that from a promisor like that, what indeed have we to fear? And yet, it's a message the good Lord felt bore repeating over and over again through the scriptures. Is it because it's such good news or is it because it's so hard to believe? In my own life, more often than not, it's been the latter. When something or someone tells me "Fear not" or "Don't be afraid" I immediately think "Oh gosh, what terrible thing is so bad that someone felt the need to preemptively tell not to be afraid of it". So of course my inclination is to fear. I used to own a T-shirt that read "Be afraid. Be very afraid." I'm a natural worrier. I am the guy who understands how St. Peter could see wind and be distracted from the guy in front of him walking on water and making it possible for him to do the same. But, thanks be to God, I am learning not to be. God, in His patience and mercy, has shown himself to be true to his word. He called me , sinner that I am, by name, and I am His. Forever. Noah, Moses, and Joshua learned what it meant to pass through the water trusting in God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego learned what it meant to walk through fire trusting in God. And now here's a lowly layman learning to walk through life trusting in God, knowing that I can do it because it is the Lord my God who is calling me by name to do it. Getting to Heaven may be a long journey from where I am now. But I've come to trust that my destination is assured. My life is hid with Christ. He has redeemed me. He has called me by name in spite of all my faults, my sins, and my doubt. I am His. And so is everyone who believes in Jesus as Savior. What an amazing God we belong to!
I loved the scripture reading we had on Rogation Sunday two days ago: What an astounding passage. Not just a one-line fragment liable to being called a 'prooftext', but a full and whole exposition that amplifies its point in several different ways. What a great complement it is, to St. Paul's justification by faith. We are taught that that's not the end of the story, in a colossal, definitive statement: "Religion is this:..." How much error does there exist in 'evangelicals' in ripped jeans walking around saying they are saved. The Holy Spirit working through St. James teaches in full amplitude that the Christian life is one of hard, relentless work at sanctity and holiness