(We apologize for a few audio glitches in this digital recording.)
Hello.
You’ve heard the adage, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” This expression may have been coined by Joseph P. Kennedy (1888-1969), father of the late American president John F. Kennedy. Strong people will hear this as a motivation to work harder and smarter when facing a difficult challenge. Another way of parsing the sentence is that you literally leave, you “get going”, meaning you abandon the struggle and remove yourself from the predicament in which you find yourself. Of course, we prefer the former view, but Jesus’ disciples preferred the latter. Why?
The message this week is again found in John 6 with Jesus saying he is the Bread of Life, that we need to be nourished on him and his words. The disciples found Jesus’ words offensive. They grumbled. Complained. They thought it was too hard to follow him (and it is!). And the disciple of Jesus realizes while it is not easy, following is the “only” best way to lead your life. Hard to forgive. Hard to love. It’s hard to do the right thing sometimes. We could stop complaining and grumbling. While the “narrow way” feels tight and constricting, it is actually freeing and filled with possibilities, as Peter exclaimed, “Lord, where else would we go to find eternal life?”
On Sunday, August 26, we worshiped, welcomed new elders and deacon and became better equipped for the journey ahead.
Life can be tough. We may find lots of reasons to complain. But God invites us to remain for the blessings that come from faithful work and not leave too soon. Jesus makes a way where there is no way. Thank you for connecting.
Sincerely,
Pastor Kevin