My dear people, I continue to improve slowly. I started sleeping upstairs last Monday evening. I try to limit my stair activity to one time up and one time down. Any pain is kept in check with ibuprofen. I had an MRI last Tuesday and meet with the orthopedic doctor tomorrow afternoon to get the results and any next steps. Thank you for the calls and cards. I will miss the salad luncheon.

I share with you what I might have said in the pulpit this morning. I remind you of the staff, a symbol of our journey. Pharaoh has set the children of Israel free and they have begun their journey. Their journey and our journey are not without their obstacles at times. The children of Israel often mumbled or complained. I offer two instances.

The first concerns that moment when Israel is brought up to the edge of the sea and no escape is possible. The armies of Pharaoh are rapidly approaching. You hear Israel shout out, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness. What you done to us, bringing us out of Egypt?” You can read about this instance in Exodus 14:10-14.

The second instance occurs when Israel is in the wilderness and without food. Again, they complain. You can read about this in Exodus 16:1-3.

I encouraged you to pay attention to God’s way last week. Yet sometimes we tend to cry out, “Hold on—we have a better way”. I want you to underscore the simple word, “we” and put that beside the word, “God”. Which one will you choose?

You see, these are only two instances and there are many more if you fully read the book of Exodus. You will begin a journey if a different kind in a little more than a month when Pastor Tracy Siegman comes to journey with you. Notice that I did not say that she will come to fully guide your journey. She comes as you work together on the great journey that God has planned for you.

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

Well, I did it again. I had a second hitch in my giddy-up. Last Thursday after leaving orchestra rehearsal, a number of the musicians gather at a nearby restaurant for a bite to eat. As I entered the restaurant, I tripped on the threshold and fell straight forward, coming rather hard on my left knee and leg. After recovering from the shock of the fall, I was still able to eat and a fellow musician assisted me to my car.

My wife and I went to the Emergency Room the next morning. After x-rays, it was discovered that I have an effusion on my left knee, a buildup to fluid. My left leg was mobilized in a brace. I also have a very small chipped bone at the bottom of my femur. I see an orthopedic doctor in the morning to check out the next steps.

Fortunately, I still had my walker and use it along with a cane on a limited basis. Right now, I am restricted to staying downstairs and sleeping in my recliner. I am heart sick that I cannot be with you. Until I return I will be sharing most of what I would be saying to you on Sunday mornings through these articles. Therefore, you may find that the articles are bit longer than usual.

I remind you of my title for this morning: Vision—Seeing God’s Way as the Way. God’s empowering vision is just that. It is not something that we attempt to catch or at worst, appoint a committee to come up with a plan. I set the stage last week with the call of Moses.

As the children of Israel were about to depart from the Egyptians, many must have been wondering which way they would go. The staff that I have used a symbol of our journey together will not give us directions. I share with you two very important critical warnings. The first warning concerns where you are now and where you have been. It is so easy for us to say,

“We’re comfortable. Why do we need to change?”

Even in the midst of danger and destruction, we need to acknowledge the goodness and the greatness of God. There is but one way and that is God’s way.

“We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Corinthians 5:7, NIV)

I always like to trust the words from Isaiah 55. ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,’ “declares the Lord.” ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.’ (Isaiah 55:8-9, NIV)

In a little less than two months, you will be welcoming Pastor Tracy Siegman as your new pastor. Here is the second warning. She will not bring with her any magic formula that will result in amazing things to happen here. However, allow her to be the catalyst through which God can speak and enable you to envision God’s empowering vision for you and the future. Walk by faith with her so that you may discern God’s way as the way.

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik

Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, that forty-day period not including Sundays that helps us to get ready for Easter. Lent is always a time of introspection, examining where we are in our relationship to God, to Jesus, to our church, and to one another. One of my favorite scriptures comes from Psalm 139 which speaks so powerfully of the ways in which God knows us.

I also think of Lent as a time when we seek to remove those things that get in the way of our sincerely knowing and appreciating what God has done for us. I liken this to our efforts at this time of the year to engage in spring cleaning. As you drive about you will see families engaged in preparing their yards and flower beds for the mowing season that will soon be upon us.

My wife and I always take the time during Lent to go through out closets, clean out that which we have not worn for some time and donate those items to one of the nearby pantries. Personally, I will be bringing some boxes of books and putting them out for members to take. What remains I will take to a used bookstore.

Often, we have the carpets cleaned after a year’s wear and tear. Of course, when the weather warms, I will power wash and scrub the deck as well as wipedown the outdoor furniture.

Spring cleaning becomes a symbol of Lent as we prepare our hearts and ourspirits for all of the goodness and abiding love that God offers to us.

With God’s Love

Pastor Nik

In this age of political uncertainty when you hear of conflicting reports of what our leaders are up to, there is one abiding principle that we can apply. We may not fully agree with what has been said. It is then that we need to apply the principle of love and consider the ways in which our love and the love of God can speak far louder and with much more power than what we hear that may go against the grain of the foundation of our belief.

I think first and foremost of the teaching of Jesus when he said, “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged. For with the judgement you make you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get.” (Matthew 7:1-2, NRSV) He then went on to comparing this to the speck you might see in your neighbor’s eye as opposed to the log that you might have in your own eye.

Often we are too quick to be both the judge and the jury before we have recognized our own selfish thoughts. Let us always remember that love is not angry. Love does not hold a grudge. Rather it looks with kindness and compassion on what others say, do, or believe.

Very shortly, we will be moving into the season of Lent, that forty days prior to Easter, not counting Sundays. I invite you to join us starting just one week from Wednesday with our Ash Wednesday worship. Throughout the season of Lent, I will be focusing on the theme, Captured by Vision.

With God’s Love,

Pastor Nik