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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
Always, God
April 12, 2005
Dear Friends,
I want to go out and buy a cowboy hat. I know you will probably laugh
when you see me, but the other night I was transported back in time thirty
years or more. Today I am feeling nostalgic. My wife and I went to see
"Always Patsy Cline" at the Donald Oat Theater last weekend. It was a
wonderful show. Something inside of me clicked as I sat there listening to
Jean DeGrooth talk and Joanne Rodino sing.
You see, I grew up wearing jeans and cowboy boots. I used to ride horses
and listen to western music. You might not think its true if you look at me
today, but growing up I lived in that world of honky tonks, steel guitars
and horses. I grew up in the country and lived on a small farm. We went
to horse shows, auctions and country fairs. As I sat there listening to
Patsy Cline’s music, so many wonderful memories came flooding back to
me. Somewhere along the way though, I grew up and my life took me
along a path that lead to a distant land.
As we were driving home from the show I had to chuckle to myself as I
thought about how differently my kids were growing up from me. My
girls are city kids. They wear clothing from Abercrombie & Fitch and love
to watch American Idol. They take dance classes and music lessons. It is a
different world. Yet, there are some things that remain the same.
The one constant for my family has been God. My children know that God
loves them and will watch over them, just as I did as a boy growing up.
Even though my experiences were vastly different than my children’s are,
we know that God is the same today as he was back then. The hymn
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” says it this way, “Thou changest not, thy
compassions they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.”
The good news is that even though we may change with the world around
us, God doesn’t. His love is timeless and his hope, eternal. Even if we get
sidetracked and lost along the way, God continues to reach out to us and
call us back to his outstretched arms. It is nice to know that some things
never change.
So you don’t have to go looking for your disco outfits and Nero jackets to
find God. You can put away your white sport coat and blue suede shoes.
And I do not need to buy that cowboy hat. The truth is that we don’t need
them to remind God who we are. God already knows because He has been
with us all the way.
God Bless! See you in Church.
Always, Cal Lord
April 12, 2005
Dear Friends,
I want to go out and buy a cowboy hat. I know you will probably laugh
when you see me, but the other night I was transported back in time thirty
years or more. Today I am feeling nostalgic. My wife and I went to see
"Always Patsy Cline" at the Donald Oat Theater last weekend. It was a
wonderful show. Something inside of me clicked as I sat there listening to
Jean DeGrooth talk and Joanne Rodino sing.
You see, I grew up wearing jeans and cowboy boots. I used to ride horses
and listen to western music. You might not think its true if you look at me
today, but growing up I lived in that world of honky tonks, steel guitars
and horses. I grew up in the country and lived on a small farm. We went
to horse shows, auctions and country fairs. As I sat there listening to
Patsy Cline’s music, so many wonderful memories came flooding back to
me. Somewhere along the way though, I grew up and my life took me
along a path that lead to a distant land.
As we were driving home from the show I had to chuckle to myself as I
thought about how differently my kids were growing up from me. My
girls are city kids. They wear clothing from Abercrombie & Fitch and love
to watch American Idol. They take dance classes and music lessons. It is a
different world. Yet, there are some things that remain the same.
The one constant for my family has been God. My children know that God
loves them and will watch over them, just as I did as a boy growing up.
Even though my experiences were vastly different than my children’s are,
we know that God is the same today as he was back then. The hymn
“Great Is Thy Faithfulness” says it this way, “Thou changest not, thy
compassions they fail not. As thou hast been, thou forever wilt be.”
The good news is that even though we may change with the world around
us, God doesn’t. His love is timeless and his hope, eternal. Even if we get
sidetracked and lost along the way, God continues to reach out to us and
call us back to his outstretched arms. It is nice to know that some things
never change.
So you don’t have to go looking for your disco outfits and Nero jackets to
find God. You can put away your white sport coat and blue suede shoes.
And I do not need to buy that cowboy hat. The truth is that we don’t need
them to remind God who we are. God already knows because He has been
with us all the way.
God Bless! See you in Church.
Always, Cal Lord
Pastor Cal Lord writes these weekly epistles to
help us see God in every day things.
help us see God in every day things.
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