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Cal's Pastoral Epistles
"Celebrate Today"
February 18, 2009
I threw away piles and piles of old sermons yesterday. I don't know why I
was saving them. I guess I thought I might use them in my next church.
The truth is that after twenty four years here in Norwich, they were just
taking up space. I've only recycled a few of them over the years and they
were never as good the second time around.
I confess. I am a saver. I hate to throw anything away. That's why I have
piles of old magazines, notes from conferences, and minutes from meetings
in my office. I always think I am going to need them again. The truth is that
the only time I look at them is when I am trying to clean up and I have to
decide whether to keep them or toss them.
Now don't get me wrong. I realize that it is important to save some things.
The question we need to find an answer for is this: What things in our lives
need to be saved and what things can we let go of? When we find the
answer to this question, life will improve dramatically.
You see many of us hold onto more than paper in our lives. We hold onto
old wounds. We remember the hurts and betrayals and disappointments and
carry them with us wherever we go. We pile them up in our memories and
they stay there waiting for us to revisit them. The truth is that whenever we
do wade through these old painful memories, they stir up a lot more than
dust. They bring us back and bring us down again.
Psalm 118 is one of my favorites. In verse 24 it says, "This is the day the
Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" If anyone in scripture knew
about disappointment and the pain of betrayal, it was David. Yet he
understood that in order to live life to its fullest, you had to let go of the past
and live in the present. "This is the day," he says.
Each day we have is a gift. We spend too much time either living in the past
or dreaming of the future. We let the time fly by and often miss the great
blessings we have right in front of us. There is nothing you can do to
change the past. It is done. You can change the future though, if you live
with an appreciation for your friends, family and the work you are doing
right now.
The truth is that I did keep some of my old sermons. I kept the historic
ones that noted landmarks in my life or the life of the congregation. I also
kept some of the more recent ones. They speak to my heart because they
touch the things that are important to me in what we are doing as a
congregation today. I let go of all the rest. They no longer have a purpose in
my life.
So let go of the past. Embrace the gift that God has given you and enjoy it
with the people in your life. If you do this, you will soon find that the bitter
memories will fade away and be replaced by God's blessings. This is the
day. This is your day. Rejoice and be blessed.
God bless! See you in church. Cal
February 18, 2009
I threw away piles and piles of old sermons yesterday. I don't know why I
was saving them. I guess I thought I might use them in my next church.
The truth is that after twenty four years here in Norwich, they were just
taking up space. I've only recycled a few of them over the years and they
were never as good the second time around.
I confess. I am a saver. I hate to throw anything away. That's why I have
piles of old magazines, notes from conferences, and minutes from meetings
in my office. I always think I am going to need them again. The truth is that
the only time I look at them is when I am trying to clean up and I have to
decide whether to keep them or toss them.
Now don't get me wrong. I realize that it is important to save some things.
The question we need to find an answer for is this: What things in our lives
need to be saved and what things can we let go of? When we find the
answer to this question, life will improve dramatically.
You see many of us hold onto more than paper in our lives. We hold onto
old wounds. We remember the hurts and betrayals and disappointments and
carry them with us wherever we go. We pile them up in our memories and
they stay there waiting for us to revisit them. The truth is that whenever we
do wade through these old painful memories, they stir up a lot more than
dust. They bring us back and bring us down again.
Psalm 118 is one of my favorites. In verse 24 it says, "This is the day the
Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!" If anyone in scripture knew
about disappointment and the pain of betrayal, it was David. Yet he
understood that in order to live life to its fullest, you had to let go of the past
and live in the present. "This is the day," he says.
Each day we have is a gift. We spend too much time either living in the past
or dreaming of the future. We let the time fly by and often miss the great
blessings we have right in front of us. There is nothing you can do to
change the past. It is done. You can change the future though, if you live
with an appreciation for your friends, family and the work you are doing
right now.
The truth is that I did keep some of my old sermons. I kept the historic
ones that noted landmarks in my life or the life of the congregation. I also
kept some of the more recent ones. They speak to my heart because they
touch the things that are important to me in what we are doing as a
congregation today. I let go of all the rest. They no longer have a purpose in
my life.
So let go of the past. Embrace the gift that God has given you and enjoy it
with the people in your life. If you do this, you will soon find that the bitter
memories will fade away and be replaced by God's blessings. This is the
day. This is your day. Rejoice and be blessed.
God bless! See you in church. Cal
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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