Wednesday's thoughts

"When Life Is A Fire Drill"

The two Biblical texts from which the sermons is drawn are Psalms 8 and Matthew 28:16-20. Both of these texts deal with the authority we have been given from God to work and to live and the New Testament text reminds us of Jesus' promise to be with us as we work to "make disciples".

As I have thought about the crisis situations of life I have come to realize to live is to be in crisis. We need not concern ourselves about the inevitable crisis as it comes because every new day we face is potentially a crisis and every stage of life has its own crisis within it.

Life is a fire drill and the question is not "how will we face it?" the question, rather, is "what will we learn from it?"

This is to acknowledge that there are moments in our lives that seem more dramatically powerful than others and that require a more decisive response. Those moments are the ones we prepare for every day. They are not to be avoided or feared. We were made for those moments. They call from us our best and they bring to us our greatest gift.

The fire drill aspect of life includes the following:
1. A reduction of our ability through accident, illness, or age.
2. A failure of security in which we come to realize our vulnerability.
3. A breakdown of our resources that results from an inability to anticipate the unexpected.
4. The destruction of something of value to us and we have come to lose something we had counted on or taken for granted.

Sunday we are going to have a fire drill. In the 9:15 service after the sermon someone will pull the alarm and we will have to evacuate the church building. We will have to vacate the sanctuary, our classes will have to go outside, and our children and youth will be asked to go. We will meet in the south parking lot until the whole building is accounted for and then we can return.

How do we face the fire dills that are not simulation or practice? How do we engage the challenges and how do we respond?

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. if you are willing to have others read your response click on the box below. I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster