Friday's thoughts

"The Only Vote That Counts"

The decision to "follow God" is suggested as the only vote that counts and we, clergy, tend to speak more about the importance of that then we spend time trying to explain what it means. It is relatively easy to say but it is very difficult to accomplish. This sermon will attempt to explore what it means "to follow God".

First of all I think "to follow God" means we try to live with a sense of intensity and integrity about everything we do. We know what matters and what makes little difference. We understand that the implications of little things are well beyond our understanding. We are required to live the little things as if they were large; because they are. If we follow God then we strive to live all aspects of our lives with the same sense of witness to the reality that we know is ultimate but which we understand as intimate. God is "the wholeness principle" and is the unifying and organizing structure that permeates everything we know and everything we barely understand.

Secondly, if we decide to "follow God" that means we come to believe that things are basically all right even when we sense they are not. There develops within us a sense of trust. We learn to lose our fear of the future. We move beyond guilt for the past to a sense of healing for the present. We give up trying to please everyone and realize our own sense of wellness; even as we strive to live through our sense of unwellness. We are what we are becoming and when we "miss the mark" we understand that we can try again.

When we are humbled by life we can sense a cause that led to the humiliation that, through it all, leads to a sense of being exalted.

When we have decided to follow God there is a triumphant sense of living and an abundance of spirit and joy that every day brings and every waking moment provides.

The decision to "follow God" is the most important decision we make. It is the only vote that counts.

What are the implications of such a decision as you understand them for such a decision? Have you made that decision and what does it mean to you?

If you have thoughts on this write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have other people read your thoughts click on the box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.


Charles Schuster