Friday's Thoughts on Sunday's sermon

I was at the hospital today looking over the patient list in preparation to visit the members of our church when a hospital employee came out and called out a man's name three times. Then the employee left.

A few minutes later a man came into the waiting area and asked if his name had been called. He was told they were calling for him and his name would be put back in the list. I'm guessing he was there to have some kind of procedure.

He said to the receptionist, "So they have to start me from point one?" She said, "I'm afraid so."

He looked at her and he looked at me and said, "Oh well, I just don't care any more."

What struck me about that interchange was the fact that every one of us could understand what he was feeling. The desire to just quit and walk away is strong. and that desire has to be fought when it comes to aging. Life can be cruel at any age but especially as we move toward our advanced years. The temptation to quit is strong. The inclination to just "forget it" is compelling.

The only cure for old age is death. We all will age. How will we age?

Our best opportunity to age with grace happens if we remember two things (and these are the two points to the sermon):

1. We declare that we are a child of God and we are a worthy human being no matter what life throws at us and no matter what people think of us and no matter how we are put down. We are a child of God. We are a precious human being of value.

2. We determine that we are on the verge of something new. God is doing a new thing with us. What we were we are not now. We have a chance to try something new; to learn something new; to do something we have never done before.

As long as we remind ourselves that we are a child of God and God is doing something new with us we will have the best change to age with grace and to live out our days with the passion that comes in living well.

If you have thoughts on this please write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have the congregation read your thoughts click on the 'comments' box below.

I look forward to hearing from you.



Charles Schuster