A Centered Life

A word of thanks is extended to all who so graciously support the Dial Hope ministry. Hope happens because of you.

When my daughter Marly was a child, I remember one Saturday night she had a friend stay for a sleepover. They got along great and had a great time. The next morning we brought her to church with us. Her family didn’t go to church, so we knew this was a somewhat new experience. Later that afternoon we overheard Marley asking her friend, “So, did you like church?” “No,” She said. “Well, I guess there were some fun parts. Do you go every Sunday?” Marley said, “Yes.” Her friend shot back, “Well, while you’re at church, I’m out playing!”  

When I heard that I thought: Oh, poor Marley. She’s way too young to understand the other side of that; we want her life to be grounded in deeper meaning and heart. We want her life to have a center and a focus. It’s not that play isn’t important – it is very important. Just like work is important, and family time is important. But if all of that is not grounded in something deeper – in Someone deeper, then where is she ultimately going to put her faith? In what is she going to hope?

I want her life, and mine to have a center and a focus, and a deep sense of faith. My pastor’s heart wants that for you as well. May all that we are and all that we do, be grounded in the One who came so that we might have life and have it to the fullest.

Our prayer this morning was written by classical scholar and priest Desiderius Erasmus sometime around 1500 ad. Let us pray:

O Lord, Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life;
Do not let us stray from you, the Way, nor to distrust you, the Truth, nor to rest in anything other than you, the Life. Amen.