This morning Pastor Steve preached on ""Entrusting One's Life to the Faith of Another," based on the letter about the runaway slave, Onesimus, that the Apostle Paul wrote to a fellow Christian named Philemon.
I've been "nudging" the Worship Committee to use more visuals, and today Pastor Steve outdid himself demonstrating and wearing rock climbing gear. He had a coil of rope around his shoulder, and frequently he mentioned the faith it takes in the person who is holding the end of YOUR rope when you are rock climbing, and the faith the person down the line has when YOU are holding the end of THEIR rope.
In addition to trust, the letter of Philemon is about treating people better than they deserve, i.e., forgiveness. Pastor Steve asked who was dangling from the end of our rope.
Who immediately comes to mind is my second "ex." I dreamed about Milt last week, actually, and I woke as enraged as I used to be in real life. Mild-mannered as I am, I NEVER have been as angry with anyone else, even political adversaries. Maybe I dreamed about him because we were married on Labor Day weekend--that internal clock thing. That Milt pops into my mind during the sermon does not make me happy. I want to continue being relieved that I cut him loose.
I realize that the vicious things I dreamed Milt doing, such as blackmailing my father, he never did. I still resent him for "tricking" me into marriage. (I know, this is all so dumb and pathetic.) Though we had a nice wedding with great friends and family, the marriage, in a word, sucked. We lived together barely nine months before I wanted to stab a knife in his heart. Instead, I threw him out. Be assured, I have lots of evidence for why I did what I did and why it was necessary.
Yet I have to think, what if someone (like Milt) had entrusted his life into my keeping (like he did), trusting me to live up to my Christian faith. (Maybe he did.) Trusting me to be my word. BUSTED! Wow, that gives me a lot to answer for. I promise I'll be praying for repair of what damage I inflicted on Milt and for release from the resentment I still hold against him.
I don't know if there is any way possible to make up for it. Or if there is, if there is anything I would be willing to do, any actions I could and would be willing to take. I don't know if he's alive, to tell the truth.
Philemon had it easy. He just needed to be a hero--who he said he was.
Prayer support and/or coaching would be welcome.
I've been "nudging" the Worship Committee to use more visuals, and today Pastor Steve outdid himself demonstrating and wearing rock climbing gear. He had a coil of rope around his shoulder, and frequently he mentioned the faith it takes in the person who is holding the end of YOUR rope when you are rock climbing, and the faith the person down the line has when YOU are holding the end of THEIR rope.
In addition to trust, the letter of Philemon is about treating people better than they deserve, i.e., forgiveness. Pastor Steve asked who was dangling from the end of our rope.
Who immediately comes to mind is my second "ex." I dreamed about Milt last week, actually, and I woke as enraged as I used to be in real life. Mild-mannered as I am, I NEVER have been as angry with anyone else, even political adversaries. Maybe I dreamed about him because we were married on Labor Day weekend--that internal clock thing. That Milt pops into my mind during the sermon does not make me happy. I want to continue being relieved that I cut him loose.
I realize that the vicious things I dreamed Milt doing, such as blackmailing my father, he never did. I still resent him for "tricking" me into marriage. (I know, this is all so dumb and pathetic.) Though we had a nice wedding with great friends and family, the marriage, in a word, sucked. We lived together barely nine months before I wanted to stab a knife in his heart. Instead, I threw him out. Be assured, I have lots of evidence for why I did what I did and why it was necessary.
Yet I have to think, what if someone (like Milt) had entrusted his life into my keeping (like he did), trusting me to live up to my Christian faith. (Maybe he did.) Trusting me to be my word. BUSTED! Wow, that gives me a lot to answer for. I promise I'll be praying for repair of what damage I inflicted on Milt and for release from the resentment I still hold against him.
I don't know if there is any way possible to make up for it. Or if there is, if there is anything I would be willing to do, any actions I could and would be willing to take. I don't know if he's alive, to tell the truth.
Philemon had it easy. He just needed to be a hero--who he said he was.
Prayer support and/or coaching would be welcome.