Jesus and Me ... and the Cats

Isaiah 40:28-31 Exodus 32:1-8 The chorus of Greg Brown's song, "Waiting," goes like this: " Everybody just a-waitin' an' a-waitin' Everybody just a-waitin' an' a-waitin' Everybody just a-waitin' an' a waitin' and a-waitin' Everybody just waitin' their time away" It's true.  We do spend a lot of our time waiting.  For example, each year, we spend 72 hours on hold and 38 hours waiting in traffic.  Waiting in line is one thing, but waiting upon the Lord is totally another. There are times in our lives when waiting tries our patience, like waiting in doctors' offices or traveling, especially with children -- "are we there yet?"  But when we're waiting to hear news that might possibly be bad, or uncertain of the future, or sitting by the bedside of our dying loved one, waiting can almost be unbearable.  These are the kinds of times that stress us out and make us anxious. That was h

Exodus 13:17-22, Exodus 14 Our God is a dangerous God.  Not because of his wrath or his power, but because of his reckless love for us that refuses to leave us where and as we are.  We wants so much more for us. God’s dangerous and reckless love often asks us to step out and take risks so we can move forward into God’s future for us.  As threatening as that might be to us, as we read the stories of God’s people, we will find reason to imagine, hope and have faith in the great things God will do for us and through us. "Stuck In The Middle With You" Well, I don't know why I came here tonight I got the feeling that something ain't right I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right Here I am, stuck in the middle with you. Performed by Stealer’s Wheel Songwriters: Gerry Rafferty and Joe Egan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WROJl

Exodus 1, 2:23-25 Our God is an awesome God, and Our God is a dangerous God.  Not because God is fickle or unreliable; not because God is capricious or unjust.  God can be perceived as threatening because God loves us too much to allow us to remain where and as we are, even when those places may feel dangerous to us.  Times had changed.  Egypt was no longer a welcoming refuge for the Hebrew people.  Where once they prospered, they were now forced into poverty and slavery.  Things just weren't working out for them there, but then again, maybe they were never meant to stay there forever. Times have changed.  Our culture no longer sees the church as the center of the community.  Where once the pews were filled and we prospered, we are now in competition with so many other things for people's time, service and gifts.  Things don't always work out if we remain as we are, doing the same things, wanting our culture to change so that we can go back to "I remember when