"Show me your glory, I pray.”
That’s Moses’ request of the Lord in the desert in Exodus 33:18. The people of Israel have followed the Lord and Moses from Egypt into the desert on their way to the Promised Land. At this point in the story they are in between. They are not in Egypt and they are not in Promised Land. They are in the desert and it’s hard. It’s hot and resources are limited. Sonic is not open yet. A long journey (and long lines) awaits us. “Show me your glory, I pray.” 2020 has felt like time in the desert. There haven’t been very many oases (that’s plural for oasis). 2020 has been one surprise after another. Hospital stays, changes in life, COVID-19 pandemic followed by shutdown, followed by mandates, followed by guidelines, followed by businesses closing and layoffs. “Show me your glory, I pray.” Followed by delays and postponements and a new normal. Followed by job losses, multiple wildfires, mostly peaceful protests, riots, looting and repeated hurricanes. “Show me your glory, I pray.” Houses of Worship (including churches) closed, moved to online or virtual only, to small gatherings, to limited return. “Show me your glory, I pray.” Social distancing, asymptomatic, contact tracing, and facial covering / masks are becoming the “new normal.” “Show me your glory, I pray.” We pray for people in need and grieve (profoundly grieve) friends and family we’ve lost. The “most important election in modern history” will soon be upon us with uncertainty, chaos, and confusion promised to follow. “Show me your glory, I pray.” What are we to do as we approach this election, in the midst of this pandemic, with so much uncertainty? Pray! What to pray? “Show me your glory, I pray.” I won’t tell you how to vote, but I will tell you to vote. Too much is at stake for you to stay home (or at work) instead of voting. American servicemen and women have fought, sacrificed, and died in defense of our great nation. You can honor their service and sacrifice by taking a moment to vote. And you can pray. What else can you do? You can reach out to friends, neighbors, and strangers. You can talk on the phone or on the internet. You don’t need to argue, instead you can help. Who can you help? You can help people in need including those you haven’t spoken to in some time. What about the widows and orphans? You can help. You can do more than just pray, you can ask how you can help and find ways to safely do so. 2020 has been a crazy year of constant challenges. Yet we have not lost our humanity. You will not catch COVID-19 by talking on the phone, text, or email. In helping you just might be the answer to someone’s lonely prayer by reaching out to help. We’ll get through this year (and this election) by helping one another. “Show us, all of us, your glory, I pray.” The Rev. Stephen Reed is pastor at St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall. Chaplain, Police and Fire. This Insight Article is sponsored by Tanana Valley Christian Conference Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's Faith Section October 16, 2020. I awoke Saturday morning to a phone call informing me that a very close and longtime friend had died suddenly just hours before. My friend’s daughter was calling to let me know. We (Laura and I) have been heartbroken ever since.
I learned that on Friday afternoon my friend had been working on a sermon when suddenly her chest hurt like never before. Her husband rushed her to the hospital. They ran tests and determined that she was suffering from a dissecting aortic aneurysm for which little could be done. She called family and shared her love for them and the situation. She was given pain medication and died in the midst of hymns, prayers and friends a short time later. She and I were in ministry in a small Episcopal Church in Colorado. We attended Diocesan parish leadership classes and were in Clinical Pastoral Education for a few years together. Her daughter (who called) had babysat our kids. She was happily married, an active member of a Celtic Franciscan order, and pastoring a church in East Texas. Things were going well for her and we were so happy for her. And then she dies suddenly having recently turned 54. She suddenly experiences excruciating pain while writing a sermon to preach on Sunday. Her funeral was Tuesday at 1 p.m. in East Texas. She died doing the Lord’s work and in excruciating pain. Don’t wait to tell people of your admiration. Life is hard and everyone fights battles seen and unseen. Everyone struggles to some extent. I told her several times of my profound respect and admiration of her. I am so glad I told her. You never know when your last conversation with a person will be the last conversation. And don’t waste time arguing on social media about anything. I’ve done that and it just drains your life, time, and energy. Spend that time with people. In all this I am really struggling. In a job I used to have I worked daily with people who were dying, sometimes actively dying. I consoled the dying and their loved ones. I also worked with family following sudden unexpected deaths in the form of accidents, incidents, suicides, and homicides. I buried four of my co-workers. I assured all I came in contact with of God’s love and grace and tried my best to help at the worst of times. I developed deep respect for everyone on the front lines of these battles for life: nurses, doctors, police officers, fire fighters, paramedics, EMTs and dispatchers. Every one of these respond to help strangers in danger at their own risk. This time is different. This time we’ve lost a close personal friend. And it’s hard and it’s not fair, not at all. None of it ever is. I’ve been on scenes and in situations where family members ask me why God has taken their loved one? I didn’t know then and I don’t know now. Some will say loudly and proudly that it’s all part of God’s plan, which can be reassuring or terrifying. Perhaps terrible things just happen and God helps us with putting pieces of our life back together and making peace with a now empty chair. This Sunday (Oct. 4), I’ll be thinking of her as we celebrate St. Francis Sunday and have a blessing of the animals following the service (we’re meeting in person at appropriate distances and precautions). She was a long time Franciscan and enjoyed blessing of animals and the joy on the faces of young and old. I believe in all my heart that we’ll see her again in heaven, that she’s with Jesus, and that at the last day she’ll be resurrected. But right now, I just want my friend back. The Rev. Stephen Reed, pastor, St. Paul Church on Farmers Loop next to Mushers Hall. Chaplain, police and fire. This Insight Article is sponsored by Tanana Valley Christian Conference Printed in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner's Faith Section October 2, 2020. |
Fr. SteveMarried 27 years, 2 kids, 1 cat and 1 dog. Ordained & Chaplain for 20 years. Ministry philosophy - we're all in this together and Jesus leads the way. Hobbies: working in the woodshed, teaching, and competitive shooting Archives
June 2023
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