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Please take a moment to read Romans 5:3b-5a
“…but we also boast in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts…’”
Boasting in our suffering. Who does that? Not me! And from my experience as a pastor, I can say that few people do. The apostle Paul wrote these words less as literal fact, but rather as a statement that points us to where we could be. Paul writes about the process of learning, and growing, and having faith in God’s goodness – no matter what – even in the midst of suffering.
In my sermon on Sunday, I shared a quote by James Thurber. Thurber’s words summarize what I now realize I have been committed to for many years, and which I believe has helped me to progress over time. Thurber writes, “All people should strive to learn before they die, what they are running from, and to, and why.”
Our new worship series is called, Anxious Days, and we will be about the work of naming our collective fear within our culture. We will also learn about anxiety, and how to find ways of being less anxious. This will be both an inward and spiritual journey. The apostle Paul and Pastor Steve Cuss will be our guides.
What are you running from? What are you running toward? I’m guessing that you, at times, know exactly what seems to have power over you in the midst of your struggles. I’m also guessing you're stressed out about these things from time-to-time.
Take heart, dear friend, knowing that with hard work and faith, suffering produces endurance, endurance produces character and character produces hope… and hope does not disappoint.
I invite you to worship with us at Sheridan over these few weeks in which we will learn, grow and become equipped to manage our collective anxiety, in the name of our God of hope.
Gracious God, give us the wisdom to look within ourselves to see how our brokenness impacts our fears. Soothe the anxiety in our hearts and help us to find the hope of your love. Amen.
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