Pastoral Ponderings – February 2025

“Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest”
Matthew 11:28

I need to witness miracles today—a river turned to blood, water become wine, a
burning coal touching the prophet’s lips, black ravens swooping down to bring
a starving man bread and meat, a poor fisherman raising the dead!
I’ve heard theologians say this is not the age of miracles, but still,
I’m easy to impress. I don’t need to climb out of the boat and walk on water;
I’d just like to put my head on the pillow while the storm still rages, and rest.
Miracles, Richard Jones

In the month of January, we said goodbye to long-time contributors and members of our church.

These were somber occasions. Occasions which also held a cause to celebrate, as I witnessed the coming together of our church.  Funeral services back-to-back is a lot for our Dorcas women who put on wonderful receptions, our deacons who pay attention to every detail of worship, and our media team who made it possible for those who could not attend these funerals to participate.

Since becoming a Pastor, it seems funerals are the most consistent events. This makes sense because each of us will not escape leaving this world. However, in the midst of these sad times in the lives of the family and our church I see miracles around me, ordinary miracles we need to lookout for. 

Richard Jones, quotes theologians who say, “We are not living in the age of miracles.” As a seminary graduate, I go right to the textbook idea of miracles, Jesus did miracles in his age, we do not get those, it was necessary at that time for his ministry.

Well, I am not sure that is true, if we look we will find miracles around us every day, miracles of love.

When our hands reach out to someone who is grieving, the slightest thing like making punch, escorting someone to their seat, making a plate of food, or operating the lift, make our grief-stricken families feel loved and cared for.

I saw the miracle of all your loving thoughtfulness in the face of a daughter. one who came to us in anguish,  during her mother’s reception all of the pain  on her face was gone, it was visible in her countenance that all of your efforts helped her.

Miracles every day, that is what we get, weather it is a funeral or  a new comer walking through the door, every action has the potential of becoming  a miracle in someone’s life.

When someone comes to us to seek shelter from the storm, we become their pillow, it is then we are indeed carrying out the miracles of Christ.

Pastor Val