Storm Warnings

On Wednesday afternoon Fleda called me from her office at Freedom Elementary School to tell me there was a tornado warning in our area. She was concerned to make sure that I knew and took shelter. The warning was soon canceled, but the experience set me to thinking that we are hearing other storm warnings these days, and we need to pull together and be prepared to help people.
The News Journal headline Thursday, September 18, was “Wall Street wallows in financial quagmire.” We may be entering an economic storm such as we have never seen. How is this going to affect our church? Hearts and minds may get turned to God. That would certainly be what God wants. The Bible is clear that God wants us to come to him in our times of confusion and need. Perhaps going through tough times financially will help us to realize that everything we have is a gift from God. Maybe we will see more people reaching out to our church, because they are being made aware of their dependence on God.
At the Port Orange Ministerial Association meeting on Wednesday, September 17, Dennis Bucher and I heard ministers from several churches agreeing, “More and more people are coming to us for help with paying their bills. More are needing the basics of life than we have seen in a long time.” I am grateful that we have a “Benevolence Fund” to which we give every first Sunday as we celebrate the Lord’s Supper and every Wednesday night as we thank God for the good things he is doing and give our “Happy Dollars.” We have recently helped people referred to us by Westminster By the Sea Presbyterian Church and by Chaplain Jim Smith of Halifax Hospital. We will continue to help people financially, and we will also help people to have faith in Jesus. We will help them understand in their own experience what Jesus meant when he said, “If you keep on obeying what I have said, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)
We have an important task these difficult days. When people ask us what we have to give them, our mission is to be ready with some compassionate help. Our compassion may involve helping them to pay the rent or the power bill. It will also involve offering them the truth and love of Jesus. That is why our worship, our teaching, our relationships, and our fellowship must be healthy – the best we have to offer. Having a daily relationship with Jesus and belonging to his people who obey what he has said, is the way to true security and freedom. That is more important than having a secure retirement or plenty of money in the bank.
When a storm is coming, a family pulls together and concentrates on the things that really matter. It looks like a storm is coming. Let’s pull together. Let’s be ready to help others. Let’s point them to the Way that leads to life and peace.