Pastor Rick is back once again in the pulpit. Recuperation is slow -- much slower than I desire. Our thanks to Rev. Stephen Shaffer for coming from Stout to bring God's Word to us.

As I return, I feel compelled to return to the theme of reflecting on things. This will be the 3rd installment and, while they have been disjointed beginning on June 4, taking on an associated thematic bent on August 6, then again on August 13, and now on August 27, I pray this will greatly benefit people as hard life things happen to all.

This Sunday, August 27, we come back to Digression leading to Reflecting ... but then what? If I have suffered a jolting kick off my life-path and have spent time reflecting ... what do I do next? What is the next step in the process? On August 13, I offered several scripture texts that illustrated how reflection after digression happens even as we live as Followers of God. What even I missed was the fact that Scripture went a step farther, too. So, Aug 27, we will explore a great example from Scripture and talk about this next step.

I really pray you will strongly be led by God's Spirit to join everyone ... because I also am praying that God will lead me to be very honest and share some of what has come out of my time of reflection. See you Sunday. Christ's Peace

Last week, Pastor Rick's return to the pulpit began with "Reflecting on Things: part 1"

Reflection is reprocessing what already has been. The word is used with mirrors because the mirror produces nothing. It merely reproduces what already is. Congitive reflection is no different. We cannot 'reflect' on what has not yet been. We can dream or envision, but not reflect.

Is there value in such activity? Absolutely. But, this can also be abused when we allow the mind to rehash every little event in our daily life. Reflection that follows digression is of value because it should help re-center us. God wants a relationship with us. God often finds the greatest barrior to that relationship is simply the busyness of our daily lives. So, I encourage you to stop and think. Reflect on what God has done. Give God the glory.

So, this Sunday is the final time I will be in the pulpit for a little while - so there will be many different 'Proclaimers' in the pulpit during June & July.

But, this Sunday we will share Communion together. And, we will explore Digression in the sense of wandering from the main path of a journey. Paul did that. I'll do that in a lesser sense.

Whether we are staying on the path or digressing, one needs to profess, "the Lord's will be done." That's not so easy is it? I can claim the Lord's will when things are going well ... but can I so easily claim the same when stuff isn't going my way and become difficult?

I pray you will join us at the Lord's Table and in my 'last message' (which isn't but is). God is good!

This final section deals with learning or perishing -- that is to say, either we put into practice what we learn here and change our lives accordingly, or we crash & burn. It really is life or death. Is this whole thing just religion to you? Time to move to the next level. All these hypocrits who sit in church are learning from God's Word that this whole things really is about life ... forever ... or death ... forever. What do you think it is about?