Navigating Faith
Dear Friends,
One of my favorite preachers (besides Fr. Tim, of course!) likes to tell this story: Every morning a ship’s steward would bring the captain a cup of tea. Each morning staring out at the horizon, the captain calmly thanked the steward, took a sip of his tea, and then he carefully removed from his pocket a piece of paper with some writing on it. The captain would read it, neatly refold the scrap of paper, and put it back in his breast pocket.
Morning after morning, the same routine took place. One morning the steward’s curiosity got the best of him, and he peeked over the captain’s shoulder as he looked over this scrap of paper, wondering what it was that was so important to him. To the steward’s surprise, the message read, “Port Left, Starboard Right.”
You see even the most seasoned people need to keep their bearings straight. With the constant barrage of unsettling headlines, and especially with the events in our nation this last week, life can seem overwhelming. In times of chaos, we need direction, a compass and anchor to hold onto to keep us focused on God’s love and truth.
No matter how long we’ve have walked with the Lord or attended church, we need to continually renew our minds… or else we drift, we conform, and we lose our way in the world. It is said that if a ship is even one degree off course from its destination, it will eventually end up on the opposite side of the ocean!
In Scripture, Paul advises people like us to stay anchored on Jesus through the reading of the Bible. He writes, “Be transformed by the renewing of our minds” (Romans 12:1). This means that when we prayerfully read, and engage with scripture, the Holy Spirit cleanses our thinking and we are changed, transformed, and set on the right path- the path of life in Christ Jesus.
This Fall, there will be several offerings to renew your mind in scripture, to stay connected to God’s truth and love, and to connect with one another in community. I will be leading an interactive Bible Study starting Sept. 23rd through Nov. 25th, on Tuesdays from 9:30 a.m.- 10:30 a.m. to engage with Stories of Hope from Scripture. This Bible study will provide a safe port to renew our minds, in shared prayer and wisdom with one another.
When you are not attending one Bethesda-By-The-Sea’s many upcoming offerings, which will be announced soon, here are two of my favorite resources to engage with scripture and to receive spiritual nourishment, renewal, and a sense of calm at the start and end each day.
Blessings,
Tara