After a long and full day...

After a long and full day, I often find the words of Frederick Buechner food for my soul.  Today began with a conversation about health and disease, life and death and everything in between with a dear friend.  Then it was on to midday Eucharist wherein Jesus spoke to the rich young man about giving all he owns to the poor and following.  We noted that while Jesus doesn't make this challenge to everyone - Zacchaeus is the clear exception but there are others, too - the deeper challenge is to live into a trust that frees us from whatever binds us whether wealth, possessions or anxiety.

There were phone calls and emails to return - interviews for a new Christian Education staff person to set up - and a late lunch with my wife before dropping her off at work. In time there was also our monthly church council and ministry meetings.  It was a good albeit long and full day of seeing to the nitty gritty details of the faith community.  In a totally unrelated conversation, Buechner brought me a measure of hope when he wrote:

... in an imperfect world there are no perfect solutions. All we can do, as Luther said, is to sin bravely, which is to say:  a) know that sometimes whatever you do will could have tragic consequences for everybody yet; b) continue bravely knowing also that not even (the tragedy) can put us beyond the forgiving love of God.

Luther was equally emphatic in reminding us that we are saved - that is made whole, complete and alive in God's grace - by faith.  I mostly use the word trust. So, with budgets to plan, staff to hire, programming to coordinate, worship to lead, prayers to share, love to offer and time for quiet reflection and study to say nothing of people to visit, dear ones to bury, music to practice, building issues to resolve and all the rest... I trust old Luther's wisdom as restated by Buechner tonight and say:  Thanks be to God...