Sunday reflections...the fastest marriage vow "in sickness and in health" turnaround...sermon post too


Sometimes I am in privileged positions to see scenes that others don't because of my clergy status.  Two weeks ago I found myself in the emergency room of our local hospital with a husband in the hospital bed and his wife by his side.  This couple, near our age, had a "world rocker" happen to them.  Life came to a shrieking halt to deal with what had happened.  The recovery started for the husband and he was back to work in about a week's time.  Whew!!!

 But about two weeks from the first incident, another call comes into the church office that the wife was rushed to the hospital.  I walked into the same emergency room, one bay over, and I find the wife in the hospital bed and her husband by her side.  Another "world rocker" and life that had just started again came to another shrieking halt.  I am thankful to say that recovery is happening but I do call upon all who read this to be in prayer for this couple as they proceed forward.

 I share this scene with you because I want to key in on the marriage commitment that I saw.  I saw the physical pain and the uncertainty of good health but I also saw two spouses trading spaces in a short amount of time and the commitment was high, very high.  I saw true love in action that warmed my heart.  The words of the wedding vows, "in sickness and in health," rang through my ears.  In the midst of probably the greatest struggle of their lives, I got a front row seat to see those vows in action.

 Regarding the sermon this week, Jesus tells a parable of correction in Luke 19.  He would not be crowned king this time around.  It was the time for seeking and saving the lost and until He returns again, we have been given this business to attend to.  Those who are truly converted will respond with obedience and be rewarded.  Those who don't respond with obedience are either just churched and not truly converted or contrary to Jesus and rejection is waiting for them.  Although there is only two outcomes, heaven or hell, Jesus identifies 3 groups, the repentant, the merely religious, and the rebels.  The repentant receive heaven and the merely religious and the rebels in their current state have hell as their just outcome.  Jesus, on His way to the cross, is informing us of His way.

 Adam

A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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