“Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior,and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, O LORD, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Remember not the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you are good, O LORD.” -Psalm 25:4-7
It has been many Septembers now since I had to go back to school. Yet I think that many of us still feel a sense of returning to a routine this time of year. The summer has once again sped by all too quickly, but there is also a sense of new beginnings. Now as our children return to school they are called upon to remember all that they have learned up to now, so that they can use it for the new year.
That part never changes. We all need to build on what we’ve learned before, and more than once we need to refresh our memories. Names, dates, appointments, and many mundane things can slip our minds, but hopefully the very important matters stay with us. The psalm reminds us that we need to return again to the Lord’s instruction.
We need to return to basics each year as well. Not to memorize chapter and verse (though I don’t think that hurts), but I want to suggest to you a return to ‘3 R’s.–RECALL our hope, REMEMBER God’s great mercy and love, and REASSURE our hearts that God does not hold our past against us.
With those basics, God would equip us to employ another ‘R’ – REACH. Reach out to your children, your parents, your neighbors and community. Reach out to share this blessing. Reach out with hope, mercy, love and forgiveness. Reach with acts of kindness and service. Reach out with a word of welcome and invitation. Reach out with a willingness to listen and to bless.
Peace,
Pastor John Twiton
