This Sunday the sermon title is “Putting Worry in its place.”
We have more to worry about than ever before. We have less to worry about than ever before.
Both are true. Thanks to social media and a 24-hour news cycle we have more to worry about than ever before. My Viking ancestors never worried about forest fires in Oregon, floods in Pakistan, the melting of the glaciers, or political tweets in the middle of the night.
If you spend enough time watching the news, reading opinions on Facebook, and scanning the headlines, you would think that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. There are certainly plenty of worries to keep you from sleeping.
We have more to worry about than ever before. We have less to worry about than ever before.
Both are true. Most people in our country who want to work are working. Most people have cell-phones, cars, and a roof over their heads. We are not likely to fall victim to contagion, and our streets are actually safer than they have been for most of our history. We are living longer and aging better than any generation before us.
Putting worry in its place. I know that most of us are worried about something. At a very human level, it is impossible not to worry. God gets that. I get that. There is a place for worry.
Worry can motivate us or paralyze us. This Sunday we will work together with Jesus to “put worry in its place.” This Sunday, the TLC Family will gather to laugh and cry, to sing and pray together. The music will be uplifting, the coffee will be hot, and the cookies will be calorie free.
This Sunday—it won’t be the same if you are not with us.
See you in Church!
Pastor Jim
