Dear Brothers and Sisters,
This past Sunday morning was a strange one for me. Most Sundays I leave the house by five to drive to Calvary, Ashland. A little later if I am going to Harlan. It has been a little over a year since I have been to another faith community for Sunday services, but I found myself sitting on the porch drinking coffee at quarter till ten knowing I still had over half an hour before I needed to head off to St. Thomas in Beattyville. So, there I sat enjoying the quiet morning with the only noise being the buzz from the hummingbirds. We have three feeders on the porch, so they are
frequent visitors. At one point there were at least eight jostling for positions like the Tie
starfighters in the Star Wars movies. I have been fascinated by these little birds for years, with their ability to zoom around, stop seemingly instantly, hover, then fly backwards or in any direction. In college, I was scheduled to join the Navy and fly helicopters. That might explain my attraction since they too can make all those maneuvers, most only slower. Now two of our feeders have perches on all sides. As I watched, I noticed that these little denizens of the air almost never took advantage of the chance to rest, but instead hovered as they fed. The other thing I have realized is that almost never will two eat from the same feeder at the same time. They are constantly chasing each other off, spending more time battling than restoring their energy reserves. As I sat there, I thought about many of the people I know, including myself. How often do we flit
around from place to place grabbing a quick snack rather than sitting down for a good meal, not stopping to sit for a moment to rest and relax, to recharge. How often do we chase off others rather than sharing the plenty that is provided for us. In our collect this past Sunday we acknowledged that God gave us Jesus “to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life.” That sacrifice was to forgive our sin and reunite us with God. It is something already done for us, a gift, grace. But there is more, we are called to emulate the life of Jesus, to follow his example. That includes sharing with others, being servants and putting them before us, leading the thirsty to water, even the water of Christ where if we are willing to drink, we will never be thirsty again. The hummingbirds around the feeder were interested in only one thing, eating. I am sure they had no assurance where their next meal would come from. We have the
promise of Jesus that what we need will be supplied if only we will trust. It is that promise that should let us sit quietly and take in the beauty around us, restoring our energy for our next foray into the world where we have the opportunity to follow Christ’s example to love and serve the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Peace,
Bryant+
