Ponder Anew – May 5

Good morning everyone,

I have a subscription to the magazine, The Christian Century. The publication was started 133 years ago in Chicago, and it still has its offices there. I have been a subscriber for about 30 years. They have recently hired a new editor, Peter Marty, a Lutheran pastor. His dad, Martin, was a previous editor of the magazine.

In a recent editorial, Peter Marty invited me to think of whether I am a tourist or a traveler in my walk with Jesus. He writes that a traveler is one who invites grand adventure with an openness to all doubts and questions, that happen on a journey with uncertain paths. A tourist likes a pre-packaged arrangement that involves little risk.

I participate in tourist trips with a tour company. We arrange excursions where we try to eliminate risk and danger, so that people have a good time. We hope people have a great adventure in nice hotels and an air-conditioned coach bus.

But in my experience with Jesus, do I expect a tourist trip with everything arranged in my faith and life. Are the unplanned things of life and faith, seen as departures, or part of the adventure?

As a congregation are we travelers or tourists? Travelers are active members of the journey, while tourists are more passive. Are we willing to continue to have deep faith so that we are willing to experience the unknowns of this world? We need to confront the doubts and uncertainties of each of our futures, as a way of being more adventurous in our faith.

Most of the biblical characters lived exciting and scary lives. Look at Moses, Noah, Mary, mother of Jesus, Paul, Lydia and all the disciples. They were not passive in their journeys of faith and of life.

Are you/we travelers or tourists?

Fred

May 8’16 bulletin