Uncomfortable, Yet? by Erin Kirkland

How many of you squirmed in your seats today when you heard that loving others like Jesus loved us was supposed to feel uncomfortable? I did.

How about that part of the sermon describing a stay at someone's house after they invited you, and the food is bad and the company even worse, and everything in your brain screams "I don't want to be here!"

But you stay, because this is a neighbor.

How about the person who loses their family, their home, and their sense of well-being through no fault of their own? Will you help? Will you stand by him or her? Or will you pass this person on to an agency who is designed to provide for their physical needs to save your time, your money, and perhaps your own sanity? This, too, is your neighbor.

How uncomfortable are you willing to be, to love your neighbor?

"Who Shall See God?" by Erin Kirkland

Just wondering, those of you who were at worship today or this evening at 7:07 (and even if you weren't)....

Did you ever feel terrified? No need to answer; I'm sure all of us at one time or another have felt so fearful we were absolutely paralyzed. Tom talked about some of these today: Fear of failure, fear of rejection, pain (for us or someone else), fear of being alone, fear of death, among other things. Like standing on the edge of a cliff, looking down.

Today's sermon asked this question: "Who shall see God?"

Can we see God when we are afraid?

Fear has a way of overpowering, physically, emotionally and spiritually. I've been victim to it. As the parent of a special needs son I have taken fear and terror to new levels with little to show for it but frayed nerves and strained relationships, and always, the fear was still there.

Learning to allow the feeling of fear to enter my heart was a risk. Would God really be there, not to save me, but to embrace fear with me? Seriously???

Yep. Right there. He said it himself.

I Am Here. Even on the edge of a precipice.