September 20, 2010
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from God comes my salvation.
God alone is my rock and my salvation; my fortress, I shall never be shaken.
Psalm 62:1
It’s been over a month since I have written anything but that doesn’t mean I have been without grace, actually it has been anything but that. Ever day I have had moments of grace, in fact as I look back each day has been full of grace. I want to share with you one of my “trips into grace” today.
As some of you may know I have recently changed jobs. I had been serving as co-pastor or pastor of Westover Hills Presbyterian Church for the past fifteen and a half years and am now the minister in residence at Presbyterian Village Retirement Community. I have been in this position only a week. I am trying to get settled, learn names and get organized. The residents and staff have welcomed me with open arms and happy smiles. But as many of you know transitions can be challenging even in the best of times.
Today I opened one of my personal file cabinets and inside this empty cabinet was a single, small, square piece of paper. I reached in the cabinet and took out the piece of paper and on the other side I saw the familiar handwriting of Dusty Malcolm, a saint, a friend and one of the last people for whom I conducted a memorial service at Westover Hills.
Dusty used to jot down notes about the scripture he treasured and read every day. Sometimes he would bring me a question or a thought. Today I found one of his ponderings and it was as if it was a gift from heaven. The scrap of paper read,
From Psalm 62
The Presbyterian Pledge: “…(we) shall not be greatly moved”.
compare with Paul’s “saved by Grace alone”
“For thou dost requite a man according to his work.” or “For you repay all according to their work.”
Psalm 62 is a full of grace reminding us that God is our strength despite what others may say or do, “How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence? Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse; despite the changes that life brings, Trust in him al all times, Pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us…”; despite the economic downturns or even upturns, Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them…God is our strength and salvation.”
I know that many of us are on journeys that challenge us, that make us question some of the things that we have been taught, that make us wonder about what is happening. When this happens it is awesome to trip into grace and have God speak to you through words of encouragement offered by friends.
