The year in review

Three news items garnered much discussion this past year. Wet and cool conditions prevented farmers throughout the mid-west from planting corn and soybeans. A window of dry days failed to materialize. The spring continued a trend of frequent precipitation that goes all the way back to the winter months. The longest stretch of days without any precipitation was just three days on several occasions.  What is incredible statistically is that the last time a string of more than three days in a row occurred without any precipitation at all was January 3 through 7 2019. That is nearly five months in a row or 150 days!  

In May, rain fell on 21 days that month. There was a consecutive three- day stretch of dry weather from May 5 to May 7. A second stretch of two consecutive days occurred on May 14 and 15. The fifteen-day period from May 16 to May 30 had at least a trace (less than 0.01 inches of rain on each day. With the greatest amount during that period being 0.55 inches on the 26th and that was also the greatest 24 – hour precipitation amount for the month.  Not until the end of June was there recorded four or more straight days without precipitation in northeast Indiana.   May, normally the wettest month of the year with 4.27 inches of rain, surprisingly, despite all the days with rain,  May 2019 fell nearly a half inch below normal.[1]

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After nearly two years of investigation special prosecutor Robert Mueller handed over to the Justice Department his findings regarding Russian intervention into the 2016 US election. The investigation produced 37 indictments; seven guilty pleas or convictions; and compelling evidence that the president obstructed justice on multiple occasions. Mueller also uncovered and referred 14 criminal matters to other components of the Department of Justice.[2] 
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On October 31 a split House of Representatives voted on rules on impeachment and by mid-December two articles of impeachment were drawn concerning the President’s actions toward the nation of Ukraine — abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. For only the third time in US history the president was impeached by the House on 18 December. The vote progressed along party lines.   A trial in the Senate is scheduled to occur in early in 2020.

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How do we make sense of this world in which we live? As Christians we live by and through Christ’s cross.  You are sustained by God’s grace from beginning to end which leaves you free to be weak, honest, interdependent vulnerable, to love.

The source of all tragedy falls back to our first parents Adam and Eve.  They affected the whole of God’s creation. We now live in a broken and fallen world outside of Eden. Thus, we experience natural disasters, disease, and death. Consequently we occasionally find ourselves experiencing pain separation and loss.

It’s quite natural to experience feelings of abandonment when experiencing pain. Job certainly felt like God’s presence was very elusive, despite his belief that God was there.

We can take courage and comfort in the fact that we do not find an abandoning God in Scripture. Instead, we find a God whose ultimate desire is to care for and heal our wounds. The gospel message is that God desired to reconcile His people to Himself and was willing to do so even though He knew it would cost Him.

The cross is God’s ultimate expression of His love for His people. He knew He would have to allow and destine His Son to bear what was rightfully due those who killed His Son (Acts 2:23). This was God’s plan because of His mercy and love for His creation. There is no more powerful way to demonstrate love for another than to lay down your life for them (John 15:13).

There is no clearer display of God’s heart toward us than the cross. Surely we must conclude that God cares more deeply about us than we can imagine and as He was willing to remedy our greatest need through experiencing His greatest pain. We are not called to be successful, effective or efficient. We are called to a life of faithfulness. Faithful to Christ. Faithful to His Word. Faithful to each other.

“Stat Crux Dum Volvitur Orbis” –“The cross of Christ stands while the world spins.” Even when steeples are falling. The word, which we use for “church,” is a translation of the Greek word, ‘ecclesia’ (Εκκλησία) meaning “a calling out one.” It never refers to a building. Or a meeting place. But always to a people. The ones “called out” of this world by God. Called into Christ’s service.

The message of Easter is a third person confession of faith. “Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!” It’s also a first person testimony. “I have seen the Lord” And this is the message those “called out” are to proclaim. It is all you need to hear. 

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD , and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD , that he might be glorified.” - Isaiah 61:1-3

It is the end of a year; an end of a decade. A new year awaits us. New challenges are before us.  As you reflect remember and recall the year just past may Christ continue to guide and sustain each of us in our journey together.

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[1] National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office – See Climatological Report (Seasonal) Issued by NWS Northern Indiana

[2] Key findings of the Mueller Report American Constitution Society - https://www.acslaw.org/projects/the-presidential-investigation-education-project/other-resources/key-findings-of-the-mueller-report/