The certain amidst life’s uncertainties.

29 Apr The certain amidst life’s uncertainties.

It seems this is the season for elections. Canada just had one. Ours is this week. Next week the College of Cardinals will elect a new Pope for the Roman Catholic Church. In every case, once the results are in, things will either change a great deal…or they won’t.

In fact, according to one analysis I heard on the radio today, as far as Australia is concerned, neither specific candidate or party is really looking to shake things up. Despite the name-calling & caterwauling, according to this one commentator, the differences between the major parties is really quite small. The electorate currently is pretty much clustered on one side of the curve. There will be a great deal that is precisely the same after the election as before. You’ll wake up next week & perhaps not notice any difference.

BUT…we vote like every election is about to shift the course of history. The news reports out of Rome offer many opinions about the possibilities & preferences for the new Pontiff.

I tend to go with Psalm 146…starting about verse 3: “Do not trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no salvation or help. Mere humans don’t have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them. Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God. He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. He remains faithful forever.” While we honour & respect our various leaders, and when we can choose them we pray we choose wisely & they govern justly, we know that the next election could in fact upset our preferred applecart. I’m also struck by verse 4, “when they die, their projects die with them.” A new leader takes over, a new party comes to power, someone dies in office and there’s a shift…and suddenly plans get scuttled.

I’m also drawn to the one “plan” that endures…and I commend it to you: “All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him.” – 2 Samuel 14:14

God’s plan, from before the beginning of time, to restore us to him continues in the light of the resurrection. God is not content for any of his beloved human creations to be lost so he sent His Only Son to die, rise & reign so we could be brought back to the Father forever. I love this bit…God does not “just sweep life away” as if we’re insignificant ‘dust bunnies’ behind the fridge or TV. We are to be redeemed through the sacrifice of Jesus & brought back to him…eternally. That’s our message to the world…share it with someone who’s fretting the outcome of the voting, or worried about what their Dr said last week, or some other thing they can’t change or fix.

Now…this week…

1. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up
   Friday 2nd May 2025  @ 1:00 PM
   Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89674789066  —  Meeting ID: 896 7478 9066
2. This Sunday, 4^th May, is a Giving Beyond Ourselves is for CMS (Church Missionary Society) https://www.cms.org.au/ Our sponsored missionary (Jess) is back in the Middle East. She should be part of your daily prayers & this week a recipient of a most generous support gift from each of us. We’ll also set aside some post-worship time for Morning Tea. You can bring friends…any week you can bring friends…but they might especially like Morning tea!
3. The next Sunday (11^th May) is Mother’s Day. You know what you need to do there.
4. Ladies Fellowship is Thursday 8^th May. 1 John 2:18-29 is our focus text.
5. I’m meeting with some interesting people this week…people in various allied forms of Christian ministry. I’ll be in my “office” at Melba’s Thursday with Rev Colin Watts. He’s a chaplain for the horse racing community. He spends significant time with jockeys & the folks behind the scenes at the track. I’ll be interested to gain some insights into his ministry. Racing is an arena about which I am completely ignorant. Then Friday I’m meeting with a representative of the local Gideon’s group. I haven’t had any contact with them in some years & I’m looking forward to reacquainting myself with those gospel co-workers. Please pray for each of these meetings that there’s a spirit of partnership and oneness in the gospel.

God bless each of you richly…I thank God for you every day

See you Sunday if not sooner,

John