Pastor Tom's Journal

Early “The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”- John 20:1   It was early.   It was before the rising of the sun. It was still dark.   It was dark on the face of the earth, and it was dark in the hearts of the women who had come to the grave to anoint the body of Jesus.   The darkness that surrounds us can be discouraging. But darkness within us can be overwhelming.   These faithful women were facing the darkness of grief, despair, disappointment, and were still in shock. Yet, they were doing what needed to be done. They were acting as the immediate family of their master and Lord, and they were coming to his tomb to perform the necessary rituals of their faith and culture.   All they could probably do was put one foot in front of the other and go through the motions through their emotions. Dazed by sorrow, they let love lea...

I have a sure-fired way to reduce unwanted and programmed calls on my  phone.   Do you want to hear it?   OK - I answer enthusiastically -really enthusiastically, just like a recording,   "Gooooooood afternoon! This is Tom Sims of the Sims ressssss-i-dence. I hope you're having a great day. How are things where you are?"   If there has not been a click by then, I start singing something like, "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood ...." and making up words like .... "Won't you speak to me-ee."   Computer dialing systems are designed to filter out computer answering systems and if they think you are one, they will hang up.   Real people will laugh and wait.   Here is an example:

 

Popular television shows aside, we are all looking for a view, viewpoint, or overview that begets perspective on lives that are otherwise, quite confusing. What do we do? What do we think? How do we filter in the essential and out the extraneous? If everything matters, does nothing truly matter? If nothing matters, why bother? Well, everything does matter and some things matter more in the moment and the secret is to discern the moment and to be in it. Then, other moments will gather around the appropriate poles like magnetic dust and form a picture. And wherever you are, the view will be clear. Jesus said,  "Seek and ye shall find." Your task is to find the moments to abandon all tasks and seek. Just seek. Seekers find. Non-seekers stumble. Grace often intervenes and surprises them - probably because there is something inside all of us that is always seeking. But folks with their eyes and hearts open stand a better chance than the rest of grasping the view at the right momen...

  An Everlasting Love   The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. - Jeremiah 31:3 .   Sentimentality suggests that human love can be eternal. In the genre of romance literature, film, opera, and popular music, the theme is often repeated with lyrical style and sweet harmony. We come to believe that “true love” lasts forever without great effort, commitment, or struggle. The fact is that human love is fickle, self-serving, and often lazy. Separation may not make the heart grow fonder; it may in fact, make it wander. Hard times often drive a wedge between even the most starry-eyed lovers. Many a marriage, friendship, business relationship, or family tie has been severed over some petty disagreement. Harsh words have been the precipitating cause of animosity between people. Even churches have split over selfish and petty disagreements. Where is this everlasting lov...