"Monday Midweek" Pastor Cindy's Devotion 09/16/2019

Good morning—

Midweek is early this week!  Last week as I was preparing for the sermon I ran across something that has me thinking and I want to share it with you.

It comes from Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King.  Here are his words:

“One of the great tragedies of life is that men seldom bridge the gulf between practice and profession, between doing and saying…so many of us tragically divided against ourselves. On the one hand, we proudly profess certain sublime and noble principles, but on the other hand, we sadly practice the very antithesis of these principles.  How often are our lives characterized by a high blood pressure of creeds and an anemia of deeds!  We talk eloquently about our commitment to the principles of Christianity, and yet our lives are saturated with the practices of paganism.  We proclaim devotion to democracy, but we sadly practice the very opposite of the democratic creed.  We talk passionately about peace, and at the same time we assiduously prepare for war.  We make our fervent pleas for the high road of justice, and then we tread unflinchingly the low road of injustice.  This strange dichotomy, this agonizing gulf between the ought and the is, represents the tragic theme of man’s earthly pilgrimage.” 

• The gulf between doing and saying. 
• High blood pressure of creeds.  Anemia of deeds. 
• Talk of peace.  Prepare for war. 
• The gulf between the ought and the is. 

The apostle Paul also knew about the gap between who we want to be in our hearts and how we live our lives.  In Romans 7, the apostle Paul described the gap this way: “I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” 

I want the pace of my life to slow down, and yet I fill up my days.

I want there to more peace in the world, but I contribute to the little wars around me.

Proclaiming acceptance and judging others. 

I suppose this is all about being authentic.  About looking over that gulf between the “ought” and the “is” and committing ourselves to the “ought.”

What ought to be, not out of guilt or social pressure, just the ought that is God, goodness, and grace that makes life possible.  The “ought’ that changes our lives from tragedy to joy.  The ought that is God’s gift of redemption and freedom.

In this busy world, our personal little “gulfs” may not seem like a big deal, but every time we gather the courage and cross the gulf between who we are and who we might be, we inspire others to follow.

Just thinking about you and me and Dr. King and God today.

Every blessing to you,

Pastor Cindy

Pastor Cindy Hickman

West Des Moines United Methodist Church
720 Grand Ave
West Des Moines, Iowa 50265
515-279-0826

Like us on Facebook or visit us at WDMUMC.org.

We worship at 8:30 and 11 on Sunday and you are invited!

This week at WDMUMC:

#Justread  Want a no pressure/no expectation way of reading the bible?  Every Tuesday from 4:30-5:30 a small group gathers in Pastor Cindy’s office to read the bible.  We just read and talk.  No homework.  We’re all rookies. You are invited.

Big Transparency Meeting!  Curious about the church and how it is doing?  Wednesday at 7 pm, Carol Litscher, Jenny Blackford, and Mike Powers are leading a transparency meeting to answer questions about the church.  This is all in preparation for next month’s stewardship campaign.    You are invited!

Habitat Panel Build on October 5!  It is time again to build the walls for a Habitat house.  If you would like to sign up go to https://gdmhabitat.secure.force.com/volunteer/VolunteersJobListingFSC?jobId=a0G61000006R3IN&nMonthsToShow=4

Financial Peace University begins Sunday, September 29, 3 pm.  Finding it hard to put the words “financial” and “peace” in the same sentence?  Or would you just like to get control of your finance so that you can spend your money on your priorities?  Rachel Olson and her husband Matt will lead the classes.  The cost is $99 but if you contact Rachel ahead of time, there is a discount and there are also scholarships available.

Grow in faith, disciples!  Have a great week.