TIDINGS from BETHLEHEM May 2026

                                                             -----Monthly News From In & Around Our Parish-----

                               From the Pastor’s Desk

                            May 2026     

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.”

-Matthew 7:24-27 (NRSV)

This is the time of year when many of us begin to spend a little more time outside.  As we do, we notice the effects of a long winter; the sheer force of the freeze-thaw cycle is evident.  Our retaining walls have shifted.  Maybe to the extent that they need some repair.  The spring storms have loosened a downspout or two.  Beyond our homes, there are some lingering potholes that seem to expand and deepen every day.  These are the forces at work in the natural world; forces that erode and deteriorate.  Jesus and his audience would have been aware of how these forces were at work in the world around them, too; Jesus went so far as to preach about how “moth and rust consume.”  These images were mined from real- world shared experience.

Jesus compassionately recognized that there were serious forces at work in our emotional and spiritual lives.  There were freeze-thaw cycles there too; the ups and downs of interpersonal relationships; our health issues; troubling dynamics at work; the bills that pile up; the worries we carry about our children and other family members; our persistent insecurities; the guilt of our faults and failings… these are the real-world shared experiences that destabilize, erode, and deteriorate our sense of peace and well-being.

Is there a way to quickly fix this, make some instantaneous repairs, and immediately sure everything up, making our hearts and minds like new?  Sadly, no, not that I am aware.  The truth is, in most cases, the best thing we can do is honor the complexities of our neighbor’s struggles, understand that there really is a story in every pew, and despite outward appearances… we all desperately need not only a place to belong, but also one another’s sustained and loving support.

I offer the following encouragement, only after acknowledging that what we really need to offer those we love is a patient, attentive ear, and not the neatly packaged whiz-bang advice that’s sure to transform their lives in an instant.

So, what can we do as we do our best to muddle through?

First, listen, not just to your neighbor, but to the One who has called you to love your neighbor.  “Everyone who hears these words of mine,” no pressure, but go ahead and soak your spirit in Scripture, focus on the Gospels, as you are empowered by the Spirit.  There’s no need to spend eight hours a day reading the Bible.  Several verses or a chapter a day is enough, it really is, especially if you are reading prayerfully.

Next, “and acts on them,” this isn’t merely about following some set of religious rules and regulations.  Rather, the love, grace, patience, peace, and perspective that you find in Christ’s life and teaching, let that kind of virtue be the thing that shapes the trajectory of your day. 

Finally, what does Christ suggest is the potential outcome of such a strategy?  You will be like a “wise person who built their house on a rock.”  Beautiful, there is profound grace in this wisdom.  Jesus understands that if that firm foundation remains in place, despite the strong storms of life that have the power to batter us about and take their toll… we will always have something solid upon which we might rebuild.  I’ll be praying for you all as you tend to those spring projects, both the practical and spiritual!

Yours in Christ,

Pastor Dan