I can tell you with confidence if it’s going to rain this weekend. Not because I’m prophetic, but because I have a weather app with more bells and whistles than the church organ. I can tell you the Mets’ latest score, the gas price at the station down the block, and the number of likes our church’s Facebook post received. Yet sometimes I can’t tell you what God is up to in the present moment.

Jesus once told the crowds, “You know how to interpret the appearance of earth and sky, but why do you not know how to interpret the present time?” (Luke 12:56). He wasn’t giving a meteorology lesson. He was talking about discernment: seeing where God is at work and where the truth needs to be spoken.

Jeremiah reminds us that God’s word is like fire and like a hammer, meaning it’s not always a gentle breeze. Sometimes it breaks apart the lies we’ve been leaning on. Psalm 82 shows God calling out unjust rulers and defending the weak. In other words, God’s truth has a way of shaking up the status quo.

You don’t have to watch the evening news very long to see that the world is…let’s just say “complicated.” As you know, leaders from the U.S. and Russia are preparing to meet about Ukraine. This planning is a reminder that we live in a time of global tensions that require wisdom and courage. It can feel overwhelming, but here’s the good news: God is still present, still speaking, and still calling His people to be clear-eyed, courageous, and compassionate.

Our calling is not to have instant answers to every headline, but to listen for God’s voice in the noise and have hands ready to serve in love.

Join us for worship this Sunday, August 17, at 9:30 AM (please see attached bulletin) as we listen together for God’s truth—no weather app required.

Blessings,

Pastor Marc