( Genisis 12,1-4a ) - [ Deutsch ] - [ Akündigungen428.21 KB ]
Spring brings new, fresh life: it heralds the start of something new.
A grain of wheat, the treasure of the harvest in winter, is discarded, buried, so that it can release the potential stored in it to grow as a new plant. Whether and what the plant will bear as fruit will only be known much later.
The LORD said to Abram, "Get out of your country, leave your home and your relatives, and go to the land that I will show you!" God tells Abram to leave behind the known, the familiar and go into the unknown. The end of a path is seldom known at the beginning, and that is unsettling. Abram did not go into the unknown with God only; his nephew Lot and his family went with him. The daring steps on a new, uncertain path are accompanied and guided by God and sometimes by fellow human beings. In the course of time, many things can change. Abram and Lot part ways. Abram is led by God into Egypt.
After the tough Covid time, many people upon reflection, left old ways behind and started new ways. Going new ways with others can start well, but if there is not a common goal, paths can part before the original goal is reached. So there are always new paths. It is also possible that the goal changes. But now, at the beginning of the journey, everything is still uncertain, and as Christians we count on God to accompany and guide us.
It is summer. When someone asks me, "How are you?", I answer, truthfully, "Fine, thank you". It is warm, now and then there is a cool shower of rain; everything is growing, blossoming and thriving. I feel strong, healthy and content. Deep gratitude arises in me - for the abundance in which I am allowed to live, for the noticeable successes and blessings. And I know: I did not earn any of this, but was given all by God's grace.
I recognise: God gives us an abundance of gifts. But he also gives us purpose. For these acts, we are also given the strength and resources we need. Often, however, these powers lie dormant in us and are of no use to anyone, not even to ourselves. They can be awakened by another who needs them, and suddenly they flow through not only us, but through the other person, to help him survive. Through passing these powers on, we become happy. The result is a mutual giving and taking of strength. Jesus himself walked this path. He was filled with God's power. He thanked God for it.....and often it happened directly afterwards that God worked a miracle through him (e.g. at the feeding of the 5,000 people).
When I am filled with gratitude, I too can change the world a little by God's power:
- by letting people share in my abundance - my gifts and my time.
- by helping people find each other
- by protecting and supporting people who would perish without this protection.
- by helping people to find a way who see no way out
- or by approaching (which is sometimes the most difficult way) a person who has hurt me and granting him/her forgiveness.... Not because he/she deserves it, but because I myself am richly endowed and can therefore simply be generous. The greatest miracle is often that I can also become free inside by absolving the other person.
This poem is by an unknown author:"I want to write this in my heart and mind: That I am not here on earth for myself, that I may lovingly pass on to others the love by which I live."
Autumn: Reflection, am I on the right road?
In the biblical sense, blessing means: God showers us with good things, God wants to be our protection and shield. Experiencing blessings is one thing. Being a blessing for other people is another. How does one tread new paths in the autumn of life, where a thousand threads are already entangled and hopefully wounds have healed...? When God blesses with a festively laid tables and full barns (with wisdom and prosperity) .... How then do I engage my neighbour? What maturity in me can be realised in this phase of life?
In autumn we say goodbye to the migratory birds. It is time for the children to leave home; you let them go with blessings and give them space to satisfy their longing for their own warmth....Sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandchildren - all new, perhaps new members in the congregation. They should feel at home; we pay attention to them, show hospitality, show compassion when they are unsettled. We must put our own interests aside, show consideration for their cultural characteristics, deal with them gently.... In case of disagreement, it is important respect all opinions. The opinion I have is my very personal opinion. We can decide to be happy rather than always being right, so allow other people their opinion. Autumn time tells us "We live in finiteness". Earthly glory and money is not what counts. The last shirt has no pockets, invest in eternity...It is not only about your own well-being......
A fierce conflict is simmering between the clan of Abram and that of his nephew Lot. Both have rich herds of cattle. The land they live on is not enough for all of them. In this conflict, Abram takes the initiative: he offers the decisive key to overcoming the conflict: Generosity! The believer knows that everything will serve him for the best. He knows that God means well! Do not be afraid to take the short end of the stick. That is the way to justice.
Walking new paths with God in winter...There are times in life when the sun goes down. You get sick or have "burnout" and simply can't go on. I quote from a prayer by Jörg Zink: "Then it is more important to be patient than efficient. Then it is better to be able to bear pain than to work. Then it is more necessary to submit to others than to command, more meaningful to endure loneliness than to have a say." Walk this path and trust in God's help, remain calm and confident in the winter of life, let the pain in, and wait quietly, as one waits for the passing of a storm.
Walking new paths with God in winter.... What to do when a dear person is taken from us through death or divorce? Saying goodbye to a loved one and coming to terms with the loss is one of the most painful situations we face in life. In this desperate situation, people at your side are helpful, who allow your tears, your questions, and your bitterness. Be patient in tribulation… persevere in prayer.... Ask God to heal the painful wound of separation and to renew your courage to live.
Walking new paths with God in winter.... Quite unexpected is especially in this time: a winter rainbow - a miracle in which a Bible word, God's voice, a gift, or an encounter, makes God's love for us visible, real. That is especially precious. It refreshes and comforts the heart and spirit.... with the knowledge that God is with us, meets us and cares for us.... We would like to bear witness to this freely, openly, and fearlessly, for God - and thus bring peace and confidence to those who consciously or subconsciously seek God.
Walking new paths with God in winter.... Being happy and laughing is an important part of life. Humour is the button that prevents one's collar from bursting. The laughter that is given away comes back to the giver. Life is not only serious, but also joyful, happy, exuberant. In the winter of life, laughter is especially precious...
Amen