Now. Here. This.

 

On October 6th Pastor Todd delivered a sermon titled "Now. Here. This." Nope, it's not a typo - the "here" in this refers to the place you're at right now, as in the "here and now". There's a great message in this sermon that bears revisiting, so here goes...

 

We are all, to some degree, controlled by our calendars. It helps us plan and organize the things we need to do by a certain time. It also provides us with things to look forward to such as vacations or family gatherings. In many regards our calendars help us make sense of our lives. However, if we rely on them too much or fill them too full, we might overlook the Now, Here and This in our lives. What we have to understand is that every day is a gift, an adventure and an opportunity. If our calendar is too "busy" or our focus is on the "next big thing", we can lose sight of the here and now, which is where our faith needs to be lived. We all love and marvel at the "Mountain Top Experiences" where God shows up in a big way, but if we're honest, most of our faith works in much smaller and less obvious ways. It's really a matter of focus.

 

We all know the story of Mark 12:41-44, the poor widow who puts two small copper coins - the equivalent of a penny - into the church treasury (not exactly mountain top stuff). But here we are over 2,000 years later still talking about it - and for a reason. She's a poor widow with slim to none for prospects. In the temple she's likely invisible to the church leaders and other worshipers, but not to God. Jesus uses her as an example for his disciples on selfless giving in the Now, Here and This.

 

Have any of us been brazen enough to negotiate with God in the following way? "I'll do that after I get to _______ (fill in the blank) older, wiser, wealthier, less busy, kids are gone, retired, etc. etc."? Of course we have!!! Todd reminded us though, that we can easily play that game all the way to the grave (ugh). In our busy lives it's hard for us to comprehend that God doesn't view the little things in the same way we do. "I'll do it IF", "I'll do it WHEN"... He asks us just to obey - let God worry about how small or insignificant it seems. The truth is, we are not guaranteed another day. Whatever it is that God presents to you, He can use it.

 

Little indiscretions and omissions affect our relationship with God and snowball into big indiscretions and omissions. We get in trouble when we focus on the failures of our past or the intentions of our future. So seek God and ask him what the Now, Here and This things that He desires for you today!