Have you ever seen a carrier pigeon? Sometimes they’re called homing pigeons because they have an amazing ability to find their way home (that’ll preach!). I think about those pigeons every time I read the story of Noah in Genesis 6-8. Here’s an excerpt:
“At the end of forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made 7 and sent out the raven; and it went to and fro until the waters were dried up from the earth. 8 Then he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground; 9 but the dove found no place to set its foot, and it returned to him to the ark, for the waters were still on the face of the whole earth. So he put out his hand and took it and brought it into the ark with him. 10 He waited another seven days, and again he sent out the dove from the ark; 11 and the dove came back to him in the evening, and there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf; so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth. 12 Then he waited another seven days, and sent out the dove; and it did not
return to him any more.”
Genesis 8:6-12
Can you imagine being Noah? Darkness was all around. Chaos was their constant companion as the ark floated on the rough waters that swelled above the mountains! Perhaps you’ve had those moments, when darkness is all around, your constant companion is chaos, nothing is going right, and anxiety has a chokehold on you. You find yourself knee deep in the thick of things, and your family is counting on you. The noise of life can be deafening!
Then everything gets quiet. A calmness comes over you. God speaks and assures you that things will be okay. That’s Noah’s story. After following God’s instructions to build an ark and riding out the most chaotic storm of his life, God spoke in the form of a dove carrying an olive leaf. God sent Noah a sign of peace, a sign of hope. The waters had receded, and they could come out of the ark safely.
Seems to me that we need more peace carriers in the world today. Those who carry hope to the hopeless, compassion to the downtrodden, and peace to anxious situations. We need more carriers.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
I love the sound of that “children of God.” As God’s children, we are to be the ones bringing peace where there is conflict. We are the peacemakers, bringing an olive branch in order to bring reconciliation. Church, we cannot avoid conflict, we cannot avoid disagreements, but along with our opinions, can we also bring the good news of the Gospel?
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
Romans 10:15b
Can you carry the message of God’s love, grace, and mercy to those who need it most? Can you carry hope to a lonely senior, or to a young person who’s confused, or to a retiree who’s wondering what now? The world needs encouragement. They need hope. They need a sign. Are you a carrier?
20 Thus I make it my ambition to proclaim the good news, not where Christ has already been named, so that I do not build on someone else’s foundation, 21 but as it is written,
“Those who have never been told of him shall see, and those who have never heard of him shall understand.”
Romans 15:20-21
Join me this Sunday as we continue the sermon series based on our vision for 2022: Exalting God, Encouraging All, Empowering New Generations! This Sunday’s sermon, Are You a Carrier, will talk about how we can be an encouragement to others. Join us in-house at 10:00am, or you can also join us online. For online worship go to www.umcgt.org.
Your Resolutions Called! Join me for a fun and informative time of resetting. If you find it hard to stay on track with goals that you’ve made, this is the course for you! Learn some life-hacks and tips on how to make simple adjustments that will yield big results. This is a virtual course via Zoom, next Wednesday, February 16, at 6:30 pm. The login information will be on the church website. Come on, church, let’s tackle those goals together!
As we prepare to celebrate Valentine’s Day, know that your pastor loves you. To borrow from the Apostle Paul…
“I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying
with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you…”
Philippians 1:3-4
With Love and Blessings,
Pastor Linda
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