The Weekly Update page is extracted from a weekly e-mail sent out by
Assistant Pastor Donna Pollock
PASTOR DONNA’S BLOG
According to the Hebrew calendar this is the year of the mouth (5780/2020). And there are certainly a lot of voices out there in the world speaking all sorts of things. There are those expressing concerns and recommendations about the Corona-virus. There are people speaking all sorts of opinions on that. There are people in the streets crying out for justice for our black brothers and sisters. (I hope and pray they are heard and it leads to much overdue change.) There are politicians saying they have the answer for what ails the country. There are people speaking from their hearts and those who speak from their experience. Everywhere around us people are speaking and impacting our souls.
In this cacophony of voices what is the church speaking? I’m not talking about the institutional church; I’m talking about the people of God, those who follow our Lord Jesus. What are we each speaking out in our world? Are we speaking life? Are we speaking judgment and criticism? Proverbs 25.11 tells us that a “word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver”. What we say has impact. It has the ability to give life to tear people apart. In all settings and in all situations are we adding fuel to a fire that’s burning and causing harm or are we walking in love and speaking words that turn away wrath and bring life.
There are times I feel like I have something to say. And times I recognize that I must keep silent. Today, I feel like I have something to say. In our country right now I believe we as Jesus’s disciples need to speak into this critical time the words that give life. God’s words planted firmly in our heart will come forth like a fountain of life to all who hear us. Are you sitting silently by in this chaos just trying to keep your head above water? Rise up! The only way to swim is to look up and connect with God’s word and His love for you.
It is the year of the mouth. Who is going to be speaking life and love into this world? It’s got to be us. We’re called upon to carry the light of Christ into this world. The world is speaking loudly all across the nation. What are we going to say?
Colossians 4:5-7 says this, “walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with sale, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” Who’s words are you speaking? Do we need to repeat all that we hear? No! We have a wellspring of truth from God’s word – dip into the wellsprings of salvation and bring forth a cool drink of water in our hurting world.
A word fitly spoken (spoken at the right time) is like apples of gold in setting of silver (a treasure to hold onto). Speak – it’s the year of the mouth, don’t be silent, speak the life and love of Christ that we all need desperately to feed our souls. It’s time to speak!