little things

This may be all over the place. But I have been thinking about how little things lead to other things. In the positive sense - asking, remembering and using a name can mean a lot. A positive impression and going the extra mile can make a connection for someone who has been far from Christ. I can't actually say why Brewerton UMC has been better and having more guests each week since the first of the year, but I like it. No brag here, just some joy in the ole pastor's heart. I do know one thing that is different, over 50 people are reading the Bible daily. Way cool. Some days, especially in Leviticus, that is not a 'little' thing.

For some reason Micah 6:8 drops in my head here - "Do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with your God." Those are not necessarily big things, but their impact can be. This is "what is good and what the Lord requires of us."

We're giving away free ice, snow and cold here in Brewerton if anyone wants any!

Salt and Fat

Leviticus 2:13 "Season all your grain offerings with salt. Do not leave the salt of the covenant of your God out of your grain offerings. Add salt to all your offerings." Without salt in your food it seems to lack. Too much salt ruins it. There is the savory part of adding the salt to the grain offering. It completes it. There may be another part we miss. Salt was precious. It may have been more traded and valuable in some places than the grain. (I can see it now, some smart person will put some in Sunday's offering.) In any case it adds value to the sacrifice. IT marks the covenant promise with God.

On to another scripture - I just love this one especially in Lent - ready Leviticus 3:16 "All the fat is the Lord's." My friend, the rather large Rev. Bill Powell, often quoted it "All fat is the Lord's" he was either saying that he surely belonged to God OR that the fat on him was not his, it belonged to God. I prefer the plan that in making the sacrifices the fat was burnt up. So on to the fat burning plan. Exercise, take care of yourself and offer that fat to God!

"Going to the gym?" someone asks. "No, I am going to make an offering to the Lord." He says. ;-)

Sounds you rarely hear

Today as the wind whistled in the trees I heard the sound of the swish of the ice on the branches. It is a unique and rarely(fortunately) heard sound. The ice had formed on Friday night and the temperature and rain did not melt if off entirely yet.

What is the big deal about this? For one thing it is unique and I seldom hear it. I was pleased by the unique sound and joyful in the beauty which was heard in the midst of a potentially terrible thing. Fortunately no big limbs down or power off for days at a time here.

Don't we all need to heed the good amidst the bad? Such is true in our Bible reading. We can be overwhelmed by the wars or the amount of law in the Old Testament, or we can see the purpose and deeper revelation in the passage. What is behind the most obvious in a text? What is this teaching us about God.

In the case of the whispering ice I found a rare and pleasant sound and I am blessed for it.