Just Keep Swimming

It’s hot outside. I mean really hot outside. Like “fry an egg on the sidewalk” hot (has anyone actually tried to do that?). And I am sure you all have your preferred way to “beat the heat.” Maybe it’s downing an ice-cold glass of lemonade or slurping on a frozen Popsicle. Maybe it’s dumping cold water on your head or avoiding the heat altogether by sitting in a nice air-conditioned house. But if you’re like me, the best way to beat the heat is to go swimming. I love going to the pool on a hot day! And thankfully we have a great neighborhood pool just a two blocks from our house. There’s something about swimming that calms and cools the body and the soul. Swimming in a pool is relaxing and refreshing and swimming in a lake or ocean can be exhilarating. It really doesn’t matter to me... if there’s a body of water big enough to contain my body, I’ll swim in it. As much as I love swimming there is one time when I’d rather avoid being in the water and that’s during a storm. I can handle the rain, but a full-out storm is a whole other story. And that’s because swimming in a storm can be incredibly dangerous... even deadly. Yet that’s exactly what Jesus had his disciples do. In Mark 4 we read about how the disciples were told by Jesus to cross over to the other side of a lake and, while they were “swimming,” a massive storm came and over took their boat.

That story makes me think: “How many times has Jesus led me into a storm?” I’ve certainly been lost in the sea of life... and I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that you’ve had moments like that too, moments where you’ve felt lost, drifting out to sea, or stuck in the middle of a storm. You know what I’m talking about, right? Those times in your life when you felt blown and tossed by the wind, only to be left to drown? So what do you during those times? Just keep swimming.

I know it’s not logical to keep swimming when you’re drowning, but that’s essentially what Jesus told the disciples when they woke him up on the lake that evening. They said, “Teacher, don’t you care that we’re going to drown?” (Mark 4:38). And then this happens... which was great... Jesus wakes up (never mind that he was sleeping through the storm) and rebukes the wind and the waves, he puts that storm in its place to the point where it says there was “a great calm” and then he turns to his disciples and says: “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?” (Mark 4:40).

Jesus doesn’t lead us to the other side just to let us drown. He doesn’t abandon us when the waves start creeping up around us. Why? Because he is right there swimming beside us. When the storms of life roll in, and they will, and the metaphorical seas get rough. Take Jesus’ advice and just keep swimming. Your faith is what will bring you through to the other side. Happy July!

Milkshake Mondays

Your summer is about to get a bit more delicious! Join us on Monday afternoons this summer from 3:00-4:00 PM at the Chick-fil-A on Rt. 7 at Sungarland Crossing for Milkshake Mondays. Bring a Bible and enjoy a free milkshake as we hang out and spend some time diving into God’s Word. The first Milkshake Monday will be on Monday, June 18. For more info, contact Andy Muich (andy@gslcva.org).

The Upside of Forgetfulness

Well, here it is... the end of another school year. In a couple of weeks most of you will be celebrating summer break and my guess is, school will be the last thing on your mind. I’ve always wondered how teachers view this time of the year. On one hand, I bet they’re as excited as you are for a break. But on the other hand, I have to believe that somewhere, deep down inside, they’re a bit upset. I wonder if they ever think that all of those lessons they taught, everything you learned that school year, will all be forgotten during summer break. Come September, when asked what you learned last year, what will your response be? “Hmmm, ummm, I forgot.”

We tend to think that forgetting is a negative thing... and sure, sometimes it is. But what if, just for a moment, we looked at it as a positive thing? Is there an upside to forgetfulness? We live in world where being remembered is important. Why do we post pictures on Instagram or videos on YouTube? Why do we update our statuses on Facebook or compose tweets on Twitter? Why? Because we want other people to know about us... and in the same way, we don’t want them to forget about us. But every now and then we do something that we wish people would forget. And when they don’t, when they remember exactly what was done, we end up carrying that around; unable to let go of it either.

There’s this story about a Catholic priest who was upset because a woman in his parish claimed to have daily conversations with Jesus. Soon she had her own following of people around her, and every day they surrounded her house, got on their knees, prayed and sang hymns, hoping to hear Jesus’ voice too. The priest thought this was getting out of hand, so he went to visit the woman. He told her that while he knew she thought she was having conversations with Jesus, he was convinced it was all part of her imagination. To prove his point he said, “If Jesus is right here in this room with you now, and you can talk to him, and he can talk to you, then ask him to name the three sins I confessed this morning in my prayers. If Jesus can answer your question and you can accurately name those sins, I might believe in what you say.” The woman sat for long a time. Then she smiled and turned to the priest and said, “I asked him, but Jesus said, ‘I forgot.’”

And there it is... there’s the upside of forgetfulness. Not only do we have a God who forgives; we have a God who forgets! How great is that? Jesus Christ takes sin away from us and forgets it was ever ours in the first place. God says, “I wipe away your sins because of who I am. And so I will forget the wrongs you have done” (Isaiah 43:25, CEV). So this summer, while you’re busy forgetting the Pythagorean Theorem, be sure to take some time to remember the God who forgives... and forgets. But be certain of this one thing: He will never forget you. Happy Summer!

Pool Party

All Jr. High & Sr. High Youth (grades 7-12) are invited to the “End-of-the-Year” Pool Party on Sunday, June 10. Join us from 7:00-9:00 PM at Glade Community Pool in Reston (11550 Glade Drive). Free swimming! Free pizza! Free fun! We've got the pool all to ourselves so bring a friend! Sign up for this event by Friday, June 8. Sign-up sheets are located in the Youth Room (121) or fellowship hallway or you can contact Andy Muich (DCE) at andy@gslcva.org. This “end-of-the-school-year” party will be a great kickoff to your summer break!

Lenten Reflection: Good Friday

A Blessed Good Friday to you. But what exactly makes Good Friday "good"? True, it is a day of great sadness as it is the day on which Jesus Christ was crucified and died. But his death brought more than tears... it brought fulfillment to a promise that was made thousands of years ago. God made good on His word. And that rescue plan that was hatched in the Garden of Eden was acted out on Calvary's hill. And with that, redemption came to us all. And yes, it came at a great price... but it was willing paid in full by God's love and Jesus' ultimate act of sacrifice. It was on Good Friday that Christ bought our freedom from sin, death, and the power of the devil.... bought not with silver, gold or credit cards, but with his blood, the blood of the Lamb. And that is why Good Friday is "good".

So, "Glory to one, God's murdered Son, who paid for my resurrection."