February 2022 Pastor’s Blog

When I was in high school I belonged to a biker gang. There was about 5-8 of us on any given ride and yes, we were riding bicycles.

We would gather on Sundays, in the middle of the county, and ride our bikes to church. I lived in south county, other friends lived in north county and our church was located in west central. By the time we got home, most of us had clocked at least 20 miles for the day.
One of the conversations that I had with one of my buddies, while riding bicycles, was about a car. Peter’s grandfather had made him an offer. If he would take the time to fix up the car that his grandfather had stored in a garage for years then it would become his. This was exciting because we were at the age when we could conceivably drive cars and simultaneously too poor to afford them.

The car was a Kaiser (I think a Manhattan). It was described to me as a long car with big fins. For those who are unaware, Kaiser Motors was a company started in the post-war years and after initial success was finally swallowed up by AMC which changed the division’s name to AM General. Needless to say the car was rare and very cool.

Having no idea what condition this vehicle was in, I strongly encouraged my friend to take his grandfather up on the deal. Not only would he get to spend time with grandpa, he also would end up with a really cool car. And it was free! This was a mildly strange conversation to have while riding with your bike gang, but what was stranger to me, was that Peter refused to consider it.

How could you refuse a gift like that? Yet we all do, all the time.

God is offering us a faith or, in other words, a way of life that is valuable beyond measure. We might think it needs work. There might be some rust around the fins and have a rough idle. But with a little care and elbow grease we can get the thing running and ultimately have something wonderful to enjoy, share with others and pass down to the next generation.
I assume that one of Peter’s main reasons for turning his grandfather down was because he didn’t know much about car mechanics. It looked like too big a challenge. Many times, trying to live the way Jesus lived feels like a huge challenge. Most of us would agree that it would be really cool to get all four wheels on the roads, but at the moment there isn’t much spark in the cylinders.

The best part of God giving gifts is that he doesn’t just leave them at the door like a COVID Christmas present. Just like Peter’s grandfather, God invites us into the garage and is willing to share his tools and knowledge. God gives us the power, through the Holy Spirit, to live and move and breathe through faith.

What would it mean to you if you knew there was something amazing waiting for you? Something that you might have to invest it, but that God would be there with you to help you craft it. Something that you could really enjoy, that you could honestly share with others and something you could pass down to your kids and grandkids?

This is what Faith can be like. Let’s not just take it for test drive or keep for Summer Sunday afternoons. Let’s make our Faith a daily driver.

“We do not proclaim ourselves; we proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your slaves for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that it may be made clear that this extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us.” 2 Corinthians 4: 5-7