[Elisha] said [to his servant] “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. 2 Kings 6:16-17a
Blinded By The Facts
Western civilization generally prides itself in having thrown off the mantle of superstition that’s plagued other cultures through the centuries. Outside of movies and video games, we don’t spend time worrying about ghosts, ancient curses, zombies or voodoo dolls. We don’t worship our rulers as demi-gods; they’re just humans (sometimes, all TOO human.) Physicians are (at least in theory) guided by “evidence-based medicine” that filters out the impact of emotion when selecting the best treatment. Economists assert they can predict the next recession based on “leading indicators” and not on people’s feelings. Show us the hard numbers, the statistical evidence and the data that can be fed into the right software algorithm so we can conjure up the most probable answer.
Facts. Just the facts, please. I’m too busy to be bothered by anything other than the latest information.
But sometimes the facts are so bright that it’s hard for our souls to see what’s really true. Sometimes we can be so blinded by “reality” that we miss Reality. We get so busy we ignore the beautiful surprises God sprinkles in our path. Sometimes our focus on reaching the next goal, satisfying the next client, seeing what’s happening on our favorite social media outlet or completing the next item on our to-do list takes our attention away from a vital piece of information that the Holy Spirit is whispering in our spiritual ear.
Sometimes, we need to have our spiritual eyes opened to see Reality.
This weekend, we’ll continue our Advent journey on the countdown to Christmas. We’ll discover how God put items of beauty in the most unlikely places; in the dry deserts and dark places of our hearts. Come discover what this can mean for your soul at our contemporary service on Saturday at 5:00 pm, and/or the traditional worship services on Sunday at 8:15 am and 10:50 am. Your kids won’t want to miss our “Kingdom Quest” pre-school and student gatherings, and you’ll enjoy making new friends and learning more about your faith in our expanded array of adult bible study classes, all held at 9:30 am on Sunday.
You won’t want to miss Trinity’s Christmas Eve services at 5:00 and 7:00 pm, or our Christmas Day worship at 9:30 am. During this busy time of year, invite your friends and neighbors to come with you to be reminded of the beautiful story of God’s love.
This weekend come learn how placing our faith and fears in the hands of the God who liberally sprinkles beautiful surprises into our lives can lessen our stress load. Celebrate with us the depth of Jesus’ love for us and find out how you can live a life of significance, filled with meaning. Discover how following Jesus can help you and your family navigate around the minefields of life.
Come get ready for the arrival of our King at Trinity Downtown this weekend. It will make a tremendous difference in your life.