Greetings siblings in Christ,
I hope you all are enjoying your summer! I hope it has been full of fun and adventure. Overall, it has been a good summer for me. However, it has been hot, Hot, HOT! One thing that Eileen, Luca, and I like to do when it is hot outside is to cool off in some water. We do this in many ways, but our favorite way to do this is by going down to the shore. We love the ocean and beach. We always try to get a few day trips in down at the shore during the summer months. I like the beach for many reasons. It is indeed a good way to cool off. However, I also just love seeing the ocean. Growing up where I did in the rural Midwest, there were not many opportunities to see such a grand body of water. The ocean’s vastness and liveliness captures my attention and imagination. There is so much about the ocean that is beautiful, but yet it is also frightening. It is so full of life but yet can be so deadly.
This is a sentiment that many people can relate to, and it is a theme that can be traced throughout scripture. In the scripture, the sea/ocean is symbolic of chaos and danger. Before creation, the ocean/deep is described as being covered with darkness (Gen 1:2). Then, in the gospels, there are instances when the disciples are so afraid of the sea and the waves that crash around them that they cry out in fear, calling for help (Mt.8:23-27; Mrk. 4:35-42; Luk. 8:22-25).
However, in the Bible, the ocean/sea is also seen as beautiful and majestic. It stands as an example of God's power and might. In the book of Isaiah, God says, “I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name.” (51:15). God also calls the sea good. In Genesis 1: 9-10, God declares: “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”
So, for me, although the ocean/sea is indeed scary, it is also a sign of how glorious and mighty our God is. It is a reminder of the goodness that comes from God. It is a reminder of God's marvelous presence here on earth, God’s power and might. It is a sign of how great our God is! The last several years have been really hard for our country and for the world. So, signs like this are an important reminder for us that God is indeed still at work here on earth, that God is still present.
So, when I look at the ocean, I think about how scary and unknown it is, but I also think about how good and full of life it is. Our lives are also so much like this. Our lives can be scary and full of unknowns, but yet our lives are good. For we, like the ocean, were made by God, and God's presence is among us. God uses us too, like the ocean, to show God’s glory and might, and we are made to be signs of God's glorious presence here on earth. So, I ask you “how will you make God's presence known today?” As your summer starts to come to a close, I encourage you to reflect and pray on this question, and to remember that God is always with you. Amen.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
I hope you all are enjoying your summer! I hope it has been full of fun and adventure. Overall, it has been a good summer for me. However, it has been hot, Hot, HOT! One thing that Eileen, Luca, and I like to do when it is hot outside is to cool off in some water. We do this in many ways, but our favorite way to do this is by going down to the shore. We love the ocean and beach. We always try to get a few day trips in down at the shore during the summer months. I like the beach for many reasons. It is indeed a good way to cool off. However, I also just love seeing the ocean. Growing up where I did in the rural Midwest, there were not many opportunities to see such a grand body of water. The ocean’s vastness and liveliness captures my attention and imagination. There is so much about the ocean that is beautiful, but yet it is also frightening. It is so full of life but yet can be so deadly.
This is a sentiment that many people can relate to, and it is a theme that can be traced throughout scripture. In the scripture, the sea/ocean is symbolic of chaos and danger. Before creation, the ocean/deep is described as being covered with darkness (Gen 1:2). Then, in the gospels, there are instances when the disciples are so afraid of the sea and the waves that crash around them that they cry out in fear, calling for help (Mt.8:23-27; Mrk. 4:35-42; Luk. 8:22-25).
However, in the Bible, the ocean/sea is also seen as beautiful and majestic. It stands as an example of God's power and might. In the book of Isaiah, God says, “I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar— the Lord Almighty is his name.” (51:15). God also calls the sea good. In Genesis 1: 9-10, God declares: “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. 10 God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good.”
So, for me, although the ocean/sea is indeed scary, it is also a sign of how glorious and mighty our God is. It is a reminder of the goodness that comes from God. It is a reminder of God's marvelous presence here on earth, God’s power and might. It is a sign of how great our God is! The last several years have been really hard for our country and for the world. So, signs like this are an important reminder for us that God is indeed still at work here on earth, that God is still present.
So, when I look at the ocean, I think about how scary and unknown it is, but I also think about how good and full of life it is. Our lives are also so much like this. Our lives can be scary and full of unknowns, but yet our lives are good. For we, like the ocean, were made by God, and God's presence is among us. God uses us too, like the ocean, to show God’s glory and might, and we are made to be signs of God's glorious presence here on earth. So, I ask you “how will you make God's presence known today?” As your summer starts to come to a close, I encourage you to reflect and pray on this question, and to remember that God is always with you. Amen.
Peace and Blessings, Pastor Ethan Doan
