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Someone said that anxiety is a main disease of our day. We worry about the
stock market, possible war, terrorism, health problems, our children, our
health. The list goes on and on. Almost all of us have something we are greatly
concerned about or something we fear to some extent.
For the last three years Trinity has engaged in an annual spiritual adventure
for the whole church. The first year we did “40 Days of Purpose,” which was
followed by “Daring to Dream Again” in our 150th Anniversary year. Last year we
did 40 Days of Community. During these adventures we encourage all of our
members to get involved by faithfully attending the combined worship services,
belonging to a small group that meets weekly, and by reading the daily
devotional that elaborates on the weekly theme. I am excited to announce that
the theme for this year’s spiritual adventure is, Standing Tall: Facing Fears
That Grip the Soul. The key idea is that fear is best addressed by relying on
God’s almighty power.
The adventure will start on October 2 and conclude on Christ the King Sunday,
November 20. During this time we will learn to stand up to our fears, not run
from them. But not to stand up to them in our own resources, but rather by
relying on God’s strength working in and through us. David, in Psalm 27, did not
run from his fears. He stood up to them and faced them by relying on God’s
almighty power. In Psalm 27:1 he says, “The Lord is my light and my
salvation—whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall
I be afraid?”
Muhammad Ali, the former heavy weight boxing champion of the world, was a very
self-confident man as many of us remember. He told everyone, “I am the greatest.
The greatest fighter that ever lived.” One day he was in an airplane and the
stewardess told him to put his seatbelt on. The fighter replied, “Superman don’t
need no seatbelt.” To this the stewardess shot back, “Superman don’t need no
airplane either, so put your seatbelt on.”
Some people are very confident in their own strengths and resources, but David
made it clear that he saw his strength in the Lord. “The Lord is my light and my
salvation—whom shall I fear?” Psalm 27:2–3 says, “When evil men advance against
me to devour my flesh, when my enemies and my foes attack me, they will stumble
and fall. Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break
out against me, even then will I be confident.”
Since the September 11 tragedy, what we live under is the constant threat of
terrorism and modern warfare that can be fast and furious. During the first
Sunday of our adventure we will be looking at the fear of terrorism and war.
Sunday two is about the fear of financial insecurity. Many of us know what
that’s like from first-hand experience. Sunday three will focus on the fear of
rejection and betrayal, while Sunday four will deal with the fear of skeletons
in the closet. What if people find out your hidden secrets?
Sunday five is about the fear of failure and disgrace, and Sunday six will
center on the fear of disease and death. A report comes back that the lump in
your breast is malignant or “I don’t know how to explain this, but that blood
transfusion, well, sir, you have the AIDS virus.” Sunday seven: the paralyzing
“what-ifs.” What if your children leave the faith? What if your retirement is
cleaned out unexpectedly? And Sunday eight is about the fear of gathering doom.
I mean, how come all the headlines are bad? And what exactly is happening in the
world?
A psychologist who specialized in helping people face their fears said that the
bottom line that he tried to teach his clients was this powerful truth: “Jesus
and I can face anything together.” This is what will be asked of us: to face our
fears instead of avoiding them. But here’s the key: face them not alone but by
relying on God’s power and strength working in and through us.
I invite you to start praying for this year’s spiritual adventure and to prepare
your heart and schedule so that you can make the most of this opportunity to
grow in your faith. Get connected and be greatly blessed!
Rev. Dr. Albert Potgieter
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