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Life in Greencastle - The Word

"The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord endures forever." - 1 Peter 1:24,25

"For the Word is inexhaustible. One can only stand in wonder and point." - William C. Martin

I was coming back from a dinner with my dad and step-mom last night, and I took the back way home. This takes me along the old State Farm land near Manhattan and Putnamville, and as I drove into a valley where there is a small bridge I looked off to the west. The sun was doing one of those beautiful dances with the clouds - peeking below before it made its exit off stage for the day. It was a glowing fire, a burning orange. And below its radiance, two does stood silently over a field of beans.

I stopped the car right there in the middle of the road. Just to watch and to listen. The deer raised their heads and stared ahead at my car. Together we were matched in curious gaze. I didn't linger long. I put the car back in first gear and began again up the hill to take me out of the small valley. But for a moment I staid long enough to see a deeper world; I caught the glimpse of the inexhaustibly beautiful Word, which John's Gospel reminds us stirs up and orders all of creation.

It reminds me of what surely has to be the best Presbyterian movie of all time. Why A River Runs Through It, of course - the very story written by Norman Maclean and put to film by Robert Redford.

Early in the story, Rev. Maclean, a Presbyterian minister, takes his young boys to the river and gives the boys a lesson - telling them that long ago the rain fell on the mud and made rocks. But, even before there were rocks - underneath those rocks - are the words of God. And all the Maclean boys had to do was to listen. If they listened well, they could hear the words of God.

There is a grace and truth beneath the surface and commotion of our life. This week we will plunge ourselves again into Paul's letter to the Ephesians, and, as we do, Paul will invite us again to see that grace and truth, to listen and to stand in wonder at the Word.

I am also grateful that Pam Coburn will be assisting in our worship this week - offering her voice as an instrument to speak to us the word of the Lord. Pam, as you may know, was once a student at DePauw who participated and sang in our worship back when we worshiped in our old sanctuary. So, she returns to us again - to help remind us that we never know where God will lead us or use us.

And, we will gather around the table of our Lord this Sunday. We will have the occasion to remember that the Word of God did - in fact - become flesh, flesh that was willing to be broken that we might be made whole.

There will be bread enough for all who need it. There always is. The Word is inexhaustible. Let us stand in awe and point to the glory of God.

Wes

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