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One day at a timeWednesday, November 30, 2016
Matthew 4:18-20 The flags of Scotland, Tenerife, the Confederacy, Florida and Alabama are all adorned with "St. Andrew's cross." Andrew is the patron saint of Scotland, Russia, Romania, Ukraine, Barbados, and parts of Italy, Portugal, Malta, the Philippines and Greece. Who knew? We named our first child Christopher Andrew. We named our daughter Andrea. The name means "brave and manly, or womanly." Does the meaning of a name follow your children through their lives? Did it follow Andrew, Jesus' disciple? Andrew hardly knew what he was in for when he left his nets and "at once" followed Jesus. And after Jesus was crucified, after Jesus' resurrection and ascension into heaven, Andrew became a world traveler. He heard Jesus say, "Go into all the world," and he did just that. I'll bet he didn't plan it all out, either. One thing happened, and then the next. And he just kept his eyes open and his skin in the game. Like the rest of us, Andrew was dependent on God's strength, direction and support to be his "manly" self. He lived his life one day at a time. Like we do. If we don't live in Scotland, we might not party down and eat all night. But this is a feast day, nonetheless. A good day to live. A good day to be brave and manly, or womanly, and thank God for ears to hear and eyes to see what happens next. Let me live one day at a time, Lord, enjoy one moment at a time. Let me accept hardship as a pathway to peace and take, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it. Show me how to trust that you will make all things right as I surrender to your will, so that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with you forever in the next. Amen. (prayer of Reinhold Neibuhr, pastor) |
Today is the feast day for St. Andrew in the Episcopal, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. In Scotland, this is St. Andrew's Day, Scotland's national holiday. There will be parties galore in Edinburgh and Glasgow, and all places in between.