Pastor's E-Letter

Pastor's E-Letter

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Showing items filed under “Annette Stiles Pendergrass”

Going Over the Edge

I love to snow ski. I haven’t been in many years but I’m sure I would still enjoy it. One thing about skiing never changes for me. That is the fear I feel when I get off the ski lift for the first time on a ski trip, make my way to the edge of the mountain, and look down at the slope as it drops off in front of me. You see, I’m not a big fan of heights. I am fine with heights when there is a fence or guard rail or some other thing in front of me that I know will keep me from falling. But stepping towards the edge of something of any great height without that guardrail makes me anxious.

Obviously in snow skiing, there is no railing. The idea is to go over the edge! Because I’ve done it before, and I know I’m at least a mildly competent skier. I know I can do it. I know it will be great fun when I do it. But on that very first run, it always takes me a moment to collect myself, to work up the courage to point my skis down the mountain and just go. Scott will always stand next to me, waiting patiently. And I usually have to say, “Just go on. Give me a minute and I’ll get there.” I stand there, reminding myself I can do it and that when I do, I will love it. I look at the terrain and map out my plan, what angle I will take, which way I will turn, (I turn A LOT – I like control – Scott gets seasick watching me). Finally, I attack my fear head-on, point my skis, and go. Within minutes, I’m so grateful I did. It’s such a wonderful feeling and the views are always amazing. It’s always worth the work it takes for me to face my fear, attack it, and just go!

This week in worship as we continue in our message series, “Finding Peace in the Storm”, we will be thinking about what it means for us to face our fears by attacking our anxiety with action. It’s so easy to let our fear or anxiety keep us from doing the things we want or need to do in life. It’s easy to let the storm, or our fear or anxiety amid the storm have the upper hand. The problem is that letting fear rule us can keep us from the abundant life that Jesus came that we might experience. Sometimes, the best thing we can do in the face of fear is to meet it head-on and do something in response to it. Behavior scientists call it “exposure therapy.” This course of action can’t be used with all our fears, worries, and anxieties, but sometimes it can be really helpful in moving us through fear. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Do the thing we fear, and the death of fear is certain.”

A great example of this principle is found in Matthew 14:22-33 – yet another story of the disciples in a boat in a stormy sea. But there are some differences to this story when compared to the one we looked at last week in Mark’s gospel. One of those differences is found in Peter’s response to his initial fear, seeing Jesus’ walking towards him on the sea. “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” Isn’t that just like Peter? The question is, what can we learn from Peter about facing fear head-on by attacking our fear with action? What is the thing God may be calling us to do that we are avoiding out of fear or anxiety? What are the next steps in our faith journey that God may want us to take? What are the next steps in our healing that God wants us to experience, but our worry, fear, or anxiety hold us back?

There is much we can learn from Peter. There is so much for us to wrestle with concerning the role of faith and doubt in our lives. There are so many times in my life when I need to hear Jesus say, “Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid.” Matthew 14:27

I pray you will join us in worship this Sunday, either in-person or online, as we continue the journey of allowing God to bring us peace in whatever storms we may be facing.

Posted by Annette Stiles Pendergrass with

Calm in the Storm

If you have lived in Florida for any length of time, you probably have a storm story. Your storm story is your first experience of preparing and perhaps even riding out a hurricane. My first experience of a hurricane occurred when I was in elementary school. I have no idea the name of the storm or exactly how old I was. What I remember about the storm was that my parents brought our outdoor furniture into the living room. We had a tiny house so the outdoor chairs in the living room meant there was very little walking space and I remember my older brothers and me playing on the chairs like they were some kind of new jungle gym in our house. I remember lots of wind and rain but other than that, it all simply felt like a big adventure. I didn’t know enough to be anxious or worried about the storm’s fury.

Since then, I’ve experienced the more menacing side of such storms along with all the anxiety and worry that accompanies such storms. Fortunately, I’ve never ridden out a storm that brought deep fear into my heart, but I have many friends who have lived through such experiences. And, several years ago, when one of the storms that we experienced here in Florida was supposed to come straight onto land in our area, I remember those feelings as I watched the weather channel non-stop, monitoring the storm. And as night fell, I remember praying, again and again, the words from Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; her leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.” Every time I prayed those words, I felt a sense of peace and calm begin to settle over me, pushing away the fear, the worry, the anxiety. I knew I was not alone.

This weekend in worship, we begin a new message series, “Finding Peace in the Storm.” While all of us Floridians have literal storm stories, we also all have other kinds of metaphorical storm stories. No one makes it through life without navigating storms. They are just part of what it means to live in the world as human beings. And fear, anxiety, worry, and uncertainty are natural and, sometimes, even very necessary and helpful responses to those storms. So, we should never be ashamed to admit our fear in the face of a storm.

However, one of the most frequent phrases we find throughout scripture is the phrase, “Do not be afraid.” We know that while fear is a normal, natural human response, one wired into our biology, we also know that God does not intend for fear to dominate and control our lives. Instead, God invites us to turn to God in faith and trust, to rest in God’s presence and care amid our fear. In place of fear, God has the power to grant us a sense of peace, comfort, and security, as Jesus said, “My peace I give to you…do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

How do we tap into that peace? How do we face the storms of life with faith, with hope, with trust, especially when those storms can rage over a long time? What tools does scripture give to us in coping with the storms we face? How do we find and cultivate the kind of peace that Jesus promises? Those are the questions we will be exploring over the next 4 weeks in worship.

This week we will begin by exploring what is perhaps the most, or at least one of the most, familiar and loved scriptures, Psalm 23. As you prepare for worship this Sunday, I encourage you to read over (or recite from memory if you can) this Psalm. Think about your own experience with this scripture. Do you remember when or where you first heard it? How did it speak to you then? How does it speak to you now? Also, consider the most recent storm you have navigated. Perhaps you are in a storm right now? Name the storm. Then ask yourself, “How do the words of this Psalm speak to me during my storm?”

Fear, anxiety, worry – these are not emotions about which to be ashamed. They are part of what makes us human. And God uses them to keep us safe from danger. God can also help us to accept and deal with those emotions in the presence of our storms so that they don’t control us and rob us of the life Jesus intends for us. So, I pray you will join us for worship this Sunday, either online or in-person as we seek to discover the peace that can be ours in the storm. Also, we will be celebrating Holy Communion so if you are worshipping from home, be sure to set the table for the sacrament of communion.

Posted by Annette Stiles Pendergrass with

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