"Hitting the Target: How's Your Technique?"

This has been one of those weeks where it seems like everyone’s either getting sick, injured, or sick and injured.  One family actually had two members independently drop dumbbells on themselves on two unrelated occasions over the past week -- so read into that what you will.

On a more serious note, Sherry Sansom was involved in a car accident in Indiana on Saturday.  She’s okay, but she cracked her lower pelvis, a rib, her sternum, and one of her vertebrae, so she’s got a bit of a long haul of healing and rehab ahead of her.  She loves to get phone calls, so please feel free to get in touch with her and let her know that you’re thinking of her and praying for her while she’s convalescing in South Bend.

Here in Illinois, we’re starting our annual Covenant World Relief focus, supporting our denomination’s work to minister to the poor, the powerless, and the marginalized around the world.  Please look at the insert in your bulletins or look CWR up online, but their ministry really is exceptional, and is helping people around the world in the name of Christ.

We’re also preparing for our upcoming Seder meal, celebrating the Passover.  Chosen People Ministries is sending missionary Roy Schwarcz to help lead our Passover supper, and I’d encourage you to join us (and invite a friend or two) for the traditional Jewish meal on Wednesday, March 28th, at 5:30 pm.  Not only is it a culturally enriching opportunity to experience the Jewish roots of the Last Supper and Communion, but it’s also a wonderful chance to reach out to others with something that also draws you closer to the Lord personally as well.

In our message this week, we continued looking at “Hitting the Target” in life, using archery as an ongoing analogy to our walk with the Lord.  Just like we need to work on our aim in seeking God’s will in general and in specific (especially since the Biblical word, “sin,” is literally an archery term that means, “to miss the target”), we also need to work on our technique in doing the right things the right ways consistently.

See, if we don’t anchor ourselves the same way, to the same point each time, then we’re not going to hit the target the same way each time, even if we have the wisdom to at least aim for the same place.  We can’t trust our intellects at one point, then lean on our feelings most the next time, then remember to start by leaning on God’s perspective another, and yet expect that we’ll consistently hit the same target each time.

For instance, in a world increasingly based more on rage and outrage than on love and grace, it becomes increasingly important for us as Christians to make sure that we are not only seeking God’s wisdom and aiming to do God’s will, but also to make sure that we are anchoring our words, actions, and perspectives consistently in what honors God.  While the world’s interactions consistently devolve into shouting matches between “us” and “them,” the family of God should be striving to actively love and respect even those with whom we strongly disagree, and to consistently show God’s grace to everyone.

On what are you consistently, consciously anchoring yourself on a daily basis?