From the Pastor's Desk (Mar. 2025)
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ~James 1:16-17
As the green returns in just over a month, I am reminded of the warm spring days sitting in my school yard during recess or track and field, or in my own lawn at home, and running my fingers through the grass and clover in search of that rare gem – the “magical” four-leafed clover. The excitement would ebb and flow as clover was often situated in such a way that a leaf from a three-leaf clover settled itself between two leaves of a neighboring clover, giving it the likeness of a four-leaf clover, and just as I was about to pick it, the clover moved, and I saw it only had three leaves after all. It would be disappointing, but the search would continue. But once in a while, just a few times per year, that long-awaited four-leaf clover would show itself in the sunlight, and I would think that I had it made – I was “lucky” because that’s what everyone said about anyone who found such a rare piece of greenery.
Now I can’t say that I can recall any significant connection between a four-leaf clover that I found and a related spell of excellent luck, and deep inside I knew it was merely a legend, but it was fun to go through the motions. And other similar superstitions fall in the same category – wishing upon a star if it is the first one out and the only one you see in the sky on any given evening, wishing on a shooting star, crossing your fingers, or finding a lucky penny. All of these things promise good luck, but of course as Christians, we know better.
It's still fun to find these things, but the concern is found in the very first words of the above scripture passage in James 1:16, Do not be deceived. Some people make these superstitions a matter of jest, but there are some people who truly believe them, and this is where we are called to be careful. James goes on to remind us that every good and perfect
gift – the times when we think luck just happens to be on our side – all of that comes from above. Specifically, the source of all good gifts is none other than our loving Father who wishes to bestow nothing but His very best upon us. The best of those gifts, of course, is His Son, who gave His life so that the most amazing thing of all could become ours – an eternity in perfect paradise in His Kingdom for all who believe in Him. No clover, star, or penny could ever provide something like that.
When we do something nice for someone else, while we probably don’t do it for glory and praise, it would undoubtedly strike a sensitive chord with us if the recipient of our kindness thanked and gave the credit to someone else. Don’t do that to God by counting on anything other than Him for all the amazing blessings we have. ~Pastor Eric
As the green returns in just over a month, I am reminded of the warm spring days sitting in my school yard during recess or track and field, or in my own lawn at home, and running my fingers through the grass and clover in search of that rare gem – the “magical” four-leafed clover. The excitement would ebb and flow as clover was often situated in such a way that a leaf from a three-leaf clover settled itself between two leaves of a neighboring clover, giving it the likeness of a four-leaf clover, and just as I was about to pick it, the clover moved, and I saw it only had three leaves after all. It would be disappointing, but the search would continue. But once in a while, just a few times per year, that long-awaited four-leaf clover would show itself in the sunlight, and I would think that I had it made – I was “lucky” because that’s what everyone said about anyone who found such a rare piece of greenery.
Now I can’t say that I can recall any significant connection between a four-leaf clover that I found and a related spell of excellent luck, and deep inside I knew it was merely a legend, but it was fun to go through the motions. And other similar superstitions fall in the same category – wishing upon a star if it is the first one out and the only one you see in the sky on any given evening, wishing on a shooting star, crossing your fingers, or finding a lucky penny. All of these things promise good luck, but of course as Christians, we know better.
It's still fun to find these things, but the concern is found in the very first words of the above scripture passage in James 1:16, Do not be deceived. Some people make these superstitions a matter of jest, but there are some people who truly believe them, and this is where we are called to be careful. James goes on to remind us that every good and perfect
gift – the times when we think luck just happens to be on our side – all of that comes from above. Specifically, the source of all good gifts is none other than our loving Father who wishes to bestow nothing but His very best upon us. The best of those gifts, of course, is His Son, who gave His life so that the most amazing thing of all could become ours – an eternity in perfect paradise in His Kingdom for all who believe in Him. No clover, star, or penny could ever provide something like that.
When we do something nice for someone else, while we probably don’t do it for glory and praise, it would undoubtedly strike a sensitive chord with us if the recipient of our kindness thanked and gave the credit to someone else. Don’t do that to God by counting on anything other than Him for all the amazing blessings we have. ~Pastor Eric
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