By Shelley Pantoliano
There is a saying that goes: “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” I have to say that I don’t completely agree with this! There are many things we might be afraid of, but when faced with a specific fear, it’s easier said than done to try to convince ourselves that if we just weren’t afraid, the situation that is causing the fear would vanish.
We all have fears, fears that change as we go through life, from childhood fears like the fear of the dark or going to kindergarten, or even the fear of imaginary monsters under the bed, to fears like loss of independence or failing health in our later years.
What fears are you struggling with right now? Do you feel alone as you are struggling with your fears?
I want to share with you my most ironic fear: the fear of speaking in front of an audience. When I was in school and had a class that required an oral report, I would rather have taken a zero than get up in front of my classmates and give a presentation. And yet, I ended up becoming a Pastor.
I entered the Lay Ministry Program through the United Church of Christ in the late 90’s. However, it took me a year to actually begin the program once I sensed a call to ministry. Can you guess why? Yup – I was afraid. What scared me the most was the preaching requirement.
The pastor at my church was a wonderful mentor to me as I made my way through the program. At one point, she asked me to fill in for her for 2 Sundays when she would be on on vacation. I would be required to preach!
When I arrived at church that first Sunday, I found on the pulpit an angel ornament with a tag on it with the words from Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” My mother had left it there for me. I was comforted by her thoughtful gesture, and I made it through the service without throwing up or passing out!
When I got home from church, sitting on my porch was a still-warm pan of apple crisp that my Aunt Jean had made. She worked nights at a nursing home and couldn’t be there to support me in person. She came home from a long night of work, baked the apple crisp, and left it for me with a note.
You see, we are never alone on this journey through life. As people of faith, we believe that God is with us throughout our lives, in the good times and the fearful times, but there are times when we are struggling, and it seems as if God is silent. We pray and we pray, and God is silent…or so we think.
In the Gospel of Mark, we can find the story of Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat when a ferocious storm comes upon them suddenly. The disciples, overcome with panic and fear, forgot two important things as the boat was battered about by the waves: first, that Jesus was with them; and second, that they had each other.
How many times during struggles in life do we call to God for relief from our fears and it feels as if God hasn’t heard us? Think about a time when you were struggling, and then, someone unexpectedly reached out to you. Maybe they sent you a car, or brought you a plate of cookies, or invited you over for a cup of coffee and conversation. And it wasn’t until later that you suddenly realized that God DID hear you, and it was through that person that God acted.
My community of faith, Westminster Presbyterian Church, is what is known as a Matthew 25 church, which means we reach out to the community by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned as Jesus commanded. It is at the very heart of this congregation to be the hands, voice, and feet of Jesus in this world.
But one of the greatest blessings of this congregation is how we take care each another. We build one another up, step up in times of trouble, and celebrate times of joy. We reach out to each other through meal trains, cards, phone calls, and many other ways. We celebrate baptisms, graduations, weddings, anniversaries.
We are a diverse group from many different backgrounds and life experiences, just as Jesus’ disciples were also a diverse group. Matthew was a tax collector; Luke was a doctor; Peter, James, and John were fishermen; Simon the Zealot was a political activist. Yet they learned from Jesus about the importance of loving each other through the lens of God’s unconditional love. They shared what is called an Agape love – a love not based on romantic feelings, but based on a kind of love that is selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial.
Our faith community comes together each week to worship God and to experience with thankfulness what it’s like to be part of a vibrant faith community that loves one another with that same unconditional Agape love.
When you are facing difficult times, who has stepped up for you? Who has been by your side through those times of fear and uncertainty? Who walks with you through your life journey, so you don’t feel alone? Take a moment to give thanks for the people God sends your way who travel with you, and be ready to offer a comforting presence for them when they are having their own struggles.
Remember, my friends: we are all in the boat together, whether the waters are calm or the waters are rough. We are never alone because we have God and we have each other.
There is a saying that goes: “There is nothing to fear but fear itself.” I have to say that I don’t completely agree with this! There are many things we might be afraid of, but when faced with a specific fear, it’s easier said than done to try to convince ourselves that if we just weren’t afraid, the situation that is causing the fear would vanish.
We all have fears, fears that change as we go through life, from childhood fears like the fear of the dark or going to kindergarten, or even the fear of imaginary monsters under the bed, to fears like loss of independence or failing health in our later years.
What fears are you struggling with right now? Do you feel alone as you are struggling with your fears?
I want to share with you my most ironic fear: the fear of speaking in front of an audience. When I was in school and had a class that required an oral report, I would rather have taken a zero than get up in front of my classmates and give a presentation. And yet, I ended up becoming a Pastor.
I entered the Lay Ministry Program through the United Church of Christ in the late 90’s. However, it took me a year to actually begin the program once I sensed a call to ministry. Can you guess why? Yup – I was afraid. What scared me the most was the preaching requirement.
The pastor at my church was a wonderful mentor to me as I made my way through the program. At one point, she asked me to fill in for her for 2 Sundays when she would be on on vacation. I would be required to preach!
When I arrived at church that first Sunday, I found on the pulpit an angel ornament with a tag on it with the words from Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” My mother had left it there for me. I was comforted by her thoughtful gesture, and I made it through the service without throwing up or passing out!
When I got home from church, sitting on my porch was a still-warm pan of apple crisp that my Aunt Jean had made. She worked nights at a nursing home and couldn’t be there to support me in person. She came home from a long night of work, baked the apple crisp, and left it for me with a note.
You see, we are never alone on this journey through life. As people of faith, we believe that God is with us throughout our lives, in the good times and the fearful times, but there are times when we are struggling, and it seems as if God is silent. We pray and we pray, and God is silent…or so we think.
In the Gospel of Mark, we can find the story of Jesus and his disciples crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat when a ferocious storm comes upon them suddenly. The disciples, overcome with panic and fear, forgot two important things as the boat was battered about by the waves: first, that Jesus was with them; and second, that they had each other.
How many times during struggles in life do we call to God for relief from our fears and it feels as if God hasn’t heard us? Think about a time when you were struggling, and then, someone unexpectedly reached out to you. Maybe they sent you a car, or brought you a plate of cookies, or invited you over for a cup of coffee and conversation. And it wasn’t until later that you suddenly realized that God DID hear you, and it was through that person that God acted.
My community of faith, Westminster Presbyterian Church, is what is known as a Matthew 25 church, which means we reach out to the community by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and visiting the sick and imprisoned as Jesus commanded. It is at the very heart of this congregation to be the hands, voice, and feet of Jesus in this world.
But one of the greatest blessings of this congregation is how we take care each another. We build one another up, step up in times of trouble, and celebrate times of joy. We reach out to each other through meal trains, cards, phone calls, and many other ways. We celebrate baptisms, graduations, weddings, anniversaries.
We are a diverse group from many different backgrounds and life experiences, just as Jesus’ disciples were also a diverse group. Matthew was a tax collector; Luke was a doctor; Peter, James, and John were fishermen; Simon the Zealot was a political activist. Yet they learned from Jesus about the importance of loving each other through the lens of God’s unconditional love. They shared what is called an Agape love – a love not based on romantic feelings, but based on a kind of love that is selfless, unconditional, and sacrificial.
Our faith community comes together each week to worship God and to experience with thankfulness what it’s like to be part of a vibrant faith community that loves one another with that same unconditional Agape love.
When you are facing difficult times, who has stepped up for you? Who has been by your side through those times of fear and uncertainty? Who walks with you through your life journey, so you don’t feel alone? Take a moment to give thanks for the people God sends your way who travel with you, and be ready to offer a comforting presence for them when they are having their own struggles.
Remember, my friends: we are all in the boat together, whether the waters are calm or the waters are rough. We are never alone because we have God and we have each other.
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