From the Pastor:

 

"Drop the Phone and Pick up a Book"

 

A few weeks ago Sunday, July 20 to be exact, the Gospel reading for that Sunday was Luke 10:38-42: the story of Martha scolding her sister Mary and Jesus then "correcting" Martha. You most likely know the story: Jesus is visiting in their home. Martha is preparing a meal while Mary is at Jesus' feet listening to Him. Martha wants Mary to help her in the kitchen. But she, Mary, is just sitting there listening to what Jesus has to say, and she, Martha is loosing patience with her, Mary. That's when Jesus intervenes and gently scolds Martha, saying, "Mary has chosen the One Thing Needful. I can almost hear Jesus adding: "Martha, drop all those pots and pans; stop making all that noise; come and listen also."

 

A few days after that incident in Bethany revisited I was reading an article which promoted the advantages of dropping that cell phone, that "I" phone, or whatever it may be called, but which under all too many circumstances is just making too much noise. The writer of the article also advised to exchange it for the reading of a book. The writer of the article was proposing that reading a book most likely would be of greater value. But, alas, many don't do that anymore. Consequently, it was observed, that both they and the world are much impoverished. The art of reading and also of writing is being lost, and along with those loses the brain itself is in danger of loosing the creative function of thinking a thing through and responding intelligently -- which is an art that even AI cannot match.

 

A beautiful thing is being lost to our world, and it is being replaced by the blaring and garish sound of what is often just a lot of rubbish.

 

Put the phone down (or whatever the appliance may be). Pick up a book: a good novel, of some history, or some biography -- something that will make you think, and make you work at thinking. Let the words "play" with your mind, so that you learn how to play with the words so that when you speak, you might say something beautiful or inspiring or meaningful. Or think of it this way: you may pick up a pen and write something really neat to someone instead of just babbling into the device. Revel in reading and writing words, and the world will be a more beautiful place. You and everyone else may be better off for it.

 

And, by the way, (and you knew that I was going to go to where we now are going.) "The One Thing Needful is still the One Thing Needful." Get to know the Scriptures; read them, read the Bible; it is loaded with history, and biography, and poetry, and parables. It has at it's center "The Greatest Story Ever Told" -- the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus our Christ. Get in on The Story. Drop the phone, the pots and pans; turn off the TV; shut down the internet. And read, read, read.

 

Pastor David M. Albertin

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