Connecting

Sometimes when I hear teenagers complain about their parents who won’t get them the kind of cell phone they want, I tell them that my parents wouldn’t let me get my first cell phone until I was 40 years old! Actually both of my parents died before the age of cell phones. They didn’t even know that there was such a thing. Yes, I know, I’m old.

The first phone I remember had an operator. You just picked up the receiver and told her who you wanted to talk to. (Of course Siri will do that for me now!) When I was away from home, I had to find a pay phone to connect.

Now I am connected. I can connect with other people on my phone in several ways. I can call them, text them, email them, FaceTime them, send a Twitter Message, or post on their Facebook page. I just heard about Kik, a new messaging service to figure out and to confuse me.

The message of Christ is about connecting. Not electronically, but with the deeper bonds of love. We have separated ourselves from God and one another. That’s one of the definitions of sin, separation from God and other people. I feel lost without my phone, and I feel lost when I separate myself from God and other people. The difference is that God reached out to me. A favorite Bible passages comes from the Gospel of John: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17, NRSV)

God wants to make the connection. It’s not about how good I feel, or how bad I feel, or I how look, or how smart I am. It is the love of God that reaches out to me to make a connection. Another word for that connection is “grace.” It doesn’t take any electronic hardware, just a desire to connect with God.

The historical writer John Wesley talked about ways we connect with the grace of God. He called them “means of grace.” The most important was prayer, which is simply talking and listening to God. There are many ways of communicating with God. For me, finding a quiet time in a busy day is the best way to begin. Others may find God in the noise of modern life.

Another means of grace is found in the Bible. Find a good modern translation and spend some time reading it. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John tell the story of Jesus and are a good place to begin.

It is also important to join with others in your search for God. There is a listing of many folks on this page that will help you to connect with God through the power of Jesus Christ.

Most people today feel lost without their phone. Are you lost without the love of Christ?

Rev. Thomas Hyde

First United Methodist Church