Fields United Methodist Church

Jesus Along the Way: Words of Hope and Grace.                       By Pastor Tom Joyce

August 12, 2020

“So we can say with confidence, the Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me.”   Hebrews 13:6

Every once in a while, we need help. Sometimes life can really get in the way of living life. Until this year, none of us have experienced a time of pandemic that has so radically changed how we live. Worship may be vibrant but it is certainly not the same as it was before March 8. Masks are everywhere. Store hours are limited, and the drive-thru line for ice cream has never been longer. Life has seriously been altered and it can be scary, and hard. Some things are easy to deal with, but then when heart ache, loneliness, isolation, and loss of all kinds start happening, we need help, and lots of it. During this time, and all the time, look to Jesus as your “helper,” your rock that will support you no matter what challenges may come your way. All along the way, there is Jesus, why be afraid? Life can be life, as people can be people, but the good news is, your help comes from the Lord, who created the heavens and the earth. Faith in Jesus Christ offers the reality of the presence of God even and especially in our times of greatest need. Someone once said that, “when God seems far away, God is the closest to us.” So where is this Jesus? Where is help when we need it most? Jesus works through those that we encounter along the way; the kind voice of a friend, witness of the faith of another, the helping hand of a neighbor, the unexpected gift or note that enlivens the soul. The things of the world come and go, but the love of God through Jesus the Christ is forever, and that is a long time. “Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not let them be afraid.”

Rev. Tom Joyce, pastor

Fields United Methodist Church