A Practical Friend

Beloved:

    One of my oldest friends has a big birthday next week.  The same big birthday I had last February.  She sent me a necklace made by her jewelry artist friend.  I haven’t decided what to send her.  We were barely still teenagers when we met.  Between us are four degrees, several jobs, two husbands, five kids.  Thirty plus years laced with a multitude of private jokes, sworn secrets, tears and laughs.  

    I wonder why some friendships last and others fade?

    I wonder if when I’m really old I’ll look back and realize some I thought were best friends weren’t while true best friends were ones I took for granted?  

I wonder if, some best friends were more an idea I kept alive and constantly decorated in my own mind than a living, breathing relationship of contact and acceptance?  

I wonder what a statistical analysis of my friendships would reveal: from whom did I seek comfort and help? Who listened?  Who checked on me?  Who showed up when I was down? Who gave without expectation and forgave without judgement?  And to whom was I such a friend as this?

Beginning this Sunday, January 25, I’ll preach from Mark’s gospel with the idea of treating it like Jesus’ invitation to make him our best friend. Not a figurative friend - but a practical one.  The kind of best friend who shows up, who comforts, who forgives without judgement and corrects with kindness.  In chapter one, verses 14-20, Jesus is is on the beach in Galilee where he happens upon some fisherman going about their ordinary lives.  I suppose they already had friends when Jesus invites four of them to join his crew.  They were changed forever.   

I look forward to sharing the time with you!  And here are the two fifty year olds this past Thanksgiving. Love you Angela!!!  ~ peace & prayers, pastor annette