The Pastor's Page

Rob’s Reflections

Over the years I’ve made a lot of hospital calls. With those who were in the hospital for minor things (tests, minor surgery, etc.) I never paid much attention to what lay around in the room.  After all, that person wasn’t going to be there for very long.

On the other hand, when I went to the room of someone in serious condition (someone who was facing long term disability or even death), I noticed a real difference. Persons of faith usually had a Bible nearby, and often had devotional material there as well. These I’ll simply call persons of completed faith. They knew that they were going to need the basics for their faith. 

Many people had none of those things in their rooms. Sure, they had copies of “Better Homes and Gardens” magazine; “Field and Stream;” or catalogs from their favorite department stores.  But a Bible was nowhere in sight. They would mention that they had faith, even though they rarely went to church or read their Bibles. They had no community of faith but wanted you to know they were just as faithful as the next person. They generally wanted a minister to come in and fill all the holes of their incomplete faith. They were scared, anxious and even depressed, because when faced by some of the terrible questions of life, they were woefully unprepared.

I’m making no judgments here. These are just my observations from 40 years of paying attention to this phenomenon.

I praise God that I feel prepared for those big, terrible questions of life because I have prepared myself for them. If you are not prepared, please pick up the book and look for a community of faith. Like mine.

– Dr. Rob

September 25

    Jeremiah 32:1‑3, 6‑15; Psalm 91:1‑6, 14‑16

    Amos 6:1a, 4‑7 and Psalm 146

    1 Timothy 6:6‑19

    Luke 16:19‑31