The Lord appeared in a dream to a man, showed him a large boulder, and charged him to push against the rock with all his might. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulder set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing it with all his might. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
   Knowing in his mind that was never going to move that rock, yet feeling in his heart that he had been called to do so, he prayed to God: "Lord, I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet after all this time, I have not been able to budge that rock. What is wrong? Why am I failing?"
   Do you ever feel like you’re pushing against a rock? You’re up against something really hard, and you work and work; you try and try; you spend all your energy; yet you feel like you’re getting no-where. You feel like a failure. You don’t understand why God allows obstacles and opposition, or how God expects you to be successful when obstacles and opposition stand in the way. I know you feel that way sometimes. I do too.
   The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you to serve me with all your strength, which you have done, never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move the boulder. Your task was to push. And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But, is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back lean and sturdy, and your legs have become massive and hard. Through opposition you have grown much. Your abilities now far surpass those which you used to have. Your calling was to obey, to push, to exercise your faith, and to trust in my wisdom. You didn’t realize it, but your faithfulness and obedience made you strong."
   That’s a comforting thought, but it’s difficult to remember in the midst of trouble. No one knew that better than Joseph (Old Testament), who was sold into slavery by his own brothers. For 13 years he lived as either a slave or a prisoner. For 13 years he pushed against the rock, getting nowhere. How could God expect Joseph to be successful when God allowed such bad things to happen to him?
   After 13 long, hard years, Joseph stood before Pharaoh, King of Egypt, to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. All Joseph’s troubles made him strong for this moment. All his experiences gave him wisdom to interpret Pharaoh’s dream. Everything that happened in Joseph’s life had prepared him to develop a plan of action, which would save the people of Egypt and Israel from famine.
   How did Joseph get through the tough times? One faithful step at a time. How did Joseph follow the plan of action to bring hope and salvation to people? One faithful step at a time. How do we do the same? One faithful step at a time.
   Our church’s plan of action is to invite, inspire, and empower people to live for Jesus Christ. All of our experiences have prepared us to do that in this moment.
   We invite by moving the church out of the building and into our workplaces, our schools, and our neighborhoods. It is through meaningful relationships that we most effectively share our faith and invite others to initiate and develop theirs.
   We inspire by making worship more than habit or obligation, and building it into an experience of genuine friendship, passionate music, deep prayer, and a decent message. ☺
   We empower by helping every person see that they (you!) have gifts and abilities that God can use to transform the world by making a real difference to one person at a time.   
   We live for Jesus Christ by feeding the hungry, teaching the children, serving the poor, and committing our resources to building God’s Kingdom among us.
   We can do that! We are doing that! And no matter what obstacles we face, all the experiences we share, everything that happens prepares us to live into God’s dream for our future.
   When you feel like you’re pushing against a rock, like you’re getting nowhere, like success seems hopeless, remember: When God asks us to serve him with all our strength, our task is to be faithful. Our calling is to be obedient, to push, to exercise our faith, and to trust in God’s wisdom.
   Maybe God will move the rock, or maybe God will help us to perceive it differently. Either way God uses it to make us stronger, so that we can put one foot in front of the other and take one faithful step at a time.

Pastor Casey