Members and Friends of Austin Mennonite Church I pray you are inspired as you journey in companionship with the spirit of Jesus. Whenever we hear the word 'safe,' a certain image forms in our brains. It may be a baseball player sliding into third; a heavy metal box with a combination lock; a child in the arms of a firefighter emerging from a burning building. 'Safe' generates these scenes because of the meaning we associate with the term: to be outside the reach of that which will interfere with our pursuit of life. 'Salvation' is a religious term which means 'to be safe': a condition which God sent Jesus into our world to communicate to us. However, when the scripture talks about salvation, it does not describe a condition which the word 'safe' brings to our minds. Sometimes our frustration in following the way of Jesus occurs because we unconsciously expect that if we are faithful disciples we will be safe from disruption, outside the reach of that which will interfere with our pursuit of life. 'Faith' is the factor which moves us away from obsessing with our pursuits and toward trusting God's design for our life. In biblical terminology, we are 'safe' by being full of faith in the pathway that opens before us, regardless of its threats to our pursuit of life. Thus in spirit we can be calm in the storm, even when we are afraid and perplexed and feeling alone. These thoughts will compose the sermon for this next Sunday, 'The spirit passes safely through the storm.' May it go well with you. Sincerely, Garland Robertson ...always hold firmly to the thought that each one of us can do something to bring some portion of misery to an end