Super Moon

Tonight there is a Super Moon. We're told that the full moon tonight will appear up to 14% larger and up to 30% brighter than your average, run-of-the-mill full moon.  It's a phenomenon that occurs when the moon is in the portion of its orbit that brings it closest to the earth.  Just as an object will appear larger up close than at a distance--so it is with tonight's full moon.  

I love walking outdoors when the moon is shining brightly--it's as if the whole world is bathed in liquid silver.  I love living in a place where we can actually see moon and stars!  Too many years in the city makes me appreciate the dark skies of the Four Corners area.  In a normal year, people travel from all over the world to visit here.  Some even specifically come to spend time in dark skies designated locations. I'm guessing many of them are stunned by the true beauty of the heavens unadulterated by innumerable city lights.  

It's a whole different world when you can see the stars and moon.  They put things in perspective--put us in our place.  When we can look up and actually see into infinity, we are reminded of our relative place in the big scheme of things.  While we are all wrapped up in what we're thinking, what we're doing, what we're worrying about...the universe just keeps unfolding and expanding--leaving us even less significant than we were moments ago.

Psalm 8
Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!
    You made your glory higher than heaven!
2 3 When I look up at your skies, at what your fingers made—
    the moon and the stars that you set firmly in place—
4         what are human beings that you think about us?
        what are human beings that you pay attention to us?

Some would say that feeling insignificant in the whole of creation is a depressing thought--as if nothing we do will ever really matter.  I believe that feeling insignificant in the big scheme of things is a GIFT--it frees us to think and act without carrying the weight of the world on our shoulders.  We don't have to be perfect.  We don't have to save the world.  We only need to be faithful in our love for God and our service to others--the rest of the business of creation belongs to our God.  We're not in charge, and the world will not fall apart when we fail to live up to our own or other's high expectations.  God doesn't want or need us to be perfect--only faithful.  I can handle faithful, and I'll gladly leave the rest of the universe in God's care.

Prayer Requests:  for Linda Taylor's sister Nancy Jean, who has tested positive for COVID-19 in her nursing home in Farmington;  for Connie White, improving slowly in St Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction;  gratitude for the FUMC Mission Team who has worked tirelessly behind the scenes of the Navajo COVID Relief Project;  for the volunteers and staff of the Methodist Thrift Shop as they navigate their first week of re-opening;  as always--for everyone who puts themselves at risk to care for the rest of us.

Peace and all good,
Pastor Jean