Columbus Day

   Columbus Day, a chance for some of us to get a day off, like I did, yesterday. I needed it too, it's been a crazy and exciting few weeks since Labor Day. In honor of Christopher Columbus who explored new worlds, and in memory of Steve Jobs, I bought an iPhone. It's number 4 on sale to make room for the number 4S. It took me most of the day to get up to speed, with a few Columbus mistakes along the way.
   I'm writing to help us keep Christopher Columbus's plans and ideas going on into a new generation. He was convinced that the world was round and not flat, and he was willing to take the risk to find out. To explore unknown components of the world he lives in. He also was highly committed to sharing the Christian faith with those he found along the way. But he wasn't perfect.
   He thought he found the way to India, and he called those he met Indians. We've been stuck with that one for a long time. He thought he had succeeded in getting around the world, he had not. I tried to load my iPod stuff into my new iPhone and not fully understanding all the challenges to that, over rode the contacts that the phone company put in for me. So, I had to go back to the nice man at ..... and ask him to load them all again. He said it wasn't uncommon for that to happen, especially for people my age..... White hair give away?
   Any way, after fits and starts, I do have most of what I want in my iPhone. Because it's apple, I can use iTunes to upload songs and ringtones, so now I'm happy, but it was challenging.


   Enough about iPhones, I want us to keep the Columbus spirit alive of willing to explore new things. Spiritually we must always keep exploring what God has to offer us. When we reach a point where we think we know all that God intends for us to know, we have reached a bad place in our faith journey. Be open to the Spirit to guide you to new discoveries. There are places in Scripture that will be very helpful to you from a connecting to God point of view and a connecting to neighbors point of view. We need to be refreshed with new insights, new ways of dealing with life as it changes and be newly inspired to rely on God for the help we need.
   We may make mistakes like Christopher Columbus did, but he discovered far more good by trying something new. Go for it.


   I'm looking forward to seeing the new Martin Sheen/Emilio Estevez movie about a spiritual pilgrimage just for the inspirations sake. I've you've seen it let me know what you thought.


   Keep exploring what God gives you!


Pastor Jeff