In the 1990's, my wife, Helen and I lived in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico, where I served as a "volunteer in mission" at an English speaking congregation, "The Little Chapel".
One Sunday morning I met a couple from North Carolina, snowbirds" as winter visitors were called. Two weeks later I received a book from the couple, Soul Prints, by Rabbi Marc Gafney, an American living in Jerusalem.
I don't expect that I'll ever see this couple, but I'll be thankful as long as I live for their gracious gift.
Soul Prints is a book which I highly recommend.
If, as I believe, most people do what they do in hope of finding happiness, in finding some sense of well being described by the word happiness.
Rabbi Gafney struck a deep chord in me when he wrote "happiness cannot be pursued...happiness is only achievable as a by-product of the pursuit of important goals - goals other than happiness itself."
Reading this, I remembered a line from Robert Burns that goes something like this:
"Believe me, happiness is shy, And comes not aye when sought, man."
There are two pearls of wisdom for you to think about today.
If all we do is done for ourselves and our own, life becomes increasingly empty.
With blessings and in friendship,
Richard
The Reverend Nancy Covington will be in the pulpit this Sunday, May 6. Communion will be served.
Keith Cresap is Worship Assistant. The following Sunday, May 13 we celebrate the high school graduations of Madison Kroll land Caitlyn Spurgeon. Also, we celebrate Mother's Day.
