Dear Members and Friends of Our Saviour's,
Words such as "recession" and "depression" have been used recently to describe what could be coming in our economy, both in the U.S. and around the world. In talking to members at a recent evening worship service, many emotions were displayed, especially that of outrage at those who are responsible for leading us to where we are in our financial situation. Even President Bush addressed the nation about the need to act soon so that we don't continue down a treacherous path toward economic destruction. In these dangerous times, how about joining me in thinking in a different direction?
A few years ago I saw the movie October Sky. It is based upon the true story of Homer Hickman, a boy who grew up in Coalwood, a company-owned coal mining town in West Virginia. Everyone in the town seemed destined to work in the mines, and few residents seemed willing to fight that common fate. Homer, however, desired something different. Following the Soviet Union's launch of Sputnik, Homer wanted to build rockets and become an astronaut. He fought an uphill battle. Who wanted to embrace an idea that went against the popular thinking of the town? Certainly not Homer's own father, the superintendent of the town's mine, who wanted to see Homer follow in his footsteps.
Homer eventually fought his way out of Coalwood, received his education from Virginia Tech, and became an engineer at NASA, training astronauts. He has since retired and works as a consultant to NASA.
As we continue down some challenging times, popular thinking might be dangerous. In fact, as Kevin Meyers has said, "The problem with popular thinking is that it doesn't require you to think at all." Unfortunately, many people try to live life the easy way. They don't want to do the hard work of thinking. It is easier to do what other people do and hope that they thought it out.
Let's challenge ourselves to think ourselves out of these difficult times and act upon the solid foundation of our faith. At our recent evening service, just over one hour before President Bush addressed our nation, we sang the hymn, "I am trusting Thee, Lord Jesus." Think of how we can continue to grow in trusting our Lord Jesus and we can go forward in confidence in these uncertain times.
Hope we think together this new time in our lives!
Pastor Brad Homan
