Thought for Today

Judges 5:17 Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan; and Dan, why did he abide with the ships? Asher sat still at the coast of the sea, settling down by his landings.

Ezekiel 47:10People will stand fishing beside the sea from En-gedi to En-eglaim; it will be a place for the spreading of nets; its fish will be of a great many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Matthew 4:12 Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. 13 He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali,

Matthew 4:18 As he walked by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea-- for they were fishermen.  

Despite what my grandchildren might assert, my default emotional state is not one of nostalgia. I do not live in the past. I do, however, frequently encounter places, peoples and even settings and aromas that evoke memories of my past. On occasion, I even share those memories with those around me.

Greta and I recently returned from a short trip. To celebrate the onset of our July holiday, we visited Newport, Rhode Island. It is a short drive south of Boston, mostly on interstate highways. “Newport is a seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Rhode Island, United States. It is located in Narragansett Bay, . . .  74 miles (119 km) south of Boston, and 180 miles (290 km) northeast of New York City. It is known as a New England summer resort and is famous for its historic mansions and its rich sailing history.” (Wikipedia)

We both grew up in Houston. Houston is a short drive from several coastal communities along the Gulf of Mexico. Some of what we saw during our recent visit reminded us of the communities of our youth. There are numerous small communities along that Texas coast we remember from our childhood. Seabrook, Kemah, La Porte, Texas City and even Galveston are all coastal communities. Most were originally primarily associated with fishing and shipping. Galveston even has a rich history as a summer resort with its own historic mansions.

Newport has somewhat recreated its identity and is now also known for the many ships in what is referred to as Waterfront. To their great credit, we did not see a single store name with either Ye, Olde or Shoppe in the name. Waterfront includes some familiar store names, national brands with multiple outlets across the country. There are also many small, independent stores. For those in Texas, imagine Galveston’s Strand. For what it’s worth, the Newport economy is richer today than it was a week ago.

The hotel where we stayed was across an intersection from the baseball stadium. “Cardines Field is . . . believed to be one of the oldest ballparks in the United States and has been called "a small urban gem of a ballpark".. . .  Originally called Basin Field, references to the field can be found as early as 1893.” As we walked back to our hotel in the evening, I could hear the voice of the announcer echoing in the night air. I was reminded of Houston’s Buff Stadium. Few younger than I would remember the Houston Buffalos. “Buffalo Stadium was a minor league stadium primarily used by the Houston Buffaloes from 1928 through 1961 . . . It was the site of the first night game between two major league baseball clubs, which took place between the Chicago White Sox and New York Giants in 1931. The Buffaloes were a farm team of the Major League St. Louis Cardinals” (Wikipedia) I remember sitting on the front porch steps of my maternal grandparents’ home a few blocks from Buff Stadium, listening to the game on the radio and hearing the crowd roar from the nearby stadium.

I often wonder what Jesus remembered from his own childhood as he journeyed in his ministry. When he arrived in a new town or village, did he smell the aromas of his childhood, bread baking in the communal ovens? Did he remember long ago childhood games as he heard the village children playing? Luke tells us Jesus said, "9:58 Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."

As a Christian, I want to make sure that Jesus knows that he has a special place in my heart, in my life and in my memories. When I wax nostalgic, some of my memories are of the churches of my childhood, my childhood church friends. What are your memories?

Stay safe, make a place in your heart for Jesus, trust God,

Pastor Ray