The Fish Net
Boston Presbyterian Church
Pentecost 2013
Dear Friends,
	It is a sight that I never quite get used to.  In the winter the bare trees allow us to see a neighbour’s house behind the manse.  Without being nosey about it, it is obvious when the rooms are lit up and sometimes we even see people moving about in them.  When spring comes however and the trees break forth into leaf, the house almost totally disappears; even at night with their lights turned on, you would hardly know it was there.  Indeed the only indication that we even have neighbours there are the sounds of their lawn mower, the kids playing in the yard or their dog barking.  Come autumn however when the leaves fall?  Almost magically the house reappears.
	As I was sitting outside in the swing the other day, facing the neighbour’s place and marveling at how their house had once again seemingly disappeared until sometime in the fall, it occurred to me that in some ways this mirrors our relationship with God.  This is to say, sometimes in life the presence, the working and the reality of God is so glaringly obvious; it shines in the darkness like our neighbour’s house on a winter night.  At other times though, the presence of God may appear to be hidden and perhaps almost invisible; we may only catch a glimpse or echo of the divine and in extreme cases perhaps wonder if God is even present.  The truth of course is that God, like our neighbor, is always present whether it be in the spring, summer, autumn or even the winter of our spiritual journey.  In the words of my favourite psalm: Psalm 139:7-10.
“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?  Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, thou art there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
Even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

	We may not always be aware of God but we can rest assure that God with His all-surpassing love, understanding, compassion and forgiveness is always aware of us.  Indeed He is not just aware, He is present with us all of the time.

	Wishing you a most blessed summer season,
			
Shawn