Pastor’s Message

Thinking aloud . . .             

Patricia and I spent Patriot’s Day in Bar Harbor.

We had a great time with our family.  We hiked Dorr Mountain.  The carriage paths had just opened and we biked several of them.  I cleaned the yard and swept the garage.

One evening we had a fire in the chiminea and listened to music.  We played games and planned for summer.  One evening we went to a favorite eatery.  We ordered hamburgers, chicken fingers, and pizza.  I ordered a pizza Alfredo with shrimp, scallops, spinach, and scallions.

After a reasonable wait and after lots of talk rehearsing the day and sharing laughter with our grandchildren and family the meals finally arrived.  All but mine.

“I am sorry” reported the waitress, “your pizza is all ready . . . except for the spinach.  You can have it the way it is or we will be put an additional topping on it and put it back in the oven.”  I hesitated, looking at everyone’s hot food and then said, “Asparagus, I guess.  Just put some asparagus on the pizza.”

Well, it turned out to be a long wait.  I told the others to go ahead and eat of course.  When the pizza finally arrived I made a suggestion.  “I am grateful for the choice of a replacement topping and I am sure the pizza will be delicious, but you should have alerted me before the pizza went into the oven the first time and then I could have eaten right along with my family.” 

From deep inside of me I heard, “You could have just had the pizza the way they cooked it!”

This is David Thomas thinking aloud that the Psalms laud unity as a virtuous and beneficial experience.  Jesus prays for unity.  The Apostle Paul exhorts Christians to seek (comm)unity. 

But if you think things will just happen so you can have (comm)unity, you are sadly mistaken.

Talking about being part of a family, a work team, a residential or faith community is easy.  Making it truly happen is something else.  We have to plan ahead, see things from another’s point of view, coordinate schedules, defer to one another, and anticipate needs.   

Most of all, we need to value unity above individuality.  Ah, there is the rub!