There are few clichés more time-worn, or more strangely evocative, than the phrase "like two ships passing in the night".   Still powerful perhaps because the image leaps so vividly to mind...danger in the gloom, a mournful inquiry of muffled fog horns, the sound of froth and wake as the common travelers glide past one another into the darkness of the deep, anonymous and still ignorant of the meeting...a melancholy image.

An image however which might serve to add dimension to our understanding of a most precarious and terrifying reality; an aberration of reality contained by the power of God within our fleetingly temporary bubble of time and space. We speak of the seeming "normalcy" of a universe that seems able to contain both good and evil, as if the two could somehow coexist without the sort of cataclysmic eruption we'd expect to witness between matter and anti-matter in some Hollywood Sci-Fi blockbuster. But that eruption approaches...delayed only by God's love; that humanity might have a chance to live.

Consider...it was a dark and stormy night (sorry...couldn't resist...;). Imagine two enormous ships crashing through a mountainous and froth-blown sea, hurtling toward each other in the blackness at breathless speeds. A modern nuclear supercarrier of the CVN-21 class weighs 100,000 tons, 1200' long, 250' wide, taller than a 25 story skyscraper, crewed by 4000 operating 100 combat aircraft and powered by twin reactors at speeds in excess of 40 mph, carrying more explosive firepower than has ever been unleashed in all the wars of human history put together...a mere bathtub toy compared to these juggernauts.

All sound is swallowed by the screaming howls of a maddened sea as the great behemoths, the "S.S. Righteous" and the "S.S. Rebellion", race toward a tectonic collision. As their needled prows close at 100 mph the great ships suddenly shudder and yaw just a fraction before impact, each shouldering the other aside, showering the decks with a glittering plasma cascade from the grinding carnage of two hulls racing past each other in violent embrace, the very air rent by the suffocating horror of shrieking, tearing metal as bulkheads and battlements disintegrate in thundering confusion.

Beneath the waves, below the waterline, between the molten pressures of the grinding plates, hidden in the microscopic spaces of twisted hull damage and hissing, eddied currents, sheltered from the catastrophic confrontation overhead, spins a tiny air bubble, within which a vaporous droplet of atmospheric moisture holds a small and unassuming amoeba. That would be us...in our fragile, temporary little world; safe and seemingly secure because we lack the awareness to appreciate the much larger reality looming above (not our fault really...we're just amoebas for goodness sake...;).

The problem with allegory is that sooner or later it breaks down. The poor "SS Rebellion" is not really to be compared to the "SS Righteous"...it actually has far less chance than a snowflake has in a volcano. But the idea is sound. This present age can be compared to those fleeting seconds of collision in which evil and good seem to be grinding against each other, racing toward separate horizons. As a result of that momentary anomaly, we live in a tiny, temporary "air bubble" which will cease to exist the instant God's true power and authority are revealed, obliterating evil, suffering, death and rebellion forever.

           

It's hard to hold such an awareness in our minds for very long. This world seems so real and vivid. Suffering and sin seem so powerful and insistent. Weakness and failure such frequent outcomes. Too quickly does the bedrock reality of coming judgment and the breath-taking promise of eternal wholeness and lovingkindness give way to the noisy clamor of the world's ceaseless bullying and demands on our time and attention.

But that's when prayer and the quiet remembrance of the faithfulness of Him who called us can do the most good. These ships will pass in the night much more quickly than we dare imagine, and for those who have declared their faith in Christ and what He has accomplished on their behalf, it will be a most welcome Sonrise. Next time you're tempted to be upset by what you see and hear among the amoebas in this little air bubble, relax and remember...you ain't seen nothing yet!

Blessings,

 

Pastor Matt

Early birds, bring other guys (friends, neighbors and relatives) for a time of food, teaching, and fellowship. Breakfast is on a donation basis. Questions? Contact Pablito: 949.246.9615 or pablito@trail.org.

The Following Group Events Begin:

Single Women's Dinner: Monday, September 28, 6-7:30 p.m.

Please check the announcements below for all the details for these gatherings.

Women's Fall Bible Study

Evening Study:
Thursday evening classes will be held at Rosita Redd's home in Eagle Point beginning Thursday, September 24 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Space is limited, and no child care. To register, please fill out an Event Envelope at the Information Counter and enclose $8. Rosita: 541.218.5507.

Signups continue for the Fall Retreat which will be held at Camp Bradley October 9-11. Kari Patterson will be teaching on One: Courageous Community, based on John 17:23, "...that they may be perfectly one..."
Pick up a brochure and sign up using an Event Envelope or online HERE. Cost is $120 (discount price) through Sept. 6, $130 afterward. For more about our speaker check www.karipatterson.com

Questions? Contact Denise Green: 541.664.9871

The TCF MOM's Group will begin their gatherings at TCF on

Tuesday, September 8, 9:00-11:00 a.m. in the Youth Center. This group usually meets twice a month (2nd and 4th Tuesdays) and we enjoy a breakfast, a devotional or mentor guest speaker, and fellowship centering on Christian family life. Check our Facebook page: TCF Moms Group or call Cyndi Harrington if you have further questions: 541.601.2066.

TCF's AWANA program for children age 3 years through 5th grade fires back up

TCF's Children's Ministry program "Knowing God: His Names and His Character" takes place every Wednesday, through Sept. 2 from 6:15-8:00 p.m. in the Pavilion (if smoky - we move indoors). Kids age 5 -5th grade will have a free dinner, play games and learn God's Word. Pick up a Dog Days flyer at the Information Counter with details and information on our service project, 'Fill Socks for the Homeless' on the back. A ministry program will be available for newborns-4 years old in Room 2. Debbie Conley: 878-3501 or debbie@trail.org  

Celebrate Recovery is a Christ-centered resource for rising above life's hurts, habits and hang-ups. Through eight simple principles people will move from bondage to freedom and will experience a new joy and peace in life. Join us in the Fireside Room for open meetings every Tuesday: Dinner is at 6 p.m. and the meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Child care is provided. For more information contact Paige Harrison at 541.821.0459 or email celebraterecovery@trail.org. Visit us on Facebook: Click Here

Pastor Rick will be lecturing on the Myth of Secularism, Tuesday, Sept. 8 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Pacific Bible College, 409 N. Front St, in Medford. This event is open to the public and there is no charge. Check with PBC for future lectures scheduled through April 19, 2016. www.pacificbible.com or call Mary at PBC: 541.776.9942

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