Pastor’s Ponderings
“The Mulligrubs”
I sometimes get the mulligrubs. I looked the word up before typing it, and that IS the correct spelling (I thought it was “mollygrubs”). It’s original meaning was a severe headache (thankfully I rarely get those), but it came to mean “low spirits, despondent, or even depression.”
The Bible is filled with characters who had the mulligrubs. Elijah asked God to take his life. Jeremiah accused God of deception and said he would never mention His name again. Peter wept bitterly after betraying the Lord. Paul said he and his companions “despaired even of life” (1 Corinthians 1:8). And we didn’t even mention that one out of every three Psalms has the author crying out in despair.
Yet we have hope even in the midst of difficulty. Psalm 77 best explains the move from sadness to satisfaction, from bitterness to bliss, from despair to delight!
It begins with the author crying out to God but getting no relief. He finds no comfort, he’s troubled and he’s overwhelmed. In the night, he can’t sleep or speak, but he remembers the good old days.
He then begins questioning God. Has God cast us off? Will we ever see His favor? Has His mercy and promises ceased? Has God forgotten how to be gracious?
But right in the middle of the Psalm things change. He starts remembering God’s works and wonders. He meditates on God’s works and begins speaking of them. The final eight verses, all he does is praise God’s power and creation.
But what brought on the change? First, he quit thinking about his own past and started recalling God’s greatness. Second, he starts using the name “Jehovah.” Then he begins praising God. But most important, he stops talking about himself and only speaks of God.
In the first six verses of Psalm 77, Asaph refers to himself (“I, me, my, mine”) twenty times. In the final eight verses, those four words are not found.
These are the most difficult days I have experienced, and most would say the same unless you lived through the Depression or World War II. Yet we can still rejoice in God’s goodness. Meditate on God’s great works, and get rid of those mulligrubs!
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In the last newsletter I wrote of some business meetings and votes coming up. With the recent cancellation of three weeks of service, the dates have all changed.
This will sound strange, but we will conduct a business meeting every Sunday night in February. On the 7th we will discuss the need for new air conditioners/heaters for the gym. On the 14th we will vote of that. The 21st will be our annual business meeting and we will look at the proposal to remodel the entire auditorium building. Then on the 28th we will vote on the remodeling project.
All of these meetings should be brief except for the annual meeting which should take up the entire service. We will mention some creative ways to vote where we follow our by-laws yet allow our faithful members to cast votes even if they are not able to attend.
Due to the fact that our Facebook and YouTube pages are public, we will NOT live stream any of the business meetings. We believe our church business needs to stay within the church. But we will make available both proposals in detail so any church member can read them through.
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This February newsletter should arrive in January. If it is possible, please attend the January 31st service with Evangelist Tim Lee. He is one of the most dynamic speakers in the country.
While serving in Vietnam he stepped on a landmine and lost both his legs. After a lengthy recovery he returned home where his father was a pastor. He fully surrendered to God and has been a faithful servant ever since.
He is usually booked at least two years in advance, but because of the pandemic I was able to call just a few weeks ago and get him to come.
Please give generously to this great evangelist as well as to last Sunday night’s missionary, Stephen Carrier. Both of them are in our online giving, and your gifts will be a blessing to them.
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I have asked from the beginning for you to pray for me and my family in five areas. Thank you for doing so, and please continue to plead with God that I would have:
1) Courage
2) Wisdom
3) Strength
4) Victory
5) Vision