<html><body><div>Well, the black hole took my post of the second part so I'll split it in two</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>WOULD</u></b>
anyone really notice if I, or any other individual, simply disappeared? <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>WOULD</u></b> the whole of creation be
altered significantly if I disappeared?</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>The answer to both of these is a
definite, “YES!” Because God loves me, and God has a hope that I’ll be able to accomplish
renewal and refreshing through the way that I – and you’re in this equation too
– God hopes that we’ll all accomplish what God would like for and from us.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Our behaviour, our interaction, our
demeanour, our love for others and for all of creation <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><u>DOES</u></b> matter. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>THAT’S</u></b></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>why
Philip was there on that road, no matter how he got there. As simply as I
thought it might appear from the Gospel</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>verse, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>THIS</u></b> is what it means to live in
Christ.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Nearly always, however, there’s a
second side to the picture. Sometimes we’re called to be Philip to all those on
the road of life; and sometimes we’re called to be those on the outside,
willing to ask for help to understand what’s going on and how to make the best
of our lives.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>We <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:
normal"><u>CAN</u></b> be both people, called and placed by God so that others
may find us and reach out to us.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>God, as Jesus afformed, doesn’t
leave us comfortless, no matter which of the two roles we may be fulfilling.
Nor does God leave us without the ability to respond and to receive, in one way
or another.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>This seemed to ring a bell with me
when I read an article by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“Hav</span><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>e you ever felt inadequate to a task you have been assigned or a
job you have been given?” Rabbi Sacks wrote. It’s worth hearing that first
sentence again. “Have you ever felt inadequate to a task you have been assigned
or a job you have been given? Do you sometimes feel that other people have too
high an estimate of your abilities? Has there been a moment when you felt like
a faker, a fraud, and that at some time you would be found out and discovered
to be the weak, fallible, imperfect human being you know in your heart you are?”
<sup>1</sup></span><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(82, 82, 82); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>Rabbi Jonathan wrote about an eleventh
century French rabbi, Rashi, and described the situation when Moses was completing
the sanctuary during the exodus. Everything was being set in place, including
the training and the blessing of the priests, Aaron being the chief priest.</span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'>“For seven days Moses
had consecrated Aaron and his sons to serve as priests. Now the time had come
for them to begin their service. Moses gives them various instructions. Then he
says the following words to Aaron:</span><span style='margin: 0px; color: rgb(82, 82, 82); font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'></span></p>
<p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><span style="margin: 0px;"> </span>“‘<i>Come near to the altar</i> and offer your sin
offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the
people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement
for them, as the Lord has commanded.’ (Lev. 9:7)</span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><br></span></p><p style="margin: 0px; line-height: normal;"><span style='margin: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;'><br></span></p>
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