Marilyn's Musings
February 10, 2026
I am sure, by now, you know how much I am enjoying Pastor Debbie and following her services and sermons. I am learning a lot from the stories she tells about the scripture reading every week. Such as this week, when I read the scripture about Jesus healing the man at the pool. She set the scene for us on a cold, frigid winter morning here, in this time, and moved us to the pool on a hot day with the sun beating down on us. In six months from now that would be too much for those of us who don’t like the heat, but, right, now today it sounds really good. But let’s go a little further in our imagination. We are sitting on our chairs as we do and we see the invalids and ill people waiting to go into the pool for healing. According to this scripture some of these people could have been there for years. Imagine that….close your eyes and get a little warm in your imagination from the sun and picture all these sick, invalids there day after day waiting to go into the pool.
You go home and the next day you are back again watching to see who gets in the pool while you are enjoying the sun. Then you see a strange man go up to one of the men that have been ever since you could remember. You don’t hear the conversation, but all of a sudden after this man speaks, the invalid gets up and carries his mat and walks away. Imagine seeing that? How would you feel? I am sure we would all be talking amongst ourselves wondering how that happened and who was that stranger. Later on you find out the man was Jesus. Jesus didn’t know the invalid, the invalid didn’t know Jesus but Jesus healed him. Now take a break from reading and look outside on a cold winters day and think about this story. You will feel God’s love thru his son, Jesus, that you just saw happened on a hot summer’s day by the pool.
Let’s think about our faith. We are all on a journey that will last the rest of our lives as we learn more and more about Jesus. As I get older and hear the same old stories, I have been taught how to interpret them a little differently. For example, I knew about Jesus healing the man that could not walk. I remember the verses with him saying “Take up your mat and walk”. But honestly, I did not remember anything else about that story. When I listen to Pastor Debbie and take a moment to put myself in the story either as a person or a observer, I see things differently.
I am sitting here on this quiet morning thinking about the week ahead. It will be a busy one as the Thrift Shoppe gets ready for its February sale. We have so much going on during this sale. It will be overwhelming, but when we take a minute and we realize we are doing God’s work again this month as we have been for a long time, it will make our work worth it and the day of the sale special. We don’t know who is coming to the sale, but the man didn’t know Jesus and look what He did for him. Can we follow Jesus and think about the words in the hymn we sang on Sunday “The Summons”? Can we follow Jesus and do what He asks?
Here is some information about this beautiful hymn. I think it is worth singing again today and think about what it is asking of us. “The Summons,” also known as “Will You Come and Follow Me” is a contemporary Christian hymn by John L. Bell that invites believers to respond to Jesus’ call to discipleship. It was written in 1987. John L. Bell is a Scottish hymn writer and a member of the Iona Community in Scotland. He composed the hymn and joining the community which focuses on renewing worship and encouraging spiritual reflection. The lyrics are set as a series of questions posed by Jesus, challenging listeners to consider the cost and commitment of following Him.
https://youtu.be/6FasN8fukrs?si=4XOPX9QcfUfShnst
