February 15, 2008.  Well, here I am on a late Friday evening, doing up a quick Welcome-Sabbath blog after a long sort of harrangue with the technical stuff.  It has been a harried and hairy week.  And there has been sorrow for our Church family... last night our dear brother, Mike Osachuk, passed away.  His funeral will be on the 27th.  I'm quite sure there will be details in tomorrow's bulletin about the times, etc.  This has been a harrowing time for his children since his wife, Lu, entered Glacier Lodge.  

These sorts of 'sudden losses' bring to the fore for each of us the easiness with which we can lose connections in our busy lives-- important connections-- with former workmates, with old relatives, with church family we haven't seen for a while, and yes, even with our closest family members if they should move away or we get caught up in all the minutia of the world-- board meetings, work-related travel, exotic vacations, etc. etc. etc.

It's easy.

And if I lose touch with the people who mean the most to me, I am surely losing touch with God.

And so it goes.  

But I do have choices I can make around this.  Do I truly want to have a close relationship with my brothers and sisters, or am I content to have an arm's-length relationship? 

I talk about my goals and challenges for myself in 2008.  Here's one from Philippians 2:2 in The Message: "Agree with each other.  Love each other.  Be deep-spirited friends."  This speaks of deep connection-- the kind that starts out in the heart of God, the heart that I must seek first before I can know and love others.  "Become friends with God.  He's already a friend with you."  2 Corinthians 5:20 

Welcome Sabbath!