Pastor Dan - July 2016

  I am reminded of a song recorded by Glenn Frye entitled, "The Heat is On". Oh my brothers and sisters, the heat is definitely on. Summer is here in the Old Pueblo. It took only one day to go from tolerable to "in your face" summer heat. And with the summer heat comes the unpredictable rains that will visit Tucson in the summer. I try to stay indoors as much as possible but duties do call that I go outside. I went out the other evening after the day had reached 113 degrees and saw clouds building over the Catalina mountains. It was a vision of possible relief from the heat. It was a reminder that with the heat also come the monsoon rains.

 Every summer it seems that I write about the monsoons. I will keep that tradition alive One thing that is associated with the monsoon storms is the wind. It's a unique experience to walk between the buildings of downtown Tucson with blistering heat slowing your pace and in the midst of sweltering sweat one can feel just the slightest of breeze carrying with it the faint aroma of moisture. This faint smell brings hope of rain, along with winds, that will bring change to the temperature of the day. Within hours, the slight breeze of hope becomes a monsoon of reality. Winds so strong that one time, those winds lifted a shed we had in our backyard over the fence and wedged into our neighbor's patio. With the strong winds comes an abundance of rains which at times is so heavy it fill arroyos and washes and overflows their banks to bring destruction and mayhem into the property and lives of many a Tucsonan.

  Whenever we see clouds begin to tower up over the Catalina's and the sky begins to darken, we wonder as to which direction they're going to roll. Once we catch that breeze carrying the smell of moisture, we begin to prepare for some strong winds. We'll bring indoors those things we don't want wet. We'll weight down things so that they don't fly away. We do our best to anchor that which needs an anchor. We prepare for the strong winds associated with the refreshing rains.

 In the last couple of years, that faint breeze of moisture has been seemingly wafting from within the Body of Christ. There' been a faint stirring of God' Holy Spirit carrying with it the promise of something new; something that will bring change to the current temperature of the Church. My prayer is that when the Spirit comes in full force, we are anchored well enough to marvel at the power and lightning and thunder that will usher in a fresh appearance and presence of Christ into the many congregations and ministries the Lord empowers in order that the Lord may touch lives. Will we see this in our lifetime? I pray Amen' so be it.

 Here at Mount Zion, over the years, leadership has caught the Spiris moving and has been preparing us for the strong winds that will drive away that which is not anchored. We have tried to stay anchored in the Risen Christ knowing that with and in the Christ all things become new. I pray that we continue to not only to smell the change that' on the horizon, but also be faithful witnesses in what it means to be anchored and ready for the Spirit's power.

In Christ' love and service,

Pastor Dan