Audio Recordings of Talks

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2019 PARISH THEME
Surrender to God and He Will Do Everything for You
 
We worry about money, our kids, our health and our future.  We’re anxious about grades, approval, being included.  We despair at violence, suffering, hunger, homelessness, intolerance and hatred.  As Fr. Drew would say, we are a people suffering from the 8 FR’s – we’re frantic, fretful, frazzled, frenetic, fragmented, frustrated, frightened and frayed.
 
And what is our response?  For many of us, we go into “solve & fix” mode.  We take action, we take over and we spend sleepless nights coming up with a Plan B and Plan C (just in case Plan A doesn’t work).  It’s what we do, it’s how we’ve been trained.  And we’ve been tricked into thinking we’re doing the right thing.
 
In selecting for his parish family the theme for this year, “Surrender to God and He Will Do Everything for You,” Fr. Drew reminds us that it is not our battle to fight.  The Lord himself will fight for us.  We have only to keep still.
 
This message is repeated throughout Scripture, from Moses to Jesus.  In Exodus, Moses told the terrified Israelites to fear not, stand their ground and see the victory the Lord will win for them.  In 2 Chronicles 20:13-18, the prophet says:  Pay attention!  The Lord says to you, do not fear or be dismayed at the sight of this vast multitude, for the battle is not yours but God’s.  And Jesus’ invitation in the Gospel of Matthew:  “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me… For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
 
We are called to surrender and to be still… and allow God to do things his way.  This requires patience, waiting and endurance in the midst of confusion and turmoil.  Instead of immediately taking action, first take your problem to God.  Only in the silence and peace of prayer can we know the will of God.  The Lord’s will is our peace.  As we hear in Psalm 35, “Great is the Lord who delights in the peace of his servant.”
 
So try the peaceful practice of surrendering to God and hear what He has to say to you.  “I will hear what the Lord God has to say, a voice that speaks of peace, peace for his people, his friends and those who turn to Him in their hearts (Psalm 85).”