The User's Manual...

I have a new cell phone. My old phone began to be "unreliable" (which is a nicer way of saying that it was not working all the time!). I began to notice that there were names and dates missing on it, which made it difficult to keep track of appointments and phone numbers - especially when I needed them. So, I got a new phone.

It's called a "smart phone," although I'm not sure why. Supposedly it does lots of things, just like my old phone did, only it wasn't called a "smart phone." It has a calendar, a camera (both still and video), and can access my email and the internet. It even allows me to update my Facebook page whenever I want. I can read and create Word and Excel documents on it. It even has a calculator on it, wherever it is. I haven't located it yet. There's even an application for a GPS, although that costs extra. Oh, did I mention that it has a phone?

Technology seems to be getting more and more advanced. A few years ago, telephones were stilled wired into the walls of your home, although a few were "cordless." A few years before that, much like Henry Ford's words, you could get a phone in any color you wanted, as long as it was black. Now there are arcade games and programs on them, and you can take pictures of sunsets, and flowerpots, and whatever else you desire, and upload them to the World Wide Web. One of these days I'm going to read the user's manual and find out exactly what all is on that new phone.

Dr. Grace Imathiu, a United Methodist Pastor, once shared a brief story about the Garden of Eden scene in which God went searching for the wayward couple after they had eaten of the forbidden fruit. God asked, "Where are you?" And Adam replied, "I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself." And God said, "Who told you that you were naked?" Dr. Imathiu said that this was the most important question in all of scripture - "Who have we been listening to other than God?"

In a few days, we will be beginning the season of Lent, starting with Ash Wednesday services on Wednesday, February 17th at 6:30 p.m. Lent is that time of year when Christians begin to reflect on their walk of faith with our Lord Jesus Christ. We begin to look at how closely we are following in our Master's footsteps. We reflect on how much we have come to depend on things other than Jesus. Things like money, position, status, which team will win the Super Bowl, etc. Even things like new cell phones.

Perhaps I should take out the "other" user's manual and read up on what it has to say during this season of Lent. How about you?

See you in Church!