The Serenity Prayer and Inheriting the Wind

     Today at church, I was able to find some correlations between our morning sermon and a movie study series our pastor began tonight.  This morning, he spoke of the Serenity Prayer, noting that we usually have the hardest time with the "accepting what I cannot change" part.  I can really relate, because if there was anything I could change about myself it's having Turner Syndrome, because of the non-verbal/social difficulties that come with it.  I agree with our pastor when he said that we often need to look inward at our attitudes in coming to terms with the things we cannot change, and trying to make the most of the circumstances we are given.  Sure, having Turner's hasn't been the easiest, but I wouldn't want it any other way, because I think it has given me an empathy for others like myself who have things they can't change about themselves, and a faith that God will help me deal with whatever challenges it presents. 
     Then, tonight, we explored the struggle of science vs. religion by watching clips from "Inherit the Wind", a movie adaptation of the events surrounding the Scopes "Monkey" Trial, where a high school teacher was accused of teaching Darwin's evolutionary theory against state law.  Our pastor pointed out that even today, genetic research is leading to more and more discoveries that can be either positive or negative; in thinking about my own condition, Turner's was only identified in the late 1930's.  Most suspected cases of Turner's can now be confirmed through ultrasound and other types of prenatal testing, and some doctors do recommend termination, since the survival rate is very, very low.  Because the condition involves early cell division, and is not actually inherited, there is really nothing that can be done, even though I'm sure that is being researched.  I'm a firm believer that faith and science can indeed coexist; God is the One who created us with a sense of curiosity and wonder as a means of making some sense of the world He has given us to live in, after all!

Small, BUT Powerful Words

     With last Sunday being Easter, our pastor used Luke's account of that first Resurrection morning to emphasize how the small, 3-letter word but can signal us to pay attention to what comes afterward.  However, he also pointed out that we often interpret that signal to mean that we are free to forget everything that comes before, and used the example of telling someone they did a good job, but, indicating that most likely some criticism is about to follow, which can be a blow to the person's self-esteem and confidence.  While I whole-heartedly agree, I think it benefits us to consider both the positives and negatives of what comes before as well as after the word but, because we don't want to minimize the positive that may have come before and sometimes we definitely need to hear the criticism that comes after.  Luke was trying to make a convincing case for believing in Jesus' resurrection by using one simple word, which can also help us to keep life in perspective.