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Let's stroll down memory lane for a minute. See if you remember this one..."Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound! Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman!" It was always the same intro and the same drama.

Episode after episode, Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen, two of the only three reporters the Daily Planet could afford, rushed off in pursuit of a "scoop" only to be scooped up by the bad guys. Did these two have the good sense to worry? Of course not! For, in the guise of Clark Kent, their mild-mannered colleague, Superman was always watching out for them. Lois and Jimmy knew they could depend on Superman.

He bursts through the wall - the brick wall. Bricks fall, the dust flies, and there he stands! Out come the villains’ guns and you see George Reeves (from my generation) looking kind of bored as the bullets bounce harmlessly off of his chest! "Oh, Superman!" Lois Lane gushes, "You saved us again!" And with that wry grin, Reeves would reply, "That’s my job, isn’t it, Miss Lane?" And in the most recent movie version, Superman shields a little girl as a building blows up around her.

Wouldn’t it be a comfort to have somebody like Superman watching out for us? Got a flat and no jack? No problem for the Man of Steel! He can pick up the car, hold it steady while we change the tire, and never even break a sweat! Got a fatal disease? He can fly into the future, retrieve the cure, and be back before one second has ticked by! After all, that’s why they call him "Superman," isn’t it?

But, let’s face it, reality is much more "steel" than any superhero will ever be "man of." And fantasizing does little, if anything, to help our hurts. So, who will fight for us? Well, what about God? He’s real, isn’t He? Yes, I believe He is. He loves us, doesn’t He? Yes, I believe He does. Well, can He rescue us when we’re in trouble?

King David knew how God could rescue. He had pulled David out of the fire more than once, whether fighting lions and bears, or facing giants like Goliath and Saul. God had been there, fighting for him. And David loved to make up songs—Psalms, we call them—about these rescues.

"The sorrows of death compassed me. The sorrows of hell compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me."

Psalm 18:4-5

In David’s distress, he calls on the Lord (verse 6). And then (as Perry White would say) “Great Caesar’s Ghost!” things start to happen!

"Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because he was angry…he did fly upon the wings of the wind…"

Psalm 18:7, 10

David’s description of God’s ride to the rescue includes lightning, hail, and coals of fire. About the only thing missing is His bursting through a brick wall! Was it a bird, was it a plane, no it was God, the Lord, the Divine Warrior coming to his rescue!

Join us this Sunday as we talk about the God who comes to our rescue in the sermon: The God Who Fights.

State of the Church will be held on this Sunday, July 27, immediately after service. I invite you to stay and hear about the fruitful work of your Leadership Board and ministries, as well as our plans for the future, which include a new Capital Campaign!

Pastoral Care Updates Please keep in your prayers: Diane Humphries (our Business Mgr) as she continues to recover in the hospital; Sallie Pittman who is going through rehab in Maryland, Harper Grace and her amazing resilience, and Pat Cox who is in constant pain. Also, Barbara McCormack’s son and grandson were in a serious car accident and her son sustained significant injuries. I know that we have many others who are suffering from illness, and you are also in our prayers. If anyone would like a visit from the Pastor, please call me at 314-324-8405.

Vision for 2025:

Deeply Rooted:

Growing Through Discipleship!

Blessings,

Pastor Linda