Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, July 3, 2020 A View from the Saugus Faith Community Pastor Joe Hoyle of the Cliftondale Congregational Church offers theological reflection during these trying times of COVID-19 First is giving thanks. Psalm 75:1 says, “We give thanks to You O God; we give thanks, for Your name is near. We recount Your wondrous deeds.” It is important to remember what God has done in the past so that we can trust Him for what will come in the future. This is not always easy. It takes some discipline and some effort to think about blessings in some harder seasons of life. It may seem like there is no blessing or silver lining but there always is. God is working in your life. God doesn’t give up on anyone and there is always some evidence of His goodness in our lives. Gratitude is a weapon against the chains of cynicism. Second, spend five minutes in silence. John 15:4 says, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Being still and silent is a chore by itself these days much less being still and silent before God. When was the last time you gave yourself to silence for five minutes with no distraction? It is totally fine to not be able to remember. We are all very distracted and pulled in a million directions each and every day. It is a normal part of life but it is not healthy. Put away every distraction. Put ASKS | from page 4 neighborhood. Karen: This project has nothing to do with disabled veterans. We are totally for the veterans. We love the veterans, and we have a lot of veterans in the neighborhood. People from outside this area assume that’s what it’s all about, but they’re not familiar with the flooding problems. Part of it is ignorance, because they just don’t know what the flooding problems are. All of the town officials know about the drainage problems down here. They tried to fix them, but they haven’t been fixed. And with this project, we are adding to a bad situation. They keep building and building down here, and the situation keeps getting worse with the water. There was a party for me last year after I retired from the Post Office. The day before my party, the whole swimming pool was jet black. Everybody’s mulch and whatever rolled off in the microburst we had right away the phone, turn off the TV, tell the people in the house that you are unavailable for a bit. Find a quiet place to go to, maybe into a closet, and just be with God, not asking for anything but listening. And do it for five minutes. I can guarantee after 30 seconds it will be a challenge. This is why these are called disciplines. It will take a bit of time to adjust to them. Be kind with yourself and just give it your best and eventually you will find it a fruitful time. Taking five minunderstand. The Bible is full of timeless wisdom and comfort that can help believers and nonbelievers alike. Give it a shot and I guarantee it will not be wasted time. Finally, focus on what is excellent. “If there FAITH WRITER: Pastor Joe Hoyle of the Cliftondale Congregational Church. (Courtesy Photo to The Saugus Advocate) utes to be with God, just you and Him, will change that relationship with Him. Third, remember that you belong to God. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” God loves you. He died for you through the work of Jesus Christ, who we as Christians believe was fully human and fully God. He redeemed you. Let Him have the wheel and give yourself over to Him. God has given us a free gift into my swimming pool. Q: So, if the veterans housing project doesn’t get done, what do you think should be done with the property? John: Where the building is up front, that’s a good house lot up there. If push comes to shove and they wanted to put two houses lots on it, I personally don’t have a problem with that, as long as they stay out of the wetlands. A single family home – as long as they stay to the front of the property and don’t encroach the wetlands – is fine. Q: Are you confident that selectmen and other town officials have your backs? John: No, not at all. At the night of the meeting, I wanted them to tell us that they have our backs, but they didn’t. I think [Selectman] Debra Panetta does. She was straightforward, but I expected a lot more backing from the other selectmen. Q: But, all of the Town Meeting members from Precinct 10 seem to have your back. All five of them have been critical of redemption if we accept it and let Him have His will in our lives. Fourth, Meditate on God’s Word, the Bible. Psalm 119:97: “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all day.” We need to not only be reading scripture but really taking time to think about what it says to us. After our time of reading, we should ask “so what” and seek to find the answer either in good internet resources, good study Bibles or speaking with a pastor or teacher who can help you to of the project and seem to be advocating for the neighbors. John: Yes. All of our Town Meeting members have our backs. I’m proud of them, but I’m surprised that our selectmen weren’t more vocal. A couple of our selectmen live down here – They know what the problem is like – Anthony Cogliano and Mike Serino. These guys know what the water situation is, so I thought we’d have a little more support than what we did. Q: So, at minimum, what do you think the Board of Selectmen should be doing? John: I’d like a little more support. They say that they have no influence on this project and it’s something that they can’t get involved with, but I believe they should be our voice to the Conservation Commission. I believe their voices would carry some weight, and I believe that the people in our neighborhood are looking for that kind of vocal support for us. They should stand up and say, “This is what is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” —Philippians 4:8. What are things we can take in with our eyes, ears, and minds that will be pleasing to God and praiseworthy for us? There is a computing term called GIGO, Garbage In Garbage Out. What you put in is what you get out. The same is true in our spiritual lives. If we spend our days looking at things we shouldn’t or listening to things that don’t glorify God, we are going to begin to have that take hold within us. We will become slaves to those the people want” or “This is what the people don’t want” – that’s what I say. Q: But the Board of Selectmen Chair, Anthony Cogliano, set the meeting up between the neighbors and the developers. John: Sure. He organized it and set it all up, but my wife requested it. Q: So, what do you think about the Conservation Commission, which will be holding a meeting at 7 p.m., July 15 via Zoom videoconferencing? John: I think the members of the Conservation Commission need to come down here. They have to come down here and see it for themselves and talk to the neighbors; not just one guy, but the entire commission. They’re Saugonians and they know about the history of the water problems down here in East Saugus, so I hope they do the right thing. Q: What about the developers? John: Well, I hope that the Nakashians go back and say they understand the drainage things. Seek freedom from God in those broken areas, those addictions, those chains and regrets. He wants to free you. One of the ways we do that is to begin to replace the bad with good. Replace worldly thoughts and actions with those in keeping with God’s love and character. Think and reflect on things that are joyful and good, rather than the opposite. It will make a difference. I have seen it happen in my life and the life of others. Take a few moments each and every day to work on these things. Remember they are “disciplines,” so they are going to take a bit of work. But it will be worth it. May God bless you all with more of Himself as you draw near to Him! If you would like to find out more about our great God, please stop by Cliftondale Congregational Church or check us out on Facebook for our livestreams on Sundays at 10 a.m. May your week be filled with the presence, peace and power of God! In Christ, Pastor Joe Hoyle Cliftondale Congregational Church (Editor’s Note: “A View From the Saugus Faith Community” is an occasional feature of The Saugus Advocate. Representatives of all faiths are welcome to submit articles.) problem, do the right thing, back out of this location and find a better one. You know, this is the right idea, but it’s the wrong location. Karen: I would hope they would find another area that’s more suitable. Q: Anything else that you would like to say about the situation? Karen: I think it’s important that people need to know that we’re rallying against this because we’re trying to save our homes. It has nothing to do with the veterans being next door. I was going to put my house [on Lincoln Avenue] up for sale. Somebody made me a really good offer, but later, I felt like crying, because I really wanted to stay in my home. I feel safe. I feel comfortable here. I have been here my entire life. This is my house and this is where I belong. I ended up not selling my house. When push comes to shove, I didn’t want to go. There are generations and generations of my family who lived down here, so this is my home.
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