Religion: A Pastor Ponders

Pondering anew

By Pastor William Jenkins

February 14, 2007

We were singing the opening hymn for worship on a recent Sunday morning when a phrase stopped me with an invitation to “ponder anew”. The hymn was “Praise To The Lord, The Almighty” written in the 17th century by Joachim Neander, after whom the Neanderthal Valley in Germany is named and where was found the ancient remains of “Neanderthal Man.”

In the hymn Neander asks us to “ponder anew what the Almighty can do.” So I did.

We don’t spend a lot of time thinking about God. The result is that we forget about God.

In the Old Testament the failures of the Israelite people stemmed more from their forgetfulness of God than anything else. Periodically a prophet would come along and call them to remember God and His mighty acts on their behalf. What God had done in their past was an encouragement for what God could do in their present.

It is amazing that the Power behind all of creation is seldom in our thoughts. Why are we not in perpetual awe of what the Almighty has done? From the galactic expanse of the universe to the nano-structures of creation, God is awesome!

To ponder anew what the Almighty can do is to remember past mercies, answered prayers, guidance in times of darkness, blessings enjoyed, and a long list of things that prove God is not an absent landlord in the affairs of life. What God has done for us in the past is a harbinger of what He is willing to do for us in the present.

Whenever you are feeling down and out and lost and lonely, when the landscape of your life is barren of hope and joy, ponder anew what the Almighty can do.

League City United Methodist Church is located at 1411 Main Street (FM 518), one block east of Interstate 45. For information, call the church offices at 281-332-1557 or visit the website at

HYPERLINK - http://www.lcumc.org