Greetings and salutations on this Veterans Day observed. The Sun is here to help you kick it up a notch.
☀️The Endurance of Bad Ballots
If you could have any reasonable superpower, what would it be? I used to think I wanted the power to know for sure what someone was thinking, or at least to know when they were lying. Then I realized I'm not ready for that sort of Spidey-sense. I don't think I've ever really dreamt about the ability to fly or to run faster than a speeding bullet, and those are right on the edge of what might be considered "reasonable" anyway.
Why are we talking about superpowers today? Well, have you looked at the results of Tuesday's elections?
Attentive readers have already put together that most of the recommendations posted in last Friday's Sun lost. So you know, I continue to publish Mr. Smith’s guides not so that I can protect my own reputation from being a public Loser Picker. I just don't know the candidates as well as Mr. Smith. But I do share his hopes, in fact his expectations, for public servants who are not hell bent on redefining social morals. I share Mr. Smith's bias toward sanity and life, and I like his (softer than it could be) bite.
But alas, outside of the Marysville proper races, the ballot boxes contained a lot of bad. The Snohomish County Executive and Sheriff offices went pinko, and what's more excruciating is that that's what the voters apparently want. Mayor Nehring and the Marysville Council seats went unopposed, and all (or at least 97+% of our local) peoples rejoiced! But our state and our nation love abortion and death, love injustice by law rather than just laws, and love the very sins that destroy a culture.
The Sun is not partisan per se; a Republican sticker is as thin as onion skin, and might cause just as many tears. But the Sun is particular, there's an unhidden and spoken loyalty to the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that we talk a certain way about what is better.
So...superpowers? It is relevant. Most readers know that my primary work is not punditry but preaching. It so happens that my thoughts and prayers this week in preparation for Sunday worship have concerned particular virtues, virtues that have their origin in God's nature and virtues that He gives to His people.
The Bible says God is "the God of endurance and encouragement." Endurance is a word that has the idea of being able to remain under a load, to carry a burden. A good synonym is steadfast. Encouragement is consolation, comfort, to give heart.
Before thinking about how that applies to us, what does that imply about God? God reveals that He is the "God of endurance.” We read the description on the printed page. And yet the world, and the world's history, and the world's wars and rebellion against Him and rejection of His Son all provide the theater for Him to demonstrate His own endurance. If God's endurance is the best endurance there is, if it is endurance supreme, then the story He tells to show off that endurance will probably be a long and tedious and troublesome story. Buckle up.
And He has purposed to share His endurance with His people. By nature our endurance will not be infinite, but He can increase our finite capacities. This is part of the reason we're to count trials as a joy because He uses strategic burdens to make us steadfast, "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." When we've got endurance, we've got it all.
Endurance is a superpower, or more accurately, supernatural-power. We'd probably choose to be incomplete rather than complete like this, but, turns out, that's not up to us. He gives endurance, and comfort in that process, through His Word which we receive by faith.
The sorry state of WA, and the sinful trajectory of our voting tastes, are just a small part of God's great plot line. Jesus said that His sacrifice for sin is finished, but God is not finished bringing glory to His Son's name, through the perseverance of the saints. So, brothers and sisters, let your endurance superpower shine, and HOLD ON.
☀️Sun Housekeeping
A couple months ago I received an email from Substack saying that a reader had pledged a subscription payment if I decided to turn on payments for this publication. I knew it was an option to turn on payments, which I have purposefully not done yet, but I did not know that a button had started to show up at the bottom of the issues suggesting that others could make a pledge. In other words, I purposefully did not want to show that button. I only found out that said pledge button was visible this past week, which explained some things, ha. Anyway, I do still think about offering some options to support the Sun via dollars at some point, but for now, just thanks for reading.
☀️Looking Around
Per the city’s social media, “Mayor Jon Nehring proclaimed Nov. 6-10 as Municipal Court Week in the City of Marysville. Our Municipal Court staff are dedicated to help Marysville residents receive fair and impartial justice.” Related, here’s another video in the series of interviews with city officials, as Danielle Heath introduces Marysville’s Municipal Court.
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This week the City of Marysville released their Popular Annual Finance Report (PAFR) for 2022 (click the underlined part; it’s a link, that will take you to another link where you can read the actual report, which you should; or just click here). It includes snapshot facts about the community and a basic breakdown of how tax dollars are spent. Some examples: Marysville’s population for 2022 was 71,682. Our median home value last year was $572,943. Page 6 in the report lists the top employers in the city, and the top of the ten has second place doubled. Maybe you won’t talk about this report with your friends at holiday parties, but it’s actually got a good variety of info, like a cup of spiced (not spiked) community wassail.
☀️Local Events
Cocoa with Community Development - Wednesday, November 15, 11:00am-12:00pm at the Marysville Community Center. There’s plenty of coffee, right (?!), with coffee mayoral klatches and chats with other government reps. So here’s an opportunity to share some hot chocolate with Community Development Director Haylie Miller and connected city staff. More info at the city Facebook page.
Turkey Trot 5k - Thanksgiving Thursday, November 23, 9:00am. This run/walk is for anyone, and everyone gets an award. Cost is $25. There’s more info and signups here.
Downtown Marysville Merchants Association Events - as seen above. Check out/like their Facebook page for more.
☀️Friday Fun
Due to stringent quality control process and procedures, the Sun would also at least spell it correctly.
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