Biography

Hi! My name is Duane Cook. My wife is Patsy and we have three grown children…daughter Amy, son-in-law Ian, and son Adam. We came to Fairport from Southern California in 1991. I serve in a variety of capacities at Browncroft, such as Children’s Ministry, One Voice Choir and the elder board. I am on the executive committee for Flower City Work Camp.

Reflection

Imagine your local high school was going to play a basketball game with another school. The other school was famous for their great players. Every year they win the championship. Your principal is going to choose one student to represent your entire school against the other school’s top player. But, surprisingly, he goes to the Kindergarten and chooses the slowest, shortest, least coordinated child. Would that make sense? No, of course not; we would choose the student with the best ability. In today’s reading we will watch as one man learns it is not our ability that matters. Instead, what matters is God’s power.

God sent a surprising message to an Israelite man named Gideon. The message was God had chosen him to save the Israelites from the Midianites. "But Lord," Gideon asked, "how can I possibly save Israel? My family group is the weakest in the tribe of Manasseh. And I'm the least important member of my family." (Judges 6:15) Gideon thought there must be some mistake! Why would God choose him? He was not a warrior! He is just trying to not stir up too much dust so as not to be noticed. But God saw Gideon for the man he would be and not the way Gideon saw himself. The Lord answered, "I will be with you. So you will strike down the men of Midian all at one time." (Judges 6:16) God promised to be with Gideon. We have heard these words before. God said these same words to Moses (Exodus 3:12) and Joshua (Joshua 1:5). Now He was saying these words to Gideon. It is very important for us to keep our focus on God. Gideon did not have the ability to go to war and defeat a fierce army, but God did! You may not see yourself has having great ability to pull off a big victory, but God does. God makes the same promise he made to Moses, Joshua and Gideon…to you! You’ll find it in the last sentence in the Book of Matthew.

Your fellow traveler,

Duane