Hello, Troop 457, and welcome to a special edition of the Scoutmaster Minute podcast. I’m Mr. Maloney, your Scoutmaster, and today, Sunday, February 4th, we are celebrating Scout Sunday.
But what does that really mean? What are we really celebrating on Scout Sunday? Well, we’re celebrating several different things.
- First, we’re celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America, which was founded on February 8th, 1910.
- It’s also an opportunity for us to say thank you to English Lutheran Church, our charter organization, which has sponsored our unit since 1940.
- We also use Scout Sunday as an opportunity to recognize the contributions of our Scouts and our adult leaders to the Scouting program and to our community.
- But most importantly, Scout Sunday is an opportunity for us to show how we do our duty to God and live the 12th point of the Scout law, that a Scout is reverent.
Now, Scouting recognizes that our members around the world have many different religions, so our program doesn’t try to dictate which religion a Scout should follow. Instead, the Scouting program simply requires that our members acknowledge that there is a Creator.
But regardless of which religion you follow, there’s one thing that they all have in common, and that is the belief that the Creator is in charge. While mankind, in its rebellious way, has tried numerous times to put the Creator aside and give full power and authority to humans, all religions stress that that just will not work. God continues to be in control. Many religions put this in different ways, but I think it’s well summarized by Psalm 119, verse 105, which says:
Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
But what does that mean?
Well, the word refers to all the writings and other information that our religions’ creators have left for us. In some religions, the word refers actually to the deity themselves. In other religions, the Creator has provided ways to show us the way that we should proceed through life. They’ve provided guidance for what we should and shouldn’t do.
Now, if you’ve ever tried to stumble through a dark house without a light, you’ll know that that can be a very difficult and painful process. A flashlight or a lamp in olden days provides the light that we need to find our way.
That’s exactly what the Creator does. Their word serves as the lamp that lights our ways.
But there’s something else important to note in that sentence. Many people believe that they light their own path. In other words, the path they take and the way in which they see the path is determined solely by themselves. This verse makes it quite clear. It is the Creator who lights our path and determines in which direction we should go.
Obviously, we’ll make many decisions throughout our life that’ll determine which direction we go. We might decide where we go to school, what job we want to do, where we want to live, or whom we want to live with. But those are not the decisions that this verse is referring to. When this verse refers to the path, it’s referring to the total path. Our entire life from start to finish. Granted, we will make many important decisions along the way, but the path itself and the direction that we must follow can only come from the Creator.
The Scout Law tells us that we are to be reverent. Reverent means to follow the words of the Creator. In following the words of the Creator, we remember that they will provide the light in our life and show us the path upon which we should proceed.
As we celebrate Scout Sunday today, I want to take a moment to say thank you:
- To all of our Scouts and families in our troop and our pack for being a part of this program.
- To all of our adult leaders who give up their time and energy to support our program and teach our leaders of tomorrow.
- To the congregation of English Lutheran Church for sponsoring our unit for 84 years, and
- To everyone in the Greater Zeal and Opal area who have been proud supporters of our unit and continue to recognize the value that Scouting brings to our community.
So everyone, happy Scout Sunday. Please join us if you can at English Lutheran Church for their 9:45 AM service and a pancake breakfast to follow.
I hope to see you there and please stop by, say hello, and tell us what Scouting means to you.