A Holy Pep Talk
Look! I’m doing a new thing;
now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
paths in the wilderness.
-Isaiah 43:19 (CEB)
It’s the 6th century BCE. The people of God are down and out; their minds are jaded and spirits discouraged. They are consumed by the disappointment of exile away from life in the good old days- back when they felt like they could recognize the world around them. “How could God’s will be present in such darkness?” they wonder.
“Chin up!” the prophet says. “Have hope!” A little tone deaf, it seems. The things that bring the people hope are small. The things that bring dread are gargantuan. Let us feel our feelings, Isaiah. We don’t need any of your toxic positivity!
But what ensues in the 43rd chapter of Isaiah is not an out of touch, unhelpful positivity, but a powerfully holy pep talk from God to God’s people. It is precisely when we are a disoriented mess, Isaiah proclaims, that Divine hope can shine.
Well, we’ve got the mess part down. What about the hope?
Like the people of God millennia ago, we too can find ourselves discouraged and disappointed. Positivity and optimism can feel misplaced, out of touch. Thus, to both the ancient ones and to us, Isaiah reminds: God has created, redeemed, and continues to sustain us. Knowing this, we have hope that there is, somehow, even now, a path forward toward goodness and thriving.
The tricky part is that we need to trust in God for that hope to take root.
When things are going well and we feel like we are in control, our self-assuredness can be a stumbling block to our spiritual lives. The humility required to place our trust in God becomes hard to find. But when the path to goodness is murky and the solution is unclear, we remember: it is God and God alone who can lead us forward.
Over the past few years, we’ve shared with the congregation about the challenges our beautiful building presents due to its size, shape, and age. The steep cost of maintenance far outpaces the generosity of the congregation and performance of our endowment. If we want to thrive into the future, we must right-size our physical space with our resources over the next few years. As we imagine and investigate possible paths forward, it can certainly feel murky and unclear.
To us, the prophet says, “chin up!” God has been a steady companion for our community for over 175 years; God continues as our companion today. Even now, there is a path forward toward goodness and thriving.
In this holy partnership, our role is to listen intently for where the Spirit is guiding our community. Some of that listening happened through our visioning work, in which the congregation discerned that the vision of our community in this particular time is to be an inclusive Christian community who love all unconditionally and connects with our neighbors to build a more just world.
More listening is happening now as the Reimagining Space Committee (RSC) prays over how our physical space can once again be a gift that builds up our community’s ministry instead of a burden that limits us. You may recall meeting the RSC during worship in the fall; they have been hard at work since.
As the committee explores options and listens to the direction of the Spirit, they also want to listen and be in conversation with the congregation; you are part of this partnership, too!
The RSC is hosting 60 to 90-minute sessions to share where they are in the work and to hear your hopes and concerns. These are not decision-making meetings, but where you can help shape the concerns weighed and questions asked as the committee works through this process.
I strongly encourage the members of First Church to participate in these sessions of learning and sharing. The committee cannot faithfully complete their work without your informed voice. You can register for a session using Church Center via this link.
As those who have made a covenant with one another to support this congregation with your prayers, presence, gifts, service, and witness, it is critical for each of us to make every effort to stay informed and engaged throughout this process. This will enable our congregation to make bold decisions for a future of thriving with confidence.
What new thing will God sprout up in us? Which path through the wilderness will we take?
By prayer, listening, and bold action through our trust in God, we’ll find out together. I can’t wait to see what awaits!
In hope,
Pastor Karyn