Today’s Word from Pastor Jim...
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1
Faith is moving forward when you are not sure where you are going, not sure what waits for you around the bend, not sure what tomorrow will bring. That pretty much sums up our lives right now, does it not? Uncertainty, disruption, death, ominous headlines, and unknown timelines. We are unsure how this will all play out. Will my business survive? Will my family members survive? Will that long-planned summer vacation happen this year? Will our students return to school in the fall?
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
A very encouraging email showed up in my mailbox this week. The email, like many that I have received, was filled with thankfulness, and a reminder that I was being remembered in prayer. The email ended by saying, “I hope you see the stars tonight.”
Now I will have to be honest, this pandemic sometimes wears on me. It is exhausting, and on occasion, discouraging. I am ready for a return to former days when hugs were given and received, when my hands did not feel like alligator skin. I don’t see the stars every night. I don’t know when we might expect to see the light at the end of this isolation. We are all getting a little tired of this.
I don’t see the stars every night, but never once have I doubted that they were there. I know the stars are there, even when clouds obstruct their starlight. I know the stars are there, even in the midst of quarantine, disability, or disappointment. The stars are there; I can’t prove it every night, but I believe it.
Has this pandemic, this disruption, this isolation annoyed me? Well, yes it has. Has this pandemic, this disruption, this isolation weakened my faith? Not at all. I know God is there, like the stars, sometime hidden, silent, and out of sight for days, but present still. The clouds will clear tonight, or tomorrow, or next week, and I will the stars.
This season of loss, fear, and uncertainty will pass, and I am convinced that we will look back and see that God was there with us all the time.
I hope you see the stars tonight, but if you don’t, let me assure you that they are still there.
One day closer!
Much love,
Pastor Jim
Holy Week Online Worship Continues This Evening
Good Friday Passion Worship, Posted at 5 p.m.
Easter Sunday Service posted at 7 a.m. Get your home altar set for the Celebration of Holy Communion. Join us on Facebook after your viewing for Easter Breakfast. BYOB – Bring your own breakfast!
