“Do not remember the former things or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:18-19 NRSV)
Dear friends in Christ,
The people of Israel have two great stories of deliverance. The first is the story of Moses, and God deliverance of the people from bondage in Egypt. Then, roughly 900 years later, the people of Israel are once more in exile, this time in Babylon. It is to these people that the Prophet Isaiah writes, saying essentially, “Don’t dwell on God’s previous grace, because if you do, you may miss what God is about to do in this day.”
Soon, God delivers the people once more, and they return to their land where they begin to rebuild the temple, their homes, and their lives.
As we turn our calendars to the month of May, I could not help but think that for many, this is a time of new beginnings. Several of our young friends and family members are graduating from high school or college and beginning a new chapter of their lives. May is also the start of the wedding season, when many couples will start a new life together with a shared purpose and commitment. For area farmers and our gardening friends, May is the month when plants and flowers take root for a summer of beauty and a fall harvest.
And finally, I could not help but think of St. Mark’s Mission and Action team, because May will be the month when they will begin tabulating the results of our recent survey which will help St. Mark’s, as a church, bring clarity to our shared values and set a course for the future.
As Christians, we continue to celebrate what God has done for us, and for the world, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—after all, it is the center of our faith and life together—however we must also be sensitive to the wonderful new things God is doing in our lives and in the world around us.
A rearview mirror in a car serves a vital purpose. We look at it from time to time as we drive, so that we do not lose our perspective of where we are on the road in relation to those around us. A quick look in the mirror may also help us to identify something we did not fully recognize moments earlier as we passed by. However, there is a reason that the rearview mirror is so small compared to our windshield, because what lies before us is the most important.
Sometimes, both as individuals and as a church, we get preoccupied with where we have been, especially if the road before us looks uncertain. But when we trust the one who makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, we avoid the obstacles along our path, and we begin to recognize the road makers that guide our way.
Wherever you are on your life journey, stay alert for new beginnings, because you never know when God is about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
God’s continued blessings during this season of Easter!
Pastor Bob
