Wait. Isn’t it a little early for that? I’m not just saying it because we won’t get the January newsletter out until after the new year--although that’s true--but because the first week of Advent marks a new cycle of the church year.
Who’s ready for some new beginnings? It’s been a wild ride for almost two whole years. Amid quiet, dark pandemic days and our fitful reopening, and our wrestling with mask and vaccination policies, some folks have slipped away, some have slowly returned, and others are showing up to check us out for the first time.
We’ve got entire ministry teams turning over, new ones forming, and old ones stepping back to see if their work is really needed--or appreciated! There’s a lot of things we may never go back to. It’s unclear if we’ll ever physically host Family Promise on our premises again. It’s unclear if we’ll have a critical mass to resume two Sunday worship services like everyone is used to. It’s unclear when we’ll have enough folks that want to meet weekly for choir rehearsals. And so forth.
That’s a lot of uncertainty! And that provokes a good deal of anxiety. And you know what no one really wants or needs during the holidays? More anxiety! Wouldn’t it be easier to skip over this part? But then we’d miss the gatherings and the celebrations, the festivities and the feasting, the time with family and friends. Yes, we’d save ourselves some anxiety, but the price would be too high, and we’d surely experience another kind of anxiety: “Fear of missing out.”
1 Peter 5 calls us to “cast all your anxiety on God, for he cares for you.” Or as Psalm 55 promises, “Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you.” Or Jesus' own invitation in Matthew 11: “Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Pastor Jon
