From January 2021 News for the Flock Newsletter
One of my favorite Bible verses to turn to during this uncertain and tumultuous time has been Isaiah 43:19: “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.” It speaks to God’s creative power, and God’s ability to make a sense out of perceived chaos.
I’ve clung to this promise – of a creative, problem-solving God – as so much in our world and my life have seemed out of control. During this time of COVID, much in our lives have changed without our permission or asking. I’ve talked to many of you who feel lonely and discouraged, fearful of what might be next for you and your family.
I do not wish to begin 2021 with a Pollyanna promise that 2021 will be a year of highlights with no challenges ahead. But we can look at the turning of a calendar page as a reminder of the newness that is promised by our God through Jesus Christ. In our baptism, we are named and claimed as God’s beloved children, and the promises of grace and forgiveness become real to us. We are able to begin each day fresh and new, knowing that God as creator is always doing a new thing among, around, and within us. From the chaos, God provides a way forward full of hope and the promise that we will move forward together.
As we transition into a new year, I offer this Jan Richardson poem and blessing to you. I hope that it sparks within you a curiosity and openness to whatever this new year brings, trusting in God’s goodness and creative power to bring about new things and make a path forward for us.
In Christ,
Pastor Lindsey
The Year as a House: A Blessing
Think of the year as a house: door flung wide in welcome,
threshold swept and waiting, a graced spaciousness
opening and offering itself to you.
Let it be blessed in every room.
Let it be hallowed in every corner.
Let every nook be a refuge
and every object set to holy use.
Let it be here that safety will rest.
Let it be here that health will make its home.
Let it be here that peace will show its face.
Let it be here that love will find its way.
Here let the weary come
let the aching come
let the lost come
let the sorrowing come.
Here let them find their rest
and let them find their soothing
and let them find their place
and let them find their delight.
And may it be in this house of a year
that the seasons will spin in beauty,
and may it be in these turning days
that time will spiral with joy.
And may it be that its rooms will fill
with ordinary grace
and light spill from every window
to welcome the stranger home.
— Jan Richardson ©
