From the Pastor's Pen

Dear Friends,

I looked out of my kitchen window today and saw a spider web covered in snow.  It’s a wonderful “in between” image.  We are in between winter and warmer weather.  I suppose that’s what it means to be in springtime.  This picture says it all to me.  Believing we are now in warmer weather, the spiders are out doing their thing, but the winter has not given up yet and is sending snow showers in one last cold blast.  Please God, let it be the last one!

We are in that same “in between” moment with this coronavirus.  We have reached enough of a crisis to warrant this “stay at home” order that is driving many of us crazy by now.  We are waiting for a day when we can begin to crawl out of hiding and engage our lives of the past to some degree.  I do believe, this will be a slower “reopening” than most of us anticipate.  In the meantime we are suspended in the “in between” time. 

We are also in an “in between” moment with God.  We have just celebrated Easter, which marks the victory of God over sin and death.  We have witnessed the resurrection of Jesus, which the Apostle Paul called the first fruits of things to come.   There is an already, but not quite yet quality about our life in Christ.  We trust that our sins are forgiven, that we are claimed as God’s children, and we believe Jesus’ promise of eternal life in God’s Kingdom.  At the same time, we can’t quite see that Kingdom and have some questions about the timing.  That’s where faith comes in.

Just as surely as the snow will stop flying and the spring will turn to summer, so also there will be an end to this “stay at home” order and an end to coronavirus as well.  We just aren’t sure of the timing.  And we also know that God is faithful to his promises and the Kingdom of God will come when we will be gathered to God from the four corners of the earth and the world will be put to rights and the Lord will be King over all.   

In the meantime… praise God for small signs of hope, and pass the chocolate chip cookies please!

Pr. Sally