“Do not remember the former thing or consider the things of old.I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NRSV)
Are you looking forward to 2021? Have you already started to fill in your calendar and begun to make plans? Are you planning that next getaway? There is something refreshing when contemplating the possibilities for each day. Given this past year’s pandemic, perhaps you have plans to make up some milestones in the days ahead.
For most of us, long road trips require much planning and preparation to maximize the time allotted. It never fails that the proverbial question, “Are we there yet?” is asked on just about every trip we take – and it seems to occur as we near the halfway point of our trip. Heaven forbid if we have a delay or obstacle along the way which prompts the proverbial statement, “We’re never going to get there.”
“The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps.” Proverbs 16:9 (NRSV)
Everything we do is planned by the date on the calendar and the time on the clock. As our lives become busier the calendar and the clock seem to control our lives even more. This past year it seemed as if the entire world were on this ride called the “Corona coaster.” Time seemed to move fast some days like a steep downhill descent. Other days passed by agonizingly slow like the ascent of an elevated incline. In this past week’s message, Chris Blankenship said if 2020 seemed like an exceedingly long year we can attribute it to being a leap year with 366 days. Despite all that happened we found a way to celebrate Christmas. I especially liked his title, “Now What?” How do we keep sharing the good news beyond just Christmas time?
For much of the world, including many of us, the proverbial question was asked numerous times about finishing 2020,“Are we there yet?” And we probably thought on more than a few occasions, “We are never going to get there.”
For many, 2020 is a year they would like to forget, and it just cannot end soon enough. Plans for special milestones and events were cancelled or postponed. Early on, there were a few months that seemed as if the whole world stood still and time had stopped. Sadly, this virus sickened some of us and struck down family and friends. Fear of the unknown seemingly engulfed us 24/7 from the constant coverage. People turned to the Bible for words of encouragement, affirmation, and comfort. For many, it was the first time that they had sought answers from scripture.
“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”
Psalm 27:1 (NRSV)
Bible Gateway (great source for scripture content) and YouVersion Bible app (source for scripture, studies, podcasts, etc.) reported that despite the pandemic, searching for comfort in the word of God flourished. YouVersion saw the highest level of global bible engagement in history with over 43.6 billion chapters read and 600 million scripture searches. The #1 bible verse (Isaiah 41:10) that was downloaded speaks to us about trusting and not fearing the unknown.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV)
YouVersion founder Bobby Gruenewald said “While 2020 is a year that so many say they’d like to forget; we see it as a year to remember how God used the Bible App to help so many people who are searching for answers. Through every hardship, people continue to seek God and turn to the Bible for strength, peace, and hope.”
This pandemic has had positive impact on folks seeking God. The #1 Bible verse searched on Bible Gateway speaks to us about God’s plans for our hope and our reassurance for our future despite the pandemic.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.’” Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)
God wants us to always seek him. He expects us to seek him in times of need. Actively seeking means we have this trusting faith in a power greater than any pandemic. When we seek, are we listening for his calling?
“Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.”
Revelation 3:20 (NRSV)
Whom does God say to fear? Does fear stop us from doing what God has instructed us to do in this world?
What are we to do when faced with uncertainty beyond our control? Do we band together and remain steadfast? Despite the bad news of the pandemic our church stayed focused on bringing the good news of the gospel. While we may have physically closed our building, the preaching, teaching, and outreaching continued.
“Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NRSV)
We adapted our Sunday school and small group meeting formats to allow for online gatherings. In fact, our Sunday School attendance grew. Who had ever heard of “Zoom” prior to this pandemic? Many of you signed up to read the entire Bible in one year in our Grand Sweep study. AUMCers made masks for those in need, continued to feed families in Saturday’s Child, housed folks in our church from Family Promise, and connected to each other via the “In Touch ministry,” just to name a few. We never missed a beat in being the hands, feet, and voice of Jesus Christ.
Obedience through resilience is the mark of a Christian. We attain this through our faith and hope in the promise of Jesus Christ.
“For the love of God is this, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome, for whatever is born of God conquers the world. And this is the victory that conquers the world, our faith. Who is it that conquers the world but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:3-5 (NRSV)
Livestream worship brought church into our living rooms. How did you feel that first Sunday on March 15th watching church on your home screen? Was it comforting? I can tell you that it was spiritually comforting in the sanctuary that morning as the team conducted and transmitted the worship service with much uncertainty about what was ahead. As she shared about overcoming personal fears and setbacks, Pastor Deborah reminded us that God conquers all fears and she encouraged us to be rooted in faith amidst the chaos we were experiencing.
“So, we do not lose heart. Even though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all measure.”
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 (NRSV)
Are we there yet? Yes! We have finally arrived at the end of 2020. We got there by the grace of God despite our early fears and doubts about whether we would ever make it.
“In this world we live in we are either entering the storm or in the middle of the storm or exiting the storm. These are the times when we rally as an AUMC family to lift each other and step up to help our neighbor in need. We have this sustaining gift of God’s grace and mercy that abounds more than anything we face. We have this resolute faith in our God who first showed faith in us. We have this wonderful hope because of Jesus Christ. This hope that does not disappoint us since God poured out his love in us through the Holy Spirit. This week and the coming weeks we shall do our best to show the world we are Christians. By our suffering, by our love, by our action, and by our faith in the one who gave his life for us on the cross at calvary. Then sings my soul, my savior, God to thee.”
Did you hear the good news! The words written just above I shared with the congregation at our livestream worship on Sunday March 15th. Timeless words that reminded us that any challenge we face we can always rely on the powerful words of salvation from the gospel of Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith,” Romans 1:16 (NRSV)
Peace be with you,
Kenny Shortsleeve, Lay Leader
A special note of gratitude.
It has been a sincere blessing to have shared stories and thoughts with you for each of the past 52 weeks. We began the “Good News” column the first week of January 2020 with the purpose of sharing the good news of the gospel with scripture-based content focused on action in and through our church. Little did we know that good news would come in handy for this year of the pandemic. First and foremost, I want to thank God for bringing topics and scripture to the forefront. It never failed that when I needed that awe-inspiring scripture it seemed to materialize right before me in something I heard or read. We believers understand that to be the promptings of the Holy Spirit. I want to thank Nancy for her editing and journalism reviews of weekly writings. I am in gratitude for Madeline who provided the platform along with the right picture that supported the theme of the message. A special thanks to Ron, Mel, Leigh-Anne, Amy, Chris, and Deborah for each contributing one of the columns this past year. I want to especially thank the AUMC congregation which I fondly referred to as “AUMCers” for your support with inspiration and feedback. It began with our first column titled “Sphere of influence” and ends with our last column titled, “Are we there yet?” Whether it was one word or one scripture I hope it made a difference even if only for the 5 minutes it took to read each column. Soli Deo Gloria!
Happy New Year!