When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy. – Psalm 94:19
This passed Sunday’s message dealt with Jesus teaching about anxiety from Matthew 6, understanding that God has us, and there is nothing to worry about while wrapped in his arms. It is wonderful to know those moments. It is pure joy to be carefree, to know that the things of earth grow strangely dim, when we focus on the things above. I wish I could say that it removes all anxiety over every issue we face in our world on a daily basis, but that wouldn’t be truthful.
We all face anxious moments in life. Even now as the summer season has come, and many people have become fatigued with waiting for society to “get back to normal;” we face issues of reported increases in COVID-19 cases. It makes many anxious to think about what life might be like in the near future. We know that things are opening up, slowly and steadily, we are working to be able to offer in-person worship services. But I’ll be honest, that makes me anxious. I care for each one who would enter the doors of our church campus, and want everyone to feel welcomed and safe. I also want people to feel engaged and energized by worship, but as you can probably understand from the survey that went out a couple of weeks ago, even when we get back to church in-person, it’s going to feel different, it’s going to be different.
I trust that you will be patient with your church leadership as we explore what coming to church looks like for the next little bit, and as we navigate with great care and caution the ways we will order the service, have to be seated in the sanctuary, making sure to offer Christ with great care and concern for the well-being of everyone present.
We will trust in God, that he will guide us and bless us though the steps we take as we prepare for gathering again. We will trust that God will guide us in thinking about the others we will be around, and follow the guidelines to keep one another safe. We will trust God will continue to bless those who do not yet feel comfortable getting out. We will need to learn how to trust God more and more and maybe someday we will get to that place where we trust God completely.
The consolation of the Lord that brings joy, is knowing that even if things go awry, God’s mercy and grace remain. Even in our most anxious moments, we can trust that God will see us through, but we will need to trust. More and more, oh for grace to trust him, more.
Grace & Peace,
Sam