Living in the in-between, part 2

In an earlier post I reflected on times of change being full of the potential for fear and anxiety. Those in-between times – the times of change when we are living between what once was and what is not yet – can also be rich times of growth. I think the question lies in whether we can live in the in-between and remain open. Can I remain open to the opportunities, possibilities, and promises that can be found when I am willing to let go of what has “always been?” (or at least what I perceive or remember or feels like it has always been) Can I live open to the opportunities change can bring or will I live only aware of the dangers hiding in the murkiness?

I think one of the hardest things to do during times of change is to live with a sense of expectancy and hope – believing that what lies ahead will be something greater than I could have ever imagined. Living out that belief in all of my actions and all my thoughts. This is even harder to do when the change is not something that I asked for.

I find that I am able to hold on to this view of expectancy and hopeful moments when I remember that God is at work. God is at work not only here where I find myself, but God is also at work where I am going – I simply need to meet God there. I am not going someplace where God is not – I am going toward where God already is. And God walks with me on the journey (boggles the mind, I know).

Do you live believing that God is already at work in the world and that you join God in the work God has already begun? What difference does believing in Jesus make in your life? How do you, or can you, live differently because of that belief?

Sunday Prayer

Heavenly Father, Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer… We gather here today to be together in your presence; we gather to become one in worship of you. Open our hearts to your presence, and our minds to your word. Open our lives to become channels of your grace and goodness, for we know that every good and perfect Gift come from you – so we give you thanks and praise.

Loving God, we know that you will continue to guide and sustain us as a community of faith. For 87 years the Body of Christ known as Riverside has worshipped and served you here. Your Spirit is alive and thriving in this place. Our mission and ministry is vibrant and vital; and we will continue to share your grace through all that we do, led by your guiding hand and gentle touch. … When times of uncertainty surround us, help us rest in the knowledge of your steadfast love and unchanging grace. As brothers and sisters in Christ, help us draw strength from one another. In the days and weeks ahead, help us deepen our relationship with you, with one another, most importantly, with the people of this community. May we live our witness – sharing our faith in Jesus Christ, through all we do and say. To you be all glory and praise, now and forever.

• We offer prayers this day for those who are grieving a loss… Bring them the comfort of your presence and the knowledge of your unfailing love.

• We offer prayers for those who need your healing touch – those we have named and those we name now in our hearts… Bring them the healing touch that comes only from you.

• And we offer prayers for those who simply need to find rest in you… In you we do find rest and peace, strength and grace.

• We also offer prayers for all who live in the path of Hurricane Gustav. May they find shelter from the storm; and may they find rest and peace in you.

We pray this and all our prayers in the way of Jesus, the Christ. Amen.

Living in the in-between

As our senior pastor’s ministry with us concludes, we are aware that we are entering into a time of change. Really we always have change occurring in our lives – the question is how much change is happening and how significant is the impact of it?

Times of transition, like this time for our congregation, can easily be times of stress and anxiety. And knowing that the change is coming, having 10 months to prepare for a change that is to come, oftentimes really isn’t all that helpful once the change happens. There is that moment, that identifiable moment, when you know that things won’t be the same again. Not necessarily better or worse, just not the same. And it is then that I begin to understand more deeply all that this change means – the ways it will (and hopefully will not) affect different areas of my life; how it will and won’t affect relationships; and how it will (and likely won’t) affect my faith. And then, in this case at least, I begin to understand that I've also entered into a "living in-between" time. A time between what is past and the rest of the change (our next pastor arriving) that still waits ahead somewhere...

The more significant the change (notice I didn’t say “bigger” because it’s not the size of the change but how significant I believe it is) - the more significant the change, the more there is to work through in order to get back to the core. But when I do, what I find there is the unchangingness (like that word?) of God, the steadfastness of God in my life. And I remember that my life is part of a much bigger story, God’s story. And I remember that with God at the center (not me, not a situation, just God) the details look different. My anxiety is lessened, my acceptance of what is expands, my capacity for sharing love and grace is increased, and I know with a trust that is unmeasureable that all will be well. And peace has room to grow within me once again.

What do you turn to during times of significant change? What brings you back to peace?

Celebrating our ministry

Wow! What a wonderful weekend of celebration of ministry at Riverside. I hope you were able to be part of it all. I hope that you were able to feel the excitement that I felt about our ministry at Riverside. In lifting up Rick’s ministry with us – 11 plus years of it! – we also celebrated our change and growth as individuals and as a congregation during that time.

How far we’ve come… How much we’ve done… How much God is still calling us to do!

As we continue to celebrate Rick’s ministry with us, and as we begin to miss his leadership of us – God’s voice calls out telling us that the mission he calls us to does not end. God calls; telling us that his mission is not dependent upon one person alone, but upon the work of us all. God’s mission – to share his love and grace with everyone – is unfolding in our lives and in our community today, and will continue to do so in the days ahead.

It is my prayer that we each are able to be aware of and be responsive to God’s call to continue to serve him. Where is God active in your life? How is God calling you to serve during this time of transition? How is God calling you to deepen your faith?

hmm...a message here?

I've just come home from back-to-back trips to Christmount, NC and then to our Camp and Conference Center in Silver Springs for Jigsaw (a Regional youth retreat) - with only 1 day at home in between. I went to unpack this evening and found...

...I sense there may be a message here?!

Traveling... home again

I’m on my way home from a Board meeting at Christmount in Black Mountain, NC. I seem to be doing a lot of traveling lately. Friday I leave for our Conference Center in Silver Springs for a weekend youth retreat. … It will be good to be home for a while.

Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy traveling. It’s good to see new places. It’s good to meet new people and learn more about life outside my small corner of space. (I figured out the other day that I’ve lived in Jacksonville for 22 years now – that’s longer than I’ve ever lived anywhere.) But there’s something to be said for “home.”

Home – that place where you are known. A place of family and friends. A place where you can rest comfortable in the knowledge that you belong; not because your “things” are there, but because there are people there who love and support you, who share your tears of joy and sorrow, who cheer you on and then challenge you to go further.

I am blessed to have several of these places. In Jacksonville with my husband and son, and extended family. In Bradenton with my extended family. In Jacksonville with my friends and church. In Florida with the youth and adults of the YMC and CYF.

But I also have found that each place I go, whether it’s California or North Carolina or…, I find a piece of home there, too. I find there a sense of belonging, because God is in that place – and where God is, I know I can belong. Perhaps it’s not something I can see or touch as easily as I can where my family is. But it is there, nonetheless; there deep inside me – that invisible connection with a people and a place because I believe, I know in the core of who I am, that through God we are all one. And that is the best belonging any of us can have.