Refreshment for our souls

Recently, I was attending a meeting with colleagues, and included in our time together was a brief worship service. I find it such a delight to be led in worship by colleagues and to worship with colleagues! I love seeing what others plan, and I love hearing what others preach.

My colleague, Deacon Darcy Mittelstaedt, gave her reflections that day. Her sermon text

was 1 John 3:2, which reads, "Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is" (NRSVue - emphasis mine). My ears perked up as she shared this verse, for this is my life, currently: what will be has not yet been revealed. Right away, I was curious about what Darcy would say about this verse.

She talked about in-between times. She talked about how they are often "messy and uncomfortable." She reminded us that the word "becoming" means that "God is not done yet."

And then: her home runs began, one after the other:

• Becoming is not about achieving perfection. It’s about being shaped by Christ.

  Little by little. Day by day. In acts of courage. In moments of compassion. In bold witness - yes, even in the spirit of Bold Faith. We become like Christ not all at once - but over time, together.

• Becoming is not about abandoning who we are. Becoming is about growing more deeply into God is calling us to be.

• The church has always been a people in process. The disciples were becoming. The early church was becoming. And we are becoming too - not through fear or pressure, but through the steady work of the Holy Spirit.

• And finally: We do not have to force the future into existence. We are invited simply to walk faithfully together.

Readers, I sat there, slack-jawed at her words. Such hope! Such encouragement!

As I am, right now, in my own personal and professional in-between time, I realized again that it is the very Spirit of God who continues to lead me on. Sometimes, the path is lush and verdant. Sometimes, it's beside still waters. Sometimes, I'm simply putting one foot in front of the other. And sometimes, I'm in a wilderness.

Did you know that, in Scripture, people find God in the wilderness?

And as I walk through a metaphorical wilderness right now, I find myself looking for the beauty. Where are the flowers blooming? On the cacti by the roadside. Where is the water? In the space I've created for birds out on my balcony. Whose voices do I hear? The voices of those who love me, and, most importantly, the very voice of God, bidding me to trust, obey, follow, and keep going.

As preachers, we desperately need to hear (or read) words of hope and encouragement for our own lives, our own journeys, our own wilderness times, our own times of pain or confusion or grief.

My invitation for you is to go on YouTube, do a search for your denomination, or a colleague you know, or maybe a completely different denomination. Start exploring online, and find those preachers who speak a good word to you.

And then, listen. Receive. What word will God speak to you?

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• Reflections from Deacon Darcy are used here with her permission.