Isaiah 43:16-21 This is what
the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path
through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and
horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there,
never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick: “Forget
the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now
it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the
wilderness and streams in the wasteland. The wild
animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide
water in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland, to give drink
to my people, my chosen, the people I formed for myself that
they may proclaim my praise!
The world around Isaiah and the Israelites also
felt like it was shaking. Upended. Uncertain. And the word God spoke through
Isaiah is this: Don’t dwell on what could have been, see I am doing a new
thing! I provide for my people, always, do you perceive it? I know it can be
tough to perceive the good in new things- so that’s why we’re gathering for the
sake of worship this morning- to remind ourselves and each other of what’s
guided us thus and will continue long after this pandemic is complete: our
story of faith.
No matter what pages of our human story we
read, God has always been present in the most uncertain of times. God is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and end. Jesus is the author
of our faith, and no matter what you’re feeling in this moment, our collective
faith is big enough to handle it. And our shared faith is derived from stories.
That’s what the bible is: a collection of stories that are authentic,
meaningful, and formative. Stories become who we are, and as Christians, each
of our unique narratives intersect with The Story: the one about God’s
unending love for the whole world. Your story matters- and in just a bit I’ll
invite you to share from it. But first let me celebrate the stories from
scripture that have transformed you and shaped who you are and how you see God
at work:
God remains faithful in Abraham’s
life, even as he and Sarah faced seemingly insurmountable odds. (Thanks Val
Kelly!)
God remains present in Jonah’s life- using a great
big fish to get his attention and focus on what really matters- helping others!
(Cindy)
God remains steadfast through dark
valleys and green pastures, like the author of Psalm 23 assures us (Thanks,
Dee)
God remains peaceful, as Jesus proclaims in John: Peace I leave with
you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not
let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (Thanks, Bernie)
God remains reassuring of our future,
·
And we know
that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have
been called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
· 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. -Jeremiah 29:11
· Be strong and
courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your
God will be with you wherever you go.” -Joshua 1: 9
· ‘He will wipe
every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
-Revelation 21:4 (Arlene)
God remains in touch with our human experience, as Larry Lyngstad recalls from his great feat
of memorizing this verse from John 11:35 in his confirmation class: “Jesus
Wept.”
God remains hopeful through the words of Paul: Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true,
whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such
things. (Vicki & Enid)
Lastly, God remains with us, through it
all: “I can do all this through him who gives me strength.” (Lori)
God remains, of that I’m certain- no matter how
uncertain we are about our future. God’s love will find us- because it does,
every time. THESE are the stories of our faith that we need now more than ever.
Scripture is our foundation, and our own life stories are how we make sense of
it. My story- your story, our stories matter, because they’re the foremost way
we see God at work in this world.
And here’s why not having in-person worship is so hard: we need each
other to listen and interpret these stories for us. The truth is much like
Brandy Carlile sings in The Story: So many stories of where I’ve been, and
how I got to where I am, but these stories don’t mean anything when you’ve
got no one to tell them to. When I first heard her sing this song, my
first thought was “this is a church song! This is about building a loving
community!”
So as we listen to this song The Story for a meditative moment,
this is where you get involved: I’d like you to comment about that thing I
asked you to wear. What is it? What word or phrase best captures what it
says about you and your story? It doesn’t have to be super deep, but
it’s great if you say something we might not know about you! And if you
didn’t wear anything, no big deal- share a sentence or two of your story with
us today. And be sure to read all the comments if you’re able as we build onto
THE STORY of God’s love for this beautiful and broken world (virtual connection)
“It's true, I was made for you” In our most vulnerable times, our stories become more powerful. You know that feeling when somebody tells you a deep part of their story? That connection made, that’s church at its best. That’s our faith lived out in real time. Sharing the stories of who we are, all the lines on our faces, all we’ve been through. Thank you for sharing a piece of your story today. Next week I’ll share a bit more of mine with you.
I have a challenge for you this week- in whatever safe form of
communication you can manage, Would you commit to sharing your story this
week with someone who doesn’t yet know that deep part of you yet? It
doesn’t even have to be your whole story, just a piece of it. Let your walls
fall, trust that in the sharing of who we are, we become closer to the one who
created THE Story, God whose love is big enough for the whole world.
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