Being Led Into A New Time

From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough,

Hello Everyone, 
As Labor Day approaches, please know how grateful we are for all of your work.  I do hope you will take some Sabbath time to rest and maybe even have some fun!  

While I have been leading Sunday worship services on Zoom since March, this afternoon was the first time I have led a service in a care community. I so enjoyed it and I certainly felt God's Spirit holding us.  Not only could we see one another, we could hear one another, even with their physical distancing, so we were able to have a conversation. If you are thinking it might be time to try Zoom in your community, please let me know. Also, when your community is ready, I would be happy to meet with a small group.  We have options!  

Blessings, Rev. Sue Ann    

Desert image. Photo by Greg Gulik from Pexels.

 Scripture:   Exodus 16:2-3
 "In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. The Israelites said to them, 'If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.'"

Meditation
Whenever I start to doubt God's care for me, I think of the Israelites. ​Not long after the sea was parted and they had found safe passage, they realized that they were in the desert with no food or water.  ​

They began to yearn to return to Egypt. Yes, they might have been enslaved there, but at least they ate well. They forgot they had been praying for freedom, and that prayer was being answered in ways they could not yet see. 
  
On one of my recent morning walks I came across some items packed in a box marked "Free."  In the box, was a small note pad with pages that read, "Do more of what makes you happy." That seemed like both good advice and an item worth accepting. Frankly, the realtors' notepads that often grace our front porch are getting a little repetitive. The encouraging words and a bit of color and whimsy make me smile. The artwork on the pages also includes a picture of a bright red Vespa.  No, I don't see myself hopping on one ever, but it is fun to dream of donning a helmet and motoring down the road, headed for freedom.  It at least makes writing out the grocery list a little more entertaining. 
   
Lately, I have been thinking about healing.  While that does bring to mind the wonderful stories of Jesus healing those so much in need of his touch and presence, I am also reminded that God has been in the business of healing for a very long time.  Furthermore, we need to remember that God is active and bringing us healing right now. We are all being healed into a new life that we may not completely understand. The restoration we see before us may not look like the healing we have been praying for. Yet, the invitation to wholeness, which I think that is what healing ultimately is, is always being offered to us.

​Yes, in a time of pandemic and poor air quality we may have to put some of the activities we have enjoyed in the past on hold, but it is a good time to check in with God. How is God calling me to be present in my life today? How can I connect with others? There is healing to be found in those answers.  Let us remember we have not been abandoned, but rather we are being led into a new time.  Let us have the courage to not dream of returning to the way things were, but rather let us be on the watch for what is on the new horizon. We may not be able to see it clearly yet, but our faith leads us to believe we will see it soon.    
   
Prayer 
Holy God of Vision and Wonder, 
Help us to have the courage to willingly move forward with you.  Where you lead, we will go.  Forgive us when we grumble and cling to the past, and thank you for keeping us moving.  Thank you for watching over us and those we love. We thank you for the freedom to love you and one another.  We thank you for the courage to dream.   
In profound gratitude we pray,  Amen  
 
Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ
www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com