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?—Isaiah 43:18-19b NIV

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

One of my favorite hymns is No. 707 in the UM Hymnal, “Hymn of Promise.”  I love the beauty of the poetry that reminds me of the passage from Isaiah quoted above.  Both come from the experience of loss and desolation—the Isaiah passage from the loss and desolation of exile, the Hymn from the loss of a lifelong spouse to death.  And both offer a vision of the future that is not bound in the reality of the present but the possibility of God’s future.

This season of the year, it’s hard not to identify with the last line of the first verse of the Hymn:  “In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.”  What looks dormant and lifeless is simply resting in God, awaiting His touch to bring it slowly but unmistakably to life.

God is doing some of that in the life of our Church, I think.  We ae emerging from a year of looking back, celebrating our heritage, investing a lot of time and energy in telling the story of that which was.  And a rich, powerful story it was with much in the way of faithful witness, trust in God, and redemption of broken lives.  But what’s next is not completely clear—it’s awaiting the touch of God to bring it to life.

Some of what’s next for us has to do with nurturing persons who feel God’s call to serve in some set apart (ordained) way in the ministry of the church.  We have many such persons in our congregation now, and that is a real joy.

Some of what’s next seems to be related to more energy, vibrancy and intentionality in our ministry with Youth and Young Adults.

Some of what’s next has to do with inviting more of our community to become a part of what God is doing in and through Longs Peak UMC by a more active ministry of communication, Web-presence and outreach.

Some of what’s next is definitely related to a stirring deep within me to foster more spiritual life and growth in the congregation through engaging in meaningful spiritual disciplines and practices, retreat, seeking after God—basically living into our mission of making (but also being) disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.

Some of what’s next seems to be related to moving the Church out of mortgage debt so that more of our resources can go into mission and ministry.

Some of what’s next seems to be related to developing ministries to those on the edges of society, especially human beings who are seen and exploited and profited from as if they were commodities.

The list goes on; this is by no means all-inclusive, but rather suggestive.

I invite you to join me in asking God to show us the new things He is doing—or would like to do—through us in this part of His world.  Some of us may be called to lead such ministries, so ask with boldness and be ready to respond!  But all of us are surely called to yearn for God’s future and to hunger to see that “new thing” spring up, that revealing of the spring that at this point in time God alone can see.

Yours beneath the cloak of winter, awaiting the rekindling of the fire of Christ.

Pastor Steve