We have been through a year of “new” and a year of “hard” and a year of “heaviness.” As this year ends and we look to 2023, it is indeed time to pivot. Bishop Fairley, even as he makes way for Bishop Shelton, invites us to turn and look into our hopeful future. God is leading us in amazing ways!
The third verse of Joy to the World jumped out at me this morning as I was pondering this pivot, this turning, to look into the future. It’s not an easy turn to make as we continue to live in the present…
Isaac Watts’ hymn tells us this:
No more let sins and sorrows grow, nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow, far as the curse is found, far as…, far as, far as the curse is found.
Where thorns infest the ground is a bad place. We literally have such a place near our neighborhood. It’s a beautiful little park right on Banks Channel, where you can see sailboats anchored, occasionally see porpoises surfacing, and sit to watch the water flow in and out with the tide. And yet, my dog refuses to visit anymore. We walk by each day and she pulls the other direction if I try to go into the park. And for good reason! It’s infested with sandspurs!! The last time we went there was early one morning. A truck was pulled up on the sidewalk and we had to walk through the grass to get around the truck without walking into a construction site. We walked maybe through 6 feet of the park before we were back on the sidewalk. Molly immediately sat down and started chewing at her feet. Fifteen minutes later, I had successfully assisted her in removing 17 sand-spurs from her long fur, between toes and around her face. No wonder it’s a place she doesn’t want to be!
No one wants to be where thorns infest the ground. A good reminder to us to uproot sin in our lives, to pull up weeds of sorrow so that they do not continue to grow. If the park was divested of its thorns, it would once again become inviting.
Last night I had the honor of attending a dinner held by the Remnant Congregation for their pastor, who is moving to a new UMC on January 1st. They gathered for good Mexican food,
fellowship, and managed to surprise the one who led them well and loved them wonderfully. It was great to see smiles and hugs. The conversation was hopeful and forward-focused! As one
person observed: “we were hurt and without hope on the day of our vote. Today, we are excited about coming together to worship God, to embrace new leadership, and to see what God can do!” The sorrows have been uprooted by excitement, prayers over what is new, and the expectation that God will transform even this season. Thanks be to God!
To all the Harbor Laity and Clergy:
Thank you for supporting one another, reaching out in love and care, when this season threatened to overwhelm us. Thank you for working with me, for calling others to let them know you were with them. As we move into 2023, the continued support and connectional nature of our church offers us great hope. Please know I am grateful for each of you, for all you do. Merry
Christmas!
