Start as You Mean to Go

Rev. Debbie Cato
Isaiah 61:1-2 and Luke 4:14-21
Fairfield Community Church
January 26, 2025 

Loving God, may your Spirit be with us each, showing us your Word

and your Way. Amen.

Start as You Mean to Go On

 

 

“Start as you mean to go on.” Have you ever heard that phrase before?  Start as you mean to go on.  Starting as I intend to go on means the way I conduct myself in the beginning sets the groundwork for future actions — good or bad habits follow initial motive.  It’s about consistent character and qualities so engrained that we are barely aware of our behavior – our actions..

In our passage from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus begins his ministry as he means to go on — with the power of the Spirit. In these first few chapters of Luke, Jesus’ possession of the Spirit is mentioned three times.  In today’s reading, we learn it is the Spirit that moves Jesus to go to Galilee and begin his ministry.

After his baptism, just as John predicted, Jesus begins his public ministry “in the power of the Spirit”.  At his baptism, in the genealogy, and in the wilderness, it has been affirmed that Jesus is the Son of God. The 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness have demonstrated the kind of Son he is, his character, and how he will perform his ministry in relation to the temptations of unbridled power, authority, wealth, and risk.[1]

Jesus had already built a reputation for himself in his hometown and surrounding regions by the way he lived. To this point, everyone had only good things to say about him. He had not yet announced his ministry agenda. He had not yet leveled a critique in the synagogue against his own people. Jesus had attended synagogue on a regular basis, but perhaps in previous visits he only listened, watched, reflected, analyzed, and even read scripture, but had not yet provided a contemporary critique or deconstructed the scriptures.[2]

In Galilee, Jesus receives praise for his Spirit-filled teaching. But then he turns to Nazareth, his hometown, where he begins his ministry by reading from the Prophet Isaiah, connecting his work with the prophets who have gone before. Jesus is inaugurating his ministry. It is a beginning, but it is also a fulfillment of God’s redemptive work.[3]

What must it have been like I wonder, to be in that synagogue and hear Jesus say those words, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”?

The Spirit anoints and commissions Jesus to announce good news about imminent physical and spiritual transformation: release from captivity, recovery of lost vision, freedom from oppression. The enslaved and oppressed cannot be absolutely free without a recovery of lost vision or a reimagining or envisioning of a life and mind free of physical and psychological chains. Perhaps bringing good news parallels proclamation of the Lord’s favor.[4]

Jesus starts as he means to go on — by declaring that he is with and for the poor, the blind, and the oppressed. He will bring good news.  He will ensure release and recovery. He comes to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. And when will these wonderful things happen? Now. They happen even as the people of Nazareth hear those words, because Jesus is with them. Jesus is the fulfillment of those words.  And this is who Jesus was throughout his whole ministry.  He started as he meant to go on. He never strayed.[5] 

Just on the other side of this passage, which we will look at it next week - we learn that Jesus’ words are met with amazement — and suspicion. The people of Nazareth, his people, his hometown challenge Jesus and become enraged when he doubles-down on the truth of who and what he is. When he starts as he means to go.

Before I even arrived as your pastor, you wrote a mission statement for the church.  A statement to proclaim who and what Fairfield Community Church is and would be. It is printed on every bulletin.  Do you notice it? “Creating a welcoming community for all ages to love and serve God, each other, and our neighbors.”

A couple years ago, we talked about what our core values are and we chose four that match our mission statement:  We decided our values are community, children and youth, relationships, and being welcoming and accepting.  This is who we are, we said.  This is how we start as we mean to go on.

Making mission statements comes from the business world.  Businesses were making mission statements long before the Church started doing them. We like having a mission statement that sums up all that we believe about our mission in the world. It defines our values and why we exist as community of Christ followers.  It makes us feel as if we can take a deep sigh – we know who we are.  We have done our job.  But, sometimes we forget we must live it out.  A mission statement is meant to help us start as we mean to go on.

I wonder if this, the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, is really the universal church’s mission statement. Jesus lays out, using texts from the prophet Isaiah, the need to bring good news to the poor, release to the captives, the recovery of sight to the blind, to help the oppressed go free, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. We see Jesus living into this “mission statement” in his welcoming outcasts and sinners, helping the poor, and caring for those captive to their sin, their old ideas, and their material possessions. We see Jesus living out this mission statement in the ways he heals and continually proclaims God’s love.

It is a beautiful mission.  It’s Jesus mission.  It seems a little “too much,” a “little overwhelming.”  We could spend our whole lives trying to live into what Jesus proclaims he is all about. Of course, that’s the idea.  This is how we are to spend our lives.  But it can only be done; we can only work toward these goals, if we, too, are filled with the Holy Spirit. We can only hope to proclaim, release, recover, and free if we are so rooted in Jesus and the Spirit that we retain this focus. Perhaps the church’s mission statement is as big and as simple as loving our neighbor as ourselves. All neighbors.

Jesus gives us all a start to our particular ministries in these words from Luke’s Gospel. Yes, we should define what it means for our particular church communities. But let us also remember that Jesus states plainly what he brings to the world in his presence. Let these words, and the work of the Spirit, fill and guide us.  Let us use the priorities we agreed on to start as we mean to go as a church.  As members of the church. Let us continually ask ourselves how are we, Christ’s church, living out Jesus’ priorities? Let us start as we mean to go on.  Amen.

---

[1] Working Preacher commentary.  January 26, 2025.
[2] Working Preacher commentary.  January 26, 2025.
[3] Tara Bulger@ Presbyterian Outlook.  Commentary for January 26, 2025.
[4] Working Preacher commentary.  January 26, 2025.
[5] Tara Bulger@ Presbyterian Outlook.  Commentary for January 26, 2025.

We Ran Out of Wine!

Rev. Debbie Cato
Isaiah 63:1-5 and John 2:1-11
Fairfield Community Church
January 19, 2025 

Holy God, we need the guidance of your Word. Help us be honest with ourselves and with you about our need for your Word.  Use this message to speak deep into our hearts and then give us the courage to live as if we believe.  Amen.

We Ran Out of Wine!

 

 

Do you remember what it was like to receive communion during the

high safety protocols of the COVID-19 pandemic? Those pre-filled,

disposable communion cups with a piece of cardboard?  We were able

to take our masks off long enough to eat and drink and then they were

back on.  As sanitary as those pre-filled cups were, they never made me

feel as if I was attending the “joyful feast of the people of God.”

Separating the layer of protective foil from the cup took focused

concentration and nimble fingers; the reward of our efforts, a stale

wafer and an overly sweet sip of grape juice.

 

This Sunday, the lectionary invites us to contemplate Jesus’ ministry

through the miracle at the wedding in Cana. In the biblical tradition,

wine is a rich symbol of prosperity, abundance and good times. When

wine runs low during a wedding party, the host is in jeopardy of

appearing inhospitable — like they were too stingy for sufficient

supplies or secretly hoped everyone would leave early.

 

But Jesus, prompted by his mother, saves the party. Jesus instructs the

servants to fill six stone jars with water, which he promptly turns to

wine. So. much. wine. Enough for everyone at the party and then some.

And fine wine, no less. Not the cheap stuff. The guests are blown away

 by the extravagance. “The host saved the best for last!” they proclaim.

Writing about this first miracle, the Apostle John shows Jesus’

Ministry as abundant, and overflowing.  More than enough for all.

 

Two things are significant here: Jesus performed this miracle not to

raise the dead or heal the sick, but to nurture the joy of togetherness

and sustain human fellowship and connection. Jesus did not want the

wedding party to end.  And he did not want the host to be embarrassed

or shamed because he ran out of wine. 

 

We often find Jesus in the midst of a dinner, in the middle of a

gathering.  I can envision him smiling and laughing along with

everyone else.  Jesus is often the one who extends the invitation.  We

see him having fun.  Enjoying himself. Jesus loved getting to know

people. He was all about relationships.  He was all about joy.

 

The second thing I find significant is Jesus’ mother and the servants

were the only ones who witnessed Jesus’ miracle. The host didn’t even

know there was a problem.  He didn’t even know what Jesus did.  There

was no fanfare. Jesus did not make a big deal about it.  Jesus positions

himself with the servants. The hired help had the best vantage point

and the clearest, most illuminated perspective on this miracle. Besides

Jesus’ mother, they were the only ones who knew.  The first miracle of

Jesus’ ministry was witnessed by servants.

 

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus favors the company of the lowly. What

is that telling us – you and me whose seat at the table is more socially

privileged? What extravagant abundance of Jesus’ have we failed to

observe because we have what we need?

 

 

When we celebrated communion during the pandemic with the

disposable, pre-filled cups, nothing about that sterile communion felt

extravagant or abundant. Before this sanitary form of communion, our

churches could not even be together for worship. We gathered

communion elements individually from whatever was on hand in our

own kitchen, then blessed and consecrated our cookies and Coke

through a zoom screen.

 

I must admit that after that, receiving communion together, even while

observing high safety protocols, was a gift of abundant grace.

 

Today we are able to sit in community and see one another’s faces. We

approach the Lord’s Table, our maskless mouths free to eat the Bread

of Life and drink from the Cup of Salvation together as one body of

Christ.  Communion is a sacred experience. It can and should change

our perspective. No matter where we sit, no matter how we receive the

elements, the joyful feast of the people of God is miraculous and

extravagant.

 

What ministry of this church feels extravagant and abundant like Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding?  Are there things we can do to be an extravagant, abundant community of Christ followers?  Next Sunday afternoon is our annual meeting.  We will review all the ways God worked in us and through us during 2024.  Then, Sandy Lasz is going to lead us through an exercise to plan how God can use us this year.  Ways that we can be the hands and feet of Jesus in our community.  Think about this and come prepared with ideas to share. Are there ways we can share the extravagant abundance of God this next year?  How can we pour God’s abundance out into our community?  Amen.

You are God's Beloved

Rev. Debbie Cato
Isaiah 43:1-7 and Luke 3:15-22
Fairfield Community Church
January 12, 2025, Baptism of the Lord 

Holy God.  Help us to connect to your word today and then to our daily

lives. Open the Scriptures to us in a way that is life-giving. Encourage us to

listen to the message your Spirit makes known through the words that have

been prepared for us today.  Amen.

 

You are God’s Beloved

 

In just 18 days – three Sundays, we have gone from Jesus the baby, to Jesus the refugee, to 30-year-old Jesus being baptized by his cousin, John the Baptist. Time flies! There are two short mentions of Jesus as a child.  His presentation at the temple for circumcision forty days after his birth, and a story about Jesus in the temple at 12-years–old, learning from the rabbis. Those are the only glimpses we get of Jesus between infancy and adulthood.

Today, on this Baptism of the Lord Sunday, we are called to remember the truth of baptism.  The truth that we are claimed and called by God. The prophet Isaiah spoke this promise from God to the Israelites: (43:1-2): “I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Friends, we are not alone. God is at our window whispering words of truth. Will we listen?

I am always surprised to remember that Jesus begins his ministry by being baptized in the Jordan River by John who calls for all sinners to repent.  Jesus was not a sinner.  He was sinless.  Yet, he insists on being baptized. Even after John protests. 

With the promise of a Messiah, we are expecting a great leader, the living God himself, sweeping in with a great explosion, a blaze of light and transforming everything in a single blow.[1]

Instead we get Jesus.  A baby with a price on his head.  Helpless. Homeless. A refugee. A Jesus who comes and stands humbly before John, asking for baptism, sharing the remorseful mood of the rest of Judaea, Jerusalem, and Galilee.  A Jesus who seems to identify himself, not with a God who is all powerful and all knowing, but with the people who are themselves facing the judgement of God and needing to repent.[2]

John, of course, is horrified!  He seems to know that Jesus is the one he was waiting for; but why would Jesus be coming to him for baptism?  What happened to the agenda that John expected?  What happened to the wind and the fire?

N.T. Wright says that “Jesus’ reply to John, tells us something important  about the whole gospel story that is going to unfold.  Yes, Jesus is coming to fulfil God’s plan.  Yes, he’s coming to fulfill the promises God made ages ago and has never forgotten.  Yes, these are promises which will blow God’s wind, God’s spirit through the world.  The promise that God will rescue His people once and for all from every kind of exile to which they have been driven. But the baptism of Jesus says that if he is going to do all this, this is how he is going to do it; by humbly identifying himself with God’s people, by taking their place, sharing their repentance, living their life, ultimately dying their death.”[3]

When Jesus comes up out of the water after John baptizes him, God’s Spirit descends on Jesus and his voice says, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

Now, here is the really good news. The same voice speaks to everyone who repents out of faith and is baptized. To everyone who is baptized, as an infant or young child baptized through the faith of their parents, or an older child, a young adult, or an adult baptized by their own faith, God says, “You are my beloved. With you I am well pleased.”

Jesus's baptism inaugurated his public ministry when Jesus identified with what Mark describes as "the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem." Jesus aligned himself with their faults and failures, their pains and problems, and with all the broken and hurting people who had flocked to the Jordan River to be baptized. By wading into the waters with them Jesus took his place beside us and among us. In fact, it was not long into his public mission, the sanctimonious religious leaders derided Jesus as a "friend of gluttons and sinners." They were right about that.

With his baptism, Jesus openly and decisively stood shoulder to shoulder with us in our fears and anxieties. He intentionally took sides with people in their neediness, and declared that God was biased in their favor: The author of the Book of Hebrews says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are — yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in our time of need.”[4] Jesus declares, that God's abundant mercy is available freely and fully to every person. It is not the private preserve doled out by the temple establishment in Jerusalem.[5]

 Writing in the Huffington Post about the baptism of Jesus, Vicki Flippin of Yale Divinity School says this, "I tell folks that baptism is the church declaring what has always been true: that each of us belongs to God and only to God. The baptized are claimed by God above all other claims."[6]  Here that:  above all other claims, you are claimed by God.  We have many titles in this life – the one above all is beloved by God.

When you were baptized, whatever your age and whoever made the vows for you, the baptismal waters washed away the sins and evil of the world and brought you new life in Christ. It claimed you as a beloved child of God. Created by God in his image. Claimed by God. And, loved by God beyond anything that we can imagine or grasp. Nothing we can do will ever separate us from the love of God. And because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, our sins are forgiven. We receive eternal life. That is good news!

In his commentary on Luke’s Gospel, Rev. Fred Craddock highlights the often-missed reality that Jesus was praying as he was baptized. Comparing the story of Jesus baptism in all the gospels, only Luke adds the mention of Jesus praying. Jesus’ prayer life is especially important to Luke, who often describes Jesus wandering off to a quiet spot, especially at critical moments such as the choosing his twelve disciples, asking the disciples who they say he is, or on the mountain before the transfiguration.[7]

“Jesus was praying,” Luke writes, rarely adding any dialogue to these scenes. Perhaps this was the gospel writer’s way of emphasizing the importance of listening in prayer. Had he been too tired, or distracted, Jesus would not have heard the voice declaring the truth of his existence: “You are my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.”

 Luke continues this emphasis on prayer in the Book of Acts. The early Christians “constantly devoted themselves to prayer” before the Holy Spirit arrived at Pentecost. According to Craddock, these prayer events were not just aspects of the historical record for Luke, but stories of witness: God’s Spirit is available to us when we pray.

We could all use some practice when it comes to listening. In a culture that prioritizes doing over being, action over stillness, sitting for wordless prayer may feel pointless. Its hard for us to just sit quietly and listen for God’s voice.[8] 

In a poem called “Dust” by Dorianne Laux, someone speaks words of truth to the poet in the quiet of the night. She recognizes the significance of the message, but she cannot get herself up to write it down. In the morning, the truth had turned to dust. She cannot remember. The poem goes on to say:

“That is how it is sometimes —
God comes to your window,
and you are just too tired to open it.”[9]

That resonates with me. God comes to your window, and you are just too tired to open it.

 As we enter this new year, find a quiet place and spend some time with God meditating on these questions.

 Ø         What does your baptism mean to you? What does it mean to you that you are a beloved child of God? How does God’s claim on your life call you to live and be in this world?

ØHow do you practice listening to God? How could you strengthen your practice? What are some easy things you could do to have quiet time each day listening to God? Is there a place in your home that you could carve out for alone time with God?

Ø What truths might you discover if you stopped to listen for God? How might God speak into your life? What might he reveal to you?

 There is so much to hear if we stop and listen. Luke calls us to mimic Jesus’ practice of centering prayer. He reminds us that God’s Spirit is available, whispering at our window, speaking truths for us to hear and write down before they turn to dust. Truly, "you are my beloved." Amen.

---

[1] Matthew for Everyone, Part i.  N.T. Wright.  Westminster John Knox Press.  2002.  P. 21.
[2] Matthew for Everyone, Part i.  N.T. Wright.  Westminster John Knox Press.  2002.  P. 21
[3] Ibid.  p21-22.
[4] Hebrews 4:15-16.
[5] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/3791-you-belong-to-god.  Dan Clendenin.  “You Belong to God.”  1/5/2025.
[6] https://www.journeywithjesus.net/essays/3791-you-belong-to-god.  Dan Clendenin.  “You Belong to God.”  1/5/2025.
[7] Teri-McDowell Ott.  Presbyterian Outlook Commentary for January 12. 2025.
[8] Teri-McDowell Ott.  Presbyterian Outlook Commentary for January 12. 2025.
[9] Teri-McDowell Ott.  Presbyterian Outlook Commentary for January 12. 2025.

The Road Isn't Straight

Rev. Debbie Cato
Matthew 2:1-12 and Isaiah 43:16-21
Fairfield Community Church
January 5, 2025. Epiphany Sunday 

God of starlight, we long to follow you. Like the Magi, we want to pick up the hems of our robes and run in your direction. Like the Magi, we want to kick up the dust with our feet and make a joyful ruckus following your guiding star. Unfortunately, the stars can be hard to see from here. Your still, small voice can be hard to hear. Guide us as you did the Magi. Reveal what it is you want us to hear today, so that we can follow you. With hope in our hearts, we pray. Amen.

 

 

The Road Isn’t Straight

 

 

 

Today is Epiphany Sunday but what does that mean? The word

"epiphaneia" is Greek for "appearance" or "manifestation".

 

Epiphany is a Christian holiday that celebrates the appearance or

manifestation of Jesus Christ to the world. It’s when the magi, guided

by a new star in the sky, traveled to Bethlehem and found the Christ child. It is celebrated on or around January 6^th – the 12^th day after the birth of Christ. The end of the Christmas season. Epiphany is also known as Three Kings' Day, Theophany, or the Feast of Epiphany.

 

Epiphany is celebrated in diverse ways around the world, including:

1.      Gift-giving – in parts of the world children often receive small gifts in their shoes in honor of the Magi's gifts to the baby Jesus.

2.     King cakes - yellow, green, and white-frosted desserts are eaten, and

whoever finds the baby baked inside is King or Queen for the day.

3.     Parades and fireworks displays are common in Spain & Latin

America.

4.     Blessing of water - In Eastern traditions, baptisms are common

during Epiphany. Even houses may be blessed with holy water.

5.     Some people take down Christmas decorations and store them away for the next year.[1]

6.     And many churches – like ours, receive Star Words for the next year. Words that we believe represent how God is going to work in us in the coming year.

 

In their “Considerations for this week,” Sanctified Art authors wrote the following: “As we come to the end of our series, we turn to the Magi. This year as we read the story with fresh ears and eyes, we were struck by how their long and unexpected journey resembles a core truth for us all:  life will unfold with unexpected turns. At some point, we could be called to embark on a long journey, in an unknown place. We will surely encounter barriers, detours, and deterrents along the way. And if we are listening closely to God’s still, small voice, we may find ourselves stepping on a new path… Life’s road was never meant to be a straight line from one point to the next. At best, that concept is aspirational; at worst, it can induce shame and despair. We believe God is with us in every twist and turn. We believe life is complicated and nuanced. The Magi teach us that a faithful path can be one that resists deceptive and oppressive powers, one that follows God’s light wherever it shines.”

 

The story of the Magi in Matthew 2 paints a vivid picture of this truth. These wise travelers from the East did not follow a straightforward path to find Jesus.

 

The Magi were foreigners who came from the East, likely from modern-day Iraq, Iran, or Saudi Arabia. They were probably astrologers who studied the sky for omens and prophecies. Guided by dreams and a star, their journey included an encounter with a king and unexpected detours. Their curiosity about the origin of a new, brilliant star in the sky led them on a journey of somewhere between 500-900 miles, walking & riding camels.

 

Well, you know how word gets out of course. King Herod found out about these travelers looking for a baby boy – but not just any baby.  This baby was being called the King of the Jews. Hearing this, Herod’s jealousy and insecurity kicked in. He met with the Magi and asked them to return to him after they found the baby to let him know where he was. He told them he wanted to worship the child. He tried to manipulate them. The Magi found the Christ Child and they kneeled down and worshiped him, presenting him with valuable perfumes.

 

Then, Matthew writes “and having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.”  We don’t know if the dream occurred after they left Herod and continued their travels to the baby or if they had the dream while they were in Bethlehem. It does not matter. But the Magi were divinely warned through a dream, not to go back to Herod and tell him where he could find the Christ Child. God protected the holy family from King Herod, who’s intentions were not to worship Jesus, but to harm him. In fact, if we kept reading Matthew 2, we would find Jesus in extreme danger from Herod. When Jesus was probably 2 years old, God gives Joseph a dream telling him that King Herod was going to find them and kill the baby. Mary, Joseph, and Jesus leave immediately and travel to Egypt to hide. They are refugees. Jesus is an illegal immigrant.

 

In his jealous rage, Herod orders that all baby boys, in the region, age 2 and under, are to be killed. We call it the slaughter of the innocents.  

 

It seems no one who is part of the nativity had a straight, smooth path.  Mary certainly did not. She did not expect to become pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  Joseph’s road was far from straight.  He did not plan that the woman he was engaged to would become pregnant by God. He did not plan that their marriage together would begin with a child.  Neither Mary nor Joseph planned to have to leave their home, their families, their friends, everything they had, and escape to Egypt as refugees in order to protect the Christ Child from death by the hands of the reigning king.  They did not expect they would be starting over with nothing in a foreign land.

 

The shepherds’ path was not straight. They were out in the field tending their sheep, preparing to sleep as they did every night. They were just doing their jobs. They did not expect to be greeted by angels proclaiming the birth of the Messiah!  When they went out to the fields that night to work, they did not envision they would be leaving their sheep, traveling to Bethlehem and be the first to see the Christ child. They had not planned to have their lives changed when they woke up that morning. But they were.

 

The Magi had not expected a new star in the sky. They had not intended on traveling so far from home – a trip that was long and arduous, and dangerous. They did not expect to get attention from King Herod on their travels. They certainly did not expect to find the Messiah! They did not expect to have God warn them in a dream that they should not go back to Herod. Warn them that they should not go back home on the same road they traveled on to get to the Christ child. They did not expect to protect the Christ child and his family just by taking a different route. Even as an infant, Jesus was already causing twists and turns in people’s paths.

 

Kayla Craig, in her commentary for this week said this, “Sometimes, the most profound moments in life come from taking a courageous turn that leads us away from our meticulously planned routes. “

 

“The Magi’s decision to embrace alternative paths challenges us as we think about our own journeys.  The Magi were willing to have their assumptions challenged and plans changed.  The same is true for us.  We don’t have to have all the answers or an obstacle-free path because hope is what empowers our journey. “ [2]

 

I am so thankful I was able – with a lot of prodding from God – to let go of my fear of being hurt by another congregation and come here, live among you, and serve this church.  I was not happy doing what I was doing but I had let go of my dream, my call really, to pastor.  And because God sent me on a detour, my pastoral ministry is going to end with wonderful memories of all of you and the way God has worked within this church. 

 

I know my retirement feels like you are thrown off the path God is leading us on.  Like there’s a big roadblock lurking that says Stop.  Your pastor is gone.  But just as God provided a dream to the Magi and then to Joseph to keep His plan in motion, he will provide you dreams and hopes for your future and the future of this church.  As Kayla said, “Sometimes, the most profound moments in life come from taking a courageous turn that leads us away from our meticulously planned routes.”

 

Often, the well-known roads are not the only option.  A new path may lead you down twists and turns that take you out of your comfort zones, but it will help you fit within God’s divine plan for this church and this community.

 

We don’t have to know where we’re going to know that God is with us. Isaiah 43 testifies to this truth with a powerful promise:  God makes a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.  This prophetic assurance paints a vivid picture of God’s active presence in our lives, creating paths where none seem to exist and inviting us to embrace the new things God is doing.  It’s a divine invitation to move forward, learn from the past, and step into new possibilities.[3]

 

We are never alone on this journey.  In the new year, may you find comfort knowing that, like the Magi, a light will guide you home.  Rest in the hope that you never truly go alone – the love that knows your name goes alongside you and before you.  Let this assurance fill you with peace and courage, open to the new and unexpected paths that God may reveal in the days and weeks ahead.[4]

 

Here this blessing:  It’s okay if your journey has not looked like you thought it would.  As you navigate twists and turns, stay curious and open to where God might be leading.  May you find courage to explore new routes and the wisdom to follow the One who will never leave or forsake you.  May each new path be a chance to trust God and discover deeper truths about the love that will never let you go.  Amen.[5]

 

 

---

[1] List was found on the internet initiated by AI when “what is Epiphany was typed in the search bar.
[2] Sanctifiedart.com.  Advent Series 2024.  Epiphany Sunday. Commentary by Kayla Craig.
[3] Sanctifiedart.com.  Advent Series 2024.  Epiphany Sunday. Commentary by Kayla Craig.
[4] Sanctifiedart.com.  Advent Series 2024.  Epiphany Sunday. Commentary by Kayla Craig.
[5] Sanctifiedart.com.  Advent Series 2024.  Epiphany Sunday. Commentary by Kayla Craig.