We are creatures of habit. We like things to remain stable, predictable, under control. Unfortunately, life doesn’t work that way. It’s anything but predictable. And anybody who’s ever tried to control the events and circumstances of their life, you realize that it’s a prescription for insanity! One of the ways that we deal with the ever-changing quality of life is by living life in the past tense. I have heard a lot of this lately by comments like, “I can’t wait until things go back to normal” or “when will this pandemic end”. We look back to a time when everything was just like we wanted it. We hold onto that ideal image as a comfort when life in the present gets overwhelming. Of course, if we really went back to that time, we’d realize that not everything was just like we wanted it. But in retrospect, it’s easy to see the past with rose-colored glasses.

The same thing is true of our faith. We can get stuck in the past when it comes to our faith. It may be a past part of our life, or it may be a distant past, like biblical times. Either way, we tend to idealize the past, thinking that it must have been easier to have faith in that time. When we do that, I wonder if our faith doesn’t get stuck in the past. I wonder if we have a hard time really bringing our faith into the present time with all its challenges. Yet, God calls us to bring a past tense faith into the present tense, so that a present tense faith can deal with and handle the fears and anxieties for today.

Spring is the perfect season, to lean in and trust that out of the dormancy and coldness of a season, be it the literal season, a season in our lives, or a season in our own health/well-being, or a season of unemployment/financial insecurity, God can do a new thing. This is what Easter is really all about! It is about trusting God to be about doing a new thing in our life. You can usually tell how balanced my life is by looking at my lawn and gardens. I have a tendency sometime to work too much. I have a tendency to work enough that I just want to enjoy a simple meal with John and chillax. However, when I am better balanced I find time for all things. For chillaxing, for reading & searching the scriptures, for gardening and taking care of the lawn, for kayaking, gold and visiting family. Sometimes, in order to bring our lives into balance it requires change. A change in jobs, a change from being employed to being self employed. whatever the change it will require a leap from a past tense faith to a present tense faith while working towards change. It will also require us to name and mourn our losses along the way. This is the process for which an present tense Easter faith springs forth to do new things, in our new normal, making all things new! May you have hope as things are being made new. At Three Rivers First United Methodist Church, we define hope as the reality based belief that the future can and will be different than the past and even better! We use a present tense faith to help us be co-conspirators with the Holy Spirit making all things new and bringing forth new blooms in our life lived in faith! I hope you will consider joining us on Sunday mornings in-person (with safety precautions observed and taken) or on-line at 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings! I am always willing to meet for lunch or coffee to offer support, a prayer, learn more about where you are in your journey of faith and how I can best support you in it!

With Blessings, Hope & Gratitude,

Pastor Heather