TODAY IS A DAY OF NEW BEGINNINGS

Isaiah 43:18-21  (CEB)

 Look! I’m doing a new thing;
    now it sprouts up; don’t you recognize it?
I’m making a way in the desert,
    paths in the wilderness.
20 The beasts of the field,
        the jackals and ostriches, will honor me,
    because I have put water in the desert
    and streams in the wilderness
    to give water to my people,
    my chosen ones,
21     this people whom I formed for myself,
        who will recount my praise.
Today is a day of new beginnings; let's celebrate!



“Look, eyes wide open,” says God to us through the book of Isaiah, “I am going to do something new.  I am preparing a road for you to travel into new territory.  With living water, I am going to bring new life to a barren wasteland, and those living there will be rejoice and be glad you came.”

When you think about it, God is always do something new.  God is the Creator, and coming up with new ways to face challenges, meet goals and bring reality to our vision is what creating is all about.

In the beginning, there was nothing.  So God gave the word and then there was, well, everything!

Out of all the people that inhabited the earth, God called Abraham, a member of a semi-nomadic group of people generically known as “hebrews,” for the express purposes of being God's representatives and to bless all peoples.

God gave them a piece of land, a place in the world, that they could become a nation of priests, speaking for God and blessing all peoples.

While mythology is full of stories of ancient gods who took earthly forms, none, but the Living God, chose to be born as a helpless baby.  Through Christ, by the waters of baptisim and the Holy Spirit, something new was created:  the church.

While Christians do not share a biological link to Abraham, because of Jesus, we share the same spiritual DNA of faithful obedience and service to God as we respond to Christ's commission to go to all people and be living, breathing blessings to them.  We are a holy priesthood, Christ's representatives sent to bring the light of God's truth and healing and wholeness to the world.

It is always the same message, the same mission, and God's creative Spirit is always seeking new ways, giving us new opportunities to meet the challenges of our times and contexts to bring the good news of Jesus Christ to people.  We are called to be fruitful, that is to live in relationship with God through Christ so that we will have a positive, life-changing impact on the lives of others.  Being fruitful is what growth in the Church is all about.

As our culture changes, there will be new ways we communicate with other people and new opportunities for ministry, but, and let me repeat this, the message and the mission will always be the same.

Our challenge in our time and context is to be tuned in the creative Spirit of God, to look with eyes wide open, to listen with ears and hearts, and be ready to follow Christ into the future God has for us.

This is a day of new beginnings.  Let us welcome it with open hearts and minds and willing spirits.

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