By Katie Harmon-McLaughlin
When they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God with boldness.
“Finding God Where We Are,” Choose Hope: Worship and Sharing Services, Herald House, p. 22, excerpted
Everywhere I go, I hear a common theme: Things are not what they once were. There are small communities scattered across our nations, sometimes fewer than ten gathered each Sunday, but still very committed to one another. Many may feel isolated, but there is solidarity. Increasingly, smaller congregations are asking, what comes next? What do we do when it feels like nothing is working?
Perhaps the most wise and compassionate thing we can offer in this shifting moment of faith is to acknowledge the grief and anxiety that accompany change. We are not crazy for feeling this way. It is not unreasonable to remember fondly when ministry didn’t feel as laborious or uncertain.
But we just can’t leave it there. Disruption of any kind comes with grief, yes. But it also bears gifts if we are willing to receive them. We are to discern the necessary balance of honoring both—space to lament and courage to explore. A sign of maturing Christian discipleship is the ability to hold in tension many realities at once, seeking God’s presence and invitation in all that is…as it is. We pause, we listen…we breathe in hope.
This is not about giving answers, but a time to rest in the Spirit and breathe in hope. As spiritual companions, we have no formula or program to implement. We are equipped only with the desire to see, really see, where God already is.
Especially in times of disruption, all are called to be spiritual companions for and with one another, holding a light in the darkness with eyes peeled for where the Holy is shimmering alive, breathing hope.
As spiritual companions, we hold several affirmations for a community of faith and the individuals in it: The Spirit is present at all times, in all things, regardless of our feelings of distance or absence. It is not our job to “make God happen” for God already is happening! God is the context in which we live, move, and have our being. Even when it feels like things are ending, God is not.
It is amid the fear, grief, and failure of the disciples cowering behind locked doors that Jesus transcends the barriers to breathe peace upon them…so hope will flourish. The future belongs to God. If God is the context of our very being, then everything we ever do will take place within God’s eternal and consistent presence. Whatever happens, it will happen in God. Therefore, it will be full of the promise and potential of abundant life. This is the inherent inner posture of a resurrection people.
Today, you are invited to “Breathe in Hope,” to trust God and turn toward a future of hope.
Prayer Phrase
“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; persevere in prayer” (Romans 12:12).
Deepening Roots
A tree with superficial roots will wither during drought, or severe storms may uproot it. A tree whose roots go deep is stable and draws from deep waters. Imagine yourself as a tree by a river or stream. Sense your roots extending deep into the earth in search of God’s Spirit. Reflect or pray about what you hope to find as your spirit searches for deeper identity in God.
Today’s Prayer for Peace
Engage in a daily practice of praying for peace in our world. Click here to read today’s prayer and be part of this practice of peace.