Life.

So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it on a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live. – Numbers 21.9

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. – John 3:14-15

I finished distributing communion to the congregation and was stopped. I paused for a moment, took a deep breath, looked at the gathered congregation, singing One Bread, One Body, and felt a sadness come over me. I knew that this was going to be our last time together for a while. I had hoped that it wasn’t going to be for very long, thinking maybe we’d be back before Holy Week or Easter, only a few weeks away, but something gnawing in the back of my mind that our separation might last longer.

The following day, I drafted a letter to the congregation and guests announcing the suspension of in-person worship and gatherings in the church building writing, 

These are challenging and anxious days. The uncertainty that lies ahead challenges even those with great faith in the Lord and the Lord’s promises for the world. Yet, even in the canceling of everyday life, we recognize that Christ’s promise remains. After all, to get to the promised resurrection, Christ bore the cross for us. To drastically paraphrase Isaiah 40.8, the schools close, churches suspend worship, and the store might be out of toilet paper, but the Word of our God will stand forever.

A year later that promise remains true for us as the day God spoke it through the prophet Isaiah. Through the ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the gains and the losses, God’s promised one, Jesus, the Christ, has remained with us and for us. There are still challenging and anxious days ahead. There is always uncertainty, even in faith, yet God’s love and promise remain. 

These days, we may be closer to the end than the beginning; each day still belongs to God, to Christ, who is the beginning and the end. Each day, the Holy Spirit, through the lifting up of God’s Word, turns us to look to the cross, and live. No matter where the Spirit leads the Body of Christ, that same Spirit will continue to raise us up to see Christ crucified in every one of God’s beloved people. And by looking towards the face of the One crucified for us, we will always be given life, mercy, and wholeness in the wilderness. 

God has had this.
God has this. 
God has you.