September 02nd, 2021

O God, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I was given this prayer by my advisor at Duke Divinity when I graduated. At the time, the words seemed to specifically capture all the feelings of a freshly minted grad placing herself into the hands of God and the processes of the church, and preparing to step into the unknown and go wherever she was sent. In the past few years though, I’ve found that the words of this prayer are more relevant than ever and not just for future pastors but for everyone.

As I listened to the news a few nights ago, to stories of devastating hurricanes and wildfires, terrorist attacks and the unrelenting pandemic, it seemed like the whole world was coming unglued. Yet even in the midst of chaos and crisis, or maybe especially because we are in the midst of chaos and crisis, God continues to call all of us. The call is to share God’s love and God’s vision of Shalom with a world that seems to be sinking into despair. Of course, if left to ourselves, it would be easy for us to fall into despair as well. But God has not left us all alone. We pray for “faith to go out with good courage” because it is this trust that God is present and loves us and the world which enables us to live and work in hope even in the face of despair and to persevere even when we cannot see very far down the road.       

​Yours in Christ, Pastor Sue  ​