Dear Friends,

Welcome back! I hope that you had an enjoyable summer, whether you visited family, went to the beach, traveled around the country, or stayed close to home.

September brings much excitement to our lives. Newness is in the air. New classrooms, new teachers, new friends, new clothes, new books, etc. dominate the thoughts of parents, young adults, and children. Expectations are running high.

In the same way, September brings uncertainty. Will our loved ones be safe, will they like their teachers and classes, or many such concerns run through our minds. It does not help to hear of the shooting that took place this week at a Roman Catholic Church in Minneapolis. My prayers go out to the families that endured such a tragedy in the place where they believed they would be safe.

As adults we face uncertainties regularly. If we are starting a new job or moving to a new neighborhood, we have uncertainties. Parents facing “empty nests” have uncertainties. People awaiting test results or visits to the doctor, face uncertainties. New leaders taking on more responsibility at work or in church have uncertainties.

And I am sure there is both excitement and uncertainty swirling around on what it will be like to come back to church, start up Sunday school, and do youth programs, etc. In fact, this September we have Tammy and Dave Henderson stepping up to take over for Beth and Ben Leitch as they retire as youth leaders.

When uncertainties dominate our thoughts, they turn quickly into an unrealized fear of the unknown. So, what do we do in those times?

As the scriptures tell us, when we trust in God, we will find our peace amongst the uncertainties of the day. I believe that to live with this idea, we must have blind faith. I have a T Shirt that says, “I walk by faith, not by sight.” Even though this statement has truth for me, there are moments in my life when I realize that it is easier to say than do. Let us face it, we have fears of the unknown. And most times our fears are much bigger than the actual event or situation. That notion, though, does not help when we are experiencing panic. It is during these times when fear takes hold of us, we either fight or flee. We might hope that our faith in God will cause us to fight the instinct to run away, but instead our desire is to get away from the situation as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, that is not always possible, eventually we will come face-to-face with that situation again.

Think about the Israelites in the wilderness. When the situation became difficult, when food and water were at a minimum, their instinct was to run back to a place where they had all that they needed. In those times, God stepped in to assure them that the Lord would not let them perish, if they believed. When I speak to people who are homeless, I am surprised by their faith and hope that their situation will improve. What I realize is that the even the little bit of help we give them has the power to lift their spirits and encourages them in their efforts to get back on their feet. Even during their own uncertainties, they find peace in knowing that someone cares about them. It might be true that fear longs to be conquered.

Like you, I want to find that place where I have perfect peace that comes through my belief in Jesus Christ. There are uncertainties from the moment we wake in the morning, till we lay down to sleep in the evening, yet I hope that our faith in Jesus Christ will give us the courage to face our fears with a strength that keeps us moving forward, fighting the good fight each day.

May we look forward to the newness of each day we have in this life, as we push away our fears to rejoice and give thanks for all the wonderful things God is planning to do in and around us this September and beyond. To God be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I thank God for you,

Pastor Kathy Nealand