A Word from Bruce:

Greetings Church!

For the past ALMOST a year, this church has been in transition between pastors. It’s been my privilege to walk with you through this season of change. Back in July I told you we were entering a time where we are on the threshold between what has been and what will be. The thing about standing on that threshold is that we can’t quite see what that change is bringing. Some of us face this uncertainty with dread, while others see possibilities that the future promises. In fact, we aren’t so different from the disciples who followed Jesus through Galilee as he taught, healed, and shared the good news of God’s kingdom coming into the world.

Those disciples knew they were on the cusp of change, but they couldn’t imagine what lay ahead. Some of them were convinced Jesus would soon lead them in a military takeover. Others were confused by the way he turned everything they had known to be true upside-down.

But there was one thing they could all agree on: Jesus was worth following. Staying close to Jesus was worth risking everything, even their lives. I imagine they, like us, were fearful of what may be to come.

We’re all familiar with natural fear. It’s the anxiety that rises in us when we are faced with things we can’t control. Natural fear takes over our imaginations when we bump up against the unknown and unexplainable.

We fear the possibility of death, because we have no direct knowledge of what lies on the other side of it. We fear challenges to our understanding of how the world works and what our place is in it. We fear change, because we know it means loss, and we are afraid of losing what is dear to us. We are afraid of pain. These are all natural forms of fear.

Yet, holy fear recognizes the power of God at work, even in the face of the unknown, the unexplainable, or the uncontrollable. Holy fear sees God’s presence in change, and pain, and even death. Holy fear reminds us that God’s ways are too wonderful for us, and it fills us with awe at the immensity of God.

One of my favorite authors Emily Scott writes:  “In Biblical literature, the sea is where the great chaos monster resides, and going out upon the sea is to be subjected to that fear, that chaos, the closeness of everything we cannot control. … But Jesus is in the midst of the storm. He’s standing next to those who have been weathering it for a long time. And our job, plain and simple, is to follow Jesus.”

What might that look like for us? Soon you will learn about a steering team forming to guide us as to what that might look like for us in our ministries in the future. This group will be tasked with praying, listening and offering ideas on what FCC WPB’s impact can be in our community in the next 5,10,20 years.

Because no matter how wild the storm, no matter how frightening our current circumstances might be, God is with us. Christ stands between the storm and us. And he calls us to stand with him, filled with holy fear, for Emmanuel, our God, is with us as we head into the unknown.

Pressing On!

Pastor Bruce