Dearly Beloved,
What a joy, a blessing, an honor to get to journey with our congregation's young people through life. This last Sunday, in addition to celebrating Pentecost and the church's birthday, we got to celebrate the ways in which the Holy Spirit is moving in and through our young people, especially those graduating and making school transitions. We got to hear from Jeslyn Haux, who will be heading to CU Boulder's school of business this coming year and to bless her. What a blessing she continues to be for us. And we got to bless Colton Leibbrand, Natalie Stelwagon and Lucas Gardner as they head to high school this coming year.
These young people consistently stretch us. They regularly invite us to look beyond what we know, to let go of our assumptions, to consider a different perspective. And they model for us curiosity, ingenuity, wisdom, resolve, kindness and faithfulness. We are so very blessed by them!
This coming week will be the last in our spring worship season. We will still have up all the Pentecost reds (a little unconventional, but why not celebrate the Holy Spirit one more week?). This week, we hear the story of Isaiah's call to ministry -- a vision that he sees of angels (seraphim) and of God. The question towards the end of the passage comes from God: "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And the reality is that Isaiah's work will not be fun. The very next verses tell us that the people to whom Isaiah is being sent are not ready to listen much less repent and follow God. This is not the sort of task any of us want. And yet Isaiah says yes.
I wonder how often God asks those questions: "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" How often are the tasks before us seemingly futile, insurmountable, certainly not fun? And what does it take for us to respond as Isaiah does: "Here am I, Lord. Send me"? I invite you to reflect on all of this in the coming week. Whether God is calling you to pick up trash on your walk, to offer a word of kindness to a stranger, to assist a parent with child or an elder with an errand, to share a challenging word of love, or to continue in a task that feels futile, may you find ways to let your yes be yes. May you seek out the support you need. May you know that your role and your work and your love matter. They make a difference.
Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?
Is it I, Lord? Send me.
With love,
Thandiwe
