Now is the Time
Isaiah 61:1-4 (NLT)
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me,
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
though they have been deserted for many generations.
for the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted
and to proclaim that captives will be released
and prisoners will be freed.
2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn
that the time of the Lord’s favor has come,
and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies.
3 To all who mourn in Israel,
he will give a crown of beauty for ashes,
a joyous blessing instead of mourning,
festive praise instead of despair.
In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks
that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins,
repairing cities destroyed long ago.
They will revive them,
though they have been deserted for many generations.
“Come one, come all! See this exciting new vision God has for us. Step right up! All are welcome!” This is what I hear Isaiah saying. Salvation is available to all. Accept God’s grace and you obtain salvation. Your ticket into heaven. Right??
Isaiah’s call is a little more than that. Isaiah is challenging us to name salvation as a quality of life here and now that reflects God’s desire for human community. He is challenging us to live the good news, provide healing, liberty, release, and comfort.
He invites us to participate in ushering in this view of salvation by being more missional, by being more proactive, and by being more outwardly focused.
Like the might oaks standing tall in the sun, Isaiah is calling us to stand arm in arm with our brothers and sisters in Christ to rebuild, restore, and renew our vision of the church.
Now is the time to act. Now is the prime opportunity to do this as we are winding down and coming close to post pandemic stages. The global pandemic has provided us with opportunities that we wouldn’t have identified with for years, if ever.
We had to rethink our approach to church. Now is the time to continue that “rethinking,” that imagining of how we reach the unchurched. Now is the time to step up and step out into the real world rather than seek shelter behind the brick and mortar of our church buildings. Put your imaginations to the test. What can you and your church do to take our church in a new direction?
Prayer: O Lord, we thank you for the words from Isaiah that encourage us to think outside the box. Guide us to live according to your desire. Flood us with ideas and opportunities to share good news, healing, liberty, release, and comfort. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Isaiah’s call is a little more than that. Isaiah is challenging us to name salvation as a quality of life here and now that reflects God’s desire for human community. He is challenging us to live the good news, provide healing, liberty, release, and comfort.
He invites us to participate in ushering in this view of salvation by being more missional, by being more proactive, and by being more outwardly focused.
Like the might oaks standing tall in the sun, Isaiah is calling us to stand arm in arm with our brothers and sisters in Christ to rebuild, restore, and renew our vision of the church.
Now is the time to act. Now is the prime opportunity to do this as we are winding down and coming close to post pandemic stages. The global pandemic has provided us with opportunities that we wouldn’t have identified with for years, if ever.
We had to rethink our approach to church. Now is the time to continue that “rethinking,” that imagining of how we reach the unchurched. Now is the time to step up and step out into the real world rather than seek shelter behind the brick and mortar of our church buildings. Put your imaginations to the test. What can you and your church do to take our church in a new direction?
Prayer: O Lord, we thank you for the words from Isaiah that encourage us to think outside the box. Guide us to live according to your desire. Flood us with ideas and opportunities to share good news, healing, liberty, release, and comfort. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
Pamela Todd, Bruceton UMC, Bruceton Mills, WV Ptodd1214@gmail.com, Certified Lay Minister currently assigned to the Brookhaven Charge
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