A Great Beginning
If there is one thing true of our faith it’s this: Our God is a God of new beginnings! When we stop for a moment and consider all the new “beginnings” in our lives (new relationships, new jobs, new places), I’m so quickly reminded of God’s work in all of them. I hope you are, too.
Today, the truth of new beginnings is evident for us at CCM! Our first gathering was a celebration of something new. It was marked by openness and a recognition that the work in front of us is a blessing to embrace and to share. We also were encouraged by conversation around Psalms 107. Specifically in verses 23 and following, we talked about the connection between our journey of faith and the “merchant at sea” as described in the text. The merchant sees the power of God in the waves, and, like the “highs” and “lows” of the waves as he makes his way across the sea, he experiences moments of fear that can paralyze and “stagger” him and there are moments where he finds himself at his “wits end.” When this happens, scripture says there is only one response: turn to God! When we turn to God, we recognize our powerlessness to manage the crisis in front of us. When we turn to God, we accept that our way, our wishful thinking, our efforts at control, are not enough. When we turn to God in prayer, we do so knowing He will lead us out of the problems we face.