Thoughts for Reflection:

We all have high hopes for 2021, especially after the year that we’ve just had. You don’t have to look far, however, to see that any immediate change for the better is still fairly far into the future. Whether it is mutated strains of COVID-19, continuing political turmoil, the moral degradation of society, increased tensions in the Middle East, or the general darkness of the winter season, pinning our hopes on something worldly to go right is ultimately a fruitless endeavor.


When the Kingdom of Judah was dragged into captivity, having lost any sense of “normal” for their lives, God spoke to them words of comfort and reassurance. Even in the swirling chaos that they experienced, God was there and He was still actively working in and through His people. Rather than sitting and waiting, protesting or resisting, God encourages His people to “settle down” and live as His people in a foreign and hostile land. Perhaps it is time for the Church to do the same and recognize that, even though our world has “changed”, we are still called to the same mission, serving the same unchanging God.


Questions to take home:
What is one thing that you’ve been holding on to this year hoping it would return to normal soon? Do you think that holding on to this has been hindering you in any way? How could you experience freedom in your life by giving it to God?
How does thinking about our current life as the “new normal” change your perspective for how you think about the things going on around you? How does your view of God’s work in and through you change?
We, the church, are called to be “Christ’s Hands and Feet”, to minister and proclaim the Gospel in the context that we are in. What do you think needs to change for us if we are to do this effectively? What about for you?