When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy.
-Matthew 2:9-10, NRSV
I opened the document by mistake. I was looking for my preaching plans for January 2021, but accidentally opened my sermon manuscript from January 5, 2020. Instead of just closing the document, I began to skim through the words. It was like opening a time capsule from the pre-COVID version of myself.
The sermon ended with these words:
Friends, we don’t know what the future holds. The headlines are enough to dizzy any of us. We don’t know what will happen with Iran or which candidate will prevail in 2020 or what the United Methodist General Conference will decide. We don’t know what the future holds for ourselves, our loved ones, our finances, our health, our jobs, our lives. We don’t know what’s ahead, and we can’t chart our own course with absolute confidence. Our way forward needs to be led by God… the same God who, from time to time, provides a word or a star to show the way. (sermon from January 5, 2020)
One thing is for certain: that pre-COVID version of myself truly had no idea what the future would hold. I had no idea what was coming. I had no idea that the major headlines of January 2020 would soon be largely subsumed by the realities of COVID-19.
And yet, the closing lines still hold, even now, even in COVID-tide. We still don’t know what’s ahead, and we still can’t chart our own course with absolute confidence. Yet our way forward still must be led by God… the same God who, from time to time, provides a word or a star to show the way.
So today, I’m praying for that way forward.I’m praying some future-focused prayers.
I’m praying for God to lead us once more, to lead us through COVID-tide, and then to lead us out of COVID-tide.
I’m praying for God to provide a word, or a star, or even just a quiet nudge in the right direction.
After all — we may not know what the future holds, but we know Who holds the future.
What are you praying for today, church?
Share your prayer requests by:
- Emailing Pastor Candy: pastorcandy@wesleychurch.com
- Emailing Pastor Debbie: pastordebbie@wesleychurch.com
- Filling out our digital prayer card: https://wesleychurch.com/prayer-request-test/
Together, our Wesley Church Prayer Team will pray for each of your requests. If you would prefer for your prayer request to remain confidential with the pastoral staff, please indicate that in your message.
Be people of prayer, friends… and remember:
Our God is bigger than coronavirus.
Our vision is bigger than coronavirus, too.
We are people blessing people.
We are Wesley Church.
Want to know more?
- Learn about our church and its ministries: https://wesleychurch.com/
- Make a gift to support our mission: https://wesleychurch.com/giving-2/
- View our recent messages: https://wesleychurch.com/sermon-message-on-video/
- View previous devotionals: https://wesleychurch.com/pastor-candys-devotionals-2/
