Hey Centennial,
Which do you see more of in your life,
Evidence of God’s faithfulness, or his apparent absence?
Anyone who has followed Jesus long enough will inevitably experience seasons of both. Yet, times when God seems absent, when his presence seems impossibly distant, can feel overwhelming. Life is consistently overwhelming enough to lead one biblical scholar to remark,
The claim that God is faithful and present regardless of our circumstances is “endlessly problematic in a time and place such as ours, where the credibility of such gospel claims is difficult.” Walter Bruggeman, Commentary on Isaiah.
And yet, that is precisely the claim of Christ. Hope and comfort in Christ is always available. God is always present. This is exactly the climax towards which all scripture clearly crescendos at the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection. Our challenge is that too often our eyes are focused entirely on, even blinded by, our chaotic circumstances.
Authors Mark Yarhouse and Julia Sadusky encourage people in a faith or identity crisis to consider this exercise. Think of this season of life not as a sentence or an essay, rather as a book. It has distinct chapters, and your present circumstance is only one of them.
“If you were to write the book about this part of your life, what would be the titles of the chapters and why? What chapter are you living in right now?”
This kind of reflection helps to lift our eyes a little and catch a glimpse of the bigger story God is telling, a story into which he invites us and writes every part of our lives.
This Sunday is part three of our sermon series, God Did What!?! It is a series for people who have ever thought God might not actually be present or faithful. The book of Judges is designed to help people remember. I will be sharing some moments in my own journey where God demonstrated his faithfulness in a way that has helped me to this day remember he is present even when he seems impossibly distant.
I hope we all find a similar encouragement for whatever circumstances we face in our lives today.
Grace and Peace,
Karl Helvig
Lead Pastor
CENTENNIAL COVENANT CHURCH