Dear Friends in Christ,
Where do we go from here? This is not a practical question but a theological one.
Today is the feast of the Epiphany. Many preachers have picked up on the tiny but significant
close to the gospel story—that the wise men return from Bethlehem by another road. They
cannot go back the way they came, because in life there is no going back, only going forward.
The wise men’s dilemma is our dilemma, too. What next? How far are we willing to keep
journeying? What happens when we reach the place we’ve longed for and realize that we are
nowhere near “done”?
This question will have personal, spiritual implications for each of us. It has implications for our
life as a community, as well. We have arrived, after a long journey in the wilderness, at some
sort of normalcy. We worship in person; we have an experienced and committed staff; we are
welcoming both long-time and new members to our re-energized community.
But that’s not the end, of course. Where will the star lead us next?
I invite you to a time of discernment in this season of Epiphany. Who are you and where you
going in this moment? What is the journey on which God has led you? Where might God lead
you next?
Worship is the foundation of this discernment. Come tonight (our eucharist is at 7:00 p.m.) and
listen to the story of the Epiphany. Come on Sunday morning and hear about the baptism of
Jesus, with its themes of identity and purpose.
And then keep listening. Go from our altar to the altar of the world and keep your eyes open
for God.
And—keep listening when it’s hard and confusing. Live into our unknown future.
I leave you these words from the writer and farmer Wendell Berry: “When we no longer know
what to do, we have come to our real work, and when we no longer know which way to go, we
have begun our journey. The mind that is not baffled is not employed. The impeded spring is
the one that sings.”
Yours in Christ,
Anne+