Time to Panic?

For the last 8 months, many of us have been in panic mode. Maybe not everyday or even every week, but we have all felt moments of panic as we navigate our new normal. I suspect Moses and the Israelites were in panic mode after the “golden calf” incident. Moses was probably exhausted and frustrated with the people. It wasn’t easy to stand up to God on their behalf, but he took the risk to save them from God’s anger. Still, I doubt Moses was any happier with the people than God was!

The people themselves must have felt some sense of fear and uncertainty. They knew God wasn’t happy. They were barely hanging onto their relationship with God. Everyone was in crisis mode because their relationship with God was in danger.

They had questions like: Does God still love us? Will God break our covenant? Is God still with us? And where is God anyway??

This week’s scripture is about handling times of crisis. In the last month or so many of us have felt like we might never get back to “church” as it used to be. And I believe in many ways we never will - but that isn’t a bad thing! The Israelites never got back to Egypt and how it used to be. Instead, they entered a new land, filled with milk and honey. A land that was full of promise and possibility. I don’t know what “church” will look like a year from now, but I am convinced it will be full of promise and possibility.

In the meantime, the question is: How do we manage this crisis?

Simple answer: with patience, prayer, and presence.

Focus scripture for Sunday October 18, 2020: Exodus 33:12-23