Redeemer Lutheran & St. Theodore’s

By Lisa Rotchford

Reverend

Summertime childhood memories of playtime outside during long sun-filled days might include games of tag, races and other pastimes that began with the phrase “Ready….Set…Go!” As the worldwide battle with a relentless coronavirus continues, our summer days may also be sun-filled, but now long and not always joy-filled. We are ready to get back to a sense of “normalcy.” We are set in our sanctuary to worship God together again. Yet we are called to wait! As Christians we are called to remember that there is joy that can be found in waiting.

When we turn to Scripture, we are often told to “wait upon the Lord.” It is a consistent theme of both our Old and New Testaments. Human beings are naturally an impatient lot who don’t like to wait. So we join our biblical ancestors in trying to wrap our minds and our hearts about living through this time when our lifestyles are asked to slow down, hold on, and pause. We are all, worldwide, being called to be quiet. Can we use this time to listen to what the Lord may be saying?

As we sit and wait in this pandemic, we can turn to the prophet Isaiah’s well-known encouragement for solace and strength, “but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31) All of us can use a little time to recharge our batteries and rest. What if God is using this time to strengthen us so we are prepared for whatever lies ahead? The Lord is with us; fighting for us.

One of my favorite promises of God is found in Isaiah’s writings 10 chapters earlier: ”Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!” (30:18) Isaiah reminds us in both of these passages that we get our strength from our Lord. In addition to his resolve which can get us through anything, we are shown God’s grace and compassion and we are called to know and demonstrate that same grace and compassion to one another. Be strengthened and ready. Be set in compassion and grace. And be blessed in waiting.