The following is a reflection on 2 Corinthians 5:16-21

With the end of the Lenten season within reach, and the sunrise of Easter on the horizon, we can’t help but be excited by the approaching newness of the coming season.

During Lent, we’ve been invited to reflect on our relationship with God. As a part of that, we also reflect on God’s faithfulness to us and what it means for our lives. What we discover in our relationship with God is that God’s past and present actions give us a new future in Christ – one in which God equips us to continue the ministry and teachings of Jesus.

This new future is, in reality, a new creation. That is, in Jesus, God did a brand new thing and made us a part of it. How wonderful is that?! It’s easy to be caught up in the headlines and media that make us forget that change and newness are all around us. But when we are open to it, we see God’s new creation all around us. Think of people who have worked to overcome a life of violence, or who are in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction. Think, too, of faith communities that have taken the step to intentionally include people from their surrounding community and share in the lives of the people who accept that invitation.

As we continue to discover what it means for us to participate in God’s new creation as individuals and as a congregation, may we do so with equal measures of humility and boldness, recognizing God’s faithful presence in it all.

Let us pray: God of life, we give you thanks for making us part of your ongoing creation. Grant us open hearts and open minds, that we may see your continuing activity at work in our world, and grant us a willing spirit that we might participate in it. Amen.

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