I write not knowing the outcomes of yesterday’s elections that will be known or perhaps still unknown by the time you are reading this. On this day after election day, our spirits may be unsettled. We face the uncertainty of outcomes that shape our future and the lives of those we love. In times like these, it’s easy to be swept up in the urgency of results and the fears of “what if.” But there is a more important truth that we can already know.
Do you remember a time in your life when you were at the end of your rope, when you had nothing left to give? That feeling of being at or near empty is understandably paralyzing. The prospect of moving at all, let alone, in the right direction can seem impossible.
Yesterday, we wove together the story of Solomon’s temple, the celebration of Reformation Sunday, and the Confirmation ritual for three of our young members. Each element individually reflects God’s call to build communities that welcome, transform, and serve beyond themselves. Combined, these moments remind us that God’s presence cannot be confined—whether in a temple, a tradition, or a single moment of faith.
On Sunday, this community will gather around three of our young members and celebrate as they affirm the baptismal promises God made to them long ago. As they are confirmed, the congregation too will reaffirm its promise to support of them in their lives of faith. As is the case again this year, we conduct this ritual on Reformation Sunday, remembering our Lutheran heritage for embodying a church that is always being made new.
Even when we can’t see the full outcome of our efforts, God is working through us, extending promises that reach beyond our lifetime. To align our lives with this divine legacy, we can practice three key actions…