Hope for the Future
Hope for the Future
Spring, Easter, and Annual Conference
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By his great mercy he has given us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1:3 NRSV
Spring is synonymous with hope. The ground thaws, days lengthen, and birds begin to sing again. We push seeds into the soil and watch flowers emerge. Sleepy bulbs, planted months before, bring forth life. Every year, without fail, these sweet signs of spring serve as a visible representation of God’s promise to us: resurrection.
This year, as the Church gathers together—in spirit, if not in body—to celebrate Easter, God’s great gift of hope feels especially significant. After a year of uncertainty and cancelled plans, this spring is ushering in an unexpected sign of hope: the possibility of future plans.
It’s a very welcome spring, indeed.
Like many of you, we at MAA have made plans to attend this year’s virtual Annual Conference, where the theme is “God’s Adventurous Future.” Though chosen years ago, before COVID was even a whisper in the news, that theme feels prophetic.
God’s future is full of hope and promise in Christ, but it isn’t an easy one. Paul Mundey, moderator of this year’s conference, puts it this way in his statement:
“Our future is not uneventful; it is marked by “rigorous peaks, rushing currents, and deep valleys”! Thus, there is challenge in the journey that, in all honesty, can be unsettling, even anxiety-producing.”
We all know there are difficulties to overcome throughout this journey of life. But even as we walk through deep valleys of grief or forge rivers of uncertainty, we do so with the assurance that God holds the future. God is trustworthy, God is dependable, God is faithful with our adventurous future.
In the midst of a long winter, it’s easy to forget the promise of spring; in the midst of a valley,
it’s easy to lose sight of God’s promise. But as we move out of this winter, and out of this valley, let’s take a moment to reflect on God’s goodness. Let’s prepare our hearts for Easter, just as we prepare the soil for new growth, and prepare our mind, body, and spirit for God’s Adventurous Future.
Don’t forget to Register for Annual Conference, and join Mutual Aid Agency during our networking session, titled: A Map to Mutuality: Doing good for the good of doing it, on Thursday, July 1, 5:30 p.m. EST.