A note from Pastor Travis, 11/5/20

Dear FUMC family and friends, 

This Sunday we are reflecting on Joshua 24:1-3a, 14-25. It is a very dramatic story. The Israelites have been wandering in the desert for 40 years. They were tired. Many who had started the journey, fleeing from Egypt, had not made it that far. They had died on the journey. Other people had been born as their parents wandered the desert, so desert life is all they knew. Moses had died. He had been more than just a leader. He was their inspiration and their spiritual connection to God. When they complained about hunger and thirst, he had appealed to God and they had received manna, quail, and streams of water. Now they were led by Joshua. He had big shoes to fill, but he was a strong leader.

In our scripture passage for this week, the Israelites are on the cusp of entering Palestine. They had waited so long for that day. It was hard to believe that it had finally arrived. However, before they crossed the Jordan to officially enter Palestine, Joshua paused. He gathered the people and reminded them of God’s faithfulness. Then he told them that there would be many temptations in Palestine. It was a land filled with gods, and the Israelites had a history of worshiping other gods (remember the golden calf?). He told them that before they entered the land, they had to decide whom they would worship. Then he added, “…but as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.'” The people said that they too would serve God and God alone, and Joshua made a covenant with them, marking their pledge to follow God.

This is a story for all times and for our time. There are many things which claim our attention, promising to give us a good life, a prosperous life, a happy life. There are many things we can serve. There are many things in which we can place our hope. In a time of uncertainty, we seek stability. In a time of chaos, we seek hope. So, like Joshua and the Israelites, we have placed our hope in God, and we have sealed that covenant with our baptisms. What does this mean in 2020? What does serving God look like in the middle of a pandemic in a divided and conflicted nation? Join us on Sunday as we consider together what it means to trust in God in this time and place.

Grace and Peace,

Pastor Travis