From Pastor Zeke Page 1 From the Desk of Pastor Zeke “New Normal” “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” 2 Corinthians 5:17 I used to have a buddy who would say something like- “I am normal and everyone else is weird”. So what really is “normal”? In this midst of a crazy pandemic we have found our freedom and our fears come to the forefront. I would imagine you, like myself, have had a myriad of emotional responses. These might include frustration, anger, fear, anxiety, depression, and apprehension for the future. I would advocate that all of these things are “normal”. I have come to believe that God is okay with our normal. Our deepest frustrations and most paralyzing fears do not threaten God, in my opinion. I believe God meets us where we are and just as we are. However, God loves us enough to not leave us where we are. Even in the midst of a global pandemic, God continues to reshape those “in Christ” into new creations. We have learned over the past two months that there are a lot of things that are out of our control. What, I believe, we must begin to learn from are those things that are in our control and focus on them. These might include things like your reaction to things, the condition of your spiritual heart and your orientation and relationship with God. I believe that if we focused on even these three things our perspective on life would be altered and bettered. Whatever our new “normal” is in this pandemic, my hope for us all is that we might claim the “new life” afforded us through Jesus Christ. My all of feet be firmly planted on the rock foundation of Jesus who is our Christ. -Keep the Faith Strong, Zeke Wesley UMC Newsletter June 2020
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