Promptings - 2026/03/22

There are seasons in the life of the church when the landscape shifts beneath our feet. Paths that once felt clear become less certain, familiar patterns change, and the horizon looks different than it did before. That certainly describes the landscape of the Presbytery, I think. Yet Scripture reminds us that God’s people have often met God most clearly in these very moments. Abraham left home not knowing where he was going. The disciples stepped into a world after the resurrection that no longer made sense by old categories. In times like these we hear again the quiet promise of God: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Stillness does not mean inactivity—it means rooting our hearts in the calm center of God’s presence while the winds of change move around us. I encourage us to keep engaged in those spiritual practices that keep us centered in Christ and open us to hear and discern the promptings of the Spirit.

A Presbytery in transition can feel a bit like a small boat crossing open water. The previous shoreline fades, and the next harbor is not yet fully visible. Yet we are not adrift. Christ, who calmed the storm on the Sea of Galilee, is also present in the boat with us. The Spirit becomes our wind and our compass, guiding us not simply to preserve what has been, but to discover what God is now bringing to life among us. The prophet’s words echo across the waters: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19). Change can awaken fear, but it can also open holy imagination—helping us see possibilities that once lay hidden. I encourage us to keep open to God’s imaginative sparks.

So, we move forward together with calm, courage, and trust. Courage does not mean certainty about every step; it means confidence in the One who leads. Like pilgrims walking a winding road, we listen for God’s voice in Scripture, in prayer, in nature and in one another. And we remember that the church has always been a people on the move—guided not always by specific plans, but by the prompting presence of God. I encourage us to keep living in the flow of the Spirit one step at a time.

Walking into a New Day,

Steve