Glenmont United Methodist Church

“On Oct. 9, 1903, the New York Times predicted, ‘The flying machine which might really fly might be evolved by the combined and continuous efforts of mathematicians and mechanicians [sic] in from one to 10 million years.’ Yet that very same day, two brothers who owned a bicycle shop in Ohio started assembling the very first airplane.”ⁱ Just about a million years sooner than the experts believed possible, a machine to let people fly was on its way.

History is littered with predictions and “absolutely certain” proclamations by experts and intelligent people about things that simply could never happen, or at least not happen in any foreseeable future—and they have been proved to be wrong.  All the best thought and evidence of this world pointed to a very clear timeline of events, a definite and dependable forecast of what could be, and what could not.  But some person, or group of people, used their wits and inventiveness to break into the expected with an idea or invention that changed all that the world could imagine.

At the beginning of this New Year, the world is as convinced as it has ever been about how certain things will be and others will not.  And most of us go along with the general consensus because science and the experts have assured us it is so.  Yet, we have more reason than anyone in this world to be people who live with an expectation of the unexpected.  We have just celebrated Advent, God breaking into history with the newness of Jesus Christ, with a new way of living, and a new hope for what the future will be.  Remembering the miracle of Christmas, the miracles of Christ, the resurrection and the miracles in our own lives, how can we simply live like the rest of the world and think we can be sure of what can be and what cannot?

My prayer for us all in this New Year is that we would be a people of unending excitement and anticipation.  What will the Lord do next?  What serendipitous wonder will God bring into our lives and the life of our church?  Each day should be as exciting as Christmas day, and contain the same eager joy as looking at an unopened present.  God has come in Christ; Christ is coming again; the Holy Spirit is with us every day to lead us into newness of life. The Church is the Bride of Christ upon whom Christ pours out his love and blessings.  What wonderful thing is God going to bring to us next?

Expecting wonder-filled days in 2012,

Pastor Lee

iP.W. Singer in an article in a supplement to The Washington Post, Nov. 29, 2011.