Take Courage

Who is left among you that saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Is it not in your sight as nothing? Yet now take courage, says the Lord. Take courage, all you people of the land, says the Lord; work, for I am with you. My spirit abides among you; do not fear. – Haggai 2:3-5 (NRSV, abridged) 

You who fear your best days are behind you, take courage, for the Holy One is not finished with you. 

You who fear what is yet to come, take courage, for the God of Glory is yet with you. 

You who fear that the generations before you have left your generation with nothing but demise and disaster, take courage; the Creator is yet at work.  

You who fear that the church is dying, take courage and consider what the Spirit is doing even now.  

You who are inclined to become evangelists of every new self-help fad, take courage and make space for the still, small voice within you. 

You who refuse to change, take courage—and commit to trying one new thing this week. 

You who are prone to catastrophizing, take courage and get to work. God can make a way out of no way. 

You who are prone to denial, consider the facts and take courage anyway, trusting that the truth will set you free. 

Whoever you are, wherever life finds you, whatever you fear, name it and carry on. Face it, and lean in. Take courage, and live with the boldness of a love that death cannot contain.  

Prayer
For the gift of courage, the hope of flexibility, the practice of surrender, and the promise of new life, we give you thanks and praise.

About the Author
Vicki Kemper is the Pastor of First Congregational, UCC, of Amherst, Massachusetts.