Have you ever found yourself in a time of being “in between”? In between one school year to the next? Waiting for an impending move or birth or death? Waiting in that space for the not yet of an anticipated coming? The in between times can be challenging, and I believe that socially, denominationally, and even here at FUMC, we are in what feels like an in between time, as we seek to follow God to the places and spaces toward which God is leading.
Over the next three Sundays we will be exploring how to navigate such “In Between Times.” We celebrate three significant celebrations of the church – Ascension Sunday, Pentecost, and Trinity Sunday. This Sunday we celebrate Christ’s ascension where His rule is solidified over everything. Next Sunday, Pentecost, is the end of the 50 day season of Eastertide where the Spirit is sent to change everything, then Trinity Sunday names the relational aspect of our God who meets us where we are and who is at work at all times, especially in the times in between.
For millennia the church has worked through this 3 week cycle as a way of closing out Easter and moving into what is known as "ordinary time," and we do this because in each of these celebrations, we are reminded that God is with us and God is for us. No matter what.