In the midst of Sunday's sermon at the Church of the Redeemer, UCC in New Haven, CT I heard my pastor (Rev. Dr. Shelly Stackhouse) preach about the Gospel of John text where Nicodemus is challenged by Jesus to move beyond the familiar into a new relationship with God and a new life beyond his familiar and known boundaries.

One of the phrases that particularly resonated with me was that God does not always give us clear GPS instructions...  (I posted that phrase onto Facebook during the sermon and it seems to really resonate with others as well.) I really like to know where I am going... I feel uncomfortable when the path is not clear or the road full of unknown twists and turns. Give me GPS coordinates in my car and I am good to go! Heading off without a map (or now GPS) can make me anxious and nervous.

And yet, I know that God invites me and each of us to live in a world and a time when the way is not always clear and where there is no map or GPS for the living of our days. Trusting that God will make a way, even when there seems to be no way, takes courage and stamina.

Living in these "in between" times in our personal lives, in our home lives, in our work settings, in our churches and in our conferences, in our country, and in our world can feel risky, uncomfortable, and even threatening... Living in these "in between" times is what God calls us to do. God calls us to trust... God invites and yes, calls us, to readjust and re-evaluate and make changes as we move along the road, waiting on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide us. 

May each of us find a clear way on our journey this week and may we continue to trust in God's guidance with us all along the way.