Living On the Verge

As I write this...I am “on the verge.” Ever been there? Sure you have...it’s the eve of something big in your life like high school graduation or, perhaps, the birth of your first child. I suppose “the verge” doesn’t have to be something that big...in fact, most things we’re on the verge of are pretty small or mundane. We can be on the “verge” of leaving for a dentist’s appointment, for example. But usually when we talk about being on the verge of something, it’s pretty big. That’s why being “on the verge” can be either exciting or frightening. It’s the “unknown” that really gets us. After all, we don’t know if things will turn out okay, or if they’ll be a bust? Will we get what we’ve always wanted, or will we be left out in the cold? Will we succeed or will we fail? When we’re on the verge, we don’t know the answers to those questions, but we know we soon will. But in the meantime, we’re between two theoretical places: here and there, and while we don’t know the outcome, we know things will change. You know, interestingly enough, we Christians always live on the verge. Scripture tells us that when Jesus ascended into heaven, an angel came to the Disciples and said, “Why do you stand looking toward heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up, will return to you in the same way.” (Acts 1:11) Ever since that day, some 2,000+ years ago now, the church has been “on the verge” waiting for Jesus to return. That’s right...we’re waiting for the biggest day in history. Now, we don’t know what it’ll be like, we just know that things will never be the same. Oh sure, based on scripture, we’ve got some ideas about what that day will be like, but to quote a famous song, for now “I can only imagine” what that day will be like. But, in the meantime, we should all be asking the kinds of questions about being on the verge raises. Questions like, “Am I ready for this?” and “Will I be okay?” are important questions to ask while we wait here “on the verge.” As for me, by the time you read this, I’ll already have passed my “verge.” I will know if I have successfully completed the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Ministry. But today, I’m nervous, wondering if I’ve done enough to be ready. For the bigger issue facing us all, I’d say that’s a pretty good question too.

I’ll See you in Church!

Pastor David