You know that feeling when you are visiting friends overnight, you get up in the middle of the night, say to yourself, “I don’t need a light”, then your little toe reminds you otherwise? You are disoriented, maybe even panicked. We like to know where we’re going. We are often unsettled in and by the darkness. The unfamiliarity and uncertainty give us a moment of pause. We either abandon the enterprise entirely, or flick on the light switch, decide we will no longer go out in the evening, or at least be the one driving.

It is a wilderness moment. We feel anxious, afraid. It can lead to a real, physical condition. We experience critical “wilderness moments” in our lives. Will we have enough to live on post-retirement? Should I stay in or leave a difficult relationship? We have to deal with, apprehend the wilderness moment. Thankfully, we have some very key Biblical precedent for what wilderness looks like. Moses and the burning bush. Moses again, leading God’s people Israel through it for forty years. Jesus tempted by Satan in it. John the Baptist beseeching us from it.

I have squandered too much time playing it safe. In the position of church leadership, that is a luxury I (we) can ill afford. Growth does not happen, ministry does not happen when we play it safe because we might stub our toe, get lost along the way, even fail at our efforts. Abundant life cannot be ours if we are stagnant. Those of you who are avid gardeners understand that lesson well. Bearing fruit, even in the wilderness. We have to plunge through the wilderness to get to the other side. I have been enjoying a series of TV ads, and I honestly can’t recall the product being advertised off the top of my head. There are prehistoric humans realizing the quandary of not being able to get to the other side, whether getting across a chasm or avoiding the sea monster. They are funny, especially when Ellen DeGeneres appears “off-stage” for observation and the sales pitch. Angels also may attend us when we struggle in the wilderness. Be alive and attentive to what God might be up to in your life. The wilderness is where we grow, learn, and become more fully reliant on the One who gives us His vision to get through the darkness and uncertainty. His love is unconditional. When you stumble, there is light. When you are hopeful, he stands ready to bless and encourage you.

Pastor Art