Listen

Look! I’m creating a new heaven and a new earth: past events won’t be remembered; they won’t come to mind. Be glad and rejoice forever in what I’m creating, because I’m creating Jerusalem as a joy and her people as a source of gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad about my people. No one will ever hear the sound of weeping or crying in it again. No more will babies live only a few days, or the old fail to live out their days. The one who dies at a hundred will be like a young person, and the one falling short of a hundred will seem cursed.

Isaiah 65:17-20

Think

You know what I love about this passage? I love that God is “ing”-ing. God doesn’t say, “I’ll create a new heaven and a new earth… someday… maybe… if I can find time.” God says, “I’m creatING.” Right now. God is doing it right now.

Of course, the snarky part of me sometimes wants to say, “Hey, God. What’s taking so long? You started this whole new earth thing back in Isaiah’s day and you’re still not done yet?”

But then I remember: it’s actually pretty great that God’s not done yet. Because that means we are all being invited into the continued work of creatING. Right now. We are invited to join with God in continuing to dream new words into being. We are invited to open our eyes and hearts and minds and spirits to see the new things God is doING right here and now.

And that’s pretty great.

Caela Simmons Wood

Pray

Holy One who dreamed new dreams into Isaiah’s time, continue to dream in me this day. Open my eyes to see the new Jerusalem that is bursting into being now and every moment. Open my spirit to allow space for all the creatING you are still doing. Right here. Right now. Amen.

Go

We make space for newness, and God does not disappoint. Our cup is filled to overflowing with new life, new hope, new love. God is doing a new thing in our midst.

Let us go forth to share what we have received this day.