“Behold, I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth; do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:19
I graduated from Wartburg Theological Seminary in May of 2022, and this was unanimously chosen as our class verse. Maybe it was because in seminary *everything* is a new thing, or maybe it was because our class dealt with unprecedented change amid a pandemic in the digital age. Either way, it was because this passage in Isaiah points to the promise of God’s presence in newness. Change is springing forth, and no matter how overwhelming it might feel, God is in it and through it all.
I’ve been thinking about this verse a lot this week as I settle into my new role as pastor of St. Stephen. Many thanks for the warm welcome! It has been a delight to meet those I’ve met, and I can’t wait to meet you all! I’ve been in the office and around town as pastor for a couple of days now. It is a happy and exciting time as I reflect on this new identity of “Pastor Karoline,” but this also has the potential to be overwhelming!
As I meet you and hear your stories, I’m excited to hear about how God has brought us to this place and to begin to explore together what God is up to in this place. What will be new and unprecedented? And is it scary to ask? But I also know that we are led forward in faith and in the promise of God’s presence.
Pastor Karoline