Date Posted: 2024-09-01 22:34:04 | Video Duration: 00:26:38
Highland Park Presbyterian Church is a place bustling with a sense of hope and renewal. Nestled in the heart of the community, it serves as a beacon for those seeking spiritual growth and transformation. Recently, the sermon delivered by Tyler Pace, the Director of College and Young Adults, centered on the theme of “New Beginnings,” drawing from the rich imagery and hope found in Isaiah 43.
The passage from Isaiah 43:16-19 sets the stage: “This is what the Lord says—he who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, who drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together, and they lay there, never to rise again, extinguished, snuffed out like a wick. Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Pace began by acknowledging the excitement and challenges that come with new beginnings. He illustrated this with a story from Adam Grant’s book “Think Again,” recounting the Mann Gulch fire and the innovative escape strategy used by foreman Wagner Dodge, who created an escape fire that ultimately saved his life. This unconventional approach mirrored the call in Isaiah for recognizing and embracing new solutions, even when they seem foreign or daunting.
In exploring the scripture, the sermon emphasized two main hindrances to embracing new beginnings: dwelling on the past and fearing the future. The Israelites, facing exile in Babylon, needed to be reminded not to be bound by past miracles but to trust in the God who performed them. The story of the Exodus was pivotal, yet God’s message through Isaiah was clear—do not let the past bind you but let it teach you about the divine nature that is still active today.
Pace also shared a modern parallel with the story of the Blackberry smartphone’s decline, highlighting how clinging to past successes can blind us to new opportunities. This served as a cautionary tale of how innovation requires us to let go of the secure and familiar to embrace the unknown.
The fear of the future was another barrier discussed. Pace reflected on his own experiences of transitioning from rural Nebraska to a new life in Chicago, drawing parallels with the Israelites’ journey back to a devastated Jerusalem. Despite the daunting path ahead, God assured them of his presence and provision, symbolized by making “a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
Tyler Pace urged the congregation to practice “confident abandonment,” a term coined by Christian thinker Jacques Philippe. This concept involves trusting God completely, even amid uncertainty and hardship. The ultimate example of this is found in Jesus Christ, whose path to resurrection was through suffering and the cross, embodying true confident abandonment when he prayed, “yet not as I will, but as you will” (Matthew 26:39).
The sermon concluded with a call to action for the congregation to embrace new beginnings with faith, trusting that God is actively working in their lives and the life of the church. As Highland Park Presbyterian Church moves forward, it aims to be a place where new beginnings are not only possible but thrive, fostering a community grounded in faith and hope.
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