March 5, 2026
The very first committee in recorded history was the Back to Egypt Committee in the Book of Exodus. When we are confronted with something difficult we often long nostalgically for the past. Even if it is not reasonable. They were slaves! Why would you want to go back to that?! Nostalgia is a form of fiction, also known as lies, that we tell ourselves because we believe that the past was somehow better. All I know about the past is that I had less responsibilities and someone else was paying the bills and deciding what dinner would be. It doesn’t mean it was necessarily better. But there is never any going back. We can learn from the past. We can notice when the mistakes of the past are being repeated. We can recall what has worked in the past. But we cannot go back. We always have no choice but to go forward.
Jeremiah 29:11 reads: For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. (NRSVUE)
Let Us Pray: Father in Heaven, help us to engage the now with faith and hope. Help us gain wisdom and inspiration from the lessons of the past. Trusting the love You show us in Jesus Christ, Amen.