Life is filled with changes, both big and small. From the moment we’re born until the day we die, we’re constantly navigating endings and new beginnings. We find ourselves in a significant transition at McPherson First United Methodist Church. After walking alongside you for five years, Pastor Emily has moved to a new appointment. At the same time, I am a brand new member of your pastoral team. We are in the wilderness – caught between what has been familiar and what is yet to come.

We explored Psalm 78 two weeks ago and discovered the power of sharing our unique stories and faith journeys. By sharing how God has worked, we deepen our understanding of God’s faithfulness and inspire and encourage others on their spiritual paths. Our stories testify to God’s unwavering love and constant presence, reminding us that God is always at work, even amid life’s challenges and transitions.

Last week, we turned to the wisdom of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 and remembered that life is a series of endings and beginnings, a constant ebb and flow of change. Just as our stories are marked by chapters that come to a close and new ones that begin, so are our lives marked by transition. Feeling lost, uncertain, or even fearful of the future can be easy in these moments.

Today, we venture into the wilderness, a theme that resonates with the prophet Elijah’s experience from 1 Kings 19. While often associated with hardship and uncertainty, the wilderness is also where we encounter God in profound ways. We discover God’s sustaining presence and strength in these moments of vulnerability and doubt.

As we journey through the wilderness of transition, we can hold fast to the truth that God is our refuge and provider. Just as God sustained Elijah with food and drink, God nourishes our souls with divine love and grace. We learn to depend on God in the wilderness, trusting that every ending promises a new beginning in Christ.

In his book Transitions, author William Bridges describes three stages people experience during change.

First, there’s the ending, when we let go of how things used to be. Even good changes bring a sense of loss. We might feel scared, sad, or confused as we grieve what’s ending.

Next is the neutral zone. It might feel like being lost in the wilderness. It’s the in-between time after an ending but before a new beginning. We don’t have our old routines but haven’t made new ones yet. This season can feel uncomfortable and unsettling, but it’s also a time of creativity and openness to fresh possibilities. 

Finally, we arrive at new beginnings and embrace a different reality with fresh relationships and roles. This phase can be exciting despite the lingering uncertainty.

Transitions are a process, not a one-time event. Moving through each stage takes time, and stages often overlap. By understanding these dynamics, we can better navigate the challenges and opportunities that come with significant life changes. Remembering that the wilderness is temporary helps us keep moving forward.

Most of us wish that navigating change could be as simple as flipping a switch and waking up fully adjusted to a new chapter without the messiness in between. However, transitions take time, often more than we expect. The neutral zone is a challenging stage where we’ve lost our old sense of balance but haven’t found our footing in a new reality. We may find ourselves feeling irritable, anxious, or uncertain. Our impulse may be to try to escape this discomfort and find the fastest route to a fresh start. However, sometimes, the most faithful response is embracing the challenges and moving forward in the wilderness, even when the destination seems unclear.

As tricky as the wilderness can be, it is also a time of immense possibility. This in-between space invites us to reflect, ask deep questions, and open ourselves to new insights and ways of being. It challenges our assumptions and invites us to reevaluate what we want out of life. Amid the uncertainty, we have a unique opportunity to connect with our deepest values and a sense of purpose. The neutral zone may not be pleasant, but it is rich with potential for transformation and growth.

Throughout the Bible, we encounter numerous stories of people having profound experiences of God in the wilderness. The prophet Elijah is one such example. After fearlessly denouncing the worship of false gods, Elijah found his life threatened by Queen Jezebel. He fled into the wilderness, exhausted and full of despair, uncertain of his purpose and doubting his calling. Yet even in his turmoil, God met Elijah in that lonely place. God sustained the prophet with food and drink, allowing him to rest and be renewed. Then, in the stillness, God spoke to Elijah – not in grand, dramatic ways, but in a gentle whisper. God invited Elijah to reexamine his sense of identity and purpose, preparing him to continue speaking truth to power. 

The people of Israel also spent a long season in the wilderness as part of their journey from slavery in Egypt to freedom in the Promised Land. After God liberated them from generations of oppression, the Israelites wandered through the desert for forty years. The people had to learn to trust God for daily bread, following an unfamiliar path toward an unknown future. The wilderness stripped away all that was familiar, forcing the Israelites to rely on God and one another. That generation died to their old way of life to take hold of a new identity as God’s chosen people. 

Even Jesus spent time in the wilderness at the outset of his ministry. After his baptism, when he had been affirmed as God’s beloved son, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert for forty days. He fasted and prayed, immersing himself in solitude and self-reflection, even as he faced temptation. His season in the wilderness was vital preparation for the world-changing ministry that would follow.

In the same way, the wilderness we encounter in our lives is an invitation to a more profound discovery of ourselves and God. Uncomfortable as it may be, the wilderness compels us to grapple with life’s foundational questions: Who am I? What matters most to me? What is God’s purpose for my life in this season? How is the Spirit inviting me to change and grow? We may feel lost or disoriented in the wilderness, but these spaces are fertile ground for transformation. As we release our grip on what has been, we open our hearts to what God is doing now and what God dreams of doing going forward.

Thankfully, while the neutral zone is challenging, we do not wander the wilderness alone. God walks with us as God provided for Elijah, the Israelites, and Jesus in their wilderness seasons. As a church, we have the gift of journeying through this transition together, supporting one another with compassion and grace. So, in the wilderness, I invite you to embrace four practices:

Surrender – Don’t fight uncertainty; embrace it as space for reflection and growth.

Be alone with God – Create space to listen for God’s whispers beneath your worries.

Write – keep a journal to process your experiences and capture your discoveries.

Discover yourself – look past labels to recover your God-given identity and purpose.

The good news is that God is with us in the wilderness. God will meet us in these challenging spaces just as God met Elijah, the Israelites, and Jesus in the wilderness. Though difficult, time in the neutral zone can catalyze growth and transformation. So, I invite you to grieve what’s ending, trust God’s provision, listen for God’s whisper, and be open to new possibilities. By letting go, we create space for God to reshape and guide us. The wilderness becomes a sacred ground where we encounter God and emerge renewed. God has faithfully led this church for 150 years and will continue guiding us forward, so together, we can fix our eyes on Jesus, knowing we can do everything through Christ who strengthens us. Will you pray with me?

Loving God, thank you for this church family. In this time of transition, please give us the courage to let go, the wisdom to learn, and an openness to new possibilities. Strengthen our trust and love. Guide us forward by grace. Amen. ~Pastor Andrew