All things new

She sits in her chair
and listens to what is said.
She's seen it all,
heard it all,
done it all.
She knows best,
and the new ideas are just
drops of rain,
falling from the sky,
memories of previous rainfall,
Water, evaporated, soaked into the cloud
and released again.
Quenching no thirst.

What has been
is what will be.
What has been done
is what will be done.
There is nothing new
under the sun. *

He attends the meetings
Listening.
Remembering.
Pining.
Hoping for the days gone by,
when he knew what was what.
When gloves and hats were commonplace,
and when everyone knew her place.
His place.
He longs for the way it used to be,
and doesn't understand why it isn't that way
Anymore.
If we just did what we used to do,
then he would be safe,
and the church would be well.

"Would that we had died in the land of Egypt.
Or would that we had died in this wilderness.
would it not be better for us
to go back to Egypt?" **

We sat in a committee meeting
and complained about last year's meeting
What was its purpose;
what was its benefit?
And then the time came
to plan for the next year's meeting,
so we pulled out the schedule from before,
and just changed the titles.
Why would we complain about the past,
and then repeat it?

I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth,
do you now perceive it? ***

Our past gets longer each year,
and stretches behind us,
tempting us with its security
and even with its failures,
to believe that we have seen it all
done it all.
To fall into the trap of saying,
"There is nothing new under the sun."

But the son defies that logic.
The son says, "Today is a new beginning.
Everything is forgiven.
Start again, with a day full of promise."
And it is our choice.
Do we believe him,
take the risk
take the chance
take the step of faith
to say, "I believe that God is here.
And that he brings forth a new thing."?

See, the home of God is among mortals.
He will dwell with them
they will be his peoples
and God himself will be with them.
He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.

"See, I am making all things new." +

Choose. Believe.
Write it down, for he is trustworthy and true.
And he means what he says.

Inspired by a writing by Henri Nouwen in Here and Now
Scripture used:
* Ecclesiasties 1:9-10
** Numbers 14:1-4
*** Isaiah 43:19a
+ Revelation 21:2-5 (various verses)