This week, my family and I spent several days in New England.
Every year during the last week of July, pastors who graduated from the Methodist seminary in Korea and now serve throughout the eastern United States gather with their families for an annual retreat. Once again, we had the joy of reconnecting with familiar faces, catching up on one another’s lives and ministries, sharing both the joys and challenges of pastoral life, and worshiping and praying together.
One of the highlights of the retreat is exploring the surrounding area together. It is always the part our children and families look forward to most. This year, we visited Plymouth, where we walked in the footsteps of the Pilgrims, and also joined a whale-watching tour departing from Gloucester, Massachusetts. Our boat traveled about 20 miles offshore to the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, one of the most renowned whale habitats on the East Coast.
As we drew closer to the whale sanctuary, our anticipation continued to grow. Then, without warning, a massive plume of water suddenly shot into the air in the distance. Moments later, a magnificent humpback whale emerged from the surface. It rolled gracefully through the water, its long pectoral fins outstretched. Then, with a slow and powerful motion, it lifted its enormous tail high above the waves before slipping back into the deep. Soon, several more whales appeared together, putting on a breathtaking display. We gasped in amazement again and again, completely captivated by the awe-inspiring spectacle unfolding right before our eyes.
As I watched, I felt as though I was catching a glimpse of God’s magnificent creation. It reminded me how vast, beautiful, and awe-inspiring God’s creation truly is.
At that moment, the words of the psalmist came alive in my heart.
“O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all…There is the sea, great and wide, which teems with creatures innumerable, living things both small and great.” (Psalm 104:24–25, ESV).
Summer is a season when many of us travel with our families. Some have already returned from vacation, some are enjoying one now, and others are still looking forward to a trip in the weeks ahead. Some will visit a country they have never seen before, others will spend time resting by the ocean, and still others will explore a new city.
There is something inherently exciting about visiting a place for the very first time. Unfamiliar landscapes, new faces, different foods, and new cultures invite us out of our comfort zones and into the adventure of discovering an unfamiliar world. In those moments, our sense of wonder, so often dulled by routine, is awakened once again. We begin to see the world with fresh eyes.
Yet wonder is not found only in distant places. The moments when we unexpectedly encounter God’s presence are not limited to breathtaking destinations or extraordinary experiences. More often, they meet us in the ordinary rhythms of everyday life, where God’s grace quietly reveals itself in ways we might otherwise overlook.
In the simple greeting of “Good morning” returned with a warm smile from a stranger, in the comforting words of a friend, in the first few moments of the morning spent in prayer with God, in the familiar rhythm of Holy Communion where we experience God’s love and grace anew, and around a simple dinner table shared with family after a long and busy day, we encounter the God who is continually making us new.
This coming Sunday, we will begin a new sermon series titled Wonder: Rediscovering Faith Together. Throughout the month of August, we will embark on a journey of faith with our children as we rediscover the wonder God has already placed before us.
As we journey together, my hope is that we will learn to recognize God’s wonder not only in extraordinary moments, such as witnessing a massive humpback whale rise above the ocean waves, but also in the quiet, ordinary rhythms of our lives. When we learn to see our lives with fresh eyes, we will come to realize that our ordinary days are, in fact, the very places where God unfolds His extraordinary wonder.
Blessings,
Pastor Lee
