I’ve been on more than a few road trips in my life. As a kid, I remember driving from northern Illinois to Orlando. For my Youth Gathering, it was a 24-hour drive from Medford, WI, to New Orleans. A few years ago, I led our family on the well-worn path from our area to Yellowstone and back.

Of the 35 hours in the car for that round trip to Yellowstone and back, do you know what hour was the worst for me? The same hour that was the worst in every other road trip I have ever taken: the last one. Anticipation and excitement grow with every hour that passes as we make our way to our destination. Along our return, there may still be a couple new things to see or do. But by the end of the journey, in that last hour, all anybody wants to do is GET THERE already. There is no slower hour of a big road trip than the last one.

Being separated from each other as we remain church at home, we could metaphorically divide COVID-time into ‘hours’ of a road trip. Not that any of it was something I’ve ever looked forward to! My bucket list never included, “Christmas Eve parking lot worship.” But leading a church through COVID-time has felt like a long, hard trek. And, I think the worst ‘hour’ is now upon us: the last one.

It seems that the month of March is when a lot of us, especially our most vulnerable, will be vaccinated against COVID-19. Our COVID Advisory Panel feels very hopeful that the time truly is approaching when our church can begin reopening safely. Our Peer Ministry group, confirmation and some other small groups will begin to meet in person, indoors in March. The ‘last hour’ before we start worshipping together again inside our beautiful sanctuary is upon us. It promises to feel especially LONG.

Easter is April 4. Spring is right around the corner. Our patience is always thin this time of year. This year, though, is special. Here’s my pastoral suggestion: engage in Lent. Use this month of March to go deep. Go deep into your feelings of frustration and anxiety, also noticing your hope and gratitude. It has been a really long 12 months. But the dawn seems to be coming. And in the midst of our impatience, God is still present among us, sustaining us in surprising but real ways. Worship with us each Wednesday at 6:15, either in our parking lot or online. Worship with us Sundays, either online at 8:00 or in the lot at 10:30. Read the “Again & Again” daily devotional. Pray daily. Journal your prayers with God. Whatever connects with you, do it! Spend less time away from God’s mercy and return to the good news that you are not alone; that you do not have to save the world yourself; that you do not have to be God, because God is God for you. What a relief.

I encourage you to finish this pandemic strong! Because, on the other side of it, our church will live into a New Creation… again. I am actually kind of excited for that!