Iced In, Still Working

I can’t believe we’re still iced in.
School is canceled again. I know the roads are questionable.
But my calendar did not get the memo.

There is a sermon to write.
Worship to plan.
A reflection to finish.
And a Leadership Kickoff coming up this Saturday that won’t plan itself.

Yet here I am.
Stuck at home, but not exactly at rest.

There’s a strange tension in days like these. The world slows down, but responsibility keeps tapping us on the shoulder. The usual rhythms are disrupted, yet the work remains. And that can make even meaningful work feel heavier than usual.

Jesus knew something about this kind of moment.

In Luke 10, Martha is busy doing what needs to be done. Hosting. Preparing. Managing. None of it is bad. None of it is wrong. And yet Jesus gently reminds her that there’s more than one faithful posture in a moment like this.

What strikes me isn’t that Jesus tells Martha to stop working.
It’s that he invites her to remember why she’s working and who she’s working with.

Sometimes being stir crazy isn’t about boredom.
It’s about carrying responsibility without the usual space to breathe.

When we’re confined, even good work can start to feel urgent, crowded, and loud in our heads. We multitask more. We rush faster. We forget to pause long enough to ask whether our souls are keeping up with our schedules.

And maybe that’s the invitation in a week like this.

Not to stop doing what needs to be done.
But to do it with a little more grace.

To remember that God is present not just in the sanctuary or the meeting room, but at the kitchen table, the desk, the half-cleared workspace where coffee has gone cold.

Jesus reminds us again and again that God’s kingdom doesn’t depend on perfect conditions. It shows up in interruptions. In delays. In unfinished plans and adjusted timelines.

By Thursday, I think the roads will clear.
By Saturday, we’ll gather.
The work will get done.

If this week has felt heavy or off-rhythm for you, you’re not alone. I hope you’ll join us Saturday for our Leadership Kickoff, and Sunday for Holy Communion and a pancake brunch as we celebrate our volunteers. We gather not because everything is perfect, but because grace meets us when it isn’t.

We’ll save you a seat.

With Gratitude,

Rev. Rodney Whitfield
Senior Pastor
Aldersgate UMC