Certainty in Uncertainty

Good morning friends. My name is Charlie Newcombe, I’m the minister at Christ Church Huntingdon.  

Well the kids and teachers are going back at school. Next week you’ll see uniforms on the bus, bikes on the high street and kids at the school gates. It’s 6 months since they have seen a lot of their classmates, and so they’ll be excited, and perhaps some parents who thought they never had to teach algebra and fractions will breathe a sigh of relief that home-schooling is over.

Schools are in the headlines at the moment: 1) Tens of thousands of pupils didn’t return to School in Scotland a few weeks ago. 2) Pupils are three months behind in their learning due to lockdown. 3) Will next year’s GCSEs and A levels be delayed?

But I think the big question is will the mixing of people caused by a return to school bring a second wave of coronavirus cases. there’s a real feeling of uncertainty in the air. It’s a worrying time for parents and for teachers. What do the next few months hold?

Covid has taught us that things that we never could have imagined have become reality, and the world has been changed radically and in some ways permanently. At one level some people have become less bothered by Covid. Others are are more worried but have got kind of fatigued by the constant threat. I think above all there’s a feeling of uncertainty.

But I’ve called this Thought for the day “Certainty in Uncertainty”. There was a doctor 2000 years ago who lived in the era immediately after Jesus Christ’s life death and resurrection, and he wrote to his friend Theophilus words which form the beginning of his gospel. His name was Luke. You can read these words in Luke 1:3, 4:

“Since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus,  so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.”

Certainty. It’s a wonderful thing to be certain. Not Uncertain, not hopeful, not even just confident, but absolutely certain. And Luke says that in uncertain times you can be certain about the things of God. Forgiveness, Faith, a friendship with God both in this life and in the future.

Why? Because you can be certain about Jesus. His life, his death, his amazing teaching (some of which we have been looking at in Luke 15 in our church over the last few weeks). Luke did a meticulous job of researching and writing up the biography of Jesus’ life by going back to the very people who were with him.

If you’ve never done so as an adult, I’d encourage you to read a snippet of Luke’s gospel for yourself. Dust down that old bible, or look it up online. Luke’s gospel, containing some of Jesus’ best loved stories.

So certainty in uncertainty. I’ve heard it said, “I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds the future”. And so we can be certain of his love and his care if we put our trust in Jesus Christ, and that brings a great joy and a great peace.

If you are feeling uncertain today. Don’t panic. Focus on the certainty of the great and undeserved love of Christ that is there for you, just a prayer away.

Thanks for listening. Have a great day.

Followed by “I believe in you” by Bette Midler- features the line “I know with almost certainty whats going on with you and me”.