Have you ever watched a gopher emerge from a gopher hole? First, the tentative head-bob. Now you see him, now you don’t. Second, said gopher gets more comfortable and scurries out, only to quickly retreat. Another head-bob or two. Then, it becomes a full-bodied experience. He is out! The gopher ventures beyond his den and out into the world.

Our Pandemic experience is not unlike this. After months of Shelter in Place and Safer at Home a post-pandemic world beckons us outward. We tiptoe out trepidatiously. Is it safe? Is it open? Should it be open? The fear and anxiety are more intense than they were when we were asked to retreat into our dens. In March of 2020, there were not many decisions to make: “Just go inside. We will tell you when it is safe to come out.” But now it seems that every step away from “home base” involves calculation, risk, and calculated risks–uncertainty, fear, and anxiety.

However, I have fears and anxieties that plumb much deeper! I fear that after a few weeks of tiptoeing back into normalcy, I’ll quickly return whole-hog (or, to retain the analogy), whole-groundhog. I am anxious that I will snap back to normal so quickly that I may return to a life where my faith is mere accessory, my family gathers only long enough for fast-food inhalation between sports fields, my friendships are scattered and unintentional, and my sense of flourishing only extends as far as fun, hobby, and leisure will take me.

Before I become over-extended and thereby under-committed I need to push the Reset button. I need to spend some time thinking wisely and praying fervently about how I will show up in this Post-pandemic world. And I am inviting you to join me…

In the heart of Christian Scripture is a book of Proverbs, a collection of aphorisms compiled around 3000 years ago—ancient wisdom that speaks with head-turning and heart-stirring deftness. In a cultural moment deluged with information, awash with knowledge, submerged in lifehacks and level-ups, we could use some ancient wisdom that cuts through the tweets and trivial pursuits, grabs our attention, and shows us how to live.

These four weeks we will explore several proverbs that speak to Faith, Family, Friendship, and Flourishing. If we are open to it, these proverbs will serve as Reset buttons that invite us into a life worth living. And, the wisdom of each proverb ultimately flows from Jesus, the wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24), the One who saw fit to revive us back to life through His death and to rescue us to eternal life through His resurrection. Because of who Jesus is and what Jesus did, this Reset exercise is not the pure grit of sheer determination. Instead, it is Christ working in us that instills us with the power and hope to live a life worth living.

This booklet is designed to be a journal for you personally as well as a conversation guide for each of our community groups. Each Sunday in our worship service, you are invited to journey with us through the Proverbs, and then, Monday through Friday, use the booklet to prayerfully and thoughtfully consider who you want to be and how you want to live in the weeks, months, and years to come. Journal personally each day, and then converse with others in a WCPC community group each week. Families with children and/or students are also encouraged to use this booklet as a family devotional or conversation starter around the breakfast or dinner table.

Would you push Reset with me?

-Pastor Bart