From weary to wonder
Estimated Reading time: 5 minutes · Written by Sarah AugerLife can often feel overwhelming. It can feel like a constant push against the weight of the world. If you’ve felt like that recently, if your morning routine felt more like a burden than a blessing, we want to acknowledge that. Well done. Thank you for showing up. You are part of a community that loves and supports you, and we hope you experience the joy of rediscovering God’s presence in your life.
At Riverside, we have embarked on a unique teaching series. Typically, we begin a new series after the pastors, like Tim, spend time praying, reflecting, and crafting a theme for the congregation. However, this time is different. This series has been created by the collective input of our church family. It began in January when we set aside three days for prayer and fasting. During this time, we sought God’s direction, asking Him to speak into the life of Riverside, revealing what He wanted us to know and do.
People within our community shared what God had revealed to them. From those insights, we identified key themes that would shape this series. Three themes stood out:
Refining God Again – A call for us to return to a purer, more intimate relationship with Him.
Dwelling in God’s Presence – A reminder to spend more time in God’s presence and rediscover His wonder.
From Weary to Wonder – The idea that God’s heart for us is to move from weariness to a place of wonder, finding joy in the midst of life’s struggles.
We’ll explore these themes by delving into the Book of Acts, which chronicles the early church's journey. We start in a place where we find the church scattered, weary, and facing persecution.
The weary Church
In Acts 8, we encounter a turning point for the early church. After a period of rapid growth and miraculous events, the church faces intense persecution. The Christians in Jerusalem are scattered, and many are imprisoned. Saul, who later becomes the Apostle Paul, begins destroying the church by dragging men and women from their homes and throwing them into prison. This was a time of deep fear and uncertainty for the early believers.
Though we are not experiencing the same kind of persecution today, the early church’s story resonates with us. Many of us, particularly those who have been part of Riverside for a while, can recall moments of weariness. Before the pandemic, we met as two separate congregations. When COVID-19 hit, we transitioned to online services, and afterward, we came together in Riverside House, hoping for a new building where we could reach more people. However, this journey has not been without pain and frustration. There have been long stretches of waiting, unanswered prayers, and a collective sense of weariness.
In our individual lives, we too face struggles that leave us feeling exhausted. Whether it’s the noise of the modern world, the pressure of balancing family, work, and social expectations, or the fatigue from navigating personal challenges, many of us understand what it feels like to be weary. And while our church might also be weary, we are reminded that we are not alone.
Moving from weary to wonder
In the midst of the challenges, how can we move from weariness to wonder? How do we find joy, like the early church did in Acts 8:8, when they experienced great joy despite their hardships?
One way to begin is by reflecting on what it means to live in wonder. Wonder, as defined by the dictionary, is a feeling of amazement and admiration caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar. How do we re-find this sense of wonder about God, especially if He feels distant or unfamiliar?
The wonder of God is not just about experiencing extraordinary miracles or events, though those are powerful reminders of His majesty. Wonder is about recognising the beauty of His presence in our everyday lives. It’s about seeing the remarkable nature of God, even when life feels mundane or difficult.
For some of us, God might feel unfamiliar, and that's okay. Maybe you’re just beginning to explore your faith or are still searching for the significance of Jesus in your life. For others, perhaps faith has become routine or merely an add-on to our busy lives. But God has more for us. He has something extraordinary in store, and He invites us to rediscover His wonder in our lives.
The power of community
The early church was a community that did everything together. Often, the Bible’s Greek translations emphasize the plural nature of the church—community was at the heart of their experience. This is important because when we face weariness, it’s not just about individual strength but about how we encourage and support one another as a church family.
In the coming weeks, we will share exciting news about a potential new building for Riverside. If this comes to fruition, it will be a huge step forward for our community. But we know that even if we have a larger space, we cannot do this alone. We will only accomplish it together, relying on the power of God working in and through us.
How do you build a ship?
As we look to rekindle the wonder of God in our lives, consider this insightful quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."
Building the ship isn’t about giving out tasks; it’s about inspiring a vision of the sea’s vastness and the wonders it holds. In the same way, to build our faith and community, we must first develop a longing for God and the incredible things He has for us. It’s not about checking off spiritual tasks, like reading the Bible a certain number of times or praying for a set amount of time, though these practices are valuable. The starting point is learning to long for God and His greatness. When we do that, the tasks become an outflow of our desire for Him.
Looking back, looking around, looking ahead
As we seek to refind the wonder of God, Isaiah 40:28-31 offers encouragement. Isaiah speaks to a weary people in exile, reminding them of God’s faithfulness. He says, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth... He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength."
This passage encourages us to look back at God’s faithfulness in our lives, to look around and recognise His ongoing work in the world, and to look ahead with hope for the promises He has for us.
God’s promises do not change, even when our circumstances do. As we reflect on the times He has worked in our lives, we are reminded that the same God who has been faithful in the past is still faithful today. We can look forward with hope, knowing that He will renew our strength.
Re-finding wonder in the everyday
As we move forward in this series, let’s reflect on the ways God has shown up in our lives—both in big moments and small. When we are weary, it’s easy to forget the wonder of God. But if we choose to look back, look around, and look ahead, we can rediscover the joy and awe that comes from knowing a God who is with us, working in us, and transforming our lives.
Together, as a church community, we can move from weariness to wonder, from exhaustion to joy, by rediscovering the beauty and amazement of God in our everyday lives.
The original teaching has been edited for clarity and brevity; This is not a transcript.