I grew up hearing the phrase, and I still hear it today: "We are living in our last days." We can acknowledge that people's eschatological discussions (look, I'm using my seminary degree, lol, meaning "end times") are often sparked by troubling headlines, cultural shifts, or periods of uncertainty. I will admit, sometimes when I hear it, I want to smile and say, "Not me, I'm just trying to live until Sunday's sermon!" But beneath the humor, those words carry weight. They reveal the unease many feel when the world seems unsettled and the future unclear.
Yet when we turn to Scripture, we remember God's people have always lived with an awareness of the last days." The early church embraced this truth not as a reason to fear, but as a call to faithfulness. Hebrews 10:24-25 stirs us to encourage one another, to continue meeting together, and to remain steadfast in love and good works, especially when life feels heavy with challenges.
Here is where Resilience and Renewal become vital for us in the Southwest Conference. Resilience gives us the courage to face hardship without losing hope. Renewal offers us the grace to rest, reset, and return to ministry with strength that flows from God, not from our own striving. Together, they keep us faithful even when the world feels fragile.
As clergy and lay leaders, we are aware of the pressures of these last days." We carry the weight of congregational struggles, divisions in society, personal weariness, and the challenge of leading in complex times. Yet the Spirit still breathes life into us. Renewal rises in prayer, sabbath, laughter with friends, quiet reflection, and the holy courage to rest when our bodies and souls demand it. Resilience grows when we share the load, lean into our covenant relationships, and trust that we are never alone in this calling.
The C.A.R.E.S. model is more than a framework; it is an invitation to live differently. The "R" reminds us that God does not call us to burn out in fear of the last days, but to live faithfully in the present with hope. We may be in challenging times, but we are also in God's time. And God's time, there is always grace enough for today.
So when you hear someone say, "We are living in our last days," let it stir not despair, but calling. Let it remind you to rekindle God's promises, to reset when you are weary, and to remain faithful in love and service. That is how resilience and renewal shine through us in the Southwest Conference, and that is how we live as a people of hope.