The Wilderness Between

The Wilderness Between - Isaiah 43:16-21 - Pastor Donnell T. Wyche - a2cc.org. Watch our livestream Sundays @ 11:00am - vimeo.com/annarborcommunitychurch 

Summary: 

Pastor Donnell reflects on the church’s journey through a six-week vision series by naming the season the congregation now inhabits: a wilderness. Rooted in Isaiah 43:16–21, the sermon draws together the threads of the series, from the Magi’s attentive faith at Epiphany, through centered-set belonging, life across real difference, and freedom. Rather than rushing toward resolution, the message pauses to name the in-between, the space where the old has ended but the new has not yet fully arrived, and where God is still actively at work.

Using a three-phase framework for how real change unfolds, endings, the wilderness, and new beginnings, the sermon situates the church honestly in the middle of transition. Through Moses’ long formation in the wilderness and Isaiah’s word to a people in exile, Pastor Donnell emphasizes that God’s presence is not delayed until clarity emerges. God is not waiting for stability before acting. “I am making a way in the wilderness” is spoken as a present reality, inviting the congregation to pay attention to what is already springing up.

As the church prepares to enter Lent, the sermon offers an invitation to deeper belonging. Membership is framed not as an institutional obligation, but as a shared commitment to walk the wilderness together. The message concludes at the communion table with an invitation to come with open hands, carrying endings, holding uncertainty, and trusting that the God who sets the table is the same God who makes a way in the wasteland.