Faith @ First - April 10, 2026 | Faith@First

Faith @ First - April 10, 2026

Posted by Rev. Brittney Stephan on April 10, 2026

There’s something about early morning that slows everything down just enough to notice what we often miss. Earlier this week, I stepped outside with my coffee, already feeling the weight of everything the day might hold, and I heard a whole chorus of birds, different sounds layered together with each one distinct, yet somehow part of the same song. I looked up, following the sound, and spotted a bright red cardinal perched in a budding tree against a clear blue sky, and it struck me that it had been there all along, singing long before I walked outside–I just hadn’t been paying attention!

It made me think about how easy it is to move through life assuming everything revolves around us. Our schedules. Our responsibilities. Our worries. But in that quiet moment, I was reminded that the world is so much bigger than my own little corner of it. Life was already happening all around me. Psalm 24 begins with a simple but powerful truth: the earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it. Everything. Not just the parts we build or manage. Not just the spaces we occupy. But the birds singing before sunrise. The trees just beginning to bud. The soil, the sky, the creatures we notice and the ones we don’t. It all belongs to God.

I think about how often we treat the world like it’s ours to use up or overlook. How often we rush past the beauty that surrounds us without a second thought. And yet, when we pause long enough to notice, creation has a way of centering us. It reminds us who we are. We are not separate from this world. We are part of it. We are held together in the care of a Creator who delights in it all.

Even the smallest things carry that reminder. A bird’s song. A breeze through the trees. The quiet presence of a pet curled up beside you. These are not insignificant details. They are invitations. Invitations to slow down, to pay attention, to remember that God’s presence is woven into every part of creation. Maybe that’s what this season is inviting us into. Not just to think about creation, but to reconnect with it. To step outside, to listen a little longer, to notice what has always been there.

Keep the Faith@First,
Pastor Brittney

About the Author

Rev. Brittney Stephan

Rev. Brittney Stephan is an Indiana native and was called to ministry at 14 years of age while attending church camp at Epworth Forest. She is an ordained Elder in the Indiana Conference who currently serves in extension ministry as the Associate Director for Multi-Cultural Vibrancy for the Michigan Conference. She has received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Organizational Communication, and Peace & Conflict Studies from Butler University and a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with a concentration in Liturgy & Music Across Cultures.

A third-generation Methodist, Brittney grew up on a dirt road outside of Huntington, Indiana. She has spent the last decade living in Indianapolis, Chicago, and currently Metro Detroit working in a variety of contexts for The United Methodist Church. Much of her work in the Michigan Conference has consisted of engaging individuals and teams alike to build our cultural proficiency in a way that moves us toward an anti-biased/anti-racist identity that seeks to diversify worship experiences and leadership as a collective whole. Previously, Brittney has served on staff at Huntington Evangelical UMC (Huntington, IN), Sherman UMC (Evanston, IL), Libertyville First UMC (Libertyville, IL), and Meridian Street UMC (Indianapolis, IN). She is passionate about equipping, engaging, and empowering local congregations to foster equitable communities of learning and discipleship.

She has spent time in Zimbabwe at Africa University, initiated a campus ministry at Butler University, and served as a youth leader for a number of years. Brittney’s leadership extends beyond the local church through her involvement in the launch of the new Junius B. Dotson Institute for Music & Worship in the Black Church & Beyond, serving on the Convocation Design Team for The Fellowship of Worship Artists, and on the advisory board with the Center for Congregational Song.