11/16/22
I wish I could tell you, but I can’t.
I also wish I could tell you I wasn’t surprised, but I was.
God is doing something in a situation that I’ve prayed about and agonized over for some months now. I can’t say anymore about it (I will in time), but it is resolving itself so wonderfully . . . so completely unexpectedly . . .
Well, I wish I could tell you, but I can’t. Not just yet.
I said it’s resolving itself unexpectedly – why should it be unexpectedly? I’ve preached on faith quite a bit this fall, and we’ve talked about it a lot . . . so why should I be the least bit surprised when God answers prayer? I often say, “We talk about this stuff, why don’t we put it into practice?” And then here I go, being surprised when God answers prayers far beyond my expectations.
But that is the God we serve. This Sunday, we’ll be singing one of the great hymns of the church, “Great is Thy Faithfulness,” a song taken from Lamentations 3:22-23, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Everywhere we look, we see the faithfulness of God!
The story of Christ Church is a story of faith. I don’t say that bragging on us; I will say it bragging on God. We went into it without any clear idea of what we were doing. The only thing we did know with certainty was this: we believed God was calling us to start a new work. And we knew that we would have to rely on God. And God met every need.
But who is Christ Church? Why do we do the things we do?
Back in 1981, a young evangelist named Ben Jordan gave me a book which at the time had a significant impact on me . . . not so much anymore, for reasons I don’t want to get into right now. But, there is a quote from it that has always stuck with me, and has been at the back of my mind during this birthing process of Christ Church: “One of these days some simple soul will pick up the Book of God, read it, and believe it. Then the rest of us will be embarrassed.”
Well, I’m pretty simple, and I’ve thought about that quote a lot — especially in the early days of Christ Church. While we were praying about the direction God wanted us to go, I thought, “What if there was a group of people who did simply this: devoted themselves to reading, studying, and living out the Bible. Not enslaved to the latest fads. Not overloaded with programs. Just a commitment to learn and live the Word of God, and committed to trusting God.”
And their success wouldn’t be measured in the usual way: butts, bills, and baptisms (numbers in the pew, money in the plate, and bragging about converts). Instead, their success would be how closely they conformed to the image of Christ, knowing that God would take care of the rest. Around this time, I ran across a quote from Bob Goff: “Our problem following Christ is that we’re trying to be a better version of ourselves, rather than a more accurate reflection of him.”
So much of what comes from the “stage” of many church “auditoriums” (I’m always suspicious when churches use secular language) is good advice rather than Good News. Good advice helps us be better people; Good News transforms us into the image of Christ. Those two outcomes are not the same!
So the vision for Christ Church is of a people committed to learning and living the Word of God. Their ultimate desire would be conforming to the image of Christ. And the creed by which they lived their lives would be the same creed by which Jesus lived his life, a creed simply summarized in the words: Loving God . . . Loving Others. Furthermore, they would trust God in every area of the Church’s life. Nothing would be done without faith.
And that’s why Christ Church was born. And if someone asks you who Christ Church is or what Christ Church believes, there’s your answer.
Recently I attended the funeral for my sweet neighbor, Helen Greenhaw. I’ve never known anyone who was as thoughtful and unselfish as she was. I rode with a friend, and after the funeral I said, “Helen left an enormous hole when she died. I don’t know anyone who can fill it.” And my friend said, “But that’s what you’re doing at Christ Church. With your mission projects, you’re creating an entire congregation of people like Helen.”
I thought about that Monday when we were unloading . . . and unloading . . . and unloading the Thanksgiving food you donated. It created a problem for the LCCI workers - there was so much of it, they had a hard time finding space to walk! It was a wonderful problem, and I’m so thankful you created it. Many needy families will be blessed by your generosity.
God is at work in and through Christ Church. If I didn’t believe it – if I were not wholeheartedly convinced of this, I’d be doing something else!
But, I’m here. YOU are here. God is here. Let’s trust this faithful God and enjoy our journey together, watching and waiting to see where God will lead us, willing to be who God wants to make us to be.
This is the beginning of a long conversation we’ll continue over the next several months. In the meantime, keep living the vision: Loving God . . . Loving Others. Trust God for the rest.
Blessings!
Pastor Terry