Tragically missing?
Sometimes I wonder if the power of the Holy Spirit is tragically missing in our personal lives and in our ministries. My mind and heart are being stirred right now by a book I have read and am using as a key resource in our ABF. Francis Chan makes some bold statements that have pricked my heart and made me stop in my spiritual tracks.
He says, “So much of the church today is human effort, gifted people pushing it along.” He further states that the entertainment model of the church developed in the 1980’s and 1990’s has created “self-focused consumers” as church attendees. The result is that we even often judge the success or failure of a church or church service on how pleased people are with “what happened at church”. Where does the Holy Spirit’s power fit in here?
“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on men’s wisdom, but on God’s power.” (1 Corinthians 2: 4, 5) I have to ask myself if that is true with me…my preaching…my teaching…my ministry…my personal life.
Or…is the power of the Holy Spirit tragically missing today?
Where is God…Why?
Lots of thoughts swirled through my mind early this morning at the fitness center when I watched the devastating reports of the earthquake in Haiti. Even now, I cannot totally comprehend the reality of what has happened. Thousands, not hundreds…but thousands are dead. One news source says as many as three million are suffering in one way or another - death, injury, loss…three million…can we comprehend that? One minute all was normal (as much as it can be normal in that economically poor nation - one of the poorest in the world) and suddenly within moments it all changed and loss that is beyond comprehension is a new reality.
People, including children, who already lived in nothing more than a shanty now spend the night on the bare ground with nothing…except fear and heartbreak!
I can’t help but wonder…where is God in all of this? God…why them? Why not Las Vegas or Reno or Hollywood? Why not the caves of Afghanistan where the Al Quaeda are hiding? Why not just a minor quake with some minor damage that would get sympathy and send much needed assistance from rich nations like America to these very poor people and give them a real lift of encouragement?
I don’t have answers except Romans 11 - ”Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been his counselor?” Earlier it states, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!”
God is God and I am not.
Time to think…
Sometimes we need to just stop and think! We need to ponder and meditate…and ask ourselves hard questions. A couple of things have caught my attention in the last few days that are making me do just that…think. I don’t have a lot of answers yet, but I do have some questions and some thoughts about which to think.
- Hebrews 11: 6 - “it is impossible to please God without faith”. I know the Scripture has great emphasis upon character and right behavior…but is it possible to have all right behavior and still lack living faith as one of his children and end up “living right” and still not please God?
- Where is the power of the Holy Spirit in my life?
- Where is the power of the Holy Spirit in our church?
- Has it come to the place that we are so dependent upon gifted leaders and people in our churches that we don’t really depend on the power of the Holy Spirit? Is that why we get so concerned about a “gifted person” leaving or moving away? Do we rely more on people than we do the Spirit?
- Do we focus all our energy in church getting ready for Sunday? What about the rest of the week? Isn’t that when ministry really takes place? But aren’t we usually “busy” during the rest of the week “getting ready for Sunday”? Does that sound funny to you?
Like I said, I am thinking.
Snow Storms and Church Services
Most every pastor knows the sinking feeling in the stomach when blizzards are predicted for Sundays! Plans begin to dissolve and worries escalate about “missed offerings”! Especially when it is the Sunday before Christmas - it not like you can just wait and do the same thing the next Sunday…Christmas is then over…people are out of town…the dynamic is not the same. AND…the predictions all came true - over 20 inches of snow came whipping into the area. Most everything came to a shut-down. We cancelled the Sunday School hour, but we decided that since we lived right on the property we would go ahead and have the church service for the small handful of people who could make it.
As Kathy and I walked through the deep snow to the building I predicted we would have about 20 people. I was pleasantly surprised that between 50 and 75 people were able to navigate through the drifts and get to main roads and make it in - including a first time visiting family! Naturally, we had to change our plans for the service - none of the choir and orchestra were able to get in so we just made an informal time of teaching the Word and then opened it up for sharing of burdens and prayer. The response was overwhelming and rich. I personally went home refreshed and blessed. And…God knows about financial needs and missed offerings, so I have given that over to Him!
So in the end…20 inches of snow turned out to be a good thing after all!
Gay Marriage - Let your voice be heard
I don’t usually step up on political soap boxes, but there are times when the “political” agenda is very clearly black and white - conviction, not preference. Our state is facing a critical issue currently, in a hurried fashion before our current governor, John Corzine goes out of office to try to pass an equality in marriage act that would allow gay marriage. The Bible speaks clearly that the marriage union is between and a man and a woman (Genesis 2). I have a love in my heart for those who are gay…God loves them and my desire is to see them reached for Christ. However, at the same time, we must stand for truth and this is a time we must make our voice known.
You, as a follower of Christ, have a God-given responsibility to contact your state legislator and state senator and let your opposition be known. You can easily find your senator and legislator with a quick search on the internet…I found mine in less than 2 minutes, made a phone call to their offices and fulfilled my responsibility. We must also pray for truth and righteousness to prevail.
Don’t be guilty of “doing nothing”! Stand for what is right, yet do so with a spirit of love and compassion.
