https://radical.net/somethingneedstochange
Right before COVID-19 started I finished the book Something Needs to Change by David Platt. Having lived 3 years oversees in a third world setting I agreed and identified with much of the book, and the struggle David wrestled with on his trek. Yet I struggled with how this applied to America. I agree with the title something needs to change, but what, what needs to change in the America church? What a loaded question, right. I mean depending on who or what generation you ask you could get tons of answers. Then Covid-19 struck and many of us where forced to slow down, stay home, and in a sense experience a sabbath rest. I hope like me many of you in that time took time to reflect and look deep into your relationship with God.
As tension grows over next steps, finances, and how to reopen I realized my very question was being answered. I kept hearing over and over we need to return to normal and get back to church. I was struck by the depth of those statements. First what is normal? Was normal good? Where we being the body? Where we truly ministering to the hurt and lost or where we stuck in traditions and routines, hence living in a fish bowl?
The second aspect of those statements is, get back to church. When did church become a building? When was it defined by a structure? Is that not the very thing the Pharisees and Jews battled Christ on for three years? Is not church the body? Can’t we still serve the body outside of a building?
These are the many questions I have been wrestling with and praying about. Yes we need community and to be together and it is easiest done at a building or agreed upon location. Yes routines in spiritual discipline is not bad and sometime necessary. Yet in the normal are we letting the Spirit lead or a better question are we letting the Spirit lead at all? Are we willing to look at outside the “normal” box to see where God is leading and working. Are we willing to be mobile if needed or is the anchor so strong to a building and routines that we miss the very things Christ is trying to teach us?
I realize I posed more questions and have not really offered any answers. The simple reason is, that I think the answers will vary church body to church body. I don’t think there is a “one fits all” answer, which is what we want. I think God woke us up and got us out of our routines and the building. I think he reminded that he is still working and it is by his strength not ours. He also reminded us to rely on him and be dedicated to his scriptures and prayer not our comforts and routines.
I do look forward to being back with my local body being able to fist bump, hug, and see those face to face I shepherd. I don’t feel in any of this I stopped shepherding, but do miss community and life together.
I also believe SOMETHING NEEDS TO CHANGE and I believe that is not returning to normal. I think we where missing to much in the normal. Maybe it is time to redefine normal or maybe it is time to understand in God’s work there is no normal. The way he served was fluid and changing. It was generally counter culture and anything but normal. If you don’t believe me reread the gospels and see what was normal about Christ. We are called to be disciples and live, serve, and love like him.
I know me personally I don’t want to return to normal. It is time for a change at least in my life and in the way I served. I am thankful for this time to have sabbath and see what God was showing me and I hope others took time to ask and wrestle with the same questions.
