It's been quite a start to November '24. For the first time ever snow blanketed parts of the Al-Jawf region in the northern Al-Nafūd desert of Saudi Arabia, marking the first snowfall ever recorded in the region, an area known for its scorching heat and golden sand dunes. Donald Trump becomes only the second President to win non-consecutive terms in U.S. history in what is believed to be one of, if not the, most dramatic political comebacks ever in that nation. In an ever increasingly desperate geo-political climate, Ukraine launched its largest drone attack into Russia in the war between the two countries which began in February of 2022. Need I go on? The times are turbulent.
Especially given the current climate, I am sometimes asked what I sense the Lord is saying to "the Church" today?" Not a bad question, but difficult to respond to, as I don't claim to have the insight into the immensity of such a query. The process of communally discerning what the Spirit may be asking of our local church as well as our National Family of Vineyards in Canada is challenging enough without needing to discover what He's speaking to everyone, everywhere at this moment.
When Jesus wrote to "the Church" in Revelation 2-3, it's intriguing to consider that He actually wrote to the "Seven Churches" in Asia Minor. Seven letters for seven different churches relative to their unique locale, history and current state of affairs. One take away for me is that there may never really be one uniform "word" for the whole Church, a "one size fits all", other than of course, what has been discerned to be the Canon of Scripture which is the "go to" for all of us. Our "true north" setting is characterized by the words of Jesus and the life he invites us to. This is summarized in the Beatitudes and the Sermon on the Mount. Yet, even at that, the myriad of interpretations and applications of the text can be quite staggering.
So, perhaps what we need to consider then, is "what Jesus may be speaking to us today in our communal space and time through his writings to "the church"? How might he be challenging us and what is he asking us to consider?
1. "I see you," Jesus says, "and here's what I think about what you're up to."It is not our responsibility to be a mouthpiece to the whole Church, but simply to remain faithful to what we have discerned the Lord has called us to. As 1 Corinthians 4:2 states, "it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful." Out of the integrity of obedience then, we are able to love the whole Church. While we must be truthful, and find ways to express our encouragement, concerns and challenges to others in the Body of Christ, we also recognize that Jesus alone is the Head. He alone holds the "word" for this multifaceted and beautifully diverse body that belongs to him. As Colossians 2:16-23 warns us, if we go "on and on about our own revelations" while embracing false humility and a worship of angels (the messengers rather than the Message Himself) and we give the impression that we are more connected to the Head, to Jesus than others, having special insight - a "word", we actually may be in danger of being totally disconnected from Jesus ourselves lost in our own gnostic hubris.
2. With that in mind, as Jay Pathak, the National Director of Vineyard USA says so well, let these times of reflection and discernment be ones in which we turn the mirror on ourselves more than anything, and acknowledge where we need to repent. Let us not seek to call out where our brothers and sisters have strayed. The appropriate space and place for that may come as the Lord gives wisdom and courage to speak up, but our lean is to discover where the perspective true repentance affords us - the re-thinking, re-aligning and conviction metanoia opens to us, so that we may be able to sustain the kind of change in behavior, attitude and activity the Lord is inviting us to so that we may "take heed to ourselves, lest we too fall."
3. In this quiet confidence that comes from walking in simple obedience to Jesus, we can then define ourselves by "who we are" not by "what we're not." As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:13-18 MSG, "we're not making outrageous claims here, we're sticking to the limits of what God has set for us ... We're not barging in on the rightful work of others, interfering with their ministries, demanding a place in the sun with them. What we're hoping for is that as your lives grow in faith, you'll play a part within our expanding work. And we'll all still be within the limits God sets ... we have no intention of moving in on what others have done and taking credit for it."
4. And in it all, let us not lose the "main and the plain." Celebrate the ordinary. Ordinary local church. Ordinary rhythms of life. Ordinary people loving God and loving each other. One foot in front of the other. Discovering the extraordinary, in-breaking work of the Kingdom, into our ordinary lives as much as in any conference, gathering or YouTube experience, or intergalactic prophecy. Hearing the consistent, constant and clear voice of the Good Shepherd, as we walk out real life, in real time. His sheep know His voice. Each day. Each moment. His voice guiding us, precious and ever so near.
As we each remain true to what the Lord has for us, each beaming consistent candle light, the light grows brighter and brighter. Simple. Clear. True. We are yeast and sheep in a world that longs for fireworks, silver bullets and being the wolf pack. Let's give ourselves to being a good witness and loving so well that people would actually see our good deeds, beyond our meetings, songs and motivational speaking, as a light shining on a hill. Then glory will be given to the Father. People will know that we follow and worship Jesus by the way we love each other in real life and living. Hearing His voice. His word. His way.
Step by step. Let the kingdom come.
