15 April 2009

On the Journey

                            Embracing the opportunities in crisis . . .

              I keep reminding myself, almost daily, that opportunities are present in the midst of crisis. To discover these opportunities in the face of daunting challenges, we must trust God completely, be hopeful, pray diligently, stay focused on our mission, respond to the present situation with imagination and creativity, and nurture community.

              I have no doubt that God is with us, sustaining us, and empowering us during this season of displacement. I intentionally count the blessings we have received during this time. There has not been a single moment since Thursday afternoon, 4 December 2008, that I have not possessed an awareness of God’s presence with us. Our gracious heavenly Father has provided all that we have needed. We have experienced an overflowing abundance.

              Hope is significant. On Easter Sunday, as we celebrated our Risen Lord, we expressed our belief that hope conquers despair. It is obvious, to even the most casual observer, that dejection and despair often follow times of crisis. Honestly, we only rarely escape dejection and despair in the face of a great loss. Dejection, depression, and despair were evident that first Easter morning. On Friday, a friend died like a criminal. Love grieved. Dreams crashed. Hope evaporated. Fear dominated. Yet, these realities had a life span of only three days. By Sunday, Jesus is alive! Doubt dies. Fear evaporates. Faith rises. Joy flows. Peace descends. Hope soars. Love endures forever. Our hope grounded in our Risen Lord never fails us just as His love never fails us.

              To discover opportunity in the midst of crisis, you have to stay focused. After encountering their Risen Lord, the disciples waited and prayed. This was not their first inclination. Two of the disciples headed home, back to the lives they lived before meeting Jesus. Simon Peter and John enlisted a couple of the other disciples, got their boats out of storage, and pondered starting a new fishing business. After personal encounters with their Risen Lord, they returned to the upper room to pray and to wait for the Holy Spirit. We may be displaced, but we do have a purpose—to be faithful to Jesus in these times, to pursue the kingdom, and to proclaim the good news. Only through prayer do we find the strength to carry on.

              Since the days after the fire, we have sought to continue our ministry. After such a significant loss, there is only the strength and will to do the next thing. We have to live one day at a time. If we run ahead of ourselves, the dejection, depression, and despair grow more powerful. Throughout this season, we have attempted to do the next thing. First, we worshipped on December 7 at Tilghman High School. Despite the loss of our building, we responded with creativity and imagination to go forward with The Life of Christ in Living Pictures, Share the Joy, Mission Meal, and the Holiday Dinner. Since returning to our facility, we have continued to worship God in the fellowship hall, to study the Bible together, to bring to life a new Children’s Sunday School model, to move forward with Wednesday night ministries, to ordain and install deacons, to serve the Shepherd’s Table, to plan trips, to partner with First Baptist to present Saviour, and to move through Holy Week to Easter morning. For twenty weeks, we have done “the next thing.”

              Our greatest challenge has been to nurture community. We are so scattered. It is difficult to see across the fellowship hall on Sunday to identify our friends in Christ. Even from the platform, it is difficult to see everyone. On Sunday mornings, there is just not enough time for us to engage meaningfully with a large number of folks. In hopes of creating a deeper sense of community, we will initiate a new format for Supper for Six on April 26. If you are yearning to be with members of the body of Christ called Immanuel, sign up!

              In an attempt to respond creatively and to nurture community, we will be hosting Micca Campbell for a Women Only gathering on Sunday afternoon at 4. In recent months, the Holy Spirit has been brooding over several women of our church, nurturing a desire for a distinct women’s ministry at Immanuel. There is no clarity yet as to how this ministry will evolve. We hope Micca’s presence and her words will help us find the path we need to take to forge a ministry for women at Immanuel and in our community.

              I encourage you, women of Immanuel, to attend on Sunday and to invite other women to come with you. Micca will share a good word. Gentlemen, where there may be child care needs, we need to step up, so our women may attend knowing everything is fine with their little ones. As Sunday approaches, may every member be praying for God to empower Micca’s visit with the presence of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray that her words will comfort and challenge, encourage and inspire the women in attendance.

              Sometimes the road is long and hard. The challenge of the journey only makes us anticipate our joyful arrival at our destination. Let us follow faithfully our Lord Jesus as He leads us along this way to the future He has planned for us. Let us walk together trusting Jesus and holding on to one another.jamie