7 October 2009

On the Journey

                            The refining fire—

              Each week I receive several church newsletters.  Some arrive by traditional mail service and the rest show up in my inbox. These newsletters represent churches of various sizes. There are large churches in major cities across the country, and there are rural churches tucked away in small communities. There are churches with budgets in the millions of dollars, and a few with budgets reflecting expenses of a few thousand dollars. I allocate some time each week to catch up with what is going on in these churches.

              The first thing I notice is the uniqueness of each congregation. For Baptists, our commitment to local church autonomy means that every Baptist congregation is responsible unto God alone for what we undertake in His name. Among the Baptist newsletters I read, the diversity of our ministries is truly astounding. All across this nation and the world, churches are fulfilling their unique callings to minister in the name of Jesus. Thousands of church members are engaged in sharing God’s love for the world, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, caring for the sick, befriending the forgotten, visiting the imprisoned, helping the helpless, and inspiring hope in the hopeless. It is certain that churches of all traditions of the faith are taking their calling, to serve Christ Jesus by serving others, seriously and passionately. Through many different initiatives, churches are sending believers out into the world to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Great Church is reaching out into the world confronting and overcoming great obstacles.

              The second thing I notice is the impact the current financial crisis is having upon churches and their ministries. There are churches suffering significantly, where budget gifts have fallen drastically. I have encountered churches freezing spending, reducing missions giving, cutting maintenance allocations from their budgets, and laying off staff members. There are a few congregations weathering this storm quite well. What I read inspires me to offer prayers of thanksgiving for the faithful financial support of the members of Immanuel. We have faced a real crisis, and, at this time, our gifts to the budget in 2009 are greater than they were at the same time in 2008. Thank you for loving Immanuel, as the body of Christ, enough to give sacrificially in a time of economic uncertainty.

              I read the columns penned by pastors of these churches. In reading them, I have discovered a consistent theme. Most pastors are excited about what their churches are striving to do in the name of Jesus. They are eyewitnesses to many expressions of faithfulness to Christ that reminds them that their people are seeking to be obedient followers of Jesus. The new ministries and missions envisioned by the members of their congregation inspire and encourage pastors. From the articles I read, almost all the pastors are hopeful about the life of the churches that Jesus Christ has called them to serve.

              Yet, there is another theme expressed with equal passion. Pastors are deeply concerned about the members of their churches who seem to have withdrawn themselves from the life of the body of Christ. These members do not share the joy and the passion of the congregation for the work of God’s kingdom. In many cases, they do not even know what is going on in the life of the church. Many of these members have become sporadic in their church attendance. Others have dropped out altogether. Pastors perceive that many members, whether present or absent, have disconnected themselves from the power of the church gathered in worship and service of God, the Father.

              The pastors whose columns I read are sensitive to the many pressures individual church members and entire families are facing. They realize that the world no longer slows down on Sunday. In their columns, they acknowledge the needs of families, the busy schedules families have, and the many extracurricular activities involving more and more children. Yet, in fulfilling their pastoral calling, they wonder aloud where children are receiving the spiritual values they will need as revealed in our Holy scriptures. They fear that folks are not taking the time to nurture a faith in God that will sustain them when their world falls apart. The grim reality is that most of us will live to meet a day that brings us to our knees. Will our faith in God sustain us and empower us to rise above the crisis, or will we discover we don’t have a faith in God to lean on?

              As your pastor, I am grateful for your faithfulness to Immanuel. Since December, we have faced a significant crisis in the loss of our sanctuary. Every week, everything feels disjointed—I know. With things the way they are, it is difficult for us to establish a routine. On Sundays, it is sometimes hard for us to realize who is present in worship with us and who is missing. Because of the situation we face, we may feel disconnected at times.

              Yet, it is in this time that the body of Christ called Immanuel needs the faithfulness of each member the most. In times of crisis, we need to draw strength and encouragement from one another. We will be transformed into a new people by the sacrifices we make during times of crisis. Through shared experiences, our community will be strengthened and our love for one another deepened.

              This is a time of testing for us as a congregation—as the body of Christ called Immanuel. We are unique, but countless other congregations are enduring their own crisis. In my opinion, this crisis created by a fire is a refining fire. During this time, we are going to discover what is truly valuable as we seek to be faithful to God in worship and service. Let us covenant to walk together, trusting God and hopeful for our future, for God has plans to bless us! May we provoke one another to greater commitment and sacrifice for the sake of the ministry God has given us as Immanuel.jamie