Sometimes we don’t choose to change, but rather change is thrust upon us. It comes to us when we have no say in the matter. And often that change can be a negative change; a turn for the worst. A divorce. An illness. A death. A job loss. A family feud. Psalm 77 begins with, “I cry aloud to God.” A change has come. A turn for the worst. How do we respond? Allow me to lift up four things from Psalm 77– four ways to face negative change.
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"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." It is easy for preachers to use an abundance of words. I contend that long, boring sermons are a result of inadequate preparation. If you would ask me to preach for two hours, it would require very little work. I can expound a topic very easily if given an unlimited word count. But tell me to preach in 5 minutes. Then I must prepare. What can be said in five minutes? How can I get to its bare core? Now I must really study the topic, meditate on its meaning, and come to terms with its implications.
Many Americans find Christianity to be either too complex to access (elitism) or too simple to believe in (fundamentalism). A large part of my job is to convey the gospel's simplicity. Not to water down, nor to over-complicate. But in illuminating the gospel's core, we actually get to its profound depth. It's a bit of a riddle. The more you seek simplicity, the more sophisticated it gets. The more you dwell on the cross event, the more you find God's compassion to be a well whose floor has never been discovered. Maybe this is nothing new to you, but things change. To make sure we're on the same page, I've been speaking this to my congregation's leadership. Before we can step forward, we must know what we're stepping into. Here are three changing assumptions that will change how we operate as the church.
Christian to Non-Christian Context We are entering/living in a post-Christian society where the institutional church is no longer a dominant influence in culture. This doesn't mean the church is dead. It simply means that as a societal force, Christianity's sway is waning. Countless books, articles, and conferences center around this topic, so I won't belabor the point. The bottom line is that we have to accept the new reality. It doesn't help to have insider Christians complaining, "Why hell won't people just come back to church like they used to?!" So what do we do? We start operating like we "live in the bush." A couple generations ago, missionaries were sent "to the bush" - exotic places like Papua New Guinea where isolated tribes had never been evangelized. A missionary had to immerse himself or herself into the culture to understand the people's language, customs, beliefs, and values. Let's assume our neighbors have no biblical foundation. Let's assume they practice a variety of religions, but are unfamiliar with the Christian worldview. Let's evaluate everything we do as if we live in a foreign context. I guarantee it will change what we do. Clergy-Centered to Every Christian A clergy-centered model of ministry meant that pastors "do the ministry." An "every Christian" model assumes that every member plays a role. Somehow we've gotten to a place where "ministry" only happens on Sundays and the pastor is the only one who does it. So Christians participate in ministry only by coming to "the Jesus show" (I heard this term recently). The "every Christian" model is nothing new (I Peter 2:9). It doesn't mean that every Christian has the same role, but that every Christian plays a role (I Cor. 12). It doesn't diminish corporate worship, but sees that one hour in the context of the other 167 hours in the week. And its doesn't diminish the role of the pastor. Pastors serve the people so the people can serve the world. So what do we do? We raise the bar. Christian membership comes with faithful responsibility. Regardless of gifting, every Christian is called to live out the Great Commission and the Great Commandment. If 60% of my city is disconnected or unconnected from Jesus (and that might be low), then 1.2 million people need to be reached in my metro area. This requires a movement, not one man. Place to People Christendom built institutions, buildings, and programs. Post-Christendom necessitates the building of relationships. In a diverse, global, and technological context, relational capital is at a premium. In another era, it was the Field of Dreams mantra, “Build a place and people will fill it.” Today the places aren't being filled. So the new mantra is, "Build a people and they will fill a place.” Our neighbors have a million places to go. But they know fewer people who care. So what do we do? Get off my computer and go find some people . . . In a recent Twitter Q&A, Pastor Tim Keller was asked, "Why do you think young Christian adults struggle most deeply with God as a personal reality in their lives?" Keller responded, "It is easier to Tweet than pray." There is only slight irony in the fact that he tweeted this response.
In 2014, I'm giving renewed focus to my prayer life. Not as a duty or obligation, but out of a desire to trust God more fully. I find it so hard to focus. My life is filled with inordinate amounts of noise and distraction. Even in a quiet moment, the nuerons in my brain are scheming. Technology appears to have shortened our attention span and ability to focus. With social media, we're always thinking about what to say instead of listening to what's being said. Guiding my prayer life at this time is I Samuel 3:10 when young Samuel is awoken by a mysterious voice he thinks is his mentor, Eli. "Speak, O Lord, for your servant is listening." He surrenders. He opens his eardrums and heart. The older I get, the harder my hearing is. I'm weary of meaningless words. Speak, Lord. I'm listening. I was given an old Corona typewriter a few months ago. It's a reminder to me that all things change. Do you remember the typewriter? Each key triggering a typeset letter to strike the ribbon. Ink imprinted on the piece of paper. This is a very unforgiving machine. If you make a mistake, you can’t just hit backspace and make it go away. And get this: when you’re done with a document, you can't just hit send. You have remove the paper, fold it, put it an in envelope, put a stamp on it, address it to a physical location, drop it in a mail slot, and give it a couple days to reach the recipient! Can you imagine? All things change.
Our bodies change. If you’re a child, you drink your milk and watch yourself catch up to mom or dad. If you’re an adult, you see the aches and pains of your body set in. Our families change. Children are added, children grow, children move out. Parents or grandparents are lost. Our communities change. New neighbors move in. A business closes. A new one comes in. the demographic gets more diverse. In Psalm 102, there is a sobering realization that all things change. The Psalmist says, “My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass” (11). One minute, you can be lush and green. The next minute you’re dried up grass clippings blown into oblivion by a gust of wind. One of the reasons that change is so difficult for us is because it means a loss of control. Change proves to us that we lack ultimate control over our lives. My children are growing so quickly and I say, “Stop growing!” Because their changing means that I have less and less control. They are becoming more and more independent. Pastor Ed Dubberke has taught me much about this. He says that the hardest thing about older adulthood is an increasing loss of control. You lose control when your body won’t do what it used to. When you can’t see well enough to drive. When you live on a fixed income. When your pace slows down. When you begin to lose friends. We fear change because it means a loss of control. All things change, “But,” the Psalmist says, “you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations” (12). In the face of change, God is enthroned – powerful and in control. When is he in control? Only in one time or place? No, “throughout all generations.” The Psalmist uses the perspective of generations to express the reality that God spans all time and every change. He says, “you whose years endure throughout all generations” (24). It’s as if we are trapped in a thick forest and can’t see a way out while he stands on the mountain, able to see the whole land. We are stuck in a moment of time. He is above it, able to look backward and forward. We are limited. He is limitless. All things change, but the Psalmist says, “You will remain” (26). All things change, “but you are the same, and your years have no end” (27). God spans all time and every change. This is an important reality to live with because it affects how you meet change. If change only means a loss of control, then you will meet every change with fear. You will live scared, worried, and defensive, angry, and bitter. But if you trust the reality that God spans all time and every change, then instead of fear, you live with confidence. Psalm 102 concludes, “The children of your servants shall dwell secure” (28). It’s a future tense. He’s confident of the future because he knows that God is God of every time and season. He’s confident that God is in control through every change. His mercy is not a one time event, it’s for all times and every change. His sacrifice is not for one era. The cross is transcendent. It spans generations. It supersedes all limits. No matter what change you see, his mercy is still good. No matter what the transition you go through, his will is still done. All things change, but ours is the God who spans all time and every change. Let’s go into 2014 with no fear. Only confidence. |
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