God's Wisdom on Display - Part 2

I remember sitting in a class on 1 and 2 Corinthians in college and realizing for the first time that God designed the church so there would be unity amongst diversity. I think then, I mostly saw that truth in the context of spiritual gifts - that he dispersed differing gifts to each member of the body for the benefit of the whole. Of course, that's a big part of it. But, I don't know that I really caught a glimpse of and began to experience the full benefit of a church living in true gospel unity until these past few years.

I Can't Grow Without Them

When we first came to CBC, we were eager to get involved in a community group. From the beginning, we loved the close fellowship the small group format afforded. It provided a quick way for us to get assimilated in our new church home. It didn't take me long though, to love community group not just for the practical reasons of friendship and opportunity for service, but because I realized that I honestly couldn't grow spiritually without it. And I mean that - I couldn't grow spiritually without community groups. That's a bold statement, so let me explain.

It has been said that Christian people are often educated far above their level of obedience. In fact, many churches follow an educational model of ministry that views its purpose to be primarily about teaching - Sunday School, Sunday Morning Worship, Sunday evening worship, and Wednesday evening service. Obviously preaching and teaching are vital. In the New Testament, Paul exhorts Timothy to "preach the Word." But, our functioning as a church goes beyond sitting in a pew and gaining more and more knowledge. James warns us, "Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!" At some point, we have to start connecting the dots between what we believe and how it effects our lives on Monday morning when we're late for work, angry at our spouse, and overwhelmed by our to do list. If we aren't applying God's Word, James says we are in danger of being deceived. Deceived about what? Well, deceived about what we really look like spiritually. Deceived about our maturity and our growth in Christlikeness. And that's where I was a few years ago. I was well educated and versed in the Scriptures, but lagging behind in some significant ways because I wasn't equipped to skillfully apply God's Word to my life and wasn't benefiting from seeing others do it too. So I needed the application oriented nature of community groups to spotlight those dark corners of my heart that I didn't really want to deal with. But when I heard others humbly working through how fleshing out a certain truth from the previous week's sermon applied to them in their specific situation of widowhood, single-parenting, stressful work circumstances, or different ethinic context, the Holy Spirit chipped away at my pride and kept me from deceiving myself into thinking I'm not a desperately wicked sinner with a lot of baggage to boot too. And that environment created a humble, interdependence among us.

I'm thankful for a church where it's safe to be a sinner. I have needed the people in our community group these past years. I've needed their struggles, their transparency, and their gospel determination to grow. I have needed the benefit and sharpening effect week after week of living closely with people whom I have little to absolutely nothing else in common but Christ. I trust I am a more mature Christian now because sharing in their life experiences has had a completing effect on me and my spiritual perspective.

After a tearful prayer time during our last meeting a few weeks back, I looked around as people started to disperse. Jan was gathering plates and cups to throw away. Dave was taking out the trash and telling me he used the last trash bag, even reminding me I needed to get more by leaving the empty box on our counter. Carol was in the kitchen shutting off the oven I had absent mindedly left on for the past hour. I saw the beauty around me of a body selflessly caring for each other and realized we really were functioning like a family. We have spent the last several years together learning each other's preferences and carrying each other's heavy loads and it has made us love each other more than ourselves. That's true gospel unity.

I Can Sing Harmony With Them

We have been blessed to have the Taylor family as part of our community group for about 3 years and they have added a deeper dimension to our gathering. Hope became a fast friend and we have shared suffering and sins, triumphs and trip-ups more times than I can count. We've wept bitter tears because we know too well that life is a battlefield even starting at birth. But we've rejoiced in great healing grace since, although we aren't there yet, he's taking us there. And I've confessed to her any step forward I take in my sanctification is with a limp. She knows what I mean. She been around my heart a time or two and loves me still and keeps raising the banner.

She's of African decent with some Native American ancestry represented too. And in addition to everything else we've discussed, she and I, along with our community group as a whole on occasion, have had very candid conversations about ethnicity. So, Hope, my precious sister and dear heart-to-heart friend, this is for you.

Piper says he prefers the term racial harmony over racial reconciliation. And I have to agree with him. But what that doesn't mean is that the majority culture sings the lead and the minority culture finds the harmony. Girl, you've taught me that and I hope by now you can hear me in the harmony. Better yet, I hope you know I can play the background.

I was against racism before I met you. But you have given my fight against racism a face. Employees on the elevator can't ask you if your mammy put your hair in braids and expect me to take it. I'm not on their side just because my skin matches theirs. All our blood runs red and you and I have more in common because his red blood has run all over us. And so I listen and learn what it's like to be one of the only African American families in a white church. I hear Thabiti say, "It seems to me that the one thing my fellow White pastors routinely underestimate is the tremendous social and psychological costs African Americans pay to be a part of non-Black congregations." And I know you've counted the cost, my friend. You've taught me just as eloquently as Jasmine that black people aren't just black, but cinnamon, and chestnut, and bronze, and their eyes aren't just brown and their hair texture isn't just coarse.

So I'm proud when my baby girl draws a picture of an African American with hazel eyes and when she asks if your kids are her cousins. And some people say Christianity isn't about unity of the ethnicities, but if it's not about that what in the world is it about? Because the last I read, the gospel is being preached to all the nations so one big diverse throng will be gathered before Him on that glorious day when some will realize they might do away with affirmative action but God has never needed it. Guess we better get used to harmonizing because in heaven the Lamb is all the glory and we'll be playing background together with all of our fair and taupe, cinnamon, ebony, and beige hands raised to Him. And we'll cry:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (Revelation 7:10)

We've already started, you and me and Matt and Andre, Carol, Jim, Wes, Jan, and Daynah, Marcy, Mark, Phil, Nancy, Kim, Dave, Amanda, Betty, Liz, and Rachel. And although our song is about to have an interlude, there are more people he has in this city for you guys to reach and for us to reach in our new one. There are more barriers of sins like racism and self-centeredness that the gospel is going to obliterate because that's how powerful it is when we are on our 1-1-6. And I can't wait until we are reunited and can see how our family has grown! Then we'll be in our true home that he's preparing for us all - not in Michigan, not in Florida, but in heaven. Maybe Dave will still be taking out the trash and Carol and Jan will be helping in the kitchen. Regardless, there won't be any parting there, no sad good byes to share. And together we will be with the Lord forever!

 

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God's Wisdom on Display - Part 1

I don't mean to be melodramatic when I say that as each day passes, my heart gets heavier and the growing lump in my throat makes it harder to swallow. We're down to just three more Sundays at CBC. I can't even type those words without tears.

As I sort through things to pack, our possessions, although not worth much to many, I see tangible ways God's great love has been shown to us through his church. There are the clothes for our kids, a much loved CD, a favorite toy, many books, and the scarf I wore today...gifts from God's people to our family. Those small things are treasures to us because we treasure the people behind the gifts.

The couch with stains where Phil spilled his coffee, and our table where David copied down a phone number and the numbers transferred through his paper into our tabletop. The chairs Vin and Melissa sat in when they told us they were expecting Aurora. The sectional that's absorbed the jumps of Krisalyn and Olivia's little feet. Everywhere I look, I am reminded that our lives have been tied tightly and eternally with people God loves, has given us to love, and from whom we've received so much love. And it hurts to think of those ties being loosened by miles that will separate.

"God's intent was that now, through the church, [His] manifold wisdom might be made known." (Ephesians 3:10)

The church was a marvelous plan - God's plan - to put His wisdom on display. These past years at CBC, we have been blown away by the numerous times and ways God has shown us how wise he is. We've had front row seats seeing God at work in people's lives. There's nothing more exciting than being part of God's church. What a privilege it is to be married to a pastor and help him do the work of the ministry. More often than not, after church people leave our house for one thing or another, I want to crank up "Behold Our God" and fall down in worship before him. He is good. And loving. And powerful. And wise. We've seen it over and over and it never stops making our jaws drop and our fingers point to the God who alone does great wonders.

So, as these next weeks wind down, I hope to highlight just a few ways God has used CBC to put His wisdom on display for our family, so you too can behold our great God!

Here are a few things from our service today.

Matt's friend and Cassie's husband, Carl, got baptized today. Carl is a former athiest whose life has started being drastically changed by the gospel these past six months. You should hear this guy articulate the gospel and see his passion for Christ's glory!

Buried in his likeness...

And raised to walk in newness of life! "Go 'Acts' on the world, Carl!" (Inside joke. But, if you've read the book of Acts, you'll get it!)

And Nolan, a college student, joined our church in membership today. When many of his peers are leaving the faith, he sees the importance of choosing the right road, at this crossroads of his life.

Our God is indeed great!

 

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A Recap of ReNEW

I spent this past weekend in FL at Keystone Bible Church's ladies retreat, "Renew," featuring Elyse Fitzpatrick as the keynote speaker. Let me just say these women love to have a good time, they love to be together, and they love to learn God's Word.

A few things I observed:

1) Jesus is building His church. I was thrilled to see our dear friends, Andrew and Vivian Haney, and their spiritually healthy church, growing under Andrew's capable leadership to over a few hundred people now from the 7 members they had when they arrived in Odessa almost 8 years ago. Their church is a wonderful blend of backgrounds with people at all stages in their spiritual growth process, fighting sin and loving God and each other for His glory. Of course, it made it easy to love these ladies because I saw how much they love my more-like-my-sister-than-friend, Vivian.

2) Few have mastered gospel-centeredness like Elyse Fitzpatrick (or maybe I should say, few have been mastered by gospel-centeredness like Elyse Fitzpatrick). I marveled at the thoroughness the gospel has effected every area of her life. I listened to her expound precious gospel truths and they became sweeter to me as I drank in all I could that I too might know them better!

3) I need to keep letting the law do its work in my heart pushing me to Jesus. I am too skilled in self-justification. When we were having a small group discussion after Elyse's first session and discussing our inability to keep God's commands, one of the ladies in our group said, "I might be able to keep these commands for 10 minutes but certainly not my whole life!" I thought to myself that this lady had missed the point! But then I saw my own efforts in her words and knew what she said was actually the sad commentary of MY spiritual life. How much more I need to abandon my own efforts and embrace the truth that "the strength to follow His commands could never come from me!" Not for 10 minutes, not for 5, and graciously not even for 1! I need a Savior who did it perfectly ALL the time.

4) Each of us needs to be much more acquainted with the gospel. If you have a voice, talk about it! Speak of it all day long to yourself and to any who will listen. Even sing about it! If you have a mind, think about it! Turn it over and over and over in your head, discovering all its glorious nuances and how it can renew the way you think in gospel categories. If you have a blog, write about it! We need more people spreading the good news through the written word of how it is changing them and the way they parent and the way they work! If you have a heart, let it go to work on your affections, transforming what you love and why you love and how you love. If you have a will, let it chisel away at your bent toward selfishness and self-glory and revel in the freedom of self-forgetfulness and God-centeredness that the gospel grants you. As Elyse Fitzpatrick pointed out, "We are so dull of hearing and understanding." So we need to keep hearing the gospel, rehearsing the gospel, and applying the gospel.

Thank you, ladies, for a wonderful weekend together. The gospel changes everything! And it is changing US!

 

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