I called Menards this morning to see if they had a facemask policy yet. My kids, being under the age of 16, have already been barred from entering the place, and I needed to know if restrictions had gotten any tighter (I wasn’t interested in a shoving match with the bouncer, I just wanted to “save big money”). The clerk assured me that there was no such policy yet, but warned me that it could change at any moment. With an unexpected shot of adrenaline I grabbed my in-store rebates and sped away like it was the end of the world.

Buying lightbulbs isn’t anything like it used to be now that everybody’s dressed like a hijacker. Shopping feels dangerous. People treat one another like they’re lethal. The level of social warmth hasn’t seen this kind of a plummet since the introduction of Smartphones.

They say it’s the “new normal”, and I’m sad about that.    

SIMILAR SITUATION

If anything, the social climate we’re living in right now provides fantastic insight into a passage like the one in Luke 17 where Jesus “cleanses 10 lepers” (vs.11-19). There we meet a number of men under quarantine because of a life-threatening communicable disease spread by air-born droplets and/or physical touch (sound familiar?). Holding the size of their small group at ten or less individuals, these guys would’ve made any modern Governor proud. Special laws were enforced in such situations to prevent any further spread: “As long as the serious disease lasts, they will be ceremonially unclean [i.e. ‘can’t go to church’]. They must live in isolation [i.e. ‘quarantine’] outside the camp [i.e. ‘away from the community’]” (Leviticus 13:46). Can you relate?

You’ll notice also that they respected Jesus’ personal space as He passed by. Standing “afar off” (vs.12) they were careful not to violate the guidelines set forth by their lawmakers. “Social distancing” might be a new term in our own English vocabulary, but it’s not at all a new concept: “Lepers were strictly forbidden to come near other people or to interact with anyone…so great was the fear…lepers were forbidden to come within 6’ of a healthy person” [Edersheim]). Whether healthy or sick, the entire culture knew the expectations, and dutifully conformed. For them, it had become “normal”.

People treat one another like they’re lethal

Welcome to the leper colony, folks; it’s called “earth”. Can’t go anywhere; can’t see anybody. Now we know what it was like. I’ll bet it was nearly impossible for these guys to buy lightbulbs.

SIMILAR ADMIRATION

But small groups and social distances aren’t the only thing we have in common with these 10 particular men. For those of us in the discipleship community, we share a similar respect for Jesus as well.

In verse 13 the lepers “lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master”. The term “Master” (“epistates”) is a specific title found in the New Testament that’s always used in reference to Jesus. It indicates ownership, and it’s used by His Disciples in every single instance but this one. Curiously, these lepers held the same regard for Jesus as His most loyal followers did. Whether they had ever formally met Jesus or not we don’t know, but one thing is certain, these men knew who He was. They admired Him. And for that reason also, we are a lot like them.

SIMILAR EMANCIPATION

Little did these lepers know at the time; their quarantine was about to end. God never intended for them to stay in isolation forever. They were meant to encounter Jesus in the crisis. He was the one who would rescue them from their plight, lift the restrictions, and in mercy, give them a fresh start in life. After what seemed to be an eternity, someone had finally come with the authority to grant them freedom, and the first wonderful word from His mouth, was “Go”.

And they gladly obeyed. Paying a visit to their House of Worship was of first importance, as Jesus had specified (vs.14). The Lord intended not only to grant them freedom, but to establish their priorities as well, which wouldn’t have been a concern for these men at all. Their religion had been on hold for a long time now, and they were more than ready to obey.

In full submission, they hurried to see the priest. With the colony behind them and the faith community ahead, liberty never felt better. Each step was lighter than the one before, when to their surprise, they discovered that every last trace of their disease had vanished somewhere along the way! It was gone! And with it, the pain, the loneliness, and the social isolation as well.

There was suddenly a “new normal” to get used to, and they were happy about that.

SIMILAR DECISION

We’re told in this account that one of these ten individuals decided to return to Jesus, “thanking Him & glorifying God” (vs.15-16). Enduring what he did had a profound, spiritually maturing effect upon this man, and he’d never be the same again. Anyone who reads Luke 17 can easily recognize that his example, in this story, is the one we should follow. And yet, very few will.

The Lord intends not only to grant us freedom, but to establish our priorities as well

Luke didn’t tell us what happened to the rest of these men after they were given their freedom. They probably went right back to the same life they had before the crisis even began. Same social circle, same synagogue, same routine. We don’t know for sure. What we do know, however, is that this was the end of a short relationship with Jesus. The closest they ever came to Him was while they were under quarantine. Ironically, nine of these ten men were never healthier than when they still had leprosy.

TIME WILL TELL

One day our little “stay-at-home” order, like theirs, will be over. The restrictions will no longer apply, everybody will reunite with their friends, and buying lightbulbs will be easy again. But the pressing question is whether you’ll be any different when it’s over than you were before the crisis even started.

What being released from quarantine did for those ten men, was to clarify who among them had real faith in Jesus (vs.19). For a full 90% of their small group, Jesus wasn’t really their “Master” at all, like they said He was. They escaped leprosy only to find that they were sicker than they ever knew.

The health of a person’s soul isn’t always best seen in times of emergency, but in how they return to normalcy once it’s over. An eager scramble to recover the life you thought you’d lost is a symptom of a deeper, spiritual sickness if it only distances you from Jesus. Yet that’ll no doubt prove to be the way most people in the church respond to the recovery of our freedoms. Nothing should scare you more than that. Neither leprosy nor COVID-19 are as great a threat to your eternal future as having earthly priorities. 

If your chief concern is nothing more than to get your life back and return to Christian fellowship as usual, then enjoy your time of isolation with Jesus while you still have it. History shows that once He allows people under quarantine to go back to the House of Worship, He may never see them again.

But for those with genuine faith in Christ, hold tight to Jesus whether we’re stuck in this sick colony or not. We’ll be free again soon enough. And for us, the best is yet to come.  

If uncertainty were a virus, more people would test positive for that one than for COVID-19.

Men & women all over the world are dying to know what the future holds, why we’re in this mess, and what to do to make it stop. With information changing by the hour, even Christians are left to question what God means by all of this: How are we supposed to be remain “on mission” with so many social restrictions? What will we do when “two or more” are no longer able to legally “gather”? How are we supposed to “seek and save the lost”? Through Snapchat?

God’s Purpose in a Pandemic:

The answer is simple: God is allowing the Church to suffer like she is because it’s a vital part of her beautification. It’s always been this way, and it’ll always be this way until the Lord returns. His goal from the very beginning has been to “present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish” (Eph.5:27). He’s removing the “spots & wrinkles” through a process He calls “sanctification”. He employs the use of trial & tribulation to enhance the Church. That’s what He’s doing right now. He’s making her prettier.

A Classic Technique:

Certain crises throughout the history of the Church are largely responsible for the way she looks today. From the very start, God’s people have been intermittently hit with sudden, unexpected emergencies that forced her to either adapt or die; to become beautiful, or to remain ugly. These were watershed moments; paradigm shifts. Undesirable at first, but vital for the overall strength & success of the Church. Situations that initially seemed to be disastrous, were actually being used by God to customize an attractive Bride for His Son.

A difficulty like this one is nothing new for the Church.

Beauty School:

In her infancy, for example, when Christ ascended into heaven, He left the Church behind to learn how to navigate life with a different “Helper” (Acts 1 & 2). As uncomfortable as it was, the change needed to be made. Had she not been forced to depend upon the Holy Spirit, the Church might still be trying to serve the Lord in the strength of her flesh. But she stayed true and learned to put her trust in the Spirit, all for the One she loves. How beautiful!   

Or how about when she was so severely attacked that her people were “scattered throughout the regions” (Acts 8:1)? Had the Lord not exposed her to persecution, the Church might have been stopped dead in her tracks, going no further than the city limits of Jerusalem. But, she remained faithful and learned to adapt herself to a different routine, all for the One she loves. That’s beautiful!   

And then there was the time when the Church realized that Gentiles were every bit the object of God’s love as the Jews were (Acts 10:28). A hard pill for a Hebrew to swallow, but had the Lord not forced the issue, many of us would still be in the dark, to this very day. Difficulty came upon the Church, but she faithfully rose to the occasion, and she’s never looked the same since. She’s beautiful!

Another Treatment:

In classic form, the Lord has introduced the modern Church to another sudden & unexpected emergency. In only a few short months every area of life & living has become governed by COVID-19. Our physical, social, emotional, financial, vocational, educational, and even our spiritual purviews have all been brought under its domain. We are, and will be, forced to make decisions that will affect the trajectory of the Church for generations to come. Worship, service, and fellowship have already begun to look different for us. Will we adapt, or will we die?

The Help We Need:

It’s true that we didn’t ask for this. But God saw that we needed it. Sometimes, the only way to move forward, is to go through a wall of fire. But when the fire is lit by God Himself, we know that He doesn’t plan to kill us with it, but to purify us through it. What’s happening today is no accident. The Lord brings a crisis upon His Church whenever He sees that the Church needs a crisis. We might not like what He’s doing, but it’ll be hard to argue against His decision once you see the outcome. The discipline of God can look and feel extreme, but the results are no less stunning.

Pretty Already:

But maybe you think you’re pretty enough as it is. Perhaps you don’t feel it necessary to make changes or adapt yourself to the Lord’s ideal because you assume that you’re already there. The truth is, when a person sees themselves as naturally irresistible, they inevitably reject God’s attempt to sanctify them any further. People like that can’t see a need for God’s help at all. They don’t think they need to be made appealing, because they believe that they already are.

Adapt or die…

Experts are saying that the world will never be the same again after this, and I suppose they’re right. I hope you won’t be either. Without compromising any of our core beliefs, I hope the Christians of our generation will allow the Lord to make the changes He wants to make. The Church will be more beautiful if we do. Especially in our knowledge of Christ, and our role in this world. I hope that each of us, as individuals, will embrace our plight and remain true to the Lord. We won’t be getting any prettier unless we do.

A Better Bride:

If you want to become the person God’s designed you to be, now’s the time. It’s important for us to understand that our current situation was orchestrated with that in mind. This is one of God’s sovereign purposes for the Coronavirus. There is nothing like a global pandemic to reveal the true heart of the people in a church. When all of this is said and done, the Church will either be more attractive than ever, or no better than we were before.

Sometimes, the only way to move forward, is to go through a wall of fire

God wants us all to learn and to grow through the crisis He’s provided. Our main interest during this pandemic shouldn’t be so much in keeping our hands clean, as it should be in remaining faithful. We need His help in becoming a different Church, a better Church, and these are the circumstances He’s provided through which that can happen.

Serve the Lord, remain faithful, and I can guarantee you, the Church will never look the same again.

How far are you willing to go to let yourself become more attractive to Jesus?

In the early 1900s people actually believed that radioactivity was a good thing. It was commonly understood that radioactive materials could be used to cure arthritis, increase energy, prevent aging, and overall improve the general health and appearance of users. Radioactive water became regularly available all around the country. Several people found themselves buying radioactive products, all with the desire to look younger and more vibrant. One man, Eben Byers, was so convinced of its benefit that he began to drink three bottles of it every day. Two and a half years after his use, he began to complain of chronic headaches and uncontrolled weight loss. Then his teeth began to fall out, followed by holes in his skull. Eventually, his mouth collapsed.  

Mr. Byers joined the crowd of countless others who have, are currently, or will do whatever necessary to keep up appearances. People do ridiculous things to look good to those around them in all areas of their lives. Physically people resort to such tactics as allowing snails to move across their faces which spreads their “beauty-enhancing mucus.” Some people bury themselves in volcanic ash, lay in bathtubs full of fermented hay, or even bathe in giant bowls of ramen noodles. Socially we lie, exaggerate, and hide the reality of who we are. It seems that people will go to great extremes to prevent themselves from looking foolish or possessing flaws. They do whatever required to present themselves favorably and to look as acceptable and pleasing as possible. 

How this Looks in the Church

Christians have the same temptation to do this with our spiritual lives. We will lie. Christians try to hide the fact that they are sinners. We will be sure to tell all of our great spiritual victories and achievements. Fear of apparent failure and hunger for noticed success seems to be a normal part of our human nature. There are many reasons for this. We might believe that perfection is necessary for acceptance. We may simply be terrified of other people’s opinions of us. It might even be that you are attempting to convince God of your great value and worth by your accomplishment. 

The ridiculous gimmicks used to look better might be necessary to save face in the world. But there is no place for them in Christianity and the church. Christianity is only for losers. There is no room for anyone else. It is one of the qualifying points of entry. No perfect people allowed because the perfect have no need for it. 

Romans 12:9 says to “let your love be genuine” there is no need to play pretend. God says that our love for him should be real. Our devotion to the church should be real.     

Over the past five years, many studies have shown that we are living in an age where people are craving authenticity. Personally, I desire reality, imperfections and all. We all hate to be manipulated, dislike when people are fake, and despise being lied to. And yet we are quick to manipulate, play pretend, and mislead others. For your personal health and the good of the church, all such tactics need to be left at the door when entering into the community of the church. 

Who do We Think We are Fooling?

You will find that in a Bible-believing church people are not going to be shocked when they hear of your shortcomings. Nor will you find yourself shunned. We are all well aware of the reality of sin. That is why we need each other. The guidance, accountability, encouragement, and rebuke that we all need to be the person God created us to be will be hindered if you hide your need for it behind a veneer of perfection. 

The apostle Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians 11:3 of being seduced or pulled away from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. He doesn’t caution us about being pulled away from an apparent devotion. Instead, he warns that our devotion might not be real and that our Christian actions may become insincere and not heartfelt. God is concerned with matters of the heart. He is concerned with the reality of what is inside of us and we cannot change that with insincere outward appearance. 

Not an Excuse

This is not a call for us to all simply be who we are with no intent to change, grow, and spiritually mature. That is not Christ’s will for us. Peter writes that we are to “grow up.” Paul sternly corrects those “believers” who seem to refuse to mature into the followers of Christ that they were intended to be. We should not accept our imperfections. We should be a people fighting against them and striving for holiness. That is what God expects of His children. But neither should we be surprised when we fall down. That is what kids do. 

One of the worst things you can do when you find yourself in sin is to quickly cover it up hoping that no one saw. Playing pretend is dangerous when it becomes more than a game. Admitting our weakness and failure is going to require true humility. It is going to hurt. But doing whatever it takes to keep up your spiritual image is going to drain any vitality out of your life. It will be exhausting. At best it will lead to a false perception of you to yourself and those around you. It will not lead to any actual spiritual growth and success. No amount of makeup can make the dead alive again. Only repentance can do that.       

Where will it lead?

We will find that if we try to keep up our spiritual appearance at all cost we will meet the same end as Eben Byers. Our desire to look successful and without imperfections could very well lead to our own spiritual demise. You aren’t perfect and pretending to be is only going to disgust those who know you best. The church is a place where we can be real with each other. It is only when we let down our guard, allowing people to see the reality of who we are, blemishes and all, that the church can fulfill its obligations to each other.  

One of the distinct features of the Holy Spirit is the consolation He brings to His own people. Specifically referred to as our “Comforter”, the Spirit of Christ reserves some of His greatest work for those who grieve. And we praise Him for that. Nobody has a big problem being comforted. The real challenge on the other hand, is allowing ourselves to qualify for it. If comfort is to be offered, there must be a reason for it, a legitimate need. To know & experience the Holy Spirit as our Comforter therefore, will demand our misery, anxiety, and/or despair…all the things we hope and pray to avoid. But He cannot become a comfort to us until we desperately need it.   

Stay Put…

The last command that Jesus gave to men on this planet was to “wait”, and it was made in reference to the Holy Spirit. If His disciples wanted what the Holy Spirit had to offer, they’d be expected to remain patient. The Holy Spirit operates on a different timetable than we do, and we cannot rush (nor delay) His perfect work. Especially in regard to comforting us in difficult times. He cannot and will not become a comfort to us unless we diligently wait for Him.

When you run away from a difficult situation you’re only running away from where the Holy Spirit was scheduled to meet you

Exactly how hard it was for Christ’s men to obey that final command is impossible for us to know. Until, of course, Jesus requires the same thing of you.

Don’t Go…

In times of crisis, the last thing we want to do is “wait” for help. But unlike some over-the-counter pain medicines, the Holy Spirit doesn’t promise “immediate relief”. Pain and suffering have too much intrinsic value for God to purge your life of them too quickly. Your job isn’t to avoid pain at all costs. And it’s not your responsibility to rush the work of the Spirit. All God expects you to do is resist the temptation to walk away before He gets there to help. One of the greatest personal disciplines of any hurting Christian is to wait for the promise of Comfort.  

If you ever hope to experience the consolations of the Holy Spirit in times of crisis, you’ll need to reject the cheap substitutes offered by the world. And there are many. You already know what they are, and you know which ones you’re most liable to indulge in. Whether it be alcohol or naps, TV and ice cream, hot showers and comfort food, we have countless methods to cope with our gloom, none of which involve the Holy Spirit. If we won’t wait upon Christ for comfort in times of distress, we may never experience the richness of the Holy Spirit’s ministry.

Some hapless Christians have already missed out on the greatest comfort they could ever have known because they left the place they were commanded to stay at. When you run away from a difficult situation you’re only running away from where the Holy Spirit was scheduled to meet you.  

Just Wait…

Sometimes we’re in such a hurry for the wretchedness to end, we grab ahold of the first and easiest thing that promises relief. Unfortunately (for those with impulsive tendencies), the world is usually quicker to offer you reprieve than God is willing to come to your rescue. Rest assured, the Lord desires to comfort you. But He also wants your suffering to run its full course and have its full effect. The world, however, does not. The world has no interest in you becoming a better Christian. It only wants you to be comfy. Satan only wants you to be comfy. Your flesh only wants to be comfy, but God wants better things for His children. Far better things. That’s why He’s given us His Holy Spirit.  

Our Father allows suffering, not to push us away from Him, but to bring us closer. Never forget that.

Are you in a particularly challenging situation lately? Count yourself blessed when you fall into various trials like yours. That’s God preparing you to experience His Holy Spirit in a way that’s off-limits to those who live a trouble-free life. Wait for the Holy Spirit to come and fulfill His ministry. He will comfort you in due time. It’s what He does.    

“From where does my help come? My help comes from the Lord” Psalm 121

It’s no secret that Christians are supposed to be “missional”. We read about it and talk about it and think about it. But many Christians aren’t personally convinced that they’re being it…and perhaps you are one of them. You’re not sure how to do it, or what it really means. You’d really like to be used by God, and to varying degrees you try, but you’re not sure if it’s actually happening. You wish God’s will was clearer, and you wish you had more evidence that you were truly in it. But, as it is, you’re not satisfied with your performance. You don’t feel too missional at all. And you don’t feel very radical either. And sometimes, you start wondering if you’re even being remotely biblical.

THE MOTIVE:

“A worker’s hunger drives him on” (Pr. 16:26)…

People naturally start to feel hungry when they don’t eat enough food. That’s usually how we know it’s time for supper. In the same way, Christians get famished when they lose sight of God’s will. They might stuff their lives with religious activities that look spiritually nutritious, but they’re left feeling empty anyway. The real “food” of a Christian is to “do the will of Him who sent us”, and some of you are getting hungry. In spite of the fact that you’re busy at church, and diligently reading your Bible, you feel a pang. Your appetite is growing, and becoming harder to ignore. You really, really want something to eat.

It’s no secret that Christians are supposed to be “missional”

Good intentions, however, as sincere they may be, won’t always get the job done. Countless men & women have discovered within themselves a strong desire to live an effective life in their community, yet go no further than that. People like this want the satisfaction of spiritual vitality, but they aren’t engaging their community unless it’s in a group setting, sanctioned by the church. They’d like to be an effective Christian witness, but they aren’t winning souls to Christ like other people seem to be. They want the fullness of a fruitful Christian life, but their branches are still barren.

THE MANDATE:

“Go! …I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say” (Ex.4:12)…

In most cases, the reason for spiritual malnourishment like this, is fear. A hunger-suppressing dread that helps people avoid the real meal, and still live with a relative amount of comfort. They aren’t as healthy or as happy as they could be, but they aren’t exactly dying either, and so their spiritual life remains the same: Humdrum & hollow.  

If you are apprehensive about sharing the truth with intimidating people, join the club. Moses did his best to avoid it (Ex.4:13), Jeremiah complained about it (Jer.20:7-8), and Paul asked for prayer on it (Eph.6:19). From beginning to end, the Kingdom of God has been stocked with people who are challenged by their charge. Being missional comes naturally to no one, but if you’re waiting for this to become easy, you’ll be waiting for a long time.    

THE MISSION:

“The fields are ripe…I sent you to reap” (Jn.4:38)…

In John 4 the Disciples had gone in to town for food, leaving Jesus behind at an isolated well. He’s all alone. There was little, if any opportunity whatsoever to be missional at that point. Until, of course, a spiritually destitute woman just-so-happens to show up. Jesus, not one to believe in ‘coincidence’, then commits a massive cultural faux pas, by initiating a conversation with that strange woman (a Samaritan nonetheless). Jewish norms forbade such interaction, but Jesus made the decision in that moment, to do “the will of God who sent Him” instead of abiding by man’s self-protective customs. God wanted Him to say something to that otherwise repulsive woman. So that’s what He did.

And, as you would’ve anticipated, things got painfully awkward.

The Disciples were rendered nearly speechless when they returned and saw what was going on. They did their best to reduce the inherent tension of Jesus-style evangelism by “urging Jesus to eat”. They just wanted to hurry things along so they could feel ordinary again. Jesus’ men wanted to get themselves out of the situation as fast as possible, because they couldn’t stomach the social pressure, and had no real appetite for that kind of work. They preferred to go hungry.

Sound familiar?

THE MEAL:

“Lift up your eyes and look” (Jn.4:35)…

If you’re feeling useless & unsettled about the contributions you’ve been making (or not making) to Jesus’ mission, you’ve got an important decision to make: Either ignore the conviction, or do something about it. I would encourage you to eat. Stop letting fear suppress your desire to engage the people around you in meaningful dialogue, and let yourself be fed by it. Even when there seems to be little, if any opportunity whatsoever to be missional, lift up your eyes and look. You’re not as alone as you might’ve thought, and it’s no coincidence that you are where you are.  

If there really is more work to be done in God’s Kingdom than there are workers to do it (Luke 10:2), it follows that God would gladly supply you with as much work as you have hours to fill (Matthew 20:1-7). It’s useless for us, like His Disciples, to try and get Jesus to quit forcing us into clumsy social situations. The awkwardness of Christian evangelism is the very food He’s urging us to eat.

So, how hungry are you?

“Blessed are those who are hungry…they will be filled”

Jesus has offered to share His “food” with anyone who’s willing to eat it. His style of mission & ministry might not be the most appetizing to your eyes, but there is nothing like it to so nourish your soul. If you’re feeling weak and unsatisfied in your spiritual performance, you need to dine with Him. A growling stomach won’t feed itself, but it’s usually enough to get something out of you, isn’t it?

The mission of God is, and always has been, for people like you and me to reach others with the truth. Those strange, repulsive, socially intimidating people that we’re surrounded by. You can share Jesus with anybody you want to…any time…any where…any one. Nothing will fill you up like that.

It’s time for supper. Let’s eat.

(Click here to watch an inspirational story about a Christian kid who was hungry for more, faced his fears, and was filled beyond measure for “doing the will of God who sent him”)

A HISTORIC TRAGEDY

I grew up in a place called “Maiden Rock”. It’s one of many riverside communities that wind their way through our country, along the edge of an iconic waterway. A small township on the Wisconsin side of the Mississippi River, Maiden Rock occupies a total of 1.18 square miles of beautiful Upper-Midwest real estate. The first house was built there in 1853 by the J.D. Trumbull family. Over the next 150 years, the entire population of Maiden Rock grew to 119 residents, with a grand total of 31 families in it…

Mine was one of them.

Just south of the village is a steep bluff, after which the town is named. According to an Indian legend, a young Sioux girl named “Winona” felt pressured by relatives to marry a man whom she despised. As recounted on a placard along Hwy 35 at the base of the cliff, “It was evening, and she had not been united more than an hour, before they missed her from the lodge. Nothing could be found of her until morning, when they discovered her at the foot of this precipice”. This young maiden never loved the man she married, and the misery was enough to bring her to the edge of a cliff and destroy herself, just to get out of the relationship.

Winona’s body has since become a fitting illustration of an ageless truth:

Covenanting yourself with someone you don’t intend to love, is suicide.

A MODERN REALITY

The start of the coming year will mark the beginning of Covenant Membership for this little ministry. We will begin with a dozen or more individuals, conceivably, each of whom promise to strive for a healthy, happy, long-term relationship with the other people in our church. We’ve waited a long time for this, and now we’re about to pledge our loyalty to one another for all to see.

Are we excited about that? Or do we feel like Winona?

Nothing makes a person feel more vulnerable than when they bind themselves to somebody else, for better or for worse  

I wonder if, either right now, or at some point in the future, we’ll have applicants who seek to become a member of this church out of mere obligation. People who feel pressured by their “relatives” within the fellowship, but don’t actually love the family they’re marrying into. People who reluctantly go along with the plan in hopes that no one will really notice how non-committal they actually are. Outwardly agreeing to it all, but inwardly despising the one to whom they promise their supposed affection, lacking the courage to say something before it’s too late.

If that’s the case, let me be clear: I don’t want anyone to formally pledge themselves to this church out of a sense of duty or requirement. If we are going to enter into a Covenant bond with one another, let it be done with mutual love, respect, & commitment, or not at all. It dawned on Winona’s family all too late that traditions & formalities can’t mask lovelessness for very long. In her case, it worked for no longer than 60 minutes. Let’s all be careful of making the same mistake, lest we follow in her fatal footsteps. If you’re already finding yourself resistant to such a union with us, and yet intend to go through with it anyway, you’ve already started your lonely walk to the edge of a cliff.

TAKING THE LEAP

I am not suggesting that making a commitment like this should come easily or without concern. A Covenant promise is saturated with heavy implications, and if you’ve given them the attention they deserve, you may find yourself with “cold feet” as the day draws near. Nothing makes a person feel more vulnerable than when they bind themselves to somebody else, for better or for worse. But rest assured, if you’re nervous about it, we are too. Remember…we’re in this together.

We’re excited for our future together and hope that you are too

This is a big step for us to take, both individually and corporately, and it’s my prayer that we’ll all survive the jump. A certain amount of anxiety is to be expected, but let’s not forget, so is enthusiasm & gratitude & joy! This should be exciting! A wedding without happiness isn’t much of a celebration, and if there’s no delight behind the joining of yourself to the people of this church, you might question whether you’ll be able to keep your vows for very long.

A FUTURE TOGETHER

Every church has a pile of bodies at the “foot” of their own “precipice”. People who got themselves into a committed relationship with a particular ministry, only to regret that decision soon thereafter. At the end of the day they forsook their Covenant, wandered away, and died. But just because we saw them fall doesn’t mean that we need to follow them over the edge. Can’t we write a different story? Will we honor our commitment to one another?

Anyone in this fellowship who is, or ever will pursue Covenant Membership, ought to take some time and evaluate their motives. If you aren’t in this for the “long haul”, and you need some time to rethink, please do it now. Go no further until you really love us and unless you’re ready to live like it. We’d rather be “left at the altar” than to marry a fraud.

If your decision to Covenant yourself to our church is compelled by genuine Christian love, we’re excited for our future together and hope that you are too. But if it’s being done out of obligation or pressure, please understand, you are committing an act of spiritual suicide. It will profit you nothing to enter in to spiritual Covenant if, in the end, you leave in a spiritual casket.  

TODAY A BRIDE, TOMORROW A BODY

Next year’s census might change the population statistics for Maiden Rock, Wisconsin, but it can’t change her grim history. A little village named after a mangled body discovered at the foot of a cliff, who, only one day prior, was a beautiful bride named “Winona”. A young Sioux girl who chose a quick death instead of life in covenant with someone she never loved. End of story. And, whether we like it or not, that same sad drama has been repeated in Christian communities on both sides of the Mississippi ever since. Will our little church family be the exception?

Ten years from now, when it’s time for our next census, will you still be alive & well, in faithful Covenant with us? Or will you finally grow intolerant of Christian unity, and choose to join the other ill-fated souls at the bottom of the bluff?