Churches across America are beginning to realize that restarting the various activities we are accustomed to is going to be much more difficult than it was to stop them. For many churches, this may take months, or even years! There is no doubt that certain things will change forever in the church, just as many companies will change forever how they organize their workforces. But church strategists have also noticed that this period of transition will be easier for church plants. Plants are smaller, nimbler, and more experimental by nature, and thus it will be easier for them to adapt than many large, established churches. When this is combined with the fact that the people at church plants are more forgiving of mistakes and willing to help build systems and programs, it is reasonable to think that church plants are in an advantageous position right now.
I have felt this, particularly as I have thought about what it will mean for us to gather together in person again in small groups, Bible studies, and Sunday worship. I am grateful for your forgiving and flexible spirits! I am also thankful for your willingness to help!
As I look forward to the season ahead, I have great hope that God has placed us here at this time for a reason. I do not know what specific building Incarnation will be in 5 years from now, or what specific people Incarnation will be reaching with the Gospel, or what specific programs Incarnation will offer. Coronavirus has reset the landscape for all of us. Yet I am excited about all the possibilities that are before us, and our commitment remains the same: we want to live as the body of Christ in worship for the love of God and live as the body of Christ in mission for the salvation of the world. Simply, living as the body of Christ for the sake of others.
I am also excited at the development that has occurred at Incarnation during this season. A great deal of administrative work has been done behind the scenes—incorporation in the eyes of the state, increased clarity in how we will use our money, the foundations of a solid benevolence policy, the addition of a new governance team member and a Director of Outreach, the beginnings of a human resource policy. But there is also much that has been done spiritually, and for this, I give even greater thanks. Both Bible studies are flourishing. A group continues to gather every Thursday night to pray together. Our Sunday worship has grown in numbers over the last few months. New families are inquiring about the church. Very early conversations have occurred about partnering with a Sudanese congregation in town. Behind all of this, though, I have seen an increased desire to live as disciples of Christ in the world. I am thankful, and look forward to the season ahead.
As we move forward, please know that I want your ideas and feedback. There is a great deal for us to do, and the ideas of the people will help us act in wisdom. If you have thoughts, dreams, or prayers, please do not hesitate to let me know. You can also talk to members of the Governance Team (Elizabeth Ellwanger, Ken Fitchett, Ruthie Galvin, Elizabeth Hammon, Ed Hardy), Outreach Committee (Erich Rose, Greg Deener, Ellen Hardy, Katherine Heidenthal, Anne Price), Prayer Team (led by the Beekmans and Hammonds), or staff. We want to know what you are thinking.
In Christ,
Steven+
The Feast of the Ascension
Tomorrow (May 21st) is the Feast of the Ascension, which occurs 40 days after Easter every year. It is probably the most forgotten major feast day in the church calendar. My guess is that most of you have never really celebrated the Feast of the Ascension!
It is likely forgotten for two reasons. One, we don’t realize that it is important. And two, it always falls on a Thursday, and therefore the church isn’t together to remember it. But we shouldn’t forget it, and we need to learn to celebrate it! Imagine forgetting Christmas, or Good Friday, or Easter! The four movements of the work of Jesus Christ fit together, and all need to be remembered and celebrated. Incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension—each one is an integral part of what Jesus did.
The ascension matters for a variety of reasons. Jesus told the disciples that it was better for him to go away, a statement that many of us might still struggle to believe. After all, wouldn’t it be easier if Jesus were still here, with us? He could fix the state of the church, do miracles to strengthen our faith, and assure us of his love in person. But the ascension was better, according to Jesus, than him remaining with us. Here are a few reasons why:
First, Jesus ascended so that the Holy Spirit could be given by the Father, through the Son. As Jesus was anointed with the Spirit to begin his ministry, the Church was anointed with the Spirit for its ministry. Without the ascension, there is no Pentecost!
Second, Jesus went to present his sacrifice of himself to the Father, which the Father accepted as holy and sufficient. Hebrews presents Jesus as the great high priest, entering the Holy of Holies in the temple of heaven with his own blood to atone for our sins. Because he ascended, the sacrifice has been accepted, and we are freed from our condemnation, impurity, and shame.
Third, Jesus went to intercede for us before the Father. Because he ascended, we have a high priest pleading on our behalf before the throne of God. We have an advocate in the throne room!
Fourth, because Jesus joined himself to us in the incarnation, he took us into heaven with him in the ascension. Because we are joined to him (what theologians call incorporation in Christ) and because he has ascended, we have been brought into heaven and seated in the heavenly places. Because of the ascension, we have access to the throne of God.
Fifth, Jesus went to receive his kingdom. Although we are still waiting for all things to be subject to Christ, our king has returned to his rightful place, which indicates to us that the war has already been won and the kingdom of God is secure. His work on earth is finished, even though he is still at work through the church by his Spirit. Because he ascended, we can be at peace in the security of God’s victory.
There is more that could be said, but if we began to celebrate just these five truths, our faith would grow. Tomorrow, find a way to rejoice. Rejoice because you have been given the Spirit. Rejoice because the Father accepted the Son’s sacrifice. Rejoice because we have an intercessor in heaven praying for us. Rejoice because we have been brought into the courts of heaven with Jesus and can approach the throne of God. And rejoice because our king has finished his work and is seated at the right hand of the Father, waiting for the right moment to return as judge! At various times in the church people have celebrated the ascension in various ways. One that I find both hilarious and endearing is the idea of filling the day with things that go up—fizzy drinks, firecrackers, balloons. This is silly, but we need little reminders to draw us out of our short-sighted experience and into the grander story of Christ. Be drawn tomorrow into the ascension!
In the Name of our Ascended Lord!
Steven+
Forced Fast from Worship
Over the last few weeks, I have been using the biblical themes of plague and exile to interpret the current season. Letting the Bible interpret our current situation is difficult because so many other voices demand our attention. We are confronted by medical science, political ideologies, and economic theories—each of which has its own interpretation of the current moment. We should learn from these sources, but their voices should be subordinate to the Bible’s voice. The Bible describes plague and exile as goads to repentance. When confronted with widespread sicknesses and political upheavals that displace people, our first instinct should be to listen honestly to God’s desires, examine ourselves and the church, seek his mercy in repentance, and only then worry about the economy, politics, or science. If we miss his voice, we will have missed everything!
The final aspect of exile that I want to mention is worship. The Jews were forced into a fast from their form of worship during the exile. What is startling is that the worship they were forced to fast from was worship God himself commanded. God had made it clear through the prophets that they were profaning his temple and his sacrifices through their presumptuous attitudes. They thought that they were justified before God because they were offering the sacrifices he commanded. But their worship and offerings did not flow from the two things that God desired: love and reverence for God and the pursuit of mercy and justice for the poor. Thus God took the worship itself from them for a season. (Read Isaiah 1:12-20, Micah 6:6-8, or Amos 5:21-24 to hear his rejection of their worship.) The exile, when they were forced to fast from worship, became a time when the nation turned back to God. After the exile, the Jews never again committed idolatry as a nation, and began to act with reverence towards God. The synagogue system, which placed incredibly high value on knowing God’s word and praying together, grew out of this time.
This story should matter to us and transform how we think about our current moment! We also have been forced to fast from worship that God himself created. The sacraments were instituted by Jesus, and yet we have had to fast from them. We have not been able to sing praises to God together, and God created singing and delights in the corporate singing of his people. What should we learn from this forced fast?
First, we need to hear that God desires the hearts of his people. We should perpetually cultivate hearts that love and revere God and worship him from the depths of our being. The second thing we need to learn is that God deeply cares how his people treat those who are suffering and vulnerable. Consistently through the prophets God rebukes the worship of his people because it is not connected to justice and mercy for the poor, the immigrants, the orphans, and the widows.
This lesson shouldn’t surprise us. After all, we recite Jesus Christ’s words every Sunday. “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” God loves our worship when it flows from love for him and love for our neighbors!
Finally, just as the Jews developed the synagogue system during their fast from worship, we have an opportunity before us to take seriously ways we can grow in God’s word and prayer as families and as a community. If family devotions grows in our homes because of this season, it will not be a wasted opportunity. Be creative! Be eager! Let the word of God and prayer fill your homes!
In Christ,
Steven+