The readings over the last few weeks have been from Romans 8, which is one of the most beautiful and glorious chapters in the entire Bible. It is worth meditating on repeatedly, and I encourage you to make it a part of your devotions for the next few days (we will hear the final verses this Sunday). In it, the security and assurance given to us are on full display. Paul argues that, because of the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the love of God, we are adopted as sons and daughters of God who will be glorified with Christ one day. This reality offers hope in spite of the present experience of struggle and weakness.
I love Romans 8 because Paul reveals our security and the glory to come and yet doesn’t pretend that everything is perfect in the present. It isn’t “wishful thinking” Christianity. Hope is real, even though we haven’t experienced everything of God’s goodness yet. We have been given the first-fruits, and thus experience God’s goodness in the present, but most of what we long for is still to come.
We groan (along with creation itself!) for the future perfection, and we should strive for it by making the world beautiful, healing the sick, tutoring children, freeing people from addictions, and bringing peace, justice and mercy to our societies. But as Christians faithful to Romans 8, we also must acknowledge our own imperfections, sufferings, and weaknesses, rather than pretending that we have everything together.
As a church, we can do this by learning to be honest about the things that we are struggling with and suffering under. We can do this by learning to confess our sins to each other. We can do this by asking for help and praying for each other. If we pretend that all is well when it isn’t, we lose the chance to experience the first-fruits of healing that God wants to bring to us in the present through the ministry of the church. I long for Incarnation to be honest, strong, and kind enough for people to bear each other’s burdens. I long for it to be a church that strives to bring God’s healing to the world even as we acknowledge our own sins and weaknesses. We have hope set before us—one day, Jesus will return and reveal that we have been made his brothers and sisters, filled with his own glory. This means that we can confess where we have failed to measure up, because there is nothing to fear. We are secure in Christ! As Paul says, “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” and nothing in all of creation “will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
An Update to Sunday Worship
As I have watched other churches struggle to reopen Sunday worship, I have been particularly grateful for two things—the size of the lawn at Cambridge and your flexibility. It has been wonderful to have an outdoor space where we can gather and people willing to sit in the summer weather, so that we can all be together. Our plan is to continue to utilize the outdoor space for the foreseeable future, because it is the best way to be safe during this season.
This last Sunday revealed, though, that there are likely going to be several Sundays over the remainder of the summer where it is simply too hot to be outside. A heat index of 108o is beyond most of our limits! If we have to move indoors because of the heat, we will continue to livestream and record the service for those who cannot come. If your health permits you to come inside, please come! We have ironed out our indoor procedure, and are able to accommodate 50-60 people sitting at safe distances from each other.
We look forward to when this season is over, and are praying for cool Sunday evenings! Thank you for your flexibility, and please feel free to contact us if you have questions or ideas.
Four and a Half Months into Coronavirus Meets the Middle of the Summer
It is hard to believe that we are already halfway through the summer. Summer is always a hard time for churches—people are out of town much of the time, and when they are in town, it oftentimes feels easier to skip church than to go. When we are out of our ordinary routines of school and work, mustering the energy to be consistent with church is difficult. This is especially pronounced right now, because churches are either meeting inside with uncomfortable masks and other safety precautions, meeting outside in the heat and humidity, or meeting online in an impersonal and disconnected way. It is hard to go to church during the summer, especially when the ways we are going to church leave a lot to be desired.
It is also hard to believe that we are almost 5 months into the time of coronavirus. All rhythms of life have been radically affected during this season, and many Americans are dealing with acedia (the feeling of listlessness in the depths of the soul), discouragement, and even depression. A friend of mine who is a psychiatrist mentioned last week that he has been overwhelmed with people asking for help because they simply feel lost, discouraged, and sad right now. Most Americans have plenty to eat and a good roof over their heads, yet something seems missing. We are waiting to reemerge into normalcy, but wonder whether it will ever come again.
I mention these things simply to state out loud what many of you have already recognized: If it seems harder than normal to care about things that matter—your prayer life, good rhythms as a family, coming to church, healthy physical habits, your work, etc.—you aren’t alone. The circumstances don’t seem to be in our favor right now. It is easy, when life is full of malaise, to slip into patterns of life that aren’t healthy.
So what should the Christian do? It may seem obvious, but the more off-kilter our circumstances are, the more we should press into the habits that bring health to the soul. In times of anxiety, sadness, and acedia, the Christian response should be clinging to God in concrete habits. In other words, healthy habits—coming to church, singing praises loudly to God with our hands raised, confessing our sins on our knees, reading the Bible, praying as a family, resting appropriately, eating and drinking with both joy and temperance, exercising, reading novels that strengthen the soul, having real conversations with friends, listening to good music—matter more now than they do in times when everything is going well. This takes perseverance, which is difficult, but as Romans 5 reminds us, perseverance results in hope, something that most of us need in this moment.
I say this to encourage you! If you feel weighed down, you aren’t alone! But don’t let the experience of the present keep you from the heart of God. Use the experience of this moment to drive you deep into the heart of God!
Steven+