It isn’t too late to participate in the prayer walk scheduled for this Saturday, August 8th! We would love for as many people as possible to join us. Our plan is to simply walk the neighborhood around Cambridge as we pray for the people and pray that God’s kingdom would grow in that area.
It is sometimes hard to believe that God works through the prayers of his people. We long to see an instant impact, and want to see God work with fireworks and miracles. He does do this sometimes, but God usually moves more subtly and quietly than we expect. As Jesus said, the kingdom of God is like leaven, slowly and silently transforming the places where it has been established. That short parable sheds light on the Lord’s Prayer, where we are taught to pray, “Thy kingdom come.” The parable and the Lord’s Prayer together reveal that we are to be praying actively that God would send his kingdom, yet we should expect it to transform our world like leaven, not gunpowder. Come join us in praying “Thy kingdom come” in neighborhood where we worship!
The Groanings and Weakness of the Present Age
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.