Here’s something new. I’m writing my article for the July newsletter on the last day of June. Normally, due to deadline issues, I aim to have this submitted at least a week before publication. Should have this time, too, but things have been a little crazy at the office. But I was looking at some previous newsletters I wrote, and shook my head remembering last month’s. In that column, I was writing about our sense of right, wrong, and “normal,” and I used as an example the jogger who was shot to death in Georgia. By the time it went to press, as it were, that story, which had dominated news feeds and head-lines, had practically been forgotten in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Things continue to change fast…
Restrictions are being lifted, and life feels a little more normal. But arguments continue to rage over masks, protests are not slowing down, and a presidential election is coming. In the current atmosphere, it doesn’t take much imagination to picture a worst case scenario should a certain candidate prevail. Schools are still wrestling with how to reopen. CoViD cases are on the rise again, threatening further shutdowns. Just letting the disease run its course to produce herd immunity is being talked about more and more openly. Yes, things remain fluid, but the most accurate word I can think of to describe the current climate is “uncertainty.”
The officials to whom we look for guidance simply don’t know what they need to know to offer clear guidance. It’s not just politicians who disagree, but doctors, too. And in the civil rights/police reform arena, civil discourse is almost non-existent, or at least severely under-reported. For the moment, things are safe and under control in most of the country, but in many places, society seems to be coming apart at the seams. Things are uncertain, unstable, and if we are not careful, overwhelming.
Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.
From the end of the earth I will cry to You,
When my heart is overwhelmed;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
For you have been a shelter for me,
A strong tower from the enemy.
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever;
I will trust in the shelter of your wings.
Psalm 61:1-4
This is a theme I find myself returning to again and again lately, in this space and in my messages. We cannot stick our heads in the sand and ignore what’s going on around us, but sometimes it’s all too much to take in, and too much to make sense of. That’s when we need to remember that God is the author of stability, a source of certainty, and a strong tower that cannot be overwhelmed.
That is what I am loving about assembling again with you. I know He is my strong tower 24/7, but it is so pleasant when we are together, corporately celebrating our relationship with the Father. If you have not yet made the decision to rejoin us for church in person, I want to encourage you to do so. We have put a lot of work into spacing out the seating in the sanctuary and making the building as “touchless” as possible, in addition to thoroughly disinfecting the building between services. We have also streamlined the service, so we are spending significantly less time in the building. Yes, you can continue to watch online, and as always, there is NO judgment here if you are simply not yet ready to make that decision. Just know that we miss you, and take it from me and from everyone who has been coming, it’s good to be back.
Meanwhile, make it your ambition to daily find your rest in Him, to consciously cast all your cares upon Him, because He cares for YOU. Sometimes I think we have a long way to go before we are in a place of truly trusting Him. But He who began a good work in us will be faithful to complete it. I am truly thankful for Jesus, who saved me with His blood; for the Father, who gave His son for my salvation, and for the Holy Spirit, who indwells me, fills me, and empowers me to live for God even in this moment in history. And I am daily thankful for you, my church family. One more quick story:
At basic training, I was talking with a couple of my buddies. Our conversation turned to discussing some of the guys in our platoon. And the question arose (as I imagine it does for most soldiers at one time or another): “Never mind what you think of them as a per-son, or how much you like them; if you had to pick a squad’s worth of men to go into battle with, who would you pick?” And we agreed that the guys we liked to hang out with were not necessarily the ones we would like to have on our team in battle.
But with you, Living Word Family, it is the best of both worlds. I love you, I like you, and there’s no one I’d rather go into battle alongside. Especially with the commander we have, the Lord of Hosts.
Acknowledge uncertainty, but don’t get into fear. Turn to God and make Him your shelter.
Blessings,
