The Biblical word for peace describes God’s process of restoring the world, the way that He desires it to be…whole, complete, reconciled, and in good condition. We desperately need this peace. Our world is not in good condition. We are divided, at war, and hostile with one another. The divide is political, economic, racial, and generational. Make no mistake about it, God desires better. We can do better.

This peace can come through….

Words: We are called to words that lead to peace. That is not to say that we avoid tough conversations, on the contrary, often the words that lead to peace are the toughest to hear.  The Bible does give us some guidance on our words. They are spoken after we have engaged in self refection, repentance, prayer, and listening. The words we speak are to be patient, kind, and full of grace.

Action: Peace requires loving action. Jesus best demonstrates this truth in the gospel. He acted on our behalf to love, serve, and make the ultimate difference. He brought peace between man and God.

In the New Testament James says, faith without works is dead.  These actions should always be focused on making the world whole, complete, reconciled, and in good condition.  These actions should stand against injustice and stand for God’s plan and purpose in the world.

The work of the Holy Spirit: The fruit of the Spirit is peace. The Spirit is at work in our world, through the church, to bring about wholeness. He is convicting us of sin, motivating us to righteousness, empowering us to bring change, and helping us to love our neighbor.

Do I really want peace? Engage in this test with me:

Are my words leading to peace? Instead of leading to peace, perhaps, they are they trying to secure victory for a political party? Trying to win an argument? Attempting to keep things the way they have always been? We should consider how our words might lead to peace. May I offer two suggestions in our current national dialogue:

“I don’t know.” These words are empowering. They acknowledge that I do not know or understand a person’s pain and sorrow. They build a bridge to dialogue.

“I am sorry.” We all struggle with empathy. To feel sorrow when I hear a person’s story is thoroughly Biblical and to express that sorrow brings healing and peace.

Are my actions leading to peace? Am I acting in a way that brings wholeness to this broken world? Is my indifference leading to passivity? Is my anger leading to destruction? Is my ignorance leading to unintentional pain?

How is the Spirit leading me to be a peacemaker? I am called to be a peacemaker not a peacekeeper. A peacekeeper runs away from conflict. A peacemaker runs to it and loves, relates, and serves.

God is at work to bring peace to the world. You and I are invited into this work. May we humbly accept the call and think strategically and intentionally about our role as peacemakers.

I have been angry, frustrated, and grieved by the story of George Floyd and countless other similar stories through the years. While I have been angry, I have also been silent. Why? Well, as a middle aged white man….

I am concerned about being insensitive. I am worried I might say something or imply something that is offensive. In a moment of tragedy and anger this is the last thing I want to do. I am truly grieved but I’m not sure what to say and I ‘m not sure how to say it.

I do not want to create an unfair sense of shared experience. I want to grieve with those who grieve but I have no idea what it is like to experience racism. Honestly, when I read the anger of the white community, it lands in an odd way for me. It feels like they are sharing in an experience they have no right to share in. There is a balance between grief and sharing in the experience that I want to find.

I suspect there is more racism in me then I care to admit. I do not think I am overtly racist or intentionally racist, but when I examine my heart there are biases and a sense of privilege lodged in me that colors the way I see the world.

So, I have said very little.

I have sinned.

I think you can make a strong case that silence can be a sin. I think you can make a strong case that silence is the original sin. In Genesis 3 when Eve is getting ready to eat the fruit that God told her and Adam not to eat, she took some and gave it to her husband who was with her. Adam is there. He is quiet and disengaged. The sin of silence.

In James 4:17 we read, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” The sin of doing nothing.

Honestly, I am still processing what I should do.

I will say this…. quiet does not sit right with me anymore.

Quiet invites racism into our communities.

Quiet invites injustice into our streets.

Quiet invites inequality into the socioeconomic structures of our city.

Perhaps repentance of my quiet is the best place to start.

Many have written about what is at stake during this pandemic:

Personal freedoms are at stake.

Public health and safety are at stake.

The economy of our country is at stake.

Humbly, I would like to throw one more into the ring…

Grace is at stake.

It was in the middle of a severe famine that Paul wrote about grace.

It was in the middle of Roman persecution that Paul wrote about grace.

It was in the middle of a huge church disagreement that Paul wrote about grace.

Paul understood that in the middle of a crisis many things are at stake, among them, grace.

In crisis we tend to get very oppositional, grace reminds us God loves the opposition.

In crisis we tend to get truly angry, grace reminds us that it was love, not anger, that changed the world forever.

In crisis we tend to get very accusatory, grace reminds us that while we were still sinners Christ died for us. 

In our quest to be right, let us not forget that grace changes everything.  Many are giving into anger and letting go of it right now and right now is when we should be holding on to grace like never before.  Paul repeatedly reminds us of this grace, this is what he wrote in Ephesians 1:

³ Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. ⁴ For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love ⁵ he^[b] predestined us for adoption to sonship^[c] through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— ⁶ to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. ⁷ In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace ⁸ that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, ⁹ he^[d] made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰ to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.

¹¹ In him we were also chosen,^[e] having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹² in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. ¹³ And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

Amen

The simple answer is yes. Before you send me an email or leave a comment, let me lay out my case:

1. Submission is an important Christian virtue.  It models the attitude of Jesus as He went to the cross to pay for our sins, reminds us that we are not in control, and demonstrates love and grace in a powerful way to the people around us.

2. Churches are not uniquely being singled out by these orders. Currently, restaurants, schools, bars, and all gathering places are being affected by COVID19. If I sensed an animosity or attack toward the church, I would be more inclined to resist.

3. Isn’t the order an attack on the work and ministry of the church? The pandemic has demonstrated that many of us are too Sunday centric in our view of the Church. Do not get me wrong, I love Sundays. I miss Sundays. I cannot wait for Sundays. But the ministry of the church can and does still happen through video, social media, phones calls, and a hundred other ways. The Governor has not restricted these activities at all, in that way the ministry continues.

One of the biggest issues in the early church was the issue of whether the Temple was the center of religious life. The apostles taught it was not and many were killed over that issue. Read Stephens speech in Acts 7 and you will see this illustrated. I fear we have become too temple minded in these times, that church must be open on Sunday for me to receive spiritual instruction.

4. What about taking a stand for truth? In Luke 13:32 Jesus refers to Herod as a fox.  The context is that the Pharisees are warning Jesus that Herod wants to kill Him and Jesus should leave the region. Jesus response is, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!”  Jesus life is being threatened and He is being asked to completely stop ministry in the region, and it draws a harsher response.  You tell that fox that I will not stop. There are times that a big and bold stand needs to be taken. In my opinion, this is not one of those times.

In love, I think we could have a thicker skin about what is being asked of us. By not meeting our lives are not in danger and the ministry is not being stopped. It is frustrating to be sure, but I want to keep a Biblical and Historical perspective on what we are going through as the Church. We are not being persecuted.

5. What if the governments orders turn out to be illegal? We are not the first Christians to grapple with this issue. People throughout history have lived under far worse governments than our government.  The answer is to pray, speak truth, stand up, and yes, submit.  In addition, those issues will continue to be worked out in the legal system. The question of submission is not, is the government immoral? The question of submission is, is the government asking me to do something immoral? If the answer is yes, we are called to submit to the higher authority, in this case, God. In my opinion, being asked to not gather physically on Sunday is a massive inconvenience and I really do miss it, but it does not rise to immoral.

6. This is not to say you should not or cannot disagree with governmental decisions. You most certainly can disagree and can write about how you disagree. This post is about submission. I would ask that you consider others in how you disagree.  We have people in our community that have experienced real losses from COVID19 and to read a post on social media about this being hyped up hokum is hurtful. Be sensitive.

7. The highest quality a Christian is called to is love. This includes those in government that you disagree with, in that way, this is perhaps our greatest moment to live that ideal out. It is challenging and it is hard, but it is also worth the struggle.

Disclaimer: I would like to reserve my right to change my mind if things change, but this is where I am as of May 15^th.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” Hebrews 12: 1-3

I am sensing frustration. There is a growing angst directed at our leaders over this pandemic. If I’m honest, I feel it too. Despite my earlier writings and admonitions, I am ready to go back to life as usual. I am tired of being cooped up in our house with no place to go. I miss people. I am frustrated by this situation.

Frustration happens when I feel restricted from running the race I want to run.

This text reminds me I am not the first person to feel this way. Moses, Abraham, and David…they were not always able to run the race they wanted to run. Often, they had to run the race marked out for them. Of course, Jesus is the ultimate example of perseverance in a difficult race. He endured the cross and scorned its shame. There was joy set before Him, but His race was not a fun one. All other races pale in comparison to the one of the Savior.

I don’t always get to run the race I want to run. Often I am called to run a race marked out for me. I don’t like this reality but not liking it doesn’t make it untrue.

So, what do I do with this information?

I feel determined to run this race well.

I want to run this race with perseverance, patience, faithfulness, joy, and grace.

I want to shake off this frustration, weariness, and fatigue and run faster, longer, and better.

I want to keep my eyes on Jesus, follow His example, receive His encouragement, and feel empowered by His spirit.

In short, I want to stop complaining that this isn’t the race I wanted to run and embrace that this is the race marked out for me.

Eventually the race will change. Who knows, maybe the next race will be one of my choosing? What I do know is that I want to look back on this race and say, “I ran well.”

There was a time when I really wanted to be a politician. Because of God’s call, ultimately, I became a pastor. I am a churchman at heart. I love the local church. As a side note, I think I would be a terrible politician.

There are many opinions floating around social media about how and when the economy should reopen. I have opinions. I always have opinions. I think they are the right opinions, otherwise I would change them (read joke).

Opening the economy is not my lane. This is the lane of the doctors, scientists, administration, and politicians. They have way more information, experts, and resources then I do to make the right decision.

I have opinions, but I am choosing to stay in my lane.

My lane is preaching.

My lane is praying.

My lane is encouraging.

My lane is pointing people toward Jesus.

My lane is pastoring.

What is your lane?

How can God best use you, your position, and gifts to make a difference during this pandemic?

When we switch lanes, what ends up happening is too many people are in one lane and not enough people are in the other lanes. There are plenty of people in the politics lane right now. It seems as though everyone is a politician at heart right now.

Maybe your lane is compassion, teaching, serving, or leadership? The truth is, we need more people in those lanes. We need more people using their gifts and abilities to make a difference, bring light, and serve others.

Love your lane, drive well, and we will arrive at the right destination together.

⁴⁵ From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land. ⁴⁶ About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli,^[c] lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). ⁴⁷ When some of those standing there heard this, they said, “He’s calling Elijah.”  ⁴⁸ Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge. He filled it with wine vinegar, put it on a staff, and offered it to Jesus to drink. ⁴⁹ The rest said, “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to save him.” ⁵⁰ And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. Matthew 27.

We don’t often think about Jesus crying. Yet, here He is. The sin of the world, the physical torture, and the spiritual separation causes Him to cry out to the Father. It’s a prayer of lament, angst, frustration, and pain.

It is also a prayer that is thoroughly Biblical. You see these laments all throughout the Scriptures, one book of your Old Testament is aptly named Lamentations. These prayers are raw, at times angry, full of grief, and sometimes hard to read. 

Jesus is quoting Psalm 22 from the cross. Click here to read the whole thing. The Psalmist teaches us how to lament and cry out to God the right way.

It Starts With Honesty: God can handle our honest prayers.  As we read through the book of Psalms, the lesson becomes clear, God encourages us to be authentic with Him. If we are frustrated, angry, or discouraged…. we should tell God. Jesus did from the cross. Cry out to Him. Be honest. Be raw. Healing begins with honesty.

It Moves To Praise: A good lament always turns to praise. It is a steadfast commitment to give God the honor, glory, and praise He deserves. Even when we are frustrated or angry God deserves our praise. Our praise is based on who He is not on what we are going through right now.

It Remembers The Past: A good lament takes time to remember that life hasn’t always been this way. There have been times of abundance, blessing, and happiness in our recent past.

It Looks Forward To The Future: A good lament remembers that life won’t always be this way. There will be times of abundance, blessing, and happiness in our future. This is a season and seasons change.

Lament and mourning are not in opposition to faith, they are a core part of it.  Sometimes we need a good cry when we look at our circumstances, but we want to make sure to lift our eyes to the God of the universe and remember…He loves us, provides for us, and has a plan for us.

Wednesday is a day of relative quiet in the Easter story. There is one passage, Luke 21:37-38, that indicates Jesus may have been teaching that day. Outside of that…we are given virtually no information on where Jesus was, what He was doing, or what kind of conversations He was having on Wednesday.

Quiet

Wednesday is a day for the wondering person. Where exactly is Jesus?

Wednesday is a day for the questioning person. What exactly is He doing?

Wednesday is a day for the curious person. What exactly is the plan?

Have you ever felt that way before? Maybe you feel that way today, in this season of sheltering in place.

Where exactly is Jesus?

What exactly is He doing?

What exactly is the plan?

That’s Wednesday.

Today, I want to remind you that it is Wednesday but Sunday is coming.

Sunday is a day of clarity, where God’s plan becomes reality.

Sunday is a day of purpose, where we see God was work the entire time.

Sunday is a day of power, where we see God’s greatness and power on display.

That Sunday has been changing Wednesdays ever since.

Because of that Sunday we can have confidence in God on Wednesdays.

Because of that Sunday we can have joy, hope, and peace on Wednesdays.

Because of that Sunday we can be faithful.

I tend to be a creature of habit. I like my routines. I never feel like I’m in a rut. I enjoy knowing what to expect each day. You might imagine that the “new routine” of sheltering in place has thrown me a little bit for loop. You would be correct.

I find myself, multiple times a day, praying for things to go back to normal.

This week I was reading an article from back in October entitled, “In US, Decline Of Christianity Continues At A Rapid Pace.” I’ll link to it here.

I thought about the struggling churches.

I thought about people living purposeless lives.

I thought about the lack of spiritual interest.

I thought about those disconnected from Jesus.

I thought about those that are confused and uncertain.

It occurred to me. I’m not so sure going back to normal is the right prayer. Maybe the right prayer is….

God, would You create a passion in Your church to share the good news.

God, would you create a desire in people to know You more.

God, would you stir up a revival in our land that would make Your name great.

God, help your people to love worship, act justly, and walk in humility.

God, convict us of sin and lead us to repentance.

Yeah, I think, “God help us to return to normal” might be the wrong prayer.

I was disappointed when I received the news. Every pastor was initially discouraged. Easter is going to be celebrated at home and online.

I was disappointed personally because I can be a traditional guy at holidays. Easter egg hunts, getting dressed up for church, spending time with family, and eating out are traditions I really enjoy. I will deeply miss them.

I was disappointed pastorally. Easter is a pretty big deal to pastors. It’s not just the larger crowds, cool videos, pastel lights, and increased energy that comes to church, it is the opportunity to share the hope of the resurrection with more people.

I was disappointed.

And then I started to think about what God has done in and through quiet and still moments.

It was in a moment of solitude, on a mountain, that Moses received the 10 commandments.

It was in a moment of solitude, in the belly of a large fish, that Jonah was convicted of his sin.

It was in a moment of solitude, exiled on an island, that John received a Revelation.

Some beautiful things can happen in solitude. Away from the lights, loud, and intensity of life.

In solitude, we can receive clarity. There is nothing to distract. We can hear God clearly, maybe for the first time in a long time.

Through that clarity, we can receive conviction. Like Jonah, we can become more aware of our sin and more aware of our shortcomings in times of solitude. We can be motivated to take the action we need to live a better life.

In solitude, we can be calmed. You might notice that I have repeatedly used the word solitude in this blog and not alone. You might celebrate Easter in solitude, but you are most definitely not alone. Through His Spirt, Jesus can bring you a peace that surpasses understanding.

I was disappointed.

Today, I’m eager to see what God does through Easter while sheltering in place.

Maybe this will be the most meaningful Easter we have experienced in a long time!