Barry and the Storm

In Florida I had a friend named Barry.  He was a great guy.  He loved life and his family.  He also loved fishing.

I never got to fish with Barry.  He did the kind of fishing I didn't have the time or inclination to do.  He liked to fish at night for flounder, and he and his buddies would brave the night and the cold, to catch their prizes.  One such night he was out with a friend and wind came up, capsizing their boat and dumping them in the cold water.  They struggled for hours, finally making it to shore, hypothermic and in need of medical help.  The ambulance took them to Sacred Heart.  They were treated for exposure and exhaustion, but doctors found something else.  Barry had cancer.  Over the next four years, Barry would tell the story of how getting caught in that storm gave him multiple years with his family and friends ... years he wouldn't have had if he had not been caught in that storm.  He died, knowing that his "storm" had been life-giving.

I bring this up because our media, our peers and our world focus on hype.  Everyone seems to get excited about the moment, wanting to "do something."  We often fail to reflect upon the lessons we can glean from the hard times.  We love God and people, but we are called to love God with our hearts, our souls, our mind and our strength.  I wonder if we, too often, think we are being smart by a quick reaction and fail to receive the lesson the crisis is teaching.

In Experiencing God the authors (Blackaby and King) describe our faith journey as pivoting on what they call a "faith crisis."  They remind us that we all come to faith crises, sometimes multiple times.  Something bad happens.  Something good happens.  A decision is placed before us.  How will we decide/react?  In Experiencing God, the authors recommend we sift those decisions on Scripture and the leading of God.  This is solid advice!

Last Sunday I presented a faith crisis happening in the United Methodist Church.  Our General Conference has been, yet again, postponed, and the governing body of the UM Church will not meet to make decisions until 2024.  This was the second postponement. The decision is largely seen as unacceptable by many in the church (and remember, we are diverse so some do not share this view).  How will we decide what to do with this decision?  How will we invite everyone to journey through this decision?  Here are some ideas for our perusal, all related to doing/viewing things from a God-perspective.

First, in Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells his brothers "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good."  Do not underestimate God's ability to use faithful people embroiled in bad situations to do good (even great) things!  Joseph has moved from being outcast in a well, to being in prison, to becoming Governor of all of Pharaoh's stuff.  Yes, it is rags to riches, but the story is more than that.  It is God's pursuit (prevenient grace), God's rescue (justifying grace) and God's equipping (sanctifying grace).  Let's look at things from a God-perspective and see what good thing God is planning and unfolding.

Second, continuing to look from God's point of view, what can we learn about our church from what has happened?  One pastor said, "We have been too focused on a symptom of problems.  The focus on this being an LGBTQ issue is both myopic and short-sighted.  While the issues that are hyped by the news media seem large, they are only the lighting-strike that caught the roof on fire.  When the roof burned, we found out about the rotted wood, the weak structure and other foundational issues."  I agree!  My friend had larger issues than getting over the cold and wet of Choctawhatchee Bay.  In Matthew 16, Peter had bigger issues than pigeon-holing Jesus into "what everyone was saying."  Matthew's Gospel tells us that when Peter was asked (by Jesus) "Who do people say that I am?"  Peter responded, "some say John the Baptist.  Others say Elijah.  Still others say Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?  Who do you say that I am?"  There it is!  A faith crisis!  Jesus is getting Peter to think about reality ... not what people were saying!  Peter answers, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God!" Bringing the issues of the church to the surface allows us to rebuild on the solid foundation of Christ ... and that always works!

Finally, after reflecting on what God is doing and focusing on just who our Church is all about, we must ask that hard question.  Knowing we should think about God's plan/mission, remembering we are all about Jesus, who should we be as a church?  In The Revelation, Jesus reminds 7 Churches that it is time to reflect, refocus and remember who we are!  They are told "Remember your first love (Ephesus), don't fear suffering (Smyrna), discern/avoid false teaching (Pergamum), don't listen to Jezebel (Thyatira), wake up and live (Sardis), endure with patience (Philadelphia), don't be lukewarm (Laodicea)."  Jesus gave each Church the criticism and encouragement they needed to rebuild on a solid foundation.

Let's spend lots of time in God's word, learning Jesus' commands and mission.  Let's not refrain from keeping Jesus at the center of our discussions.  Let's decide who we will be as a congregation.  I will be sending lots of information out, and I encourage and invite discussion and conversation.  But I caution each of us ... let's not pool our ignorance.  Let's let this storm reveal where we need to rebuild the columns, shore up the rafters and replace the roof.  Maybe, like Joseph, our best days will happen when we follow God and endure some storms, being stronger and better in the process.  Randy