Later today, Donald Trump will become the President of the United States.
And, I think- for the first time the church might actually function, and live, as the church.
Not because of a leader that is anything like the church,
but, because the government will be so radically unlike the church.
because, the government will no longer be there to fill in all of the gaps that we, so selfishly, have left unfilled for so long.
There will be no one to consult teenage girls, who have unexpectedly found themselves pregnant, desperately alone, and considering abortions, when we don’t.
There will be no one to stand up for or intervene on behalf of women, and fighting for their rights, if we do not.
No one will be there, supporting, and sharing love and truth with the LGBT+ community, if we refuse to.
There will be no one to provide food, and healthcare for the poor, hungry, and hurting, when we don’t.
There will be no one to take in refugees, when we neglect to.
There will be no one to pull people out of their mess and brokenness, when we remain within the comfortability of the four walls of our church.
Friends, church, we have become so comfortable.
Sunday after Sunday, we sit within those sacred walls and we get full. And, fuller. And, fuller.
And, we never spill it. We never spill that fullness. We never take it beyond those walls. We never spread it.
At one point in my life, I remember looking out upon the modern church and feeling overcome with frustration when I saw something so far from who I knew my sweet Jesus, my Savior, to be.
At times, it drove me towards cynicism, and in a few moments- bitterness has nearly consumed my heart.
Now, I simply want to live in a way that spurs others’ onward towards the heart of our Father, and the heart of the church.
I am still practicing gentleness and grace, over and over again.
I want to practice with intention- joy, faithfulness, and kindness.
I want to tell the truth, but first, I want to live the Truth.
Sweet church, our Father has not called us to a life of a half-hearted pursuit of Him, His heart, and His children.
No, church, He has called us out beyond those holy walls- He has called us out into real, raw mess.
He has called us out into the trenches of real pain.
He has not asked us to remain within four walls, but to simply remain in Him- as we run out of those walls to meet others’ where they’re at.
The Good News is proclaimed when we love each other amidst all mess, and all brokenness.
So often, we get caught up with remaining at our seat at The Table- that fabled table.
The table where we sit in metaphorical swivel chairs, remaining in our comfortability- there’s a good amount of social arguing, divisive labeling, name-calling, and even a bit of cosigning-to-hell.
It’s where we, as humans, decide who’s in and who’s out, who’s right and who’s wrong.
Sweet brothers and sisters, may we stand up from our seat at the table.
“I want to be outside with the misfits, with the rebels, the dreamers, second-chance givers, the radical grace lavishers, the ones with arms wide open, the courageously vulnerable, and among even- maybe especially- the ones rejected by the Table as not worthy enough or right enough.
The Table may be loud and dominant, but love and freedom are spreading like yeast. I see hope creeping in, destabilizing old power structures. I feel it in the ground under my feet. I hear it in the stories of the people of God living, right now. We’re whispering to each other, eyes alight, “Aslan is on the move.” Can’t you feel that? The kingdom is breathing among us already.”
Church, when our sweet Jesus said “it is finished”, He meant it.
He meant it for every single one of us.
Every single one.
He was counted among the rebels. He bore our burdens, our sin, and our brokenness, with grace- He met us in our mess, over and over and over again.
May we be a church who grasps so tightly to that truth and ebbs and flows over with the overflow of that sweet truth.
May we be a church that uphold and encourage one another with love, and then, take that love and run with it, in all directions- giving it, freely, to all who ask. And, to those who don’t. To those, whom the Table has deemed unworthy of it.
May we be among the disciples who are simply going outside, to freedom, together, intent on following Jesus.
May we cling to Jesus and march boldly onward towards our home, loving with intent, and peacefully fighting on behalf of the defenseless, and oppressed.
And, may there be grace and kindness, gentleness and love in our hearts, especially for the ones who we believe are profoundly wrong.
Arise, church, arise.
There’s work to be done.
