Fresh Winds and False Winds : discerning when to go and when to stand.

Yesterday was the last Sunday of gathering to worship in the open air. By this coming Sunday we should be meeting under a big tent, which will protect us from the elements and allow us to put up a stage and TV screens.  But yesterday it was blazing hot and blowing a gale and we were exposed to it all; so much so that umbrellas were blown over and people had to stand at each corner of their easy-ups to keep them from blowing away. Meeting outside has definitely brought a new robust grit to our church, for which I'm thankful.  

It seemed appropriate, as we commissioned our Southlands Santa Ana launch team, to do it while these hot Santa Ana winds were blowing. In the midst of these forceful winds I thought of the ways in which the wind can be both disruptive and constructive. The same wind that picks up an umbrella and blows it over can also pick up a seed and carry it to fertile soil where it lands and grows into a tree. 

Jesus, when explaining to Nicodemus what life would be like for those who followed Him said, "The wind blows wherever it pleases. So it is with those born of the Spirit." (John 3:18)

When God blows with the wind of His Spirit, it is both disruptive and constructive. Among the Santa Ana launch team, people have allowed God to uproot them from one place to be planted in another for the sake of gospel. They have invited the disruption of moving house or changing jobs and saying gospel good-byes to friends they love. They've done this because they realize the disruption will be constructive as the wind carries the seeds of the gospel to grow and bear fruit in a new city. 

It's no use resenting the disruption when the wind blows. I mean, this is a crazy time to be planting a church. Most churches are fighting for survival and here we are sending valuable people out to start a new congregation! It's a risk, of course, but we have been praying and planning into this risk for over year now. And we sense the fresh wind of the Spirit blowing. So it seems best just to hoist our sails and  allow the wind to carry us along. If we are to allow God's wind to do constructive things at this time we have to allow it to be disruptive. In Acts 8, the winds of persecution caused a scattering of disciples which caused a spreading of the Word of God. The disruption was constructive. 

Of course, we should not be carried along by every wind. Some winds are not constructive at all. They  are destructive false winds. We must brace ourselves against them so that we are not 'tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine.' (Ephesians 4:14)  There are destructive false gospels blowing across the Church in these days. We must discern them and stand against them. The winds of Progressive Liberalism will likely blow more strongly with the upcoming change of president and government.  We must find grace to honor and pray for our new President, whether we voted for him or not, to bring unity to a divided nation. We can do this while resisting the likely erosion of religious liberty, Biblical sexual ethics and the sanctity of marriage and life in the womb. On the other hand, we must also stand against the winds of Christian Nationalism that seek to co-opt Jesus for their political ends. This is a subtle but violent wind that is carrying many Christians away as they reduce Jesus' kingdom to their vision for the nation.  This article by PJ Smyth on a-newcomers-guide-to-christian-nationalism is helpful. We have to avoid both political extremes as Christ followers.  As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The devil always sends errors into the world in pairs--pairs of opposites...He relies on your extra dislike of one to draw you gradually into the opposite one. But do not let us be fooled. We have to keep our eyes on the goal and go straight through between both errors. We have no other concern than that with either of them." No doubt, we must also keep standing against the winds of Nominalism, with its false doctrine of cheap grace and vision of Jesus as Savior, but not Lord. These winds must not blow us off track. We must stand our ground against them as we 'contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints.' (Jude 24) 

Finally, we must remember that the wind has the power either to extinguish or energize a fire. For many of us, the winds of adversity have almost extinguished the flame of faith and passion for Jesus. But God promises that 'a smoldering wick he will not snuff out until justice is led to victory.'(is 42:6) He is more than able to energize the flickering wick of our souls that once burned brightly with the fresh wind. God is mercifully on the move, reviving His Church when it is at it's most feeble! This is a time to allow the fresh wind of God's Spirit to 'fan into flame the gift of God that is within us through the laying on of hands.' ( 2 Tim 1:6) 

As Keith Green sang all those years ago, 

Oh Lord, please light the fire, That once burned bright and clear.

Replace the lamp of my first love, That burns with Holy fear

I also love this more recent song called Fresh Wind around the same theme.

As we begin our 9 week focus on praying for revival by signing up for a micro-revival group, let's pray together that God's fresh wind would help us to fan into flame the smoldering wick of our passion for Jesus that would lead to a blazing fire of revival. 

May His wind be a friend to our fire. 

Some Guiding Convictions coming out of Covid-19 Quarantine

I tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing flu-like symptoms about 12 days ago. Rynelle and Sophie tested positive a few days after me. Thankfully, our symptoms have been relatively mild. We are over the worst and grateful for people's concern, care and prayer. 

As I write this I'm beyond my official quarantine period, but am remaining in isolation for another few days, wanting to make sure that our whole family is in the clear before we come out.  I'm coming out of quarantine with some guiding convictions that are clearer and stronger than before I'd contracted the virus, having had some time to reflect. I write these not as a medical expert, (although I have consulted experts extensively) but rather as a father and a pastor trying to guide a family and a church through a very strange pandemic, especially in light of the new stay-at-home orders that we face in Southern California. 

 1. This Pandemic is Real

 I've been wary of the fear-mongering that seems so rampant in our culture at this time and have wanted to lead the church with courage, even as we've taken necessary precautions around gathering. But courage need not be reckless. Courage certainly should not be denial. All of us now have close friends or family who have suffered from this virus. Some of us have tragically lost loved ones. It is no longer 'the disease out there.' It has come near, and if hospital ICU rates are below 15% it means that many people are not getting over it just like a flu bug.  Of course, we may suspect the numbers are exaggerated and that the government has overreached in the way it is trying to control infection rates. But let's not allow our suspicions to deny that we have a problem on our hands. That would be neither wise nor loving. This pandemic is no joke. 

The fact that my symptoms have been mild has not made me cavalier. I know enough people who have experienced severe symptoms to realize the virus is random in the way that it affects folk, even young, healthy people. What has made me more respectful of it is realizing how contagious it seems to be. Even though I worked hard to isolate from my family, my wife and daughter caught it in the couple of days before I had tested. It's highly contagious. If you have watched a loved one suffer or lose their life, or if you have suffered yourself, you will attest to the fact that it can be brutal. So, let's mask up, maintain social distance, wash our hands, stay home if we have symptoms and pray that the vaccines work effectively. 

2. Social Isolation is also a Pandemic.

Held in tension with my conviction that the pandemic is real, is the conviction that social isolation is also a pandemic. I've taken time during isolation to read up on statistics around depression, addiction, anxiety, unemployment and suicide rates. The statistics are dizzying, but suffice to say, they have all sky-rocketed during this pandemic. Someone said that we are essentially battling two pandemics; the disease and the dis-ease brought on by social isolation. Sadly, I've had a front-row seat to the effects of isolation on those I lead, even upon my own children. It's evil. While some have enjoyed quality family time and working remotely, I'm concerned about the long term effects on social distancing and stay-at-home orders. necessary though they may be. I already see an alarming trend of people cocooning amidst growing social anxiety, even as restrictions ease. We are becoming reclusive and anti-social and it is ravaging our souls and our social fabric. 

About three months ago I was praying for wisdom on how to fight social isolation in the midst of the danger of a pandemic. I sensed the Lord speak to me about cancer in a body. If someone has cancer in their body they will willingly subject it to the danger of chemotherapy or radiotherapy in order to heal it from the greater danger of cancer. Gathering in-person has some degree of danger associated with it. But it is less dangerous than the cancer of social isolation to us, and also to Christ's Body.

As J.D. Greear, president of the SBC recentlywrote, "COVID is real. So are the devastating effects of isolation, loneliness and the inability to make life work. Both should be taken seriously. We have to keep these things in tension. Pray for our government leaders that they would be able to do this wisely."

We are communal creatures, created in the image of a communal Creator. It is not good for humans to be alone. I am adamant that we are to continue to fight for community, even in this second wave of stay at home orders. This means that we will keep taking precautions, but will keep emphasizing the healing power of in-person worship and small group gatherings, even as we continue to serve and care for our online community. 

3. The Future of the Church is not Digital.

We've loved investing in ways to serve our online community, many of whom have very good reasons to be staying home. We've loved experimenting with ways to foster digital community and have been so encouraged by people's response and commitment. We've also been pleased by the growing digital footprint we've experienced through the various social media platforms. I and my family have been personally blessed these past two weeks being able to worship online and join the post-sermon chat. Our online crew is doing a phenomenal job! I refuse to make our online community feel like second class citizens when many are serving on front lines, are immuno-compromised or elderly. If the risen Christ moved through walls to meet his disciples, he can certainly move through media platforms to meet his people today. We will continue to use online forums for the foreseeable future. 

 However, I do not believe the future of the church is digital, as some have said. There are still real limitations to building community and making disciples digitally. Congregational worship, communion, prayer, nuance, atmosphere and relational depth are severely limited in an online forum. So many of the New Testament's one anothers require embodied presence. Thus, while we will remain agile in ways of meeting, we will continue to emphasize the call people to embodied gatherings. 

4. God can use unjust laws and leaders to refine His compromised Church.

Some of us may feel that all these restrictions are an unjust infringement on our freedom of worship. I empathize with these feelings. As you know, we have exercised civil disobedience on occasion and may do so again if we feel we must. I do desire consistency from government, and am concerned when churches are treated as less essential than casinos, for instance. It is not about meeting in a specific building. It is about churches being able to gather in-person in some way to worship, and I am heartened that there is current provision made for this. This is why we are investing a significant amount of money in a tent. We sense that there is still a significant season of out-door worship and we want to help keep people sheltered from the elements.  

Is having to meet outdoors when we have a perfectly good building, unjust? Perhaps. But we have seen some amazing gospel dynamics at work as we've gathered in this way. Our visitor engagement and the curiosity factor from outsiders has increased. We've grown in boldness and flexibility as a church because of it. We also see in Scripture that God often used unjust leaders and laws to refine His people when they had become compromised. I am persuaded that God is at work in these difficult days to produce more rugged, agile and sacrificial disciples of Jesus who bear greater resemblance to the first disciples of Jesus. If this is what He is doing, then I'm all in! Can we be all in, together?

The Class of 2020 is going to produce formidable disciples, I'm sure of it. 

So, let's not shrink back, be strong in His grace and receive His reward for faithfulness. 

Living with Holy Uncertainty

Unholy Certainty

There seems to be a great appetite among Americans for certainty these days. Perhaps this is because of the lack of control we all feel in these deeply uncertain times. We reach for certainty like a three-year-old  reaches for his pacifier. No doubt, certainty can be comforting. This is why we tend to stay with our trusted news channels. God forbid that any conflicting narrative disrupts our secure echo chambers of reality.  

 I have been horrified this year at people's absolute certainty around the pandemic. 

It is a hoax. It is a liberal conspiracy. It signals the end of life as we know it. It is so deadly that it is worth closing down everything for. Masks will stop it. Masks will do nothing to stop it. A vaccine will change everything. A vaccine is to be avoided at all costs. Anyone who doesn't adhere to the restrictions is selfish. Anyone who does adhere to the restrictions is foolish. 

One would think that the unpredictability of the year would have produced in us a more humble posture towards that which we cannot fully understand. Do we think we are God that we can grab this leviathan of a pandemic by the tail? But it seems the more illusive certainty becomes, the more we grasp at it.

This appetite for certainty extends far beyond the pandemic, of course. The presidential elections dripped with similar certitude. Political pundits, celebrity pastors and prophets all made such assured predictions about their preferred candidate. And so many of them seem to be wrong.  Or are they? I cannot say for sure. Does there seem to be some inconsistency in ballot counting? I think so. If there is legal proof that it did not make any significant difference to the outcome of the election, would those of us who are suspicious concede that it was a free and fair election. I think not. That would be a terrible admission of uncertainty.

There is a kind of political fundamentalism on both sides of the aisle that amounts to unholy certainty. 

Holy Uncertainty 

What we really need then is what the ancients called Holy Uncertainty.

John Mark Comer, in his recent book, 'We don't know what's going to Happen and that's Okay,' writes, "Holy uncertainty is the capacity to live with a very loose grip – or no grip at all – on our plans and, more important, on the outcomes of our plans, because our security is rooted in a relational connection to God, not in a false sense of control.   

I am no relativist. I believe in absolute truth. Still, I believe it is a virtue these days to admit, "I am not confident to predict the future. I am not absolutely sure about the pandemic. I am quite confounded by the election." You may say, "That lacks conviction. People only follow you if you sound absolutely convinced about the future." What then do we do with the words of Jesus about the mystery of His return, especially those of us who are so certain about our end times predictions? "But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." (Matthew 24:36) No one knows. Not even the Son! Only the Father.  Holy Uncertainty. 

The Boy who cried Wolf

My point is, that those who are anchored in certainty about Jesus and his gospel should be more free to admit uncertainty about disputable matters. In fact, there is a real danger that if we come across absolutely certain about everything, people will not believe us on things we should be certain about. It is like the story of the boy who cried wolf. Every night he warned the village that there was a wolf on the prowl when there was nothing. Then one night a wolf did come, but the village would not believe the boy, because he had been certain but wrong so many times before. We need to learn to pick our moments and topics of certainty if people are to pay attention. If only the Church in America were as certain about the gospel as they were about their preferred political candidate, we would have  revival.

Blood, Ink, Pencil

What we need then, is a hierarchy of certainty. Andrew Wilson, a friend and notable theologian, provides a helpful framework for us. He proposes that Biblical truth be given three categories of certainty; Blood, Ink and Pencil. 

 Blood beliefs are contained in our Creeds. They are foundational to our faith. The Trinity, the Virgin Birth, the Lordship of Christ, the Atonement, the Resurrection, the Inspiration of Scripture, the Great Commandment, The Great Commission. These are examples of Blood beliefs. We must be absolutely certain about these truths. They are what it means to be a Christ follower.

Ink beliefs are secondary truths that are still deeply held convictions. Believers who hold different convictions about these matters would generally not be part of the same church, but would still be part of the Body of Christ. They might include different understandings about what the Bible says regarding sexual ethics, creation, the end times, the gifts of the Spirit, baptismal practices, the role of men and women in church and marriage. If a believer becomes more certain about their end time theology than the Atonement, they have escalated an ink belief into a blood belief, which has the making of a sect.

Pencil beliefs are what the Bible refers to as 'disputable matters',  in which God gives freedom for believers to exercise their conscience. (Romans 14) They include circumcision, eating meat, drinking alcohol, watching movies, worship style, dress style, voting for a political party or our response to a pandemic. Of course, politics may be much more important to us than dress style, but it is a disputable matter. Again, if we escalate pencil beliefs into blood beliefs, we lose the gospel of grace. Each person may be convinced in their own mind, but we should not try to convince others to think our way. Unholy certainty about a pencil belief ends in the sin of legalism. This is a clear and present danger for us in our political and pandemic moment. 

So, let's continue to journey in holy uncertainty with a loose grip on the things that we cannot control. Let's not lose our grip on the One who holds us, our sorrows and our tomorrows in His nail-scarred hands.