Pastor's Message
May 2009
To the People of God:
“So the church is not to be understood primarily as a means to the end of transforming society…In fact when the Church is taken merely as a means to transform society, very little is accomplished. For in that case the uniqueness of the Church is denied and we enter the battle on the same terms as secular and godless forces. We assume the battle for right and justice can be won by force, by technique, by doing. It can’t. These very clearly are not the weapons of Christian warfare (Ephesians 6:10-20). Truly Christian transformation of culture comes through Christlike (and hence sacrificial) love, community, and being.
“But this fact by no means cancels out the responsibility to do, to act, to walk in the words of God. Rather, the being and the doing go together. The being is fundamental, but the doing is the natural result.”
-- Howard A. Snyder, The Community of the King
I am not always sure why people come to church. I suppose some come out of habit or a sense that going to church is what they should do to be a Christian. I would not be surprised that some people come to church simply because it keeps one’s spouse or parent happy and/or quiet. There are those who may find their lives are being empowered by coming to church. I hope there are people who come to church primarily because they love God and want to give God thanks for God being God. Ultimately, God calls us into a specific congregation not to come to church, but to be a community of faith in order to live out our Christlike lives within a community. This may not seem to be the most effective or productive way to transform lives, but it does seem to be God’s way.
In the last training session for those who might consider being on the Transformational Ministry Team it was clear that many folks did not understand what this ministry team would be about in Emmanuel’s pilgrimage. Transformation always begins with us as individuals by the grace of God. It then moves on from there by the GRACE of God to other places and people. It is a gift (like grace) that we do not deserve and we cannot make happen. The first disciples stood in a closed room and the Holy Spirit pours over them and into them. The disciples pray and stand still until, by God’s design, the Holy Spirit touched them and transformed them into the presence and voice of God in the world. They had been told by Jesus what they were to do, but it was not until the Holy Spirit touched them that they actually knew what they were to do. (They don’t seem to know how to keep their mouths shut or stay in one place very long after the Holy Spirit comes into them.)
Transformation always must be recognized as a gift from God. I would hope that Emmanuel would come to the point though that it would be continuously open to sharing and doing God’s will in the world. There are some simple things that might aid it in doing some of that even before 2011. Emmanuel does need to modernize and evaluate its audio and visual ministry within worship. It must evaluate its educational program to see how effectively it is actually working. It also needs to become more aware of the needs and gifts of its community.
Pentecost is coming. Are you ready to be touched by the Holy Spirit?
One of Christ’s servants,
Pastor Dave - Child of God