Oxymoron of the Week: Vision and Patience

As per usual... this blog somewhat pertains to the text and/or subject matter that will be discussed at The River this Sunday morning at 10am.

BTW, a big thank you to Paul Goebel for his excellent, hard-hitting message last week!

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Jesus: "But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

Moses: "For I know how rebellious and stubborn you are. Even now, while I am still alive and am here with you, you have rebelled against the LORD." 

I really feel for Moses. He discovered the Old Testament Theory of Relativity: Thirsty people = stubborn sheep (or the mathematical version, Tp=Sc2).

People are thirsty, aren't they? You know, thirsty for life... thirsty for justice... thirsty for truth. As Cain learns in the opening chapters of Genesis, life outside the Garden is dangerous, often lonely and very dry. Good water - that is, water for the soul is really hard to come by. Life in a broken world is truly a desert experience, and deep down we all know it. So we yearn for something cold and satisfying to drink... something that will quench our dry and parched existence. Something that will help put the pieces back together again.

As a devoted (yet flawed) follower of Jesus the Nazarene, I have tasted deep fellowship with God through His Spirit, and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that the LORD is good - more than good, powerful... utterly awesome! - and following Him is worth pursuing in this lifetime no matter what it takes. In fact, if I could somehow arrange it, I would just stand over a fire-hose of living water and let it blast into my face for eternity.  :-)

As a pastor, I have endeavored (struggled) to lead lost and thirsty sheep to the eternal well of living water - that is, to the fountain of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control - with seriously mixed results. Some lambs just seem to scamper toward the water and dive in as soon as they become aware of the healing properties therein. However, the majority are more careful than that. Most sheep step oh-so hesitantly closer and closer toward green pastures and still waters for a season...  But then, however, like cockroaches scatter when the lights come on...  Something takes their eyes off of Christ and they run back to the darkness... back to what they find more palatable... more comfortable... more safe. You know, more of what they're used to, even if "it" is dangerously polluted and devoid of life.

I try so hard to offer them a deeper knowledge of God... fellowship with the Holy Spirit... Living water that comes through letting go of our old life and embracing an all-out dependent relationship with the God of the universe...  But so many instead choose to go back to their old ways - back to the toilet water that marks their old, "safe" life of religiosity and/or godlessness. Keeping Jesus on the surface of who we are (or hidden in our pocket) is a much easier path than embracing the indwelling, radical Jesus who commands us to let Him reign supreme as Lord. (In my best southern preacher-voice): Can I get an amen?

Am I an expert in these matters? Hardly. Do I ever make mistakes with the sheep of my flock? Yes... often. Is God working on my life even as I labor to lead stubborn yet thirsty sheep to the well of refreshing springs? Absolutely. Occasionally, I even try to talk God out of my calling as a shepherd. But apparently, He just doesn't agree with my sentiments. He's more stubborn than I am!

Then I remember that the Bible is full of stories about less-than-ideal servants who were used to accomplish God's purposes. I know it seems crazy, perhaps even short-sighted on God's part... but He really doesn't seem too terribly interested in using perfect people to build His kingdom. In my case, He tapped me on the shoulder a few years ago and said:

"Jeff, I'm sending you back to the place you spent your childhood to plant a church. But not just another church where believers go through the motions. No, a new kind of church (but actually an old kind... an ancient kind). A thoroughly re-imagined church body... a Spirit-led community of Jesus followers that really loves Me, really worships Me, really listens' to Me, and really serves Me. This church will be marked by authentic love for one another, involvement in the surrounding community, a diverse, multi-faceted congregation, and by its willingness to serve those individuals and organizations that need a helping hand. This church will be a house of prayer, a beacon of worship... a place of divine love... and a clearing house of missional activity.

Okay... that's not really a quote from Yahweh... but I promise that it is a decent paraphrase! And since that day we arrived five years ago, I have endeavored to do my part to build a community of faith that was so clearly commissioned by God. But to say it hasn't been easy would be the understatement of the year.

This may come as a shock... but The River has not become an overnight success in this town. What some people may see as a fresh, godly vision for church... others see as arrogance, pure and simple. Lots of folks have come to the church over the years, and even jumped in to help make that vision become a reality... at least for a time. But for one reason or another, like sheep that go astray, many have left The River with disappointments... talking my heart with them. Whether disappointed over lack of support for their cause, or the perception that their efforts were not appreciated... or some sheep just came to believe that the pastor was not what or who he claimed to be. 

(Sigh)... whether I like it or not - calling people to read their Bibles, confess their sins, come together in prayer, serve the body of Christ with their unique spiritual gift, wrestle together to interpret what it means to be a disciple of Jesus in a complex world, spend time in fellowship with (and learning to love) people they may not even like, worship God consistently, give generously... and somehow carve out valuable time to serve others who need assistance - is not a popular idea in our time and place in history. Many people are way too busy to re-form their life in this radical kind of way. Some will give a little of what they have (time, money, energy, love, etc.)... and some others will give significantly more of themselves... but very few are willing to make wholesale changes to their value system to become sold-out, passionate, justice-seeking kingdom-of-God ambassadors. (In all honesty, I constantly have to ask myself whether I myself am willing... and sometimes the answer is no. In the words of Mater from the movie, Cars, "Dang!").
   
I ain't perfect... I'm just a Moses-like shepherd - (loving, frustrated... and yet deeply thankful to be a servant of God in this place) - armed with not much more than a strong vision to set His people free, and a lot of faith in my Lord, Jesus Christ to do the impossible. My life here is part of a comedy-drama story that is still being written (with an ending that God only knows!). Pray for me and my family... and The River church, won't you? We could always use it.

And by the way... I don't know what kind of sheep you are, but I do hope you are a thirsty one. And one that channels his or her stubbornness to seek out, find, and drink deeply at the well of living water... rather than running from the source of abundant life.  How could anything else ever satisfy once we've tasted eternity, and know that it is good?