The Land Between

I've been reading a really good book lately called "The Land Between."  It tells the story of the Israelites in the desert as they are between Egypt and the promised land.  Over and over again they long to be back in Egypt where they had food and were comfortable, even though they were slaves.  They complain, gripe, and lash out to Moses and God.  But, they are also on a path toward the promised land.  A land flowing with milk and honey and God's blessings.  They are in this strange in between place.

I can relate so much to this analogy.  I miss 2019 and life before Covid.  I've complained a lot to God about how my church and job have changed overnight.  I hate social distancing and not being able to see people's faces because of masks.  Church is so different.  And we're not out of the woods yet, we're not through this pandemic thing.  We haven't reached the promised land of the "new normal." 

For the Israelites, God used the desert to test them, refine them, teach them to trust, and prepare them for what's coming next.  Maybe God is doing something similar with us.  He's teaching us to trust him as he prepares us for the new normal.  

For the Israelites the way they acted and lived in Egypt would no longer work in the promised land.  What if God is using our current desert experience to tear down old habits and traditions to prepare us for what comes next.

What if we take this time where everything is either cancelled or postponed to pray and dream about what the church should really look like?  Thom Rainer says it this way:

Approach ministry with a church planter mindset. I have called this new opportunity “the blank slate.” Instead of doing things the way we’ve always done them, ruthlessly evaluate everything your church is doing. If your church were starting anew, what would it start doing? What would it stop doing? COVID has given us a new opportunity to rethink church. Don’t let the opportunity pass.

What if our churches were able to pivot, rebuild, rethink what it really meant to be the church?  You see, church is more than just doing a worship service once a week.  It's more than just making sure we have programs for all age levels.  It's more than just maintaining the status quo.  Church is built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ.  It is passionate, humble, on fire, Christ followers in community.  It is a group of people truly reaching a lost world.  

If I were to replant Lighthouse right where it is, what would it look like?  I think there would be a lot more praying.  Probably more neighborhood evangelism.  More small group meetings and Bible studies.  I honestly don't know!

This thought experiment honestly feels scary.  I've grown really comfortable with church.  I have routines as a pastor, I know what I'm supposed to do.  But, I want to be faithful to reach people for Jesus as our culture changes.  This doesn't mean we change the gospel or the foundations of Christianity.  But does it mean we change our methods?