Pastor Steve's Recent Weekly Letter
Pastor Steve's Weekly Letter for Thursday, February 25, 2021
There are two issues I’ve been contemplating this week. Both are related to this present moment. The first has to do with racial justice, while the second has to do with the church life after the pandemic. I’d like to think about how followers of Jesus should respond to both issues. Here are my thoughts.
Earlier this week, Coca-Cola received heavy criticism for a diversity training seminar that encouraged its employees to be “less white, less arrogant, less certain, less defensive, less ignorant, and more humble.” I know many white believers who feel like they can contribute nothing to the discussion of racism other than to lament their whiteness and admit that all whites are racists to some extent. The temptation is to vent frustration over this. Yet we need to ask ourselves how Jesus would respond. First, he would not retaliate (see 1 Peter 2:23). Second, he would respond in humility. Philippians 2:6-8 reminds us Jesus did not use his privileged status for his own advantage (verse 6). Rather, he humbled himself—even to the point of death on a cross (verses 7-8). He looked out for others’ interests, not his own.
I am reminded of the wise insights of Jerram Barrs, a Christian leader who worked with the late Francis Schaeffer. Barrs says if we want to reach people for Christ, we can respond to their anger and hostility and mischaracterization in one of two ways. One way is to respond with fear, disdain, retreat, and separation. I would add anger and resentment to this response. The other way is to respond with friendship, influence, intercession, and trust in God. Here, I would also add humility and kindness. Sure, there is a time to respond to wrong ideas. But are we more concerned about our interests or the interests of others? Their anger may come from places of deep hurt over the injustices they have faced. It doesn’t mean their assessment of the situation and solutions are exactly right. But why not be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). That’s the way of Jesus.
The other issue that we’re facing is what church will look like after the pandemic subsides. There are loud voices saying we will never do church the same way again, online church is the future, and we have to get over our unhealthy obsession with large gatherings. However, I don’t buy this, even though there is some truth in each one of those statements. Trevin Wax has some helpful thoughts (and you can read them here). While he believes the pandemic gives us “an opportunity to rethink some of our measures related to discipleship,” he rejects the idea that “a focus on the church’s in-person gatherings is just a crutch.” So do I. If we are going to be missional, meaning that we go into our neighborhoods as people sent by Jesus, we cannot afford to neglect “regular and intentional gatherings in person with the community of faith.” Please note I’m talking here about church life after the pandemic subsides. I completely understand it’s best for some of you to participate in corporate worship online or in a Zoom meeting with your LIFE group. But when the danger has subsided, let’s not give in to the new normal of participating online.
Trevin Wax is on target when he writes, “Make no mistake: the church is God’s called-out and sent people. But the effectiveness of the church scattered does not happen apart from the energy of the church gathered.” If we care about mission, we won’t separate what God has joined together: content (the preaching and teaching of Scripture), connection (in-person community), and mission (going out to the culture). I still stand by what I wrote in my weekly letter on April 16, 2020—just as we were beginning our long pandemic journey. I wrote that online worship and Zoom meetings with our LIFE group “are showing us how important it is to meet in person and stirring up our longing for the day we can be together again. Online spaces get us through the moment, but they can never replace meeting together.”
This Sunday, February 28, Pastor Rick will continue our sermon series in the book of Amos by preaching Amos 6:1-14. The title of his sermon is “Complacency and Pride: Enemies of Justice.” On the family front, my daughter, Anna, worked a double shift at Lutheran General Hospital the other day. When she arrived home and opened the door, it warmed her heart to hear her daughter Halle (4) exclaim: “Mom’s home!” But Halle’s next words gave away the reason for her excitement: “Now I can play a game on my Kindle!” Oh well. Thanks for reading. Grace and peace to all of you!