The Baptist Church I went to yesterday is in South Napier: well away from the Art Deco touristy areas, and is based in a hall attached to a small shopping area. About 300 people. And the sermon was powerful, and based on one of the text for today… (the link is to the podcast of the sermon, so you can hear it if you choose) … and the main things were that we need to take responsibility for our lives, not leave it in the hands of pastors, priests, social workers or senators, that we need to change to be more like Christ, and that God will be with as as we do this.
But this will take courage, because the old habits are still with us. As I am quite aware of. While we are on holiday I have so far been on a bike for over 40 km — after not riding one for about five years, and bodysurfing for an hour — after not doing that for about three years. (the traffic is heavy, the water is cold, and the hills full of nasty black ice in Dunedin). I am in better shape than before Christmas, but the body is aching in places that the gym does not reach.
And in the same manner, when I am challenged in spiritual matters and matters of discipline, the old part of me aches. I am quite introverted, enjoy solitude and silence, and the very idea of fellowship stresses me. Yet attending churches is a discipline, and caring for others a duty.
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”
(Joshua 1:1-9 ESV)
Now what made the sermon powerful was that the preacher fleshed out — without referring to the text — that we need to obey, but forgot that we need to be in the word. Daily. This, for an introvert, is the easy discipline. It is dealing with other people that is always a bit of a struggle, particularly medium size groups. I’m fairly effective with 300: I know how to lecture, and I’m OK one to one. But groups…. no. One of the reasons I like playing viola is that it is an orchestral instrument, playing harmony, and I can hide in the middle of the orchestra.
Quick thought on community, which I am still wary of and constantly learning about. But I believe that for this to have any impact I need to be real and so…I am right now, at this very moment (and have been for the past two days) fighting the overwhelming urge to wall my heart off and keep people at arms’ length to save myself the hassle. These words have actually flowed from my lips (talking to SAM): “See, this is why I don’t bother with investing emotionally in women. Too much freakin’ passive aggressive immaturity. I don’t have time for this crap.”
And then I repented, and now I am praying for a right heart and a godly spirit rather than a self-protective one. Because I know that I know that I know that I am being called into a less isolated existence, and all the *stuff* that goes along with it.
Well, my sister has my sympathy. Women are, individually, nice and charming folk. But a group all too often descends into some form of feminist coven where shaming, gossip, backbiting and breaking hearts seems to occur. Most of that stuff I miss: and when I see it I prefer to leave it alone. But it needs to be called.
We are a people of God. We are not to be like the world. We are not to turn everything into either a pseudotherapeutic group (so loved by Oprah) nor a soap opera. We are to encourage one another to choose the good and our strengths, not break each other down because of envy.
And the reason we meet is to encourage each other to remain in Christ: to do his work, and to be (as the preacher said) sacrificed by God, for his purposes. The pain we have to suck up at times. But as a kirk we need to meet: and the kirk does need to be guarded, for it is when we meet we are most teachable and vulnerable.
