Great Things for the Kingdom

I'm both jazzed and worn-out by a really powerful and challenging weekend in our church. We're going to spend from now until Palm Sunday (April 5) praying, fasting, and talking about very specific prescriptions we've been given, designed to make us as healthy and strong as possible in order to make new disciples.

Feeling really excited and hopeful, but without a lot of energy for the moment, I don't have much to post right now. I'll have more later in the week as I process all this. For this moment, I submit this thought. (Not originally from me...) Great things for the Kingdom of God happen when it doesn't matter who sees the result and it doesn't matter who gets the credit.

Nice stretch of the river right now. Rough rapids may be ahead, but the mainstream is headed in the right direction. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.

Diagnosis

This weekend our church is involved in a diagnostic process with some of the denominational leaders in our state. The process is designed to help congregations become as healthy as they can be in order to best fulfill the mission of making new disciples for Jesus in our particular area. I'm excited about the potential outcome of this weekend's work, though there is some anxiety associated with it. That's always the case when we're asked to yield our control and trust God fully.

Part of the process is hard, as each of us are asked to face the ways we have not been faithful to the great commission of Matthew 28:19. No one likes to see where we've fallen short. We'd all rather hear how well we've done in certain areas as opposed to how we've failed in other areas. I suspect this is what keeps a lot of churches from self-examination and from steps toward health.

I guess it's kind of like experiencing a certain set of physical symptoms, and finally going to a physician. If diagnostic work reveals heart disease, it's not particularly helpful for the doctor to go on and on, saying, "My goodness your lungs are in good shape. Your eyesight is wonderful for a person you're age. And your skin; sure sure take care of your skin well." The heart disease needs to be named, and a treatment plan needs to be formed.

It's hard. I imagine that people diagnosed with heart disease or cancer are frustrated by being defined by the disease, regardless of how well they are doing or have done in other health areas. But, until the debilitating or potentially fatal condition is identified and addressed, all other health is in jeopardy.

Ultimately, it is the health of the Body of Christ and the fulfillment of Jesus' missional command that matters. I'll see you around the next bend in the river.