Never Forget

Posted on by Brian Burdett

“And Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said: ‘O Lord, the God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.’” – 2 Kings 19:15

When faced with a seemingly hopeless situation, we must always remember Who our God is: the sovereign Creator of the Universe! Just because we don’t know how to solve a problem doesn’t mean there’s no solution! God can work extraordinary things in even the most dire of situations.

Things certainly looked bleak for King Hezekiah. Jerusalem was surrounded by a vast and mighty army that had dominated the region for years. That proud army spared no effort in pointing out the hopelessness of the situation to the people of Judah. Both the people and the king were utterly demoralized!

In his despair, the king turned to the King. He went straight to the temple and literally laid the situation before God. He prayed for God to be glorified before all the nations by saving them from the Assyrians. This was a prayer God was delighted to hear and honor! In answering Hezekiah’s prayer, God worked wonders, God’s people were saved, and God was glorified!

Never forget Who your God is!

Justice is Not a Political Issue

Posted on by Brian Burdett

“Give justice to the weak and the fatherless;
maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.”
– Psalm 82:3-4

Often the heart and will of God has been oversimplified to a single overriding concern for the spiritual salvation of human beings. God is certainly deeply concerned about that. Indeed, He sacrificed His own Son to accomplish it. However, to reduce His (or our) concern for humans to just salvation radically minimizes the heart and nature of God.

The Lord is a God of justice, mercy, compassion, and love for all whom He created in His image. He isn’t only concerned with the spiritual wellbeing and eternal destination of all people. He is also concerned for their well-being on earth. From beginning to end, the Bible (particularly the Old Testament prophets) reveals God’s concern for justice toward the most vulnerable populations among us. He commands those in authority and those blessed with much to speak for, work for, battle for, and practice justice and mercy.

Some Christians today view justice as a political issue, a matter of right vs. left, liberal vs. conservative, Republican vs. Democrat. It isn’t a political issue. It’s a matter of God’s heart, God’s nature, God’s will, and our obedience to God. Every Christian needs to be concerned about injustice and abuse within the society in which they are placed. Every Christian needs to be looking after those around them who are at greater risk and who are more vulnerable.

Again, this isn’t a political issue, it’s a theological issue! It’s a part of our calling and responsibility as people who follow Jesus to put down our politics and take up our biblical mandate to pursue justice and mercy.

Finding Community – Reflections on the New Normal, Part 3

Posted on by Brian Burdett

Way back in April I identified and articulated six major changes that I considered to very likely to our culture as a result of COVID-19. I began sharing them with the leaders of my church as well as other local church leaders. To me, these are dramatic psychological and cultural changes that churches must wrestle with as a result of the present pandemic. I began unpacking them individually in this forum in May, however I lost steam in June because pandemics are exhausting!

Having now had a little bit of R&R, it’s time to resume the unpacking. In the two months since I originally proposed them, it’s clear that I was much right-er than I ever imagined back then. I have been shocked by just how drastically different the world is becoming, despite having predicted it. The world is NOT going to ever revert to “normal” as we defined it in January, 2020. We will continue to work our way through a rapidly changing series of “normals” for the foreseeable future.

To briefly recap those changes I’ve already shared here:

  1. In-Person gatherings will be precious, smaller, and different. Yup, yup, and yup! Our church has gathered to worship in person five times, plus heldd a couple of outdoor gatherings and we’ve seen all three of these words in play every time. People are thrilled to be together, to see friends, to share an experience of God’s presence and praise complete with social distance and face coverings. But only some people. We’re still running about 25-30% of our pre-COVID numbers in person. The rest are online. I don’t think that’s going to change anytime in 2020, particularly as several states are visibly exploding with COVID-19 cases.
  2. Digital participation is, and will remain, important. Yup and yup for the very reasons described in #1. As a church we’re investing in audio and video equipment that will be an important part of our digital strategy for the next several years.

Change #3: Real Community Will Be More Vital Than Most Previously Realized. Churches Should Provide It Through Small Groups.

This is probably the most important change and it provides an incredible opportunity for the church in North America! Americans, particularly those of us in the Washington, DC-metro area, were fairly lonely people to begin with. We seldom knew our neighbors well, seldom developed deep friendships, and often lived far from our extended family. We used to be able to numb ourselves to this reality with busyness. If we spent enough time commuting, worked enough extra hours, had a large enough circle of casual acquaintances, and spent enough time on social media we could almost convince ourselves we weren’t lonely. Then we all had to stay at home…

Now we work from home, go to school at home, and vacation at home. Many sit at home alone and afraid to even go outside because others aren’t afraid. We don’t shake hands, don’t hug, and can’t even smile at a stranger and be seen behind our masks. Many people are desperately lonely. This pandemic has already inflicted great pain and much of it will last for years: physical pain, emotional pain, financial pain, and spiritual pain. It’s too much for people to bear alone, and those who try are likely to eventually succumb to loneliness, grief, despair, and depression.

We need to be in community. We need to minister to one another, encourage one another, love one another, and bear each other’s burdens. This is fundamentally true. It’s biblical. It’s sociological. It’s anthropological. It’s true.

Unfortunately, our increased isolation will continue in the “new normal” (there’s the phrase again!). Many will work from home permanently. Many will go to school from home for at least the next year. At the same time, there are fewer and fewer places to go. There is less eating out, less going to the movies, fewer clubs, and fewer bars. What sociologists call “third spaces” (gathering places which are neither home nor work) are mostly closed, awkward, hemorrhaging money, or simply dangerous.

People need community and have fewer places to find it. This is where the North American church has the incredible opportunity it’s been dreaming and praying about for years! The church was meant to be community (begin by checking out Acts 2:42-47 to confirm). We were supposed to be made for this situation, though unfortunately, many churches are not. This is where we must pivot! Every church must learn to excel at offering community. The church should become the “go to” place for lonely people to find community. However, that community won’t be in large gatherings in church buildings. No way!

Churches must offer desperately needed community through small groups: 8-12 people at most, meeting regularly on decks, in private homes, at patio establishments, and online. Groups where people can gather, get to know each other deeply, laugh and cry together, discuss and pray together. Groups are where we should grow together and grow strong together.

There are likely to be ongoing and fluctuating restrictions on large gatherings, full of constraints and capacity limits. The best way to provide community consistently will be in small private gatherings with open invitations and open hearts to welcome and love hurting neighbors. Small groups must become the best and most reliable way for churches to offer fellowship, ministry, and even worship together online.

As a church (and as the church) we must aggressively encourage every Christian, whether they live locally or have joined the congregation virtually from a great distance away, to find community in a small group. At our church, these are called Thrive Groups. These are where followers of Christ gather to thrive in community, care, friendship, fellowship, and growth.

Small groups should become the place where sharing Christ easily and naturally takes place. These are safe and easy places to invite friends and neighbors to get to know Jesus. Groups should become the place where serving Christ and the church takes place, as groups tackle the challenges of our hurting and falling world. Groups are a great place to minister side-by-side to clear and present needs like hunger and racial injustice.

New rhythms of life are forming for all of us. However, they will continue to be regularly disrupted by the changing face of the coronavirus pandemic. This means that every church has a precious window of time when people are more flexible and adaptable because they’re already being forced to change frequently. For those willing to embrace this change, 2020 is an incredible opportunity to both minister and form new and healthy habits of life in community, life as Christ meant it to be lived.

You Don’t HAVE to Do the Right Thing

Posted on by Brian Burdett

“But my people did not listen to my voice;
Israel would not submit to me.
So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts,
to follow their own counsels.”
– Psalm 81:11-12

Though He is sovereign, God won’t force anyone to do the right thing against their will. He won’t force us to listen to Him or follow His plan for our lives. Indeed, one of the most frightening things He does is “give us over to our stubborn hearts” – letting us do whatever we most want to do and experience the consequences of that.

Though it sounds delightful in the moment, this is one of the heaviest and most profoundly distressing punishments found in the Bible. We can easily imagine the disaster awaiting a child who always gets his or her way (a brief, miserable, and meaningless life filled with dessert and endless entertainment that results in malnutrition, ill-health, and ignorance).

Rest assured, the outcome is far worse for adults given that same punishment. At times God simply removes His restraining hand and lets us do whatever we most want to do. The outcome is always dreadful sin, misery, meaninglessness, destruction, and ultimate judgment.

May we turn back, individually and collectively, from the siren song of following our own counsel, advice, and desires. May we turn to the Lord and faithfully walk in step with the Holy Spirit and in imitation of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior! May we listen to the Lord rather than our own stubborn hearts!

Don’t Follow Your Heart

Posted on by Brian Burdett

“There is a way that seems right to a man,
but its end is the way to death.”
– Proverbs 16:25

Our culture tells us from the earliest age to be true to ourselves and follow our hearts. This is the theme of countless shows and movies for kids. It’s the theme of our radically autonomous culture that demands approval, affirmation, and celebration of whatever anyone chooses or declares for themself.

Unfortunately, all that’s a deadly lie! Jeremiah 17:9 reminds us, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick.” Following our own natural desires, leadings, and paths without regard for God’s good and unchanging plan for human flourishing is the road to disaster.

All of us disobey God’s plan and will in ways large and small. All of us separate ourselves from our loving and kind Creator by rebelling against Him. The outcome of this is appropriate judgment and condemnation followed by eternal separation from God that our pursuit of self embodied. The final outcome is hell.

In God’s mercy, He has graciously provided a path to life, abundant and eternal life to be enjoyed now and forever. That life comes through faith in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who sacrificed Himself on a cross to pay the penalty for our rebellion against God. By His death and resurrection, Jesus has opened the way to life. However, we must each personally choose that way by embracing the Lordship of Jesus over our lives. We must believe in Him and submit our lives to His leadership. We must follow a new way, the way, His Way – the life of a committed follower of Jesus.