A Pastor's Perspective

We live in troubling days but are not the first to do so. Knowing might be helpful in some ways, but it does not immediately solve the problems that create the trouble or settle the uncertainty we face. The list of things that cause this unrest might not be long, but it is weighty. This lack of rest and the presence of seemingly increasing turmoil are now nipping and sometimes biting out of our civility like dogs of frustration and fear. Decency and kindness toward others do not carry the value they once did or currently should.
 
These troubling societal shifts have deeply affected me, as some of the truths I have held dear all my life now seem to be discarded like a rotary phone or 8-track tape. The concept of truth itself has become relative, and the values of morality and human kindness are consistently overshadowed by what sells well in the marketplace. A marketplace fueled far too much by hate!
 
In reality, few of us need the paragraphs above to register a sense of unrest personally. It is pervasive. It is pulling at us. In some regards, it is tearing us apart as individuals, families, and friend groups. It is painful and disheartening, turning us into guarded and cynical people who are tempted to become what my grandmother used to call "ugly".  
Does the church have something to say about all the unrest? Could the followers of Jesus be a source of peace and rest amid this cluster of fear, anger, and resentment? Could we, the followers of the man who said he came to give rest, extend that rest to others? (Matthew 11:27-29) I hope so. I believe so. These are tough days, and we must find a way to rise above the unrest. If the church cannot offer sanctuary from the unrest, all may be lost.  

The followers of Jesus have always been of those who DO NOT shrink back and are NOT destroyed, but instead, we are those who believe and are saved (Hebrews 10:39). So, as we start a new series this Sunday, please bring your friends who want shelter and sanctuary from the turmoil; come because you need it too. We have been given a more excellent way (I Corinthians 12:30 - 13:1-13). Let us share it with others. During unrest, may we be the people who know his loving rest and extend it to others.  

I look forward to seeing you and your friends this Sunday.

Looking forward,
Blake