Some things are just easier than others. There are messages I love to preach. There are passages that are personal favorites and I love to expound upon them. Then there are those texts that are, without question, true and from the Lord which are hard to hear and I can assure you even harder to declare. This past Sunday was one of those. As I spent last week pouring over the letter to the church at Ephesus I found my heart increasingly burdened. It seemed too familiar to me. Its truth hit too close to home. Like the church at Ephesus, I believe there is much to rejoice in concerning our fellowship. We have much to be grateful for. But I could not escape the feeling that like Ephesus we have abandoned the love we had at the first.
Some of that is reflected in the declining numbers for Sunday School. Some of it is reflected in lack of workers to staff the classes we have. Mostly I think it is seen in the fact that we are…well…comfortable. We know what we believe. We are confident in our beliefs. We refuse to compromise, we have no trouble standing our ground, we call error, error but our passion has cooled. Don’t misunderstand me. By passion I don’t mean we jump up and down, wave our arms, stomp and shout. Enthusiasm is not necessarily passion. I also don’t mean we need to cry, turn red or crank up the volume to say we really mean this. Passion is demonstrated by commitment, sacrifice and devotion. Passion is seen in the radiance that comes across your face when you speak God’s truth. Passion is reflected in the fact you tear up when you witness a baptism, hear a testimony or glimpse of the wonder of new found faith.
My purpose Sunday was certainly not to guilt anyone into anything. I don’t want anyone to teach a class or serve on a committee or be involved because they are driven by guilt. I hope your response will be what mine has been. I’m not angry. I don’t feel guilty. But my heart is broken. I want what “ought to be.” I long to be passionate about my faith, my Savior, and my church. The way home is simple. Simple but not easy. Remember. Repent. Return. It’s a start. I’ll see you Sunday.
Rod