Community is Hard (And That's Okay)

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

When we read the news or go on social media, we see clashes between different groups of people everywhere--harsh words, arguments, even violence and crime. It could be a one-sided misunderstanding or hatred, or sometimes it’s more complex than that. Whatever the fuel, the outcome of not valuing people who are different than us because of race, sexuality, religion, or something else always fails to reflect the heart of Christ. 

Photo Credit: Dan Gold

The problem is not unique to the present day. For the early church, the temptation was to keep the news about Jesus to themselves and the kind of people they thought needed to hear it. In Acts 11 though, the word began to spread. People who had suffered persecution scattered to a variety of places, and while some of them continued to only spread the word among Jews, others began telling Greeks. It seems an obvious thing to us--of course the Greeks should know about Jesus!--but there were likely Christians who disagreed with this approach, wanting to keep things as they were. Change is often scary, and certainly is when we’re not sure we’ll fully on board with it in the first place. 

As we look at our own lives, we may not find outright hatred for people who are different than us, but we may also discover that the people we surround ourselves with are more like us they are unlike us. It’s easy to get caught up in our own lives and only focus on the people already within our comfort zone. Our singular focus can cause us to forget to look for the people around us who are different than the kind of people we’d normally surround ourselves with but have deep value they can add to our lives. While it’s true that no one person can maintain healthy relationships with hundreds of other people, we can--and must--seek to create the space in our lives to begin the process. As much as we often forget about building relationships with those are different than us in our personal lives, it’s all too easy for churches to do it as well. 

The early church had to come around to the idea that the good news of Jesus was not something they could keep to themselves. As Encounter Church, that’s our mission as well--to spread the good news of Jesus. Over the past six years since we started, Encounter has grown a lot, but part of growth is to continually re-evaluate where we are and where we could and should be going. The reality is, the people who attend Encounter on a regular basis are, for the most part, fairly similar in quite a few ways. If we mean it when we say we believe the good news of Jesus is for everyone, we have to ask if we’re doing all we can to reach everyone. Does our current state do a good job of reflecting the community God has placed us in?

There aren’t easy answers to this question, and there are no simple, five-minute quick fix solutions. Asking ourselves if we are truly doing all we can to spread the good news to all the people around us might be a good starting point though. It might start as small as realizing there are groups of people who already attend Encounter that we have rarely, if ever, taken the time to talk to and get to know. From there, how else can we reach get outside of our comfort zones to begin building new relationships--not because it’s easy, but because it’s good and necessary? 

As we seek to be good members of the community God has placed us in, how will you support that mission and take part in it?

[Brianna DeWitt believes in Jesus, surrounding yourself with good people, and that desserts are best when they involve chocolate and peanut butter. She writes about faith, growing up, and whatever else pops into her head on her own blog, and tweets (largely about food) at @bwitt722.]

Trusting God's Plan

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

At some point, we've all hesitated outside of a door that we did not want to enter. Whatever lay behind that door was terrifying: your first college class, a job interview, your new in-laws. Last week, I struggled outside the door of my workplace, the key missing the lock as a tremor went through my hands. This summer I had finally acquired a job in the field of psychology, my area of study and a passion dear to my heart. I had been warned in my interviews that my position in a residential treatment facility would be physically and emotionally taxing, and was I prepared for that? I thought I had been until the one night shift where everything went wrong. I had walked out of work two hours late that night, bruised and shaken. And now, I had to enter through that door again. I couldn't help but wonder if this is what God truly wanted for me.

Photo credit to Peter Hershey.

Jonah's situation surpasses all the hard jobs and new in-laws of the world. In Jonah 1, God commands the prophet to go to the city of Ninevah, the capital of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrian empire was renowned for its brutality, oppressing the people through force, intimidation, and public torture. One can hardly blame Jonah for hopping on a boat and sailing in the complete opposite direction. He could not fathom why God would want him to save these horrible people, possibly at the expense of Jonah's own life.

Sometimes, God asks us to do something so far beyond the realm of what we could ever imagine Him asking. It might coincide with our own desires or it might veer from them completely. God's planning defies all human logic: He might ask us to take risks that seem unnecessary, to sacrifice a little more than we are comfortable with, or to walk alone into a city of hate and speak love. It is not surprising that we often flee from the course that God fixes in our hearts; following God requires trusting in the intangible and accepting the incomprehensible. Even for Jonah, a devout prophet of God, such a tremendous amount of trust was simply too much.

As Jonah quickly discovers, one cannot run from God’s purpose. To quote Psalm 139:

"Where can I go from your Spirit?

Where can I flee from your presence?

If I go up to the heavens, you are there;

if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

if I settle on the far side of the sea,

even there your hand will guide me,

your right hand will hold me fast."

Photo credit to Julian Svoboda.

Sometimes when we doubt God’s plans, He provides us with little reminders that He is a mighty and capable God. This is not to frighten us into obedience, but is meant to reassure us that God knows exactly what He is doing and that He is able to provide for us in the most extreme or unlikely circumstances. Sometimes these reminders can be subtle and small, like a whisper in the darkness. Or sometimes you are thrown overboard into a stormy sea and are swallowed by a giant fish. Maybe some people need more of a wake-up call than others.

Jonah remained in the belly of the fish for entire three days, which probably gave him plenty of time to contemplate his situation. In Jonah 2, Jonah prays a passionate prayer, proclaiming strengthened trust in God’s power:

"To the roots of the mountains I sank down;

the earth beneath barred me in forever.

But you, Lord my God,

brought my life up from the pit."

Jonah goes on to say that he will obey God’s instructions to go preach in Ninevah, stating that “...I, with grateful praise, will sacrifice to you.” (Jonah 2:9).The fish vomits Jonah onto the beach, and without hesitation, he walks straight inland towards Ninevah.

In the end, God’s plans are fulfilled and the people of Ninevah repent for their wrongdoings. Although Jonah did not anticipate nor understand this outcome, Jonah eventually accepted that he was merely an instrument to carry out God’s divine design:

"I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity."(Jonah 4:2).

We can’t fathom all of the possible outcomes, all of the complex intricacies that God can see plain as day and has carefully constructed. Maybe you are unsure of your current job, too; perhaps you are on the fence about a new one. Maybe you don’t know what to study in college, or where to go to college, or if you even should go to college at all. Maybe you feel compelled to reach out to someone who is suffering, but doubt that they will listen to you.

As Christians we often end up suspended in a strange limbo where we feel God pushing us in a certain direction, but we are frozen. Maybe we are uncertain if the voice we hear is God’s. Or perhaps, we are terrified because we know the voice belongs to God and He is telling us to open a door that we would rather not enter.

I don't know if my job at a psychiatric unit is where I'm meant to be, but am doing my best to trust that God will put me right where He wants me. I'm still waiting for that subtle hint, that whisper in the dark, or perhaps, for a big fish to come along.

[Abby Hocking is a senior at Calvin College, where she studies psychology and writing. She is employed at Pine Rest Christian Mental Services and plans to become a therapist. Abby is a proud literature nerd, running addict, and puppy enthusiast. She thanks God daily for her wonderful family, her loving friends, and for Twenty One Pilots.]

Not the Point

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

I find interruptions frustrating – from my son Hugo interrupting whatever I’m doing while he’s supposed to be napping, to life-scale interruptions like multistate moves and family members' deaths. I grow frustrated that things aren’t following my neat plan, whether it’s just a plan for the day, or for years or a lifetime.  

The Bible is full of interrupted stories. Though they were promised a large family, Isaac and Rebekah were barren for twenty years. After wandering the desert, the Israelites are finally ready to head into the Promised Land, when they run into a river. Naomi tries to preserve her family during a famine by moving, but they all die, leaving her only two daughters-in-law. Elijah is called to prophesy God’s word to turn the hearts of Israel back to Him, but is met continually by interruptions – drought, famine, oppression. From a human perspective, the cross sure looks like a setback for the long promised King who would save God’s people.  

Interruptions set the stage for God’s glory. Setbacks remind me that I’m not God.

Jacob knew God’s promise that his family would become a great nation, and he found a beautiful wife. But - they couldn’t have kids. How would God’s plan be fulfilled? By God alone.

“Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.” (Genesis 25:21)

After forty years of wandering, the Israelites were finally ready to head to the Promised Land. But - the Jordan River blocked their path. God was the only way they could get to the other side:

“This is how you will know that the living God is among you… And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD – the Lord of all the earth – set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap.” (Joshua 3:10, 13)

Naomi lost everything, so she set off for home, for Bethlehem. But – even if she returned home, there was no husband or son to own land or make money. How would they survive? How could an interruption like that be part of God’s plan at all? By God’s providence, Ruth (her daughter-in-law) married Boaz, their redeemer.

“The women said to Naomi, ‘Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!” (Ruth 4:14)

Elijah delivered the tough prophecy to Israel’s king that a drought was coming, discipline from the LORD for their wandering beliefs. Then he rode a roller coaster of setbacks and God’s glory. Elijah had gone into hiding, but – he had no food. God provided a river and food (1 Kings 17:4) But - the river dried up. God miraculously provided food through a family (1 Kings 17:14). But - all the other prophets were killed, and Elijah was all alone! God alone silenced the prophets of the false gods:

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, ‘The LORD – he is God! The LORD – he is God!’” (1 Kings 18:38-39)

Throughout the Bible, interruptions are the avenue where human incompetence, ineptitude and failure turns our eyes from fallible people to our perfect God. The tension in these stories doesn’t break when Isaac, Rebekah, Joshua, Naomi or Elijah dig deep inside of themselves and muster their last bit of strength, ingenuity, wisdom or power. It breaks when God story supersedes their own. They depend not on their own strengths, but believe in the unfailing strength of a God who saves, who is faithful, whose story is being written with their lives. The interruptions are a reminder that we aren’t the point of the story (I know, that might be hard to hear, especially in our everyone-is-a-unique-unicorn culture).

We exist to bring glory to God. He is the point.

I get frustrated by interruptions and setbacks because I’ve taken my eyes off God, and I think I’m the most important person in the story. I think that my individual path – and let’s be real, the ease of that path – should be of upmost importance to everyone, and especially to God. How would I ever know that I needed a Savior if my path were straight, smooth and interruption free?! How cruel would God be if He allowed me smooth sailing, yet I missed His glory?

Interruptions point me to a God who is greater than I could imagine. He interrupts to remind me that I am not the point; I was created for His glory (Isaiah 43:7). And the interruptions remind me that I need a Savior – one who would not find the cross He faced a setback, but

“He humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:8-11)

The setbacks we face are not tests of our strength, skill or wisdom; they are not for our defeat. When we are weak, then He is strong; and He receives the glory. When my eyes rise from my own obstacles to the One who created everything, frustration melts in the face of His Sovereign plan.

“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine in darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.” (2 Corinthians 4:6-7)

[Robin Bupp is married to Caleb, and they are from many places east of the Mississippi (but are calling Michigan home for the foreseeable future). A former high school science teacher, Robin is slowly turning the two Bupp kiddos into tiny nerds while they teach her lots of things, especially humility and patience.]

"You Want Me to Build What?"

[The Midweek Encounter is a ministry of Encounter Church in Kentwood, MI. These posts are reflections on Sunday's message, which can be heard here each week: http://myencounterchurch.org/#/messages-media]

It was midnight on a night during finals week and I was finally leaving the campus library, with my entire next day meticulously planned out and several alarms already set on my phone for the morning. I had been ecstatic to be going to bed early (as compared to other nights of my college career) and made a beeline for my frosted car. My carefully structured routine guaranteed me a smooth finals week; nowhere in that routine did I have a two hour conversation in the library parking lot planned. A friend had intercepted me halfway to my car and we walked through the snow together. She confessed to me that finals week had been making it difficult for her to cope with her clinical depression, and did I have some time to sit in the car and talk? With a final exam the next day and precious potential hours for sleep ticking away, I honestly didn't have time, but God threw my structure and routine out the window and made time.

Photo credit to Eric Rothermel

This wouldn't be the first time that God has interrupted a steady, ordinary life for His own purposes. Genesis 6-9 tells the widely known story of Noah, a simple man leading a simple life. Noah was a hard-working farmer and a faithful husband and father, and those two roles alone encompassed his entire existence. Noah learned very quickly that God is not afraid to pull us from the current of our daily lives and re-direct us to a project that we could never imagine ourselves completing. In Genesis 6:15, God instructs Noah on how large to build the ark:

“This is how you are to build it: The ark is to be three hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high.”

These measurements translate to 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Given the primitive technology that existed in the era of Noah, this was a formidable if not impossible task, especially for one individual. Doubtless, Noah was daunted in the face of these instructions and wondered why God has chosen such a simple person for such a complex undertaking.

As evidenced by countless other Biblical figures, God has the tendency to choose the most unlikely people to carry out His plans. In addition to being an ordinary individual, Noah was also a broken man, who stripped naked and became intoxicated when he got off the ark (Gen. 9:21). God does not select the most pristine and flawless of candidates to carry out His work; God uses drunks, liars, thieves, prostitutes, and yes, even caffeine-driven, burnt-out college students.

Just as God's strength is limitless, through Him, our potential is limitless, and we should lean on Him in complete surrender as He leads us from one strenuous project to the next. One remarkable fact about the story of Noah is that throughout the entire four chapters, Noah doesn't have a single line. Not one word. The entire focus is on God and the plans that He is shaping. Repeatedly, the Bible states: “Noah did all that the Lord commanded him” (Gen. 6:22, 7:5). No hesitation. No questions. Just faithful obedience.

Photo credit to Jeff Sheldon

Like Noah, we should strive to give up our control and let God work through us when we are presented with a challenging project. Noah could have ridiculed the idea of tackling a project so next to impossible, scratching his head and scoffing: “You want me to build what?”

Looking back on that chilly night during finals week, I recall feeling similar sentiments. As we sat in my car and I cranked up the heat, I found myself asking: “Why me? Why now?” I know now that the answer is this: Because God commanded me. To quote Joseph Campbell: “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned so as to accept the life that is planned for us.”

We often pray for God to protect us from interruptions such as this, yearning to cruise through life on a steady course, but it is God who creates these interruptions. God interrupted a farmer to build a boat of gargantuan proportions, and in doing so, preserved the world He loves. I found out later that the conversation I had been so reluctant to have actually saved someone's life. These interruptions may be inconvenient, scary, and maybe even a little ridiculous, but nothing God does is without purpose. Genesis 8:1 assures us that God does not overlook our efforts:

“But God remembered Noah and all the wild animals and the livestock that were with him in the ark, and he sent a wind over the earth, and the water receded.”

The water receded. Noah and the animals were safe. I woke up with a strange amount of energy and performed well on my final exam. My friend won another hard-fought battle against her depression. Just as God remembered Noah, He remembers us. God might present us with a project that seems beyond our capability, but with that comes the unwavering promise that He will show up. 

[Abby Hocking is a senior at Calvin College, where she studies psychology and writing. She is employed at Pine Rest Christian Mental Services and plans to become a therapist. Abby is a proud literature nerd, running addict, and puppy enthusiast. She thanks God daily for her wonderful family, her loving friends, and for Twenty One Pilots.]