Waiting for New Life

“Waiting sucks!” ­­­­­the man said to his pastor when she couldn’t answer his deep and anxious questions of faith. She responded by saying, “Some things are beyond the reach of easy, simple answers. Some of the questions we just have to live with, and wait, and trust that God will lead us to new life.”

Waiting is hard for us today. We are more accustomed to quick answers, easy information, and fast communication. We move fast with little lag time. We often see waiting as inefficient, unproductive, and a waste of time. Yet, much of life in God’s Spirit is beyond a simple “Google Search”. Sometimes we just have to wait! This is a truth that the Psalms reveals. “My whole being waits for my Lord­­--more than the night watch waits for morning--Israel, wait for the Lord! Because faithful love is with the lord; because great redemption is with our God.” (Psalm 130) Waiting is not just a hard reality, though. The psalmist reveals it is the pathway to new life. 

In our Wednesday night Bible study, we have been studying the book of Acts, the history of some of the earliest Jesus followers. The story begins with the risen Jesus teaching his disciples about the ways of God’s Kingdom. He then shares that he is getting ready to send them all out on a mission, but first he tells them they have to wait. Isn’t it interesting that the first move of ministry is to wait. The disciples have to wait for God’s Spirit to come upon them in such a way that they have a clear vision and the power for serving in Jesus’ name. They wait to be filled with God’s own love, God’s own Spirit, so they can serve as God’s representatives. So the first move of the early church was not to do something; it was to wait, and to pray. 

Waiting. Here at Christ Church we are waiting. (If you are part of another church community, perhaps you are waiting too.) We are waiting and praying for what God has next, the new chapter in our story. The last few weeks in worship, I have invited the congregation to join me in a month of prayer, intentionally asking God to reveal His plans for Christ Church. It is to cultivate the habit of listening and waiting for God, not just going and doing. Why? Simply stated, it is the pathway to our new life. As a church family, we live by God’s Spirit and that means we have to listen for where God calls us. It is more than our own wishes, desires and preferences. We are a community of people listening for God’s own heartbeat in our midst. 

So, how do we wait? I would suggest beginning a practice of listening.  Set aside five or ten minutes a day to ask God to show you what is next for Christ Church (or your own Church community). Don’t just do it once, but make it a daily habit. Be committed to it. If you don’t have a clear answer the first day or two, even the first week or two, don’t become concerned. God does not often respond immediately (perhaps that is why Jesus calls us to wait). Just keep listening and see where God leads you.

After you spend time in prayer (and only after prayer), I would love to hear from you about where you sense God is leading us as a Christ Church family. I invite you to respond to the question: How can Christ Church be a blessing to this community (in God’s name) going forward? Again, don’t respond too quickly. Spend time in prayer.

When you are ready please send your response to me via bopalinski@echristchurch.org I plan on sharing your responses at the next SALT Meeting (August 24, 2014).

So we wait together, we pray and we listen. We trust knowing that God is often slow to respond, but God always speaks words of new life. This is our hope and this is our calling

Together we are the hands and feet of Christ…

Brett