After the Ward's Departure - further reflections
Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. -- Gospel of John chapter 16 verse 7.
By quoting this after the title of my post, I don't mean to say that the Wards were Jesus. Rather, I wonder how the apostles felt when Jesus told them this. I wonder if they felt a sense of dispair, thinking that they didn't want the change it would mean. Perhaps they didn't want the helper - they wanted Jesus.
But the change his departure to the Father worked for the apostles was truly profound.
Now the change the Father has worked in our congregation after the departure of the Wards is not on the same scale as the coming of the Holy Spirit, but it is pretty significant. People who have not been teaching - who often and repeatedly said, "No" - those people are now in classrooms. Meetings that were closed because of lack of participation are reopening with more people particiapting than before.
Perhaps we had to be afflicted so that we might learn to trust God. Perhaps we needed to be pushed to take God more seriously. Perhaps we needed upheaval. Perhaps Psalm 119:71 applies here: It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
My hope is that we will continue in this positive dirrection - that this is no flash in the pan, but an ongoing, growing time in our lives.
By quoting this after the title of my post, I don't mean to say that the Wards were Jesus. Rather, I wonder how the apostles felt when Jesus told them this. I wonder if they felt a sense of dispair, thinking that they didn't want the change it would mean. Perhaps they didn't want the helper - they wanted Jesus.
But the change his departure to the Father worked for the apostles was truly profound.
Now the change the Father has worked in our congregation after the departure of the Wards is not on the same scale as the coming of the Holy Spirit, but it is pretty significant. People who have not been teaching - who often and repeatedly said, "No" - those people are now in classrooms. Meetings that were closed because of lack of participation are reopening with more people particiapting than before.
Perhaps we had to be afflicted so that we might learn to trust God. Perhaps we needed to be pushed to take God more seriously. Perhaps we needed upheaval. Perhaps Psalm 119:71 applies here: It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes.
My hope is that we will continue in this positive dirrection - that this is no flash in the pan, but an ongoing, growing time in our lives.
posted by Ethan Brown | 6:28 AM
1 Comments:
With a son, future son-in-law, and friends in the military, the value of "that kind of" transferable attitudes, training-techniques, and mission-thinking frequently invades conversations. Often I'm amazed at how drill sgts transform purpose-less mis-fits from society and turn them into soldiers of benefit to squadron or unit and country, soldiers, ready to go where sent and perform the expected task. It's not about who or what they were or even who/what they are, the training focuses on what they're meant to be.
Deployment rarely comes at convenient times or void of "good-byes" yet day after day men and women are dispatched, ready to serve and adapt. Mottos such as "lead, follow, or get out of the way" and even "shut-up and train" sound harshly rude to civilians, but should it? I mean in light of Christian civilians called to mission, called to be soldiers or ambassadors? Has sentimentality replaced a sense of mission or the reality that we're involved in a kingdom war?
The apostles did not want their situation to change or Jesus to leave. They didn't enjoy the un-certainty of tomorrow, left to wait and see what they're marching orders would be and who would lead them.
I doubt any there's a sense of affliction among units when co-workers are deployed or when a tour of duty ends. Stress is a factor for certain, so is emotional up-heaval, for who knows when or if face-to-face encounters will exist in the future?
But if [we] go the Holy Spirit goes with us and He stays behind. God knows what He's doing to further the mission. He provides our training and instruction, even comfort to navigate through all the adaptations and adjustments. We're meant to fight, or at least stand our ground where-ever we're sent.
It's good to hear about positive changes and forward motion. While we have not yet "plugged" into a new family in Christ congregationally, we have rested and absorbed good teaching, the hand of friendship, and peace here in OK. Guess it would be good for the church in WS to know they aren't so easily replaced. The fur-low is nearing an end, I sense. We're soldiers not retirees, afterall.
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