A couple night's ago my wife Julie and I collapsed on our two pleather opposing couches in our main room. Pleather is an excellent choice for people with babies, no stains or smells if we keep on top of it. Julie sat in the love seat with her knees up, and I stretched out in the three seater. Julie shared about how her relationship with God is different now. Her life was different now and so were her opportunities to experience God. In highschool she remembered those high energy conferences, when you were the center of other's energy. When the leadership breathed God's Word to you in a new way, when the lights and the music were about creating an environment for you to encounter God. She remembered in her university years joining a ministry team and being a part of creating these moments for others. As she reflected on washing feet she remembered just how close God felt. Now things are different. She has been removed from the glamour, seemingly trapped within the four walls of our home. Left to experience God in the few moments she finds to catch her breath. Starting a new family shakes up all routine, it leaves you feeling unbalanced.
It was just over two weeks ago that our second son was born. After a few days nameless we landed on Zyan. I gave Julie a big speech as to why it should be Zyan. Here's the summary... I've always loved the name Zion, but thought it didn't really feel like a name. So I mixed up the letter's a bit came up with Zyan. Zyan means "little king". Zion spelled Zion means "highest point" and in the Old Testament was the name the Israelites while in exile used to describe the place of their longing. Zion was the dream of Israel/Jerusalem in all it's glory. And in the New Testament Zion is used to describe the place of our longing, Heaven in all it's glory, the Kingdom finally in place as God intends. So my prayer for Zyan is that God will use him to display God's Kingdom on earth, Heaven here.
Yes I realize that prior paragraph is a sidenote. But that's what children do, they capture your thoughts when you least expect it and mess with what you know as the norm.
I've thought a lot about my conversation with Julie. I've wrestled with solutions for her. I've wrestled with solutions for myself in the midst of this huge change. I have discovered that sometimes the present change is simply to be embraced, you must change along with it. I have discovered that God wants to shake things up a bit. God's story is full of this truth. The sun sets and rises and the new morning is different then the day before. Our God is constant, yes. Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Yet the day changes. Babies create a permenant change in many areas, they call us to react. Regarding how we encounter God we decided we must reimagine, rediscover and recreate ways to encounter and experience Him in the present change. God invites us to be active in this.
Churches need to have babies.
God is always at work to make His churches reproduce, to make babies. God desires to shake things up. He wants His Church to constantly reimagine, rediscover and recreate ways to encounter and experience His Son Jesus. The question for each local church what does your baby look like? How will you be giving birth this year?
As God leads churches to new birth. I'm excited to see what routines we will be called to examine. Will it be Leadership, The Building, Worship, Programing... What a privilege to embrace change alongside Jesus. What an adventure it will be. I'm so excited to see what new things I will learn, so excited to be a part of the process of encountering and experiencing God afresh.
Thank God for babies...
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