Sailing Through the Storm
People are afraid that the church is losing influence – or worse, has already lost all of our influence. We’ve lost our voice in the public square and our ability to shape values. We’ve lost our own children. I’ve heard people say, “We are in a storm” and it is not just a sprinkle or even a passing thunderstorm – it is a hurricane.
Not every storm is created by problems ‘out there.’ Some storms are caused by the mess that comes from our own brokenness. These storms threaten the church from within. If the state of the church is that we are threatened by the storms from inside and outside, what do we do about it? The book, The Disappearing Church by Mark Sayers suggests that in these stormy days, the
church-and the world-needs Christians who thrive in a hostile environment by finding deeper intimacy with God. When storms blow, we trust in the One who calms the storms. There is another book that has a lot to say about this:
“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:1-7).
Resilience in a time of storm comes when we know the one who is our strong shelter, the God who is our fortress. The God who makes the sunshine and the rain. The God who calms the storms. Jesus said,
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love” (John 15:9).
Abiding with Jesus is the best place to be when the strong winds blow and the rain beats down. It is the place we discover the love of God.
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (Psalm 46:10-11).
The state of the church is in need of a shelter in the time of storm, and we have a shelter. As we develop this resilience we discover that we actually survive the storm and that we really do have something to offer to the world. We can offer the world the shelter that they so desperately need.
We do not bear the turbulence of storms alone, we face them together with God as our refuge and strength, our ever-present help, our mighty fortress.
Kent Landhuis
Pastor of Preaching & Leadership