June 7
DebDay 85: Return, and Be Restored
While pastors and church leaders have spent the past few days getting ready, most of us in churches encounter another Sunday morning like travelers with empty gas tanks.
(Insiders tip: Pastors and church leaders can also encounter Sunday mornings with empty gas tanks. Happens more often than you know.)
While approaching yet another worship service, we bring the past week with us. We can't help that. Our fears, frustrations, disappointments, unknowns, personal failures, disagreements, sins we've committed, and sins committed against us; all of this comes right along with us to a Sunday morning.
All this to say, while tuning in to another Zoom church worship service, our minds may be distracted, and thus disengaged.
We're able to go through the motions, for sure. Life-long church goers are quite good at that. But truth be told, we'll all quickly revert back to "regular life" minutes after the worship service (actual or virtual) ends.
The prophet Jeremiah was assigned a tough gig. He was to declare the words of God to the people - but the people were not going to listen. He was told that going in.
At one point, Jeremiah complains to God. He tells God how he's been faithful with communicating God's words. He tells God that his faithfulness has resulted only in his being rejected and isolated from others.
He finishes his complaint with "Why is my pain unceasing? You're nothing but a mirage, an oasis in the distance that ultimately isn't there." Jeremiah verbalizes the false narrative in his head.
God answers (Jeremiah 15:19) by saying, "Therefore says the LORD: If you return, I will restore you, and you shall stand before me. If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless, you shall be as my mouth. They shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them."
God's not telling the people to return; He's telling the prophet to return.
There are two narratives going on in our Christian brains at any given moment. One says "Don't be bothered with the Lord; unplug, and find more tangible ways to cope."
And the other says, "Return, and be restored."
A gathered worship service is just that - an opportunity to return, and be restored. Not by the event, but by God.
As things have been so negative in the past days, weeks, months, we're perhaps more aware of our need for restoration.
Especially our need to be rescued from the false narratives in our own heads.
To be recalibrated and course-corrected toward Who God is and what He's done.
And reminded again of His presence with us.
So, here on another Sunday morning, we return. To be restored.
-Mike Rydman, Lead Pastor, Radiant Church | Juneau
