My title might have suggested that I wanted to blog on the subject of eschatology, but not today. Instead, I’m observing our post-Roe culture, and I want to share with you a few thoughts. I suspect that you and I are being called to pray like never before.

1. Disinformation is quickly overshadowing truth in America. I continue to be stunned by the predominant take of the mainstream media on the overturning of Roe v. Wade. We’re seeing widespread ignorance of history, constitutional law, and even biology. And we’re even observing an Orwellian-level assault against anyone who dares to challenge the prevailing cultural narrative. For starters, the Supreme Court doesn’t make civil rights, and ectopic pregnancy surgeries aren’t the same as elective abortions. Some things ought to go without saying, but in this culture rampant confusion seems to rule the day.

2. When any person (or class of persons) is viewed as less than divine image-bearers, all hell breaks loose. This can range from playground name-calling to the horrors of the Holocaust. Left unchecked by God’s righteous standards, the results of diminished personhood are never less than devastation. Everyone loses when life becomes cheap. The longer we keep arguing that wrong is right, the more nonsensical is our position, and the more damage will be done by it. And we’re talking about damage to precious people.

3. Sexual sin has become the most powerful of idols. We need to look no further than the absolute fury that has been unleashed by the Supreme Court’s ruling. We’re seeing everything from sex strikes to in-your-face vulgarity to employers offering to pay for abortions and abortion-related travel and expenses. There seems to be no shame.

4. “Tolerance” has been overhauled to the point of nonrecognition. The noble goal of civil discourse has been replaced by a cheap substitute, and it is “liberal” only until its talking points are critiqued or challenged. Then it becomes dangerously unyielding, harsh, and totalitarian. You and I are still called to active participation in the marketplace of ideas, but it’s going to be anything but easy.

5. Liberation is likely not. We’re hearing all kinds of strange things in the name of “freedom” these days, but I can promise you that talk about “assigned” gender and “forced” birth is presenting a highly skewed view of human life. In our inordinate desire to rewrite what God has written, we are tripping over our own definitions. Such confusion is never the path to peace, personal or corporate.

6. Fake freedom is ripping us to shreds. I’ll quote Ryan T. Anderson: “Our fifty-year experiment with unlimited abortion has harmed everyone – even its most passionate proponents. Women, men, families, the law, politics, medicine, the media – and, of course, children (born and unborn) – have all been brutalized by the culture of death … it turns ‘women’s health’ into a euphemism for extermination.” May God move our hearts to compassion for those around us.

7. Love is love, but only as long as God defines love. You and I have no right to reinterpret. To do so proves our own foolishness and spiritual myopia.

8. “Christianity” unmoored from the Bible is worse than no religion at all. When I was growing up in the 1970s, the mainline denominations were wandering off-course doctrinally and theologically, and many paid the price. Now even the more evangelical traditions seem to be following suit. Here’s one of the primary dangers of our “deconstructed” age: people are left with just enough religion to be inoculated against the saving gospel. (They don’t think they need the gospel, and in fact many are outright rejecting it.)

9. There is no “accepting” of Christ without a large measure of forsaking the world. We have cheapened grace, and we have minimized the high cost of true discipleship. Why can’t we have it both ways? Because our competing values are on an unavoidable collision course. It’s quite simple, actually: Jesus meant it when He said, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). It’s just that you and I forgot what He said. The church needs a self-correction on this point.

10. The fear of God has fallen on hard times. Again, it is the church that is getting this wrong. We seem to have grown so comfortable with the Son of God that we no longer tremble at the thought of His righteous justice and His righteous wrath. Lord, forgive us. Lord, help us. Lord, change us. Only You can create in us the holiness which You righteously require. (We need a renewed awe and wonder.)

11. This world has no hope apart from the blood of Jesus! Dr. Steve Lawson tweeted this week that the Cross is “the Continental Divide of humanity.” I couldn’t agree more. Any sound analysis of history, and any sound consideration of the events of the day, bears this out. What we’re now seeing in the 24-hour news cycle may be Exhibit A.

12. The value of loving our neighbors is priceless. They need us. Now. We’re called to love those who vehemently disagree with us. We’re called to love those living in shame over their sin (sexual or otherwise). We’re called to love even those who don’t want our love.

The ancient prophet Amos predicted “a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.” Whatever truth that you and I have come to understand, we ought not take for granted. Instead, the praise of God for His matchless faithfulness to us should be always on our lips! We can’t change every dimension of the surrounding culture, try as we may, but we must do all that is within our power to strengthen the church for these trying times. Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expressed it this way: “The church is always to be under the Word; she must be; we must keep her there. You must not assume that because the church started correctly, she will continue so. She did not do so in the New Testament times; she has not done so since. Without being constantly reformed by the Word, the church becomes something very different.”

We’re in this together, friends. May Christ give us the grace to live with both grace and conviction in this uneasy hour. It seems to me like we need nothing short of a powerful revival, so every eye on Christ! We are immeasurably loved, and that still makes all the difference in the world.

Pastor Charles

Many of us observed Juneteenth this week, taking a break from our normal rhythms to celebrate the 1865 date when slaves in Galveston, Texas, learned that they had been freed. Quite amazingly, that moment in history was two years after President Lincoln had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. I’d like to quote Dr. Ben Carson on the subject of remembering: “Our history is what gives you your identity. And your identity is that thing upon which your beliefs are built. If you disrupt that chain, then you become like a leaf blowing in the wind. You don’t really have a foundation. You can learn from good and from bad, and that’s what wise people do.”

Freedom is God’s idea. I could make a strong argument that the most clarion cry of the Old Testament is the Lord’s own voice: “Let my people go!” The Exodus from Egypt was much more than some isolated historical achievement, but it prefigured in multiple ways all that God intended to do for us in His cosmic plan of redemption. It predicted and set the stage for the good news of the gospel, which would shape the New Testament. It was a shadow of sovereign grace. The Exodus blessed the world!

And here’s how all of human history has operated, if you want my opinion on the subject: despite the ravages of sin warring endlessly against what is good and right – just like in the Exodus – God has orchestrated the wider movements of change toward our good and His glory. The abolition of the international slave trade is a perfect example.

If you and I had lived during the late 18th century, we could have barely imagined a world without slavery. That’s not easy to admit, but I think it’s true. But God, in His infinite wisdom, began to stir the hearts of a few people in London, and among those people was a dapper young man named William Wilberforce. (If you’re unfamiliar with this chapter of history, I commend to you the 2007 film Amazing Grace, directed by Michael Apted.) Wilberforce had been elected to Parliament at the age of 21, and was converted to Christ just a few years later. In his new faith, Wilberforce wondered whether or not he should stay in politics, and his friend John Newton – a former slave trader, a pastor, and the writer of the hymn Amazing Grace– became a huge influencer in regard to the decision by Wilberforce to stay at his post. Newton helped Wilberforce capture a vision of himself as a modern-day Esther – raised up by God for a critically important moment of courage “for such a time as this.”

For Wilberforce, his bold and courageous walk of faith became more like a season than a moment, as he struggled against the economic and political powers – which lurked ominously behind the global slave trade – for over two decades. He would attempt new legislation again and again, only to face the disappointment of failure after failure. In 1807, Wilberforce would publish A Letter on the Abolition of the Slave Trade, citing Acts 17:26 as his rationale for ending slavery out of love for God and love for neighbor. All in all, it would take more than 30 years from the first address by Wilberforce in Parliament for slavery to be undone in the British Empire. Wilberforce died two days after the most decisive victory. We ought to remember that the next time we feel like giving up.

Thankfully for us, the movement toward freedom hopped over the pond and across the globe. You and I are still powerfully influenced by that special chapter of our history: “The Lord hath promised good to me, His word my hope secures; He will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.”

What is your platform for living out your faith in Jesus Christ? If you’ve never thought about that, I would encourage you to make the answer to that question a matter of serious prayer and reflection. Ask a trusted friend to pray with and for you about this, and invite them to share with you how they envision your particular giftedness making a difference in the world. As I mentioned in my sermon Sunday, Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that our “good works” have already been planned by the Lord. Our job is to live out those good works with faithfulness and joy.

Don’t sell yourself short! You’re still here on Planet Earth for an important mission, and there’s no better place to be than doing what God has called you to do – and doing it with all your heart. Be willing to think outside the box, friends. As Newton told Wilberforce: “You are instrumental in promoting the cause of God and the public good.” You and I don’t have to choose between the two, and that is a very liberating thought in a confused culture.

I agree with Dr. Carson that our trajectory as a nation has been “to move toward freedom and justice for people.” And I would add that such a sweeping historical movement has been nothing less than a blessing from Almighty God – a blessing which you and I ought not take for granted. In large measure, friends, God has used His people to lead many of these significant changes: culturally, politically, and morally.

Let’s not shrink back now from being the people whose faith works!

Pastor Charles

The Lord – our Lord – reigns from heaven! Of that you and I can rest assured (Psalm 11:1-7). Take just a moment and let the words of this short psalm wash over your soul. You’ll be glad you did.

I particularly enjoyed our men’s Bible study at Green Hills Tuesday morning. In my opinion, those are some of the finest fellows a guy could ever meet. We were studying the subject of peace – particularly the believer’s ability to know and experience true peace in a world that seems anything but peaceful. My mind races back to this particular period in Israel’s history because God’s people were living in a time of troublesome cultural deterioration. And, let’s face it, it is the social deterioration which we perceive to be happening all around us which adds to our general sense of angst. We all know that we should be able to rise above such concerns, but I think you would agree with me that it’s sometimes easier said than done.

The psalmist even seems a bit on edge, in my opinion. I’m not particularly comforted by that observation except in the sense that my being a bit on edge seems at least a little less strange. I completely understand that this world is not my forever home, but that doesn’t make it easy for me to watch unrighteousness prevail on Planet Earth. Perhaps my struggle is one to which you can relate, being that – if we are to understand this psalm at all – righteousness is the very foundation of God’s eternal throne. Truth’s triumph is coming, but when?

Let’s take the subject of gender identity, for example. The “culture wars” are no longer about how Target chooses to identify their restrooms. That seems like child’s play at this point. Our society is so immersed in such a general sense of confusion at this point that we’re starting to see the painful backlash which has been unleashed upon the unsuspecting. Nearly every day I read another account from a young adult whose life has been nearly destroyed by “transitioning” medical procedures which they now deeply regret. What promised freedom has not delivered said freedom. I could care less about scoring any political points on this subject, but I am brokenhearted when I encounter a person who’s been ravaged by such an insidious lie. In fact I’m praying daily for some precious young people who are trapped in these real-life scenarios right now.

You and I cannot pass by the injured man by traveling safely on the other side of the road. Jesus commended the Samaritan. Not only are we called to peace, but we’re called to compassion, and maybe that’s where the rub really lies … because if we act as we should upon the impulse of compassion, it can’t be divorced from our commitment to tell the truth. And I don’t have to tell you that gospel truth-tellers aren’t regularly awarded the Nobel “Peace” Prize these days. We will rarely be true to Christ while applauded by the world.

Godly people live at-risk lives. It’s as simple as that. This is our powerful history and our glorious heritage. We remember the Hebrew midwives who risked it all. We remember Moses who risked it all. We remember Esther who risked it all. We remember Daniel who risked it all. We remember three brave boys in a fiery furnace. We remember the stoning of Stephen. We remember the persecution of Paul and the early church. We remember Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Corrie ten Boom. We remember the underground church in North Korea meeting even as I type these words. We remember.

We have nothing but safety in the ultimate sense – the upright shall see his face – but the temporal road which we traverse can get a bit rocky on this side of glory. On we press.

There have been no perfect circumstances since the Garden, and I don’t have to tell you that 2022 America is no exception. The cultural headwinds are real and intimidating. But we must remember that headwinds cause the aircraft to take flight, and that headwinds sometimes steer us to the place where we needed to be all along. Yes, the storm clouds gather. That’s just what storm clouds do, friends. But we know the One who orders, “Peace! Be still!” Perhaps Michael Anthony Milton said it best …

When the wind and waves of life
Drove my soul to find relief,
I was guided by the storm
To find Jesus underneath.
When the storms of life betray
All the promises You’ve made,
I will cling to Calvary’s place;
I will trust Your sovereign grace.
Though Your presence with me goes,
I seem to still be tossed and turned
By an unseen enemy
And I know I need to learn.
When the storms of life betray
All the promises You’ve made,
I will cling to Calvary’s place;
I will trust Your sovereign grace.
And when life is finally o’er
And I stand before You, Lord,
I’ll see the storms that stirred despair
Were the winds that blew me there.
When the storms of life betray
All the promises You’ve made,
Let me cling to Calvary’s place;
Let me trust Your sovereign grace.

Verse 3 of our psalm asks what is perhaps the most compelling question of the hour: “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”

I say we trust the Lord, come what may. What say you?

Pastor Charles

In my personal devotions, I’m now reading through Second Kings, and I happen to be pondering the ministry transition between Elijah and Elisha. In Chapter 2, Elisha is aware of what is about to happen: Elijah will exit the stage, in dramatic fashion, making room for Elisha to carry on the work of God’s ministry among the people. It’s almost like Solomon’s moment a century or so earlier: Elisha can ask for anything he wants. (I’m all ears at this point. How ’bout you?)

God is setting up something really cool here. He will provide the people with what they need in terms of spiritual leadership, but He will do so in such a way that it will be undeniable that He alone is sovereignly in control of everything. That’s as it should be, friends. In our right minds, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

So what does Elisha request? A “double portion” of the spirit of Elijah! In all honesty, that kind of stops me in my tracks.

Here’s my simple take on it, friends: Elisha wants God to do through him what Elisha has seen God do through Elijah. If you think I’m reading it wrong, please correct me.

I don’t think that Elisha is just asking for “twice as much,” though he certainly seems to be asking for all of the spiritual power that he can possibly receive. But I think that Elisha has in mind Deuteronomy 21:17, in the sense that Elisha might be empowered as the legitimate successor of Elijah. The job is already his, for all intents and purposes, but I think that Elisha is acknowledging that he simply can’t do the job in his own strength.

Though quite humbling, that’s a great place for you and me to be as well.

We are beginning a new and exciting season of ministry here at Green Hills Community Church, and I don’t think it’s accidental that I “just happen to be” at this point in my Bible reading. This gracious reminder from the Lord is nothing short of a divine appointment! If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to explore this a little further …

We need God to make us faithful. That’s really the deal, isn’t it? Elisha knows he can’t do it. We know we can’t do it. But we know who can.

We need God to make us bold. We might expect humble Elisha to pray something like: “God, I’ll be happy if You give me half the power of my predecessor.” We wouldn’t even question it. But that’s not what we see here. You and I need a good dose of holy boldness in what we ask of God for this present glorious season.

We need God to equip us. The Lord does not call us to a task only to leave us hanging. He intends to give us what we need to serve faithfully at our assigned post. Please join me, church family, in seeking Him for all of the wisdom and all of the spiritual gifts that we surely need for such a time as this. He is more than able.

We need God to bring our history to life. In the story I’ve been sharing with you, the backdrop is the Jordan River, which seems to be a focal point of much of Israel’s history. It represents the people’s journey with God, but it also represents the impossible: the things that never could have been accomplished without the power of the Spirit. (Parted any waters lately?) GHCC, this is your moment to remember the faithfulness of God! He has blessed you. He has provided for you. He has carried you. You are His.

We need God to have our back. That’s what God demonstrated miraculously here: “Like I was with Elijah, I will be with Elisha, and I will be with you.” Could there possibly be a more encouraging truth for us to contemplate right now? When we’re tempted to doubt the power and love of God, you and I need to remember the empty tomb!

We need God to plant us firmly in the gospel. Ultimately, the ministry of Elijah, the ministry of Elisha, and the ministry of the saints of Green Hills point to a far greater ministry. Kevin DeYoung writes: “The word of God is true. The good news of Jesus Christ has been recorded in the facts of history … we do not follow myths. We are not interested in stories with a nice moral to them. We are not helped by hoping in spiritual possibilities which we know to be historically impossible. These things in the gospel story happened.” Amen. Friends, let’s choose to stand together on the Word of God like never before.

We need God to help us show the world who’s in control! The watching world, by and large, is living in a sort of controlled chaos at the moment. Many are hurting. Many are struggling. Many are doubting. This is our moment to put our faith into practice and to lift high the only hope of the world. His name is Jesus, and He is nothing less than the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

We may not see chariots of fire or horses of fire in Green Hills – only the Lord knows – but, whatever kind of fire Christ has in mind for us, I want nothing less!

Pastor Charles

Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life. Those are the words of Proverbs 13:12. Those are King Solomon’s words. Those are God’s words.

Eileen and I have been waiting for something that may not be a big deal to anybody else. But it’s a big deal to us! As a matter of fact, even the fleeting thought that it might not come to pass leaves me tense, perplexed, and generally in a cruddy mood.

And, let’s face it, no one particularly enjoys the “deferred” part. In fact the word means to put off or to drag out. We don’t even like short delays (ever run a “yellow” light?), let alone prolonged delays. Waiting just isn’t our cup of tea, friends. And when we have to keep waiting for something that we really want, it can feel like our heart is being crushed. The greater our desire for the thing we want, the greater our level of frustration when we have to wait for it.

You and I are much like the children of Israel. We get tired of waiting for God to speak, and we end of seeking for cheap substitutes. Before we know it, we let our frustration from waiting get the best of us, and we find ourselves in a place much like the Narnia of C.S. Lewis: “always winter but never Christmas.” In a state of something that feels like exhaustion, not only do we seek those cheap substitutes, but we settle for them.

Unfulfilled longings are a normal part of life. We all grapple with them: everything from seemingly innocuous detours, when it feels like we’re on a roll, to serious and life-altering challenges to our health or finances. So the question is not if, but when. When you and I can’t change our circumstances, that is often a critical place of our spiritual testing.

Testing isn’t often pleasant, but testing also carries with it the potential for tremendous spiritual growth. Lean in! You’ll be surprised what God will show you when you simply admit to Him the deepest desires of your soul. Go ahead and own your aversion to waiting. (He already knows about it anyway.) Ask the Lord to create in you a gratitude for the tree of life that you can’t see with any other eyes than eyes of faith.

I wish I could tell you, when it comes to waiting, that I’m out of the woods. Not so. I’m still no good at not getting what I want when I want it. But I’m learning. I’m stretching. I’m trusting. I may be a sapling, but I’m growing. Even in Christ, I’m growing up.

Perhaps the unfulfilled nature of so many of my desires is all part of the plan. Dan Fogelberg sang of it but missed the main point. I’ll try to not to miss it, and I hope you’ll join me in doing all that we can to get it right, while “some kind of message comes through.”

Here’s what I know: God’s timing is perfect. Always. We can trust Him. Always. His love endures forever. Always.

By the way, it’s only 206 days ’til Christmas.

Pastor Charles

The Book of Ecclesiastes, which admittedly leaves me puzzled at times, includes a sweeping promise in the first verse of its third chapter: For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.

Now is my season to embrace a new city, a new ministry, a new mission field, and a new chapter of life. This moment is nothing short of God’s appointed transition for me, and for my family, and under God’s sovereign Lordship I’m choosing to embrace it for His glory.

You and I never land anywhere by accident or chance, friends. Some of the new situations in which we find ourselves will stretch us, and may even cause us to question God’s rule over the details that got us here, but a firm conviction that the gospel is true leaves us no other choice than to believe that the God who has called us to faith in His Son is wonderfully directing our path. We can count on it.

Every twist and turn is part of the plan. Every circuitous route. Every harrowing journey. Every broken road (thanks, Rascal Flatts).

Did you read the story of Darren Harrison this week? Returning by air from a fishing expedition in the Bahamas, he had to land the plane in which he was a passenger because the pilot had become incapacitated. With no previous flying experience, Harrison landed the Cessna aircraft safely at Palm Beach International Airport. But he had to ask air traffic controllers for help turning off the engine.

Friends, embracing the Lord’s appointed path for us makes every moment precious, as it should be. I’m writing these words at midnight in fact. I could be sleeping, but thoughts of time and eternity are more important. Time is finite, but God is infinite. We ought to be amazed by the insight into eternity which He has offered us in His Word. We can’t know everything about time, but what we do know ought to stir our hearts to praise and our feet to action. You and I are on a glorious adventure getting from here to heaven.

I can’t wait to discover all of the new friendships which God will forge for me!

I can’t wait to see how my gifts (and Eileen’s gifts, which clearly outshine mine) are going to line up with the kingdom challenges and opportunities dotting the landscape of Middle Tennessee!

I can’t wait to love on some people in my new community who don’t yet know Jesus!

The older I get, the more I realize that Christ’s greatest glory is my greatest joy. That’s what it’s all about. Christ is alive, and that changes absolutely everything about this new season.

So, Nashville, bring it on!

Pastor Charles

As I’m now in full-blown dreaming mode about the kingdom opportunities in the Green Hills area of Nashville, my heart turns toward Generation Z. “Gen Z” encompasses all of those born after 1995, and you may be tempted to lump in Gen Z’ers with Millennials, but the latest research indicates that Gen Z’ers are developing a number of characteristics unique to their own generation. This may be related to their native use of technology.

Millennials were the digital pioneers, but Gen Z was born right into the world of peak technological innovation. In fact, they know no other world.

I don’t have to tell you that technological sophistication is mixed bag. Having a world of information at my fingertips, awesome. Dealing with the isolation and underdeveloped social skills linked directly with too much screen time, not so awesome. I’ll bet you’re thinking about some Gen Z’ers in your own life even as you read this. I’m certainly thinking about Joshua and his friends as I write it.

Two core characteristics seem to drive the daily habits of Generation Z. One is security, and the other is pragmatism. And the two are likely related, as the spending patterns of Gen-Z’ers seem to indicate their desire to avoid some of the financial pitfalls which faced their parents, during the Great Recession (2007-2009) for example. Gen Z’ers seem profoundly concerned about job stability, and they’re shaping up to be more conservative spenders than the previous generation.

Of much concern to us as the church should be the tremendous feelings of loneliness and stress reported by many Gen Z’ers. We’re likely in the middle of a national mental health crisis in fact. Social media can feel like a friend but behave like a foe when it comes to issues of self-worth. My world feels lousy and unraveled, while everyone else’s world looks not only intact but perfect. And in the Twitterverse of 2022, nearly every news item shapes up to be a verbal bloodbath of some sort. Nobody relents. Nobody backs down. Nobody seems to display any calming fruits of the Spirit. No wonder we’re stressed!

Now I can’t back up this next observation with irrefutable data, but I’m noticing among Gen Z’ers a general left-lean politically (like Millennials), but a frustration with buying unquestionably into any party line. In the current gender wars, for example, I’m seeing a willingness of some Gen Z’ers to admit what the little boy exclaimed in the famous folktale: “The emperor has no clothes.” Personally, I see this new skepticism as a positive development.

I’ll share with you here some more reasons why I feel optimistic about Generation Z, and why I believe that we, as Christ’s body, should pursue them to the ends of the earth …

1. Gen Z acknowledges the brokenness of the world. I’m quite sure that COVID-19 sealed the deal, but it’s not difficult to convince a Gen Z’er that something is dreadfully wrong on Planet Earth. That’s the first important step in presenting the gospel, isn’t it? With Gen Z, it’s nearly done for us.

2. Gen Z wants to engage in important issues. If you can wrap your mind around this, most Gen Z’ers don’t have a close relationship with even one legitimate Christ follower. They have many misconceptions about what Christians believe, and why we believe them. Here’s our chance to let them know that we care deeply about the matters that concern them: things like personal dentity and purpose, justice, and the meta narrative of life. (We know the One who’s writing the only meaningful story.)

3. Gen Z demonstrates a willingness to study the Bible in settings where they feel relationally comfortable. The Biblical literacy of most Gen Z’ers is low, but a number of evangelical churches are reporting that the attendance numbers tracking unbelieving members of the Gen Z community in small groups are up. Hallelujah! That’s a great start, and one for which you and I should be thankful.

4. Gen Z is willing to talk about God. They tend not to shy away from hard conversations, and report a sincere willingness to share their convictions with others. Perhaps, in the good providence of God, we have a missionary generation in the making! Stranger things have happened.

5. Gen Z can help inspire us to make a meaningful impact in the world. In general, Gen Z’ers are leery of all-talk-and-no-action religion. We should be as well (James 2:14-17).

6. Gen Z presents a critical gospel opportunity for us: we can increase and strengthen our online presence. I’m truly excited about continuing to explore some of these possibilities with the saints of Green Hills Community Church.

7. Gen Z is searching for authentic community. They’re craving it in fact. They may not identify this longing as spiritual in nature (in fact they likely won’t), but our Lord Jesus can empower us to love them so deeply that we overcome their atheistic and agnostic tendencies with His grace and truth. (They simply need us to be real.)

Friends, let’s rally and welcome them home!

Pastor Charles

It all started in a whirlwind of preparations for a move to Nashville. Eileen and I needed to downsize, so I posted some items of excess furniture on Facebook Marketplace (which I had never used prior to this experience). Here is the garage photo I posted in an attempt to sell an old headboard for just $5.

Cue the craziness. And I mean craziness.

Being my normally unsuspecting self, I entered the world of high tech “garage sale” excited to meet some new people. And I did meet some new and nice people. Several sales went smoothly, as we lightened the load of our worldly goods. The pickup details for most items were coordinated and executed without a hitch. That wasn’t the crazy part.

It was the headboard! The old white headboard. Everyone wanted it, or so I thought …
“When can I come see it?”
“Will it fit in my Lexus SUV? If not, I can get my brother to pick it up in his truck.”
“Can you hold it until the weekend?”
“Please give me the exact dimensions.”
“Do you have a matching footboard? Any bed rails?”
“Can you help me load it? I just had hand surgery “
“I’m coming from Ballard County, and I’ll be there between 3:30 and 4:00.”
“Sorry. Running late. Just leaving Ballard.”

All seemed like legitimate conversations, at least until I realized that they weren’t. I won’t use any names here, but there were a dozen names and Facebook profiles. But nobody actually came from Ballard County, nor did the Lexus ever appear in the driveway (or the brother’s truck).

It took me three days to figure out that people with forged identities were simply delighting in yanking my chain. One lady (who knows who she really was?) kept rescheduling until I became suspicious. A man from “Marion, IL” kept sending messages until I asked him to call me instead. Radio silence. Another woman said that she was hurrying to get there but that I could sell to “that other person” if I needed to … I honestly think that she and “that other person” were working together, strange as this whole ordeal may sound. Who has time for this kind of weirdness? Some folks obviously do. Ironically, since it took me so long to clue in, I guess I did too.

Now I’m not exactly sure what are all of the lessons that the Lord has for me in all of this. Sometimes I’m a slow learner, and I’m still learning. But I think that this is bigger than just a shrug and a flustered “people are weird” under my breath. Though people are weird, and I’ll offer myself as Exhibit A.

You and I are pilgrims here. We forget that, but we who follow hard after Jesus are the “aliens and strangers” (1 Peter 2:11) on this fallen planet. Sojourners don’t get to make all the rules, friends. And exiles don’t get to feel entirely comfortable every minute of the day. After all, we’re not really home. We’re on the way, but we’re not home.

It’s entirely possible that you’re facing some craziness today that makes my Marketplace saga look like child’s play. In the name of Christ, I’m calling you to persevere. Hang tough! Faith is a journey, and often a difficult one, and our flesh keeps seeking to attach itself to something tangible (or seemingly “sensible”) that feels like security. But, this side of heaven, there will never be a season of our lives that will not require us to walk by faith. Even when nothing makes sense.

Strangeness and suffering are part of our high calling. And both require the gift of faith. Ravensbruck exile and Holocaust survivor Corrie ten Boom said it like this: “When a train goes through a tunnel and it gets dark, you don’t throw away the ticket and jump off. You sit still and trust the engineer.” The good news is that you and I are being steered by an engineer who is entirely worthy of our trust. And He’s worthy of our highest praise.

By the way, I just sold the white headboard to a friend of a friend. I am rich. Hallelujah!

Pastor Charles