Winter

Not sure what kind of sleeper you are, I am a morning person. Moreover, I can’t really stay in bed. Now, at night, I love to go to bed early and read. Furthermore, I have a bit of a routine that I follow as I go to bed. Mornings? I am up and out of bed, with the dawn. Now, winter? Winter is an entirely different story.

When the room is FREEZING, I want to snuggle under the big blankets and stay WARM. In addition to this, my pajamas are warm and feet are covered and sometimes my head is covered. Yes, I have no circulation. Creeping out into the rest of my house before everyone else is awake in the cold and dark is good for the soul, but it does take some coaxing of the bones.

Winter

Friends, the winter of the church is upon us. We have the word of God, we have the teaching of the church, we have the fellowship of Christians, and it has become a warm blanket of comfort. We have become complicit in our comfort.

Allow me to explain. Think about the last letter you received from a friend. Imagine if you pulled this a line from this letter and formulated an entire narrative about this friend from this one sentence. Without a doubt, we do this to God all the time! First, we pull one verse from God’s word and quote it and make it a life verse. Second, we comfort ourselves with a verse. Third, we yank the blanket up over our shoulders and rest easy.

Discomfort

I have a friend who is persistently posting with this phrase, I am learning. Every day. Unquestionably, her entire group of social media followers is also learning and sometimes, may be uncomfortable. Listen, we, the church, need to sit in the uncomfortable of these past few weeks. Clearly, the church, no, I need to learn. I need to listen. When my response is to rush by and refuse, I want to analyze this.

Jesus

This pandemic has been for me a teaching time of fixing my eyes on Jesus. Clearly, that begins with his response to the marginalized. Notice every interaction he has with the marginalized has nothing to do with judgement and everything to do with a step in their direction. Please take note, he will deal with their sin, but he begins with love and relationship.

We need to take note of this and respond. God calls us to be the aroma of Christ.

¹⁴ But thanks be to God, who always puts us on display^[d] in Christ^[e] and through us spreads the aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. ¹⁵ For to God we are the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. ¹⁶ To some we are an aroma of death leading to death, but to others, an aroma of life leading to life. And who is competent for this? ¹⁷ For we are not like the many^[f] who market God’s message for profit. On the contrary, we speak with sincerity in Christ, as from God and before God. 2 Corinthians 2

Besides, look with me at who Jesus with whom Jesus associates. Samaritans. Women. Leaders. Lepers. Tax Collectors. Friends, this gospel, think about how it wooed you. First, Jesus ran to you. Last, He did not give up on me, or you.

Along with, we read, listen, move and serve.

Learning

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can his faith^[d] save him?¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, keep warm, and eat well,” but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? ¹⁷ In the same way faith, if it doesn’t have works, is dead by itself. James 2

Indeed, first, lets run toward the uncomfortable. Thinking. Praying. Asking the Lord to reveal where we tend to hide under our comfort blankets. Second, let us get on our warm sweaters and socks and walk out into the winter. Third, let us hear the call of Jesus out into the mess of our world. Humble. Serve. Less of us and more of him.

Peace.