When following Jesus doesn't make sense: the story of Lincoln Center.
>> Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Sunday morning I taught at Lincoln Center Church between Dike and Grundy Center. This 126 year old Christian Reformed Church is a small rural congregation composed of mostly older folks who love God and hope to see the ministry of their congregation continue. As many of you know, we are moving towards a merger with them where they would become a part of Orchard Hill Church. In so many ways this does not make sense, yet we believe God is leading us to do this!
As I was driving home from the morning of teaching and interacting with this congregation, I had a very clear question come into my mind-- How do you follow Jesus when following him seems to make absolutely no sense?
I was telling my wife, Linda, about this question at lunch when she asked me if I'd heard Tim Boettger's teaching that morning. I had not. She said that this question was exactly what he'd taught on. I still haven't heard the teaching but I visited with Tim yesterday and he told me about it. He used the verse John 2:5, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
He taught about how the 10 lepers were given an instruction that made no sense. They were instructed to go into the city and present yourself to the priests. Lepers did not do that. They stayed outside of the city and they avoided contact with the priests. Why would Jesus ask them to do something that made no sense and was contrary to their practices and laws.
At this point, they had to choose. Do we follow Jesus and do this or not? They chose to follow His instructions and were healed as they walked toward the city. One remembered to return and thank Jesus. So, often Jesus asks us to follow Him when following does not make sense at the beginning of the walk. Tim gave several personal examples. I have many examples of this following Jesus when it doesn't make practical or common sense in my own life and the life of our family.
I followed Jesus into starting a faith-based ministry where our family income would be determined by the donations of people in the Ed-Co School District. We had four little children and needed lots of diapers and food. This move did not make sense but we believed God was leading us. Over time, the appropriate funds were donated and Linda and I learned to trust God as He supplied our needs in many different ways.
We moved to Cedar Falls leaving a ministry involving hundreds of students to begin to work in a youth group at Orchard with 8 students. To so many friends and family this made no sense; however, we really felt God's clear leading. Today between Orchard and Nazareth these churches regularly touch more that a thousand junior high, high school and college students. Somehow, our coming to Cedar Falls was a part of that.
When asked by Orchard's leadership what I'd like for a job description in Cedar Falls, I felt led by God to ask them to allow me to work for Orchard only 1/2 time so that I could build a coalition of churches reaching kids as a group of churches. This also didn't make sense for several years as I struggled to get churches to work together. Today it seems so obvious that God was leading. Even this weekend's Love Cedar Valley with 3 or 4 dozen churches working together may have been aided by this following of Christ when it made no sense.
So, back to Lincoln Center. We're pretty certain that God is leading this merger for many reasons but it still doesn't make a lot of sense. John 2:5 says, "Whatever He says to you, do it! Here's some of the evidences that we see God leading us...
Lincoln Center's Council had 5 different options for their future and they prayerfully decided the merger was the God-led option.
Their council continued to pursue this option even as I clearly explained that they would cease being a congregation and would become a ministry of Orchard under the authority of our Leadership Team. They would be giving up congregational control in order to gain a greater ministry. They would sign over their assets to Orchard and surrender control of their future.
Lincoln Center's Congregation voted twice to leave their denomination and pursue joining with Orchard--93% and 74% even when we had no idea exactly what that would mean for them and their church.
Their Christian Reformed Classis prayerfully blessed this move as did four Christian Reformed pastors who visited their Council. If those events were not surprising enough.
Listen to this. Something quite unique happened one month ago. A talented young married couple who are trained for ministry and were a part of Orchard's ministry in the past, came for an appointment.
They came to see me because while living in Denver, Colorado they had felt God calling them back to Iowa to participate in rural ministry. God has given them a huge heart for older people and rural ministry. Their question was, "Does Orchard have a place for us to participate in rural Iowa ministry?" I couldn't believe it. We needed help with Lincoln Center (maybe the most rural church I'd even known) but I had no clue who could do it and here was God possibly sending the answer before we had even formed the question.
I believe at Orchard, we are learning to follow Christ even when it makes no sense. I hope the congregation is ready for this. It seems to be an exciting and challenging way to live. It's really just a part of us being fully devoted. I could make a whole list of things we are doing that don't make sense but seem to be led by God. We could begin with the five focus-communities that He has led us to commit to. It's His leading and we are simply trying our best to follow.
Hang On!
