Hey church family,
We are finally here. The Discernment Process is done. How are you doing?
I know some who are pleased with the results of this process. I know others who are really wrestling with the outcome. And pretty much every Bethany member I have spoken to is feeling a heaviness this week. What do we do with this? How do we move forward from the place we are at into the new life Jesus offers us as his followers?
Let’s first acknowledge that we are feeling what is natural for the body of Christ to feel when its own members are hurting. Paul mentions this when he says: “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26a). Many of us aren’t just dealing with our own grief and struggles, we are also hurting for one another. I believe this capacity for empathy and compassion in our church family is actually a gift from God that allows us to care for one another in our times of need. This is part of Bethany being a “house of friends.” This capacity to love one another will help with the healing we need as a church in the days to come.
Some are feeling more than just pain or grief. There are surely those who feel angry and want to assign blame to how this has all turned out. While it may help us feel better to have someone to focus our anger on, blaming will not help us move forward as a church body. It is also important to remember that anger is sometimes just grief in disguise. Some of us will need to remember this in our interactions with others. Some of us need time and space to let things cool down before we talk with someone. All of us will need to pray and examine our hearts about the places where we need to extend forgiveness to one another. If forgiveness doesn’t seem to be coming anytime soon, we can begin by bringing our hurts and anger before God and asking Him to soften our hearts and lead us to forgiveness down the road.
More than anything else, I believe that what we need right now is God’s healing presence in our own lives and in the Bethany church family. Psalm 30 says: “Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me.” It later goes on to celebrate: “You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy”. God is more than able to breathe new life into us and into this church family. We aren’t at the dancing part yet, but I know that God can get us there with time. So let us cry out to God where we need help. Let us cry out to God on behalf of our church family. Let us bring our hurts and struggles into the presence of Jesus, to let his healing work begin to take place.
I was able to attend the New Room conference in September and came across this worship song that has been speaking to me these past few weeks. God has especially used this song this week to encourage me and keep me connected to Him. May you be encouraged to abide in Jesus and to seek healing in the presence of Christ in the days ahead.
In Christ,
Pastor Thomas
