July 4 - Hope

the propitious (i.e. favorable) smiles of Heaven

can never be expected on a nation

that disregards the eternal rules of order and right

which Heaven itself has ordained

George Washington

Sunday’s sermon sparked a lot of conversation. Good!

The saddest comment came from a 12-year-old who said, “I’ve never known a time when God has smiled upon our nation.” Think about it! In his memory, what has life in America looked like?

·         All his life has been lived in the shadow of twin towers toppling and terrorism.

·         As a nation he’s only seen America constantly in war.

·         His view of American politics has been increasingly polarizing and partisan – not to mention the age old and ongoing problems of scandals and corruption.

·         Our young people see a country that’s utterly divided – left and right, red and blue, white and brown, richer and poorer, Christian and secular.

·         About all they’ve known of America is economic upheaval. In their neighborhoods (if not their own homes) they see job losses, foreclosures, lack of insurance, and the resulting worry, stress, and fear.  

·         Their experience of American families is filled with too many broken families.

·         Their experience of American culture is crass, course, sexually charged, and devoid of innocence.

·         Their glimpses of America have too much violence, abuse, and human-trafficking.

·         They see all around them self-centeredness, materialism, drug use, and depression.

So where’s the hope?

Look in the mirror.

Now … that’s an intentional overstatement. We must look, of course, to God! But look at the words in that list above. What do you think God thinks about constant war, utter division, self-centeredness, crassness, materialism, teen pregnancies, rampant secularism, and way too many broken families?

Let’s ask that another way: What did God repeatedly say to Israel when they were off track? Turn, return, and repent! That was Jesus’ first sermon too: “The time has come! … Repent and believe” (Mark 1:15).

I pray, therefore, for revival. I’ve told you that before. I’d love to see a national revival. Indeed, America has historically been known for its Great Awakenings. And with constant war, utter division, self-centeredness, materialism, and broken families, we definitely need revival.

But where does it start? Look in the mirror. If you’re one who wants a better future for our kids, grandkids, and nation, then I invite your prayer to be: “Revival, Lord! Me first, then our church, then our nation.” It’s like ripples in a pond, but it starts with looking in the mirror and praying, “Lord, me first!”

That’s our goal at Spirit of Joy for the next several months. We want to partner with one another to enliven faith. Please see the final two P.S.’s at the end of this letter, but I invite you to invest in hope through …

·         Prayer: Spurred by our Deeper Life Conference, Spirit of Joy is focusing on prayer -- indeed, power praying -- in the Summer of 2012. Prayer is a living connection to our living God.

·         Passion: For the Fall of 2012, we are working on several studies and initiatives, to partner with you to ignite deeper faith and passion. Undergirded by prayer, we will invite every member to join a Discipleship Study.

·         Purpose: Do you want your life to count for more? Do you want to change the future for our kids, grandkids, and nation? Faith ignited, let’s inspire one another to reach out even more fully. The goal for 2013 is to joyfully make a bigger difference in life together!

In Christ’s Love,

Pastor Ed