I am grateful to be the pastor of a purple church. In God’s kindness, we have folks at Faith Church Loveland worshipping and growing in Christ together across lines of political difference: Red and Blue, Independent and Indifferent. What a witness to our unity in Christ during a seemingly endless politicized and polarized moment! I treasure this unity.
But not everyone does. Sadly, not everyone in the United States who confesses Christ as Lord treasures unity in Christ across lines of secondary differences. This year, perhaps even more than the past couple years, there will be loud voices pounding your ear drums and pulling your heart-strings with fear, anger, anxiety, much falsehood and half-truth, and endless messaging.
How can a church fellowship in which families and friends in Christ are saturated with hostile messaging toward other families and friends in Christ stay strong through this season? That is what I hope to write about in bits and bursts throughout this year. To begin, I want to go to a passage of Scripture in Philippians 4:4-9. This will be my theme for the year.
Take a deep breath. Read slowly, deliberately, and repeat until it’s in your bones:
4Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Above all the fray, quieter than pundits and propagandists, always ready to offer mercy is… the Lord. He’s always Lord. Always! Lighten the load of your heart with that reality. Maybe you’ll even be freed to rejoice in Him when you turn your eyes and remember that amidst constant chaos He is unchanged, solid, ever faithful. Rejoice in Him this year, Faith Church Loveland! He’ll carry us through together.
