ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
November 10, 2021
This past Sunday, we did some time traveling as we returned to 2015 and the beginning of the Crossing Over Campaign. At the time, CCCC had a significant mortgage and not much of a plan on how it was going to pay it off. The people of CCCC caught the vision and stepped up in significant fashion. Along with debt reduction, the Campaign included some AC replacement and an outreach component. The plan was good, but it did not include a flood. Yet even when we find ourselves a bit overwhelmed by the interruption to our plans, God remains faithful. Since God is always working with flawed human beings, the path forward after an interruption might be bumpy, with some unexpected turns. And even the finish line might look very different than what was imagined originally. For me, it is a testament to the tenacity of God and the get ‘er done attitude of the people who are Cypress Creek Christian Church. But even more importantly, I truly believe we have not been brought to this moment for a party alone. This is not a finish line, but a starting line for a whole new mission and direction. On Sunday, we were called to worship with words from Isaiah 43 where the Prophet declared on behalf of God, “Behold, I am doing a new thing!” Too often we confine God’s “new things” to some past moment as we are beholden to the old thing of the present. We can’t imagine God wanting to change what we have come to enjoy. Yet when you look at the story of scripture, that appears to be the exact point at which God begins a new thing.
God, I do not want to be known in heaven as a holy curmudgeon. You love me in spite of my flaws and insecurities, yet I don’t want to be the example in a chapter of the angel training book when it comes to dealing with the killjoy of your plans. Amen.
