As you are likely aware, Governor Inslee is once again requiring all people to wear masks within public indoor spaces. This mandate has been met with the usual mix of scorn on one end, praise on the other, and a whole lot of indifference in the middle.

Over the past 18 months, your pastors and elders have regularly discussed, consulted, and prayed about how our church ought to respond to the various requirements placed upon us. We've gathered in a variety of ways in that time—virtually (which isn't really a gathering), outdoors (with masks, distancing, temperature scans, blankets, and pre-filled, disgusting communion juice and wafers!), indoors with masks, indoors with masks and no singing, and most recently, indoors with common sense and courtesy. We've been a masks-required church and a masks-optional church. In response to this mandate, we've decided to become, once again, just a church.

Here's what we mean: we're taking out the organizational piece of this. We know that the church is ultimately a people, not an organization. So we're going to act like a people. And, church—you have been exemplary during this pandemic. You have endured every one of those masking situations described above without grumbling. You've encouraged those who are struggling with decisions made. You've patiently endured with and gently exhorted those who were forsaking our gathering. You've borne the burden of watching others' young children during services. You've adapted and flexed wherever necessary, all in the name of unity together in Christ as his children, his servants, his followers, and his beloved. In other words: we trust you.

The letters of the New Testament, written to churches and elders, consistently call individuals within the church to act based upon their consciences: "The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (see also 1 Corinthians 8, 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, and 1 Peter 3:13-17 for fuller treatments). So with this mandate from our governor, we would counsel you to act in accordance with your conscience—not just when gathering with our church, but in your lives in general. Your conscience might push you to mask up, it might object to masking, or it might be indifferent. Below are a few guiding thoughts from Scripture as you consider where your conscience lies.

On the one hand, the New Testament offers three reasons why simple obedience to governing authorities (regardless of how you feel about them) is good:

1. In Romans, Paul offers the guiding principle—not promise—that generally doing good results in peace and accordance with rulers.
   
   "Let everyone submit to the governing authorities, since there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the one in authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For it is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For it is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath but also because of your conscience" (Romans 13:1-5).
   
   

2. Peter reminds us that our good works—including obedience to laws of the land—bear witness to the glory of God, leading others to glorify him also.
   
   "Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and exiles to abstain from sinful desires that wage war against the soul. Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits. Submit to every human authority because of the Lord, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors as those sent out by him to punish those who do what is evil and to praise those who do what is good. For it is God’s will that you silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing good. Submit as free people, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves. Honor everyone. Love the brothers and sisters. Fear God. Honor the emperor" (1 Peter 2:11-17).
   
   

3. In his letter to Titus, Paul reminds Titus that it is good to be kind, gentle, and peaceable in general—and this is rooted in God's very kindness to us in the gospel!
   
   "Remind them to submit to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to slander no one, to avoid fighting, and to be kind, always showing gentleness to all people. For we too were once foolish, disobedient, deceived, enslaved by various passions and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, detesting one another. But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, he saved us... (Titus 3:1-5).

On the other hand, we know that our allegiance ultimately lies with God, and God alone! He is the one who "changes the times and seasons" and "removes kings and establishes kings" (Daniel 2:21). Or as David writes, "The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all" (Psalm 103:19). Peter—already quoted above—also clearly defied the Israelite rulers, saying "We must obey God rather than people" (Acts 5:29).

There will undoubtedly be some in our church who are convicted by these calls to obey rulers, and there will undoubtedly be others who object to part or all of this latest mandate as a matter of conscience and are not convinced that these exhortations from Scripture apply—and that's ok. We would suggest that you seek to root those objections in Scripture (since our primary allegiance is to Jesus, who is himself the Word) and avoid making your masking decisions based on comfort, personal preference, or as a matter of rights (see, for example 1 Corinthians 9:15-27). But more than anything right now, we want to encourage personal freedom of conscience, as Peter wrote, but "not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but as God’s slaves."

Finally, we would remind you "that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing [like masks and vaccines] will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). Let's remain focused on our goal of seeing that liberating power of the gospel formed in us and advancing in the world.

by Rebecca Zion

“Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”
- Jim Elliot

Right now, in this time and place, we find our situation to be largely relegated to an online presence. We could engage in the customary hand-wringing over the current state of affairs and worry about what living our lives online is doing to our brains, our bodies, and our hearts (I certainly hold some of these worries), or we can choose to "live to the hilt" the situation we are currently in, knowing full well that it is God who has put us here in this time and place with these resources available to us. It’s time we stop behaving as though our online life isn’t our real life. If this year has shown us anything, it’s that what happens online has a profound effect on “real life.” That’s because our life online is real life—the life of our thoughts. We need to be intentional to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), and that includes every aspect of our online presence, most certainly our personal social media feeds. We cannot view our time sitting alone in our homes browsing newsfeeds on our phones as something to do to fill the time until real life begins again. This is real life, right here, right now, online. We need to view our online presence as another sphere in which our primary goals and motivators should be to bring glory to God and to share the good news of the gospel with a broken and hurting world. Our online spaces are our mission field.

One of the questions that keeps coming up in Christian circles this year is, “How do we show hospitality during a pandemic?” There’s more than one creative answer to this question, but nowhere have I seen anyone mention our online spaces as being worthy of our consideration in this context, and I think they should be. My dictionary defines hospitality as “the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.” We’ve been used to thinking of friendly and generous reception of strangers as something we do in our homes and churches, which is good and right. But those are no longer the only spaces for which we’re responsible; we also curate and manage online spaces. Right now, online spaces like our Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram feeds may be the only places we get to entertain strangers and guests. Is your feed a place where friends and strangers feel welcome? Even if they disagree with you? Are we “contributing to the needs of the saints and seeking to show hospitality?” (Romans 12:13). Are we viewing our social media accounts as a place to serve the needs of others, remaining conscious that we are ambassadors for the gospel? The reputation we build for ourselves online is the reputation that carries over into our in-person relationships, and by extension, is the reputation we build for the Church. We need to be strategic and intentional to live our online lives in a manner worthy of the calling to which we have been called (Ephesians 4:1).

Viewing social media as a tool to glorify God and serve others is not an ethos I have always held. It’s not something I claim to be good at even now, but it’s a conviction that has been growing in my heart for the last four years, ever since I first started to become aware of the hold social media had on me. I started taking regular breaks from Facebook to see what it did for my heart, and I discovered immediately how much easier it was to find joy in the Lord without all the clamoring voices from my feeds clogging up my mind. But I also had a number of people reach out to me personally during the time of my absence because they missed hearing from me, and it led to some actual personal relationship-building with people I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise. I even had a few people reach out and ask me specifically about the gospel (when does that ever actually happen in person?). So while my initial intent was to delete all my accounts entirely, I started to wonder if I might be able to use them as a tool to build personal relationships and gospel connections instead of abandoning them completely. I have seen The Social Dilemma on Netflix (and if you haven’t, you should) but the big idea it presented is that social media is designed from the ground up to addict you, in a way that no other tool of human invention ever has. Where I think the film fell short is that the problem was presented as a sort of Greek fatalistic tale of Pandora’s box that can’t be retracted or controlled. As Christians, we can’t accept fatalism because we believe the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness therein (Psalm 24:1), and that what man intends for evil, God means for good (Genesis 50:20). I think social media can be redeemed as a tool for the gospel, through hospitality, as long as it’s done carefully and intentionally. This happens on two levels: your consumption and your content. God will absolutely hold you accountable for what you do with your eyes and what you do with your words. The spoiler alert here is that I am convinced less is more, both in your consumption and your content.

Your consumption of social media (what you read and watch) deeply impacts your ability to “love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and your content (what you say and post) primarily impacts loving your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37). The Bible is clear that God will hold us accountable for the company we keep and the thoughts we entertain because both can drastically affect what’s in our hearts. Proverbs 13:20 says, “Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm,” and 1 Corinthians 15:33 tells us, “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company ruins good morals.’” If we allow our Facebook and Twitter feeds to be the voice we entertain every idle moment all day long, every day, we begin to absorb those values and beliefs without realizing it, and those are the values and beliefs of the world. We are unconsciously “walking in the council of the wicked and standing in the way of sinners” (Psalm 1:1). We are allowing ourselves to be the virtual companion of fools, and we will suffer harm.

Instead, we are supposed to fill all those stolen and idle moments with thoughts of God and time in his Word. Deuteronomy 6:7-9 tells us, “And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets before your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” How many of us have replaced “these words that I command you today” with “Facebook and Twitter” in those spaces of our lives? We miss opportunities to teach the Word to our children because we’re scrolling on our phones as they live their lives around us. We check our feeds when we sit in our house (because we have to pull our phones out of our pockets to sit down), we read our phones when we go for walks or wait in the drive-thru line, and checking our newsfeeds is the last thing we do before we go to sleep and the first thing we do when we wake up. Our phones are the literal frontlets between our eyes, and the first and primary thing all our friends and strangers see about us (the doorposts of our houses and our gates) is whatever we’ve been posting on Facebook or Snapchat. Brothers and sisters, this is idolatry, and I am so often guilty of it. We must put God and his Word back in His rightful place in our minds and on our hearts so that we can declare with the psalmist, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day” (Psalm 119:97) and “My eyes are awake before the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promise.” (119:148). May the Holy Spirit convict us of our sin and renew our hearts with a hunger and thirst for the Lord.

While we guard our consumption, we need also to mind our words and content. The content we post and share on social media is closely tied to whether or not we are loving our neighbors as ourselves. We need to be approaching the curating of our content with a posture of hospitality. We have more opportunities to show generosity and kindness online than we will ever have to show them in our own homes, especially right now. We can welcome friends and strangers into our online spaces and show love to them there, just as we can (under normal circumstances) welcome them into our homes. We can be the light that shines before others, “so that they may see your works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). This doesn’t necessarily mean constantly beating them over their proverbial heads with the gospel, but it does mean we should choose every word, every meme, every news article, every thought we share, every article we “like” with careful consideration to see that it contributes rather than detracts from the mission, which is to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19).

The Bible is filled with admonitions to be careful of the power of the tongue, especially in Proverbs and James. God takes our words very seriously. “Death and life are in the power of the tongue,” Proverbs 18:21 tells us. And James 3:5-6 says, “So the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness.” Words have great power, both for good and for evil. Indeed, it is through words that the very creation owes its existence, and the God we follow calls himself the Word become flesh (see John 1:1). As Christians, we should respect the power of the written word more than anyone, and yet a cursory glance at our behavior on social media shows we toss them around carelessly, like children playing with knives.

The Bible is full of instructions and advice as to how to wield our words, and the vast majority of those instructions involve restraint. For most of us, the safest approach to guarding our social media content is simply to post and share less. The Psalmist says, “I will guard my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will guard my mouth with a muzzle, so long as the wicked are in my presence” (Psalm 39:1). James 1:26 says, “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.” Proverbs 10:19 says, “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” And Proverbs 13:3 says, “Whoever guards his mouth preserves his life; he who opens wide his lips come to ruin.” When in doubt, don’t post it. Show restraint. Preserve your life. “Let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of men does not produce the righteousness that God requires” (James 1:19). My righteous anger and indignation as expressed on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or wherever does not transform hearts, however much I might tell myself it might. Posting about the same topic, whatever it is, 3-5 times a day every day for six months is not helping anyone be informed, and it’s not changing anyone’s mind. It’s damaging my witness and making me the clanging gong Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 13. It’s not restraining my lips; it’s bringing me to ruin.

We need instead to be the soft answer that turns away wrath (Proverbs 15:1). We need to declare with David, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise!” (Psalm 51:15). We need to “Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples!” (1 Chronicles 16:24). We should be comparing our memes and our articles and our posts against Philippians 4:8: “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, 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.” If it doesn’t tick off any of those things, I probably shouldn’t post it. It’s not hospitable, and it’s not uplifting, and it isn’t pointing, however subtly, to the beauty and the glory of God. It’s important not to be legalistic or heavy-handed about this. We don’t have to write a theological dissertation every time we post, but we can be careful and intentional that the content we share points in at least a small way to the Gospel of hope and peace—that it is true, honorable, lovely, commendable, excellent, or worthy of praise.

If transforming our relationship and attitude to social media feels like an unbearably tall order, that’s because it is. On our own strength, it’s too hard. But we don’t have to do it on our own strength. The same Jesus who died to secure our eternal future in glory died to give us victory over sin. He secured not just our salvation, but our sanctification, and he sent his Spirit to help us. “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15: 55-57). We can take our feeble efforts and lay them at the foot of the cross, trusting that “He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:6).

We the Church of God’s people have been given a huge gift this year. Many of us have been given more time than we’ve ever had in our lives to read the Word and hide it in our hearts, to dedicate hours of our time on our knees in prayer to the living God. We may feel like David hiding in a cave with enemies round about us, but God is here with us, waiting for us to cast our burdens onto him. Unlike Facebook, Jesus tells us, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30). What a contrast to the stress and the anger and the fear and the arguing and the clamor that is our collective consciousness on Twitter. He’s offering us rest for our souls, and not only that, but he’s given us a captive audience of the entire internet to preach the good news of rest and peace! Everyone is stuck in their homes with nothing to do but listen to you talk about Jesus! Don’t waste this moment; live it to the hilt! Use this time online to glorify God, enjoy him more, and teach others to do the same. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

by Phil Olson

Why Galatians?

Perhaps as we start a new sermon series through a book of the Bible, you think, I’ve always wanted to study this book. Or, what’s in Galatians again? Or maybe even, why are we preaching this book? If you have thought any of those things, or just want a better idea of what you should be listening for, thinking about, and praying about as we look at Galatians, here are a few thoughts on what is in Galatians, and why this book is worth considering.

I doubt many of us are strangers to the gospel. We know the good news that Jesus died on the cross to save us from the punishment we deserve, and to welcome us into relationship with God. We know that because Jesus rose again, we do not have to fear separation from God forever in hell. But sometimes we think the gospel serves as merely the kickoff to our Christian life, failing to remember that it is everything in our Christian life.  Do we remember that because Jesus died for our sins, we can also die to our sins? Do we remember that after Jesus came out of the tomb, he came to live in us? That because God’s grace brought us to him, his grace also sustains us with him? We ought to. We need to be reminded regularly that it is the good news of who Jesus is and what he has done that not only saves us, but sanctifies us. Galatians reminds us that God’s intervention on our behalf through Christ, even in our sinful condition, is not just the starting point of the Christian life. It is the only sustaining and ongoing hope that we have to live the life he has called us to.

Galatians is definitely Paul at his most severe. He is terse and direct, and at times intense and harsh with the Galatians. But this is not because he is contrary or hostile to the church. He is heart broken as he sees the Galatians moving away from God. He continuously calls them to recognize their flesh, their sinful tendencies, their deceptions, their shortcomings—and to turn again and again to the gospel in the midst of those things. Paul knows that it is only as they see the ways that they have turned from God and turn back towards him that they will mature and reflect Jesus.

We are like the Galatians. We frequently turn from God because of our sin and selfishness. We are prone to trying to live the life of Christ without the life of Christ! We need to learn a posture of repentance and confession. We need to constantly turn from the sin, from the error, from bad thinking or habits, back to the truth of the gospel. Galatians is a great challenge to us to constantly evaluate our lives in light of the message of the good news of Jesus.

My problem in living the Christian life is rarely that I do not know what's right. Of course, there are times when I need to learn or understand biblical and gospel truth. But more often, I actually do know the right answer. God is in control. There is hope in Christ. Jesus has defeated sin. I am a new creation. I am loved by God. Jesus is enough. And on and on and on. My problem is too often that I do not actually believe what I know to be true. At least not in a way that changes my life.

How can I know that God is in control, but still worry? Why do I recite a verse about God’s power over sin, and still give in to temptation? Why am I so restless and unsatisfied even as I hum songs that say Jesus is all I need? Because even though I know these things to be true, on some level, in those moments, I am not believing them to be true. I am not trusting that God actually does what he says. I am not believing what is said about God’s grace, forgiveness, power, wisdom, love, or help. I am relying on myself rather than relying on him. I have not so much a knowing or doing problem as I do a believing and trusting problem. And Galatians addresses this as well. It tells us that we are to keep pressing into faith and trust, rather than works and law.

The book of Galatians helps us to remember that the gospel is the very core of our lives as Christians. It is not just something that a non-Christian uses to attain salvation, but is the key to our lives as Christians. And as we live lives of repentance and trust, we can see that gospel continue to transform us. Galatians also has many great passages that speak to what genuine freedom is in the life of the Christian, of dying to ourselves so that Jesus can live through us, about our identity because of our adoption as children of God, true unity and oneness in Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, the fruitfulness of the life of the Christian, battling sin, and loving others well and bearing one another’s burdens. This book reminds us that in putting the gospel into its right place in our lives, we will see our lives reflecting Christ more and more for His glory and our good.

I am excited to spend time in this book together, and pray that we will all continually encounter the liberating power of the gospel through it, so that we and those around us can be changed by that good news!

by Brennan Westerman

In the week leading up to the new year, I had planned to write an article with this title. As it turns out, I'm glad for my delay, because now I don't have to convince anyone.

In 2021's defense, it's not its fault. For us mere humans, a year, as it is happening, feels like a long time. Give any year enough time and it will bring disappointment, however small (but often great), in some way.

For at least the month of December, and much longer for some, we've all been looking forward to the end of 2020, and hopeful about 2021. But of course, we must remember, our calendar is ultimately arbitrary—the new year might as well begin in the middle of the afternoon on May 9. As long as we're consistent from year to year (the concept of which is at least grounded in basic astronomy), that would fulfill the basic requirements.

Now for things that we can control, an arbitrary event can be twisted and used for our good. The impulse some feel to evaluate the past year and dream about the next, establishing goals and disciplines that we desperately hope will bring improvement to our lives, is a good impulse. There's no reason you couldn't also do that on May 9, or much more regularly than that, in fact, but if "New Year's Day" motivates us, however arbitrarily, to reset and refresh, who's to complain?

But for things out of our control, arbitrariness endures. Already, "2021" has proven that it won't (and can't) fix our political, cultural, medical, or personal problems. Don't put your hope in 2021.

The Bible is quite clear when it comes to hope. Our hope, in the ultimate sense of the word, is to be solely fixated on God, generally, and on Christ, more specifically, who faithfully absorbed God's wrath against sin and gives his righteousness to all who repent and believe in this gospel (good news). Now the numerous times hope is mentioned in Scripture is of course nuanced (remember nuance?); sometimes it is focused on God's grace (1 Peter 1:13), sometimes on salvation (1 Thessalonians 5:8), sometimes on eternal life (Titus 1:2), sometimes on righteousness (Galatians 5:5), and sometimes on the glory of God (Romans 5:2). But we know that these are all just single aspects and emphases of the "one hope" (Ephesians 4:4) that is situated in the character, promises, atoning work, and faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

Now let me attempt to be fair. When one says "I can't wait for 2021!" or "Praise God that 2020 is almost over!"—isn't that just something to say? Isn't it just a commentary on the difficult year that we've had? Isn't it just a way to state that we optimistically desire things to improve in the new year? Perhaps it is. They certainly seem like innocent comments. But there are people in the world who wouldn't say them. Someone who has experienced extreme forms of suffering for years on end wouldn't put any stock in an arbitrary new year. Nor should they.

That leads me to believe that these well-intentioned, mindless comments about the new year reveal at least two tendencies in our hearts: they reveal our tendency toward entitlement (we think that difficulty couldn't possibly last into a second year!), and they reveal that our joy can often come from the wrong place. Ironically, Christians around the world who experience intense and regular suffering probably haven't been saying "Can't wait for 2021", but they might still rejoice in a new year's celebration, not because they think the new year will bring relief, but because their joy doesn't come from the prospect of improved circumstances, but rather from their hope in Christ (see Romans 5:2, 12:2, and 15:13), regardless of circumstances.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I pray earnestly alongside all of you that 2021 will be a year with less strife, in our nation and around the world. But we must also remember that suffering in our world is the result of sin in our world (including our sin). And the remedy for that has already been graciously provided through Christ! Therefore, we can rejoice in hope. So even more earnestly, I pray that, through the grace of Jesus, this would be a year in which we, regardless of our circumstances, "lay aside every weight, and [the] sin which clings so closely, and...run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2). Let it be so!

by Maranda Ellis

I was asked a question in life group a few weeks ago—several weeks ago, in fact.

"What are your feelings about returning to church, returning to gathering together as a church body?”

At first I struggled to understand why this question would be asked. It seemed to be a simple answer, but the more I thought about it, the more complex that question became, and it’s taken me a while to work it out. The short answer is, I don’t know if I’m completely ready, and returning to gathering together again kind of terrifies me.

Why?  

It’s been over three months, so how could I possibly not feel ready? I feel ready to worship together, and to hear God’s word, and even to wear a mask while it’s required. But I wasn’t ready for the feeling of reluctance I felt about interacting with people again, specifically, interacting authentically and vulnerably with them. What if they ask me how I am? How do I begin to answer that? And can I trust them with my answer?

Three months.

Three months “away” from people. Three months without in-person church. Three months of continuous stress and my less-than-stellar handling of it. Three months of time confronting and avoiding heart issues revealed through various stressors (global pandemic, job loss, social justice concerns, economic worries, family and loved one separation, emotional overload, and the minefield that is social media). Three months of refining fire exposing character flaws, false securities, and un-surrendered anxieties in my life. It’s a lot to fit into a Sunday morning, how have you been? response.

I’m overwhelmed. Authenticity seems like a lot, and trusting people with my vulnerability is scary.

No one really wants to admit they don’t have it handled, least of all me. But I don’t, and that’s where I’m at, and it feels messy. Am I brave enough to be less than ‘good’ when people ask how I am? Will I allow them to be? Will there be grace and patience and Jesus on the other end of that Sunday morning question?  Will I approach them with the same compassion and love I hope to find? If perfection isn’t possible this side of heaven, why do I feel this need to get it together before Sunday morning?

Authenticity and vulnerability usually require trust, and although I know the heart of my church family is good, trusting people can be so hard. Lately, places or conversations where I feel genuinely safe to share my heart are few and far between. But of all places, of all people, shouldn’t the spiritual body of Christ be a safe place to bring my heart? This is my struggle. This is my fear. That I will not find unity and love in the place I expect it most. That is my fear, but I recognize that it is also a lie from the enemy to keep me away from the church body.

If I am part of a spiritual body built on Christ, shouldn’t our unity in Him be stronger than anything that divides us? I know people are imperfect and humanly flawed (myself included), with many differences in opinion and experience, but if we agree on Jesus, shouldn’t that be enough to provide an atmosphere of compassion and a safe place for being ‘in-process’ and sharing struggles? Yes. A thousand times yes. But if I hide my struggles or pain and insist I’m fine when I’m not, how does that affect the body of Christ that I am a part of? What if everyone did that? Would we be a functional body running the race well, or a body insisting nothing’s wrong as it attempts to run the race on blisters and sprained ankles? I know what happens when I ignore pain in my own body and it usually leads to extended damage down the road.

All this to say, the last three months have resulted in a lot of reflection, and one thing I’ve realized is I owe you, my church, an apology.

I’m sorry for hiding where I’m really at a lot of the time. For fearing man’s judgment more than I trust God’s leading in a conversation. For dismissing the in-process nature of my life, and the lives of others. For choosing what is easier in the moment, instead of sitting in pain and discomfort with people as they seek God. If when “one part [of the body] suffers, every part [of the body] suffers with it,” then I realize just how important it is for me to support and fight for others (1 Corinthians 12:26). I know there will be times I don’t want to share, times where I am processing something and don’t know what to say, but my desire is to work towards vulnerability in that, and I pray as part of the body of Christ I can extend life and grace to others in that same position.

So how am I feeling about returning to church, returning to gathering together as a church body?

Honestly, still nervous. But I know God is good, and that He will not leave me alone in this. Fear may still creep in and override my desire to be authentic, and I know without a doubt I won’t do this perfectly, but I still want to try. Maybe my messy emotional process will free others to express theirs too, or they may just look at me weird, but my hope is that through small measures of vulnerability, God will grow me and strengthen me in how I love the greater body of his church, to be “rooted and established” in that love (Colossians 2:7), and to grasp in new ways “how wide and long and high and deep” the love of Christ can be (Ephesians 3:18).

by Gary Robertson

Anger, shock, horror, disgust, sorrow, despair. I am guessing that some of these words describe how you are feeling since the murder of George Floyd last week. And those feelings were amplified after peaceful protests were hijacked and turned into rioting, looting, and more harm and killing. If that were not enough, a poor response from our nation’s leaders has added fuel to this fire. So what are we to do? It would be tempting for those of us not feeling directly impacted by these events to sit this out and wait for things to calm down and move on with life. I believe that would be wrong. I want to encourage us all to remain in this uncomfortable moment and to self-reflect upon how we should actively respond personally and as a church.

In the days surrounding Mr. Floyd’s murder I had been having some other personal experiences that were drawing me in to the conversation about justice, racial division, and peace. Recently, I found myself watching a sermon responding to Ahmaud Arbery’s death at the hands of two vigilantes, only recently coming to the public’s attention. I participated in a webinar which included a breakout session on multi-cultural church. And one of my favorite podcasts had interviewed a multi-cultural church pastor who has written a book to help the church, specifically white Christians, to awaken to still existing problems of racism and segregation. Ok God you have my attention. What am I to do?

For me, the answer begins in the form of more questions. These are in no way exhaustive, but I invite you to reflect and wrestle with them, too, as a beginning place.

Does justice matter to me? Am I as outraged when abuse or wrong happens to others as I am when I am touched by it?

Can I admit that there is still racism today and that it does exist in the Church? Am I blind and ignorant to this? Am I doing or saying things that would foster racism? Do I need to repent? As one pastor prayed, “Forgive us Lord for failing to hear their voices—unless their stories were video-recorded.”

Who do I need to acknowledge that may personally experience injustice or discrimination? Am I ready to enter into their hurt and listen to them?

Does my understanding of the gospel include reconciliation with others, not just God?  Do I affirm that Christ has broken down the dividing wall of hostility and is making “one new man” out of us all? What does it mean for me to be a minister of reconciliation?

Am I ready to move from keeping this a private matter and into the public? Beyond the church, is there something within the local community that deserves my attention and participation?

I know more questions can be added, but this is a start. And I do mean a start. There is much soil to plow.

Let me move from questions to direction.

We are currently working our way through the book of 1 Peter on Sunday mornings. In his first letter, Peter is writing to suffering followers of Jesus, reminding them to fix their eyes on Christ, to frame their pain in the reality that Jesus suffered for them and in the future that he has secured for them. This Sunday, Pastor Phil will take us into 1 Peter 3, beginning at verse 8. I’ve borrowed words from Phil, so you can consider this a preview to his sermon.


These are a reminder of things we are called to as God's people.

It is not hard to find an idea, dig into how I am right, and hold to that at the cost of other people. One of the temptations in this moment is to make “issues” out of the struggles we are in, which gives me permission to form an opinion, convince myself I am right, and hold my thoughts at the cost of individuals. But Romans 12:5 tells us we are members of one another. As part of the body, I need to learn how to lay down my rights, my privileges, and my autonomy for the sake of being united to others.

Many are hurting as they are touched closely and fiercely by injustice, violence, and deep wounds. As believers in Christ, it is not ok to stand aside because those are not pains that we feel, fears that we dread, anxieties we experience. We are told to weep with those who weep. We are told that as part of the body of Christ, as one part suffers, we all should suffer. Rather than filtering everything through our own lens and experience, we need the heart of Jesus, who made our pain his own and sympathized with our weaknesses (Hebrews 4:15).

Jesus called his disciples to love one another as he has loved us. We are called to love our brothers and sisters in word, in action, and in truth. When we look at Jesus, we see that he loved in a way that was sacrificial. His love made him vulnerable to being misunderstood and criticized and attacked. Jesus loved in a way that fixed what he did not break, that restored what he did not steal. If we are to love like Jesus, we need to love in the same way.

One tragedy of hardship is how quickly we can become cold and hardened to it. When we respond with our own self- righteousness, when we justify other’s bad behavior, when we dismiss or grow indifferent to things that don’t directly affect us, we are not being compassionate. On several occasions Jesus looked at the city of Jerusalem and wept over it. His heart was broken when he saw the brokenness, the people who were lost and misguided. We need to pray that God will help our hearts to respond in the same way - tenderly, compassionately, kindly.

Humility is in short supply these days. Being humble in mind means that I admit and embrace that there is much I don’t know. Being humble minded means that I listen, not just to confirm my own bias, but to understand or to be challenged. Humility means I don’t assume things or dismiss opinions. We are to value truth, and being humble minded recognizes that I do not have the corner on truth.

The beauty of 1 Peter is that in the midst of our hardships and suffering, it calls us to look back at Jesus suffering for us on the cross, and to look forward to our future hope secured through that suffering. Looking back at Jesus' suffering means we are reminded that we have a God who not only cares about our hurts and pain, but has actually walked through them. The gospel reminds us that as hard as pain is and as deep as hurt goes, it does not go farther or deeper than the pain Christ has entered into and experienced on our behalf. We have a God who understands pain, injustice, bitterness, and heartache because he has lived it. And we are also reminded that because of what he has suffered on our behalf, that he has secured for us a hope that is undefiled and imperishable. We can look beyond the brokenness of this world to see a God who has promised to make all things new, who will wipe away every tear, who will fix all that is now devastated, and know that because of Jesus, we can be with him and experience that ultimate restoration forever.

Those are words to which we can say, Amen. But let us not be found just sitting around waiting for that day to come. Let us seek God in prayer, asking him to change our hearts where needed. Let us be the hands and feet of Christ right now to those around us, pursuing reconciliation and restoration in our very broken world.

Everything is different, yet nothing has changed.

If you remember nothing else from this article, remember that. Everything is different, yet nothing has changed. Our public lives, private lives, jobs, circumstances, roles, opinions, and expectations have all changed, and for many are a moving target.

And yet, nothing has changed. Some of you will [rightly] read that clause as an indictment against our culture. Nothing has changed, meaning that people are just as divided as they’ve always been, hope is just as misplaced as it has always been, and passions of the flesh are just as alluring and entrapping as they have always been. COVID has revealed what was already inside each of us.

Others will [rightly] read it as an encouragement. Nothing is different because God is sovereign, Jesus reigns, our salvation is sure, the Church will not fail, our mission and calling are unchanged, and God’s Word is as sure a foundation as it has ever been.

Let these words from 1 Peter 1:13-21 (which we preached on in full this Sunday) sink in:


In summary: we’re instructed to be sober-minded and prepared for action, obedient and holy in our conduct, with our faith, hope, and confidence set fully (fully!) on Jesus and the good news of his substitutionary death and glorious resurrection!

Read that sentence again, and be honest: does that describe you right now? My hunch is that it may not; it certainly isn’t as true for me as I would like!

As Christians, I believe our intentions are good, and we, of course, desire to follow Jesus and submit to his Word. But right now, there exists a whirlwind (or perhaps a tunneling vortex?) of distractions from that, making it difficult for many. Everywhere we look, someone or something is trying to get our attention, to convince us of something, to define our priorities. And so we ask: where do we turn when everything around is us unsure? We turn where Christians have always turned, to the only thing that is sure and unchanging—God’s Word.

As your pastors and elders, we want to help you navigate these tumultuous times in a way that maintains a godly and gospel-centered perspective. This won’t address every issue that’s out there right now, but we hope that it will help you take an honest look at yourself and see where you might be able to more properly align yourself with God’s Word and purposes. We encourage you to look up each reference as you read through the questions.

1. Can you be content in these circumstances without having all the information or all the answers? (see Philippians 4:11-13)

This reveals where our hope truly lies. We may say it is in Jesus, but functionally, most of us put our actual hope in things like information, knowledge, and understanding. If we can fully grasp our circumstances, then we feel that we can know—and therefore control—the future. While we are certainly free to pursue better circumstances, we must be careful not to subtly shift our hope toward change, progress, and idealism.

2. Is your first impulse to speak or to listen? (see James 1:19-21)

It could be pride, narcissism, or obliviousness, but let’s be honest—we all tend to be quicker to speak than to listen! Imagine all the trouble we could avoid by listening more than speaking, by waiting 24 hours before posting a reaction, by checking the veracity and reliability of sources before sharing information/misinformation, by running a Facebook post by a trusted friend before posting, by seeking out those who disagree with us to try to understand their arguments. There’s no doubt that this requires death to self, because an inflated sense of self is the root of all these problems.

3. Are you more concerned with being right than with loving your brother? (see 1 Corinthians 8:1-3)

The situation we’re in is different than Paul’s in this passage, but the question still rings poignant and true: is your knowledge puffing you up, or is your love building others up? Is your “knowledge” of the origins of COVID-19 or the best political and regulatory approach to COVID-19 or the extreme dangers of COVID-19 undoing or replacing your efforts to love, support, and encourage those around you?

A couple more things can be said here. Some may object on this point, saying that proclaiming the truth about these things to others is loving, citing Ephesians 4:15. And while that is certainly true and important, speaking the truth in love should be done carefully. Earlier in that paragraph, Paul instructs us to walk “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3). If our truth-telling looks like that, great! If not, we’re missing the point.

We must also be careful in how we use the word “truth”. God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all described as being truth (see Isaiah 65:16, John 14:6, and John 15:26) because truth originates with God. So we should not take it lightly. If your “truth” does not come directly from God and his Word, yet you are insistent on proclaiming it, you are on shaky ground and in danger of sin such as slander, which Paul says comes from a “debased mind” and likens to those who hate God and invent evil (Romans 1:28-31).

Instead, let us be significantly more focused on building up one another in love with the truth of God’s Word than we are in evangelizing others toward our particular political and ethical theories and opinions. “It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:9-10, emphasis added).

4. Are you known more for your opinions on COVID or for being a follower of Jesus? (see 1 Corinthians 2:2-5)

Admittedly, I have always loved verse 2 of that passage: “I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” And that’s exactly what Paul was known for (Galatians 1:22-24)! I hope that will be true of me. I hope that when my name comes up in conversation, people don’t say, oh yeah, he’s that guy with strong opinions on quarantining, or vaccinations, or government overreach, or [fill in the blank]. Instead, I hope they say, oh yeah, he’s that guy who seems to really care about others and is always talking about Jesus.

Church, we have been called to a holy calling (2 Timothy 1:9), to live in obedience to God’s Word (John 14:15), ready to give an account for the hope that we have (1 Peter 3:15). And we can successfully fulfill that calling because in Christ we have been saved to such an end, saved for a time such as this.

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God” (1 Peter 1:22-23).

It took us 30 weeks to work through the book of 1 Corinthians in a series we called “Faithful”, where we saw the ongoing faithfulness of Jesus demonstrated in grace to a remarkably unfaithful people (like us!). Here are ten of our favorite quotes from the series:

"The gospel changes our identity, and our identity is different even though our behavior and our movement don’t always reflect that."

“We need to wake up and pay attention to the culture around us. Because the same grace that has been given so freely to you and me is available to everyone outside the walls of the church, and someone needs to tell them that. And that someone is us.”

"The problem is not how much of the Holy Spirit you have; the problem is, how much of you does the Holy Spirit have?"

"If I come to church on a Sunday morning saying, 'I really hope that the pastor tells me what to do and gives me a checklist or three easy steps for my Christian life this week,' God would tell us: grow up!"

"Jesus is truly better than all of the things that we oftentimes believe—the lies, or the ways that we put ourselves on the throne."

"Although marriage doesn't exist for your fulfillment, it points to it. Marriage is the picture that God gave us to try to help us make sense of the beauty, and the wonder, and the magnitude of what Jesus accomplished in saving the church."

"God may give you something just so you can lay it down."

"Human wholeness comes not by denying God's design but by conforming to it."

"When we see the cost with which Jesus loved us, then we are able to love in costly ways."

"We need God for everything and yet he is everything that we need."

"We are resurrection people, and it has been granted to us to walk in joy and freedom and victory and salvation and life in the name of Jesus Christ! Death has no claim on us, no power over us, because Jesus has defeated death, has killed death, and has removed its sting!"

This is an important question for every Christian parent to answer—and an exciting one when it comes up! I wish I could say that there is a clear-cut, one-size-fits-all answer, but important things are rarely that easy. In the Bible, there is no “age of accountability” or prescribed requirement for these things except for believing in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins and salvation. So, parents, wisely navigating this with your children will require you to provide ongoing discipleship and communication with them.

Before offering some suggestions of questions to ask your children, let’s be reminded that neither baptism nor communion are a means to salvation. Instead, they are commands given by Jesus to be obeyed after salvation (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 22:19-20). They identify us as believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, and they proclaim and remind us of his death and resurrection. So they are not required for salvation, yet they are vitally important, and God’s Word knows [nearly] nothing of an unbaptized follower of Jesus.

With that in mind, what should we be looking for and discussing with our children who are considering baptism and communion?

First, as stated, has the child made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ? Can they articulate that to you? How about to someone else? Parents, we can easily give our kids a pass, so I suggest asking another believing family member or friend to ask your child what the Bible says about being a Christian, and then solicit their feedback. I would strongly encourage you to ask for more than “yes” or “no” answers. We should never communicate to children that they are too young to understand the gospel or must wait before trusting in Christ, but those who are baptized or taking communion must be able to make a credible profession of faith.

Second, are they showing fruit and evidence of conversion through obedience to and love for Jesus? While the Bible lays out some pretty clear behaviors for Christians, the answer to this is going to be subjective based on the age and maturity of the child. Parents, you know your child and you will have to exercise discernment. Again, you might consider asking other Christians outside of the home who know your child.

I realize that in the Bible there is no prescribed waiting period for participating in baptism or communion. After all, the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts 8:26-40 asked to be baptized immediately following his response to the gospel. And Peter preached to the crowd at Pentecost to repent and be baptized, and they did (Acts 2:38, 41). Paul only spoke of the meaning of communion and one’s conduct in taking it (1 Corinthians 11:17-34). But there seems to be good wisdom in first making sure a child (or everyone for that matter) understands the capacity and gravity of their sin and need for repentance and pursuit of holiness as they follow Jesus.

Third, does the child have a clear understanding of the symbolism in baptism and communion, and the reasons for participating? This is a teaching opportunity for you, the parent, to go through the Scriptures together and answer what, why, and how.

Based on these factors, some churches have made the choice to wait until children are at least in middle or high school before allowing or encouraging their participation in these ordinances. But because Scripture does not shackle us to a certain age or make clear prescriptions in these areas, we must exercise restraint in making dogmatic assertions regarding the “proper age” for baptism and communion. So, we have chosen not to draw that line but rather allow parents freedom in making these decisions. But don’t rush it. Waiting and holding off for understanding, maturity, significance, anticipation, and meaningful memories can be a good thing for your child. We should be very careful in how we handle the precious little ones that the Lord has entrusted to our care—neither discouraging them from believing in Jesus nor giving them false assurance of their decision by speedily baptizing them or partaking of communion.

As we’ve seen repeatedly, the church in Corinth was jacked up. Sometimes, it’s easy to see how we’re jacked up in the same way, but other times we miss it because we’re jacked up in the opposite way.

This is the case when it comes to Holy Spirit-given gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12, as Paul discusses the various ways the Spirit empowers those in the church to complete its mission, his overwhelming emphasis is unity. In fact, the repetition is nearly nauseating—one Spirit, one Spirit, same Spirit, one body, one and the same Spirit, one body! He allows for individuality, but only in the sense of distinction for the sake of harmony, like a musical chord, where the beauty comes not from each individual note but from the combination of sound.

But apparently, the Corinthians were more like a group of toddlers sitting on a piano bench hammering away at the keys.

The problem in Corinth was gift comparison. Some were proud, saying my gift is the most significant; others were dejected, saying my gift doesn’t matter. Paul shows both ways of thinking to be foolish and instead highlights the necessity of many parts, many giftings, working cohesively together for the sake of the mission to which the church is called. We generally think this to be quite beautiful (and it is!), and that’s why this is one of the more well-known and beloved passages in the church today.

But how are we to relate to this passage in 21st Century Pacific Northwestern America? In one sense, we’ve got the same problem—overemphasized individuality. But are we overemphasizing our individuality in the same way? Generally speaking, the answer seems to be no. Our problem is not gift comparison, but gift ignoring. The Corinthians weren’t saying, you do you; if anything, they were saying you do me, because my gift is better. If we only interpret this passage through our be true to yourself cultural mindset, I’m afraid that we’ll give our intellectual assent but fail to obey.

The Corinthians had this going for them: they were operating in the power of the Holy Spirit. Sure, they had some misnomers and unhealthy mindsets about their service, but it seems like they understood that the church had a mission and that the Spirit was gifting them to be able to accomplish it. And praise God for that!

Can the same be said of us? Do the Christians who fill our churches know that they (collectively) have a God-given, Christ-centered, gospel-fueled purpose? And are they eagerly working toward that end, trusting that the Holy Spirit will give them whatever they need to see it through?

All too often, we’re content to sit timidly on the bench, observing the game, wondering why we haven’t been graced with the same drive, clarity, ability, or endurance as those around us. But is that true? Are you lacking a Spirit-given gift? Did God miss you? Do you have no function in the body? Are you too broken to be of use? Is it too late for you? By all means, no! God says emphatically that he empowers the ministry activity of everyone (1 Corinthians 12:6). Everyone. Period. Why do we so often believe this to be untrue?

But we are not slaves to this pattern of [wrong] thinking. It’s an old-self way of thinking. Elsewhere, Paul exhorts the church to “be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth” (Ephesians 4:23-24, CSB). In other words, you are no longer defined by what used to define you! You’re not defined by your performance, your contributions, or your deemed status or value; you have now been remade in God’s likeness and granted Jesus’ righteousness, and the reality of that truth far outweighs any previous thought or belief! And so we’re urged to live in a way, to minister in a way, to proclaim the gospel in a way that lines up with who God has remade us to be.

A church is like a body. And that body is on a mission. At The Bridge Church, our mission is to form people into the image of Jesus through the liberating power of the gospel so that the gospel will advance in our communities. In other words, we want to see more and more people saved through faith in Jesus and increasingly putting on their new selves, the ones created according to God’s likeness in righteousness. That’s it. People liberated from sin’s power and effect through the gospel, walking in the righteousness that has been given to them in Christ, and working toward that same end in others. Gospel—Identity—Movement.

When we, or when any healthy church, calls you to serve in the church, that’s what we’re after. We want to see the gospel flourishing in our people and contexts, and to see that happen, we need all the parts—including yours.

• You may not know what your part is yet, and that’s ok. Our encouragement is to get in the game anyway, because we know God is faithful and will help you figure it out.
• You may know what your part is but can’t figure out how it fits in, and that’s ok. Make it known; talk to a leader or to your life group, and we’ll figure it out together.
• You may know what your part is but are walking in disobedience, and that’s ok (for now). You’re not saved by the degree to which you utilize and walk in your giftings! You’re saved by the blood of Jesus, and he’s the faithful one, not you. Confess your disobedience, and let the body help you put on the “new self”.

Through Christ in us, by the power of the Spirit, let’s see what God might do through this body.

by Brennan Westerman

Are you living your life intentionally for Jesus?

In 1 Corinthians 8:1, Paul, writing to the Christians in Corinth, begins to teach about an issue they were having regarding eating food that had been sacrificed to false gods. It ends up taking him 3 chapters, or about 1,500 English words, to do so. His teaching is basically this: this is a really complex issue!

In the middle of this discourse, Paul writes this:
He compares the Christian life to training for and running a race. Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve never accidentally gotten in shape. I’ve never accidentally run a race—and I most certainly have never accidentally won one! Top tier athletic training takes intentionality, and not just intentionality during “that part” of the week, but intentionality with everything in your life, from diet, to sleep, to schedules, and even to relationships.

So it is with the Christian life.

Elsewhere, Paul writes, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20-21, CSB). That’s a tall order—considering ourselves dead for the purpose of allowing Christ to live and work through us. That’s a measure we will never meet! But that’s ok, because Jesus died for our failure to measure up both before and after we become his followers. We will never perfectly love and give ourselves to Jesus, but we don’t have to because he perfectly loved us and gave himself for us.

And yet, the goal remains: win the race. So we’re called to plan, to be disciplined, to structure our schedules, priorities, and lifestyles in ways that obey God’s commands to pursue righteousness, proclaim the gospel, and love people.

It turns out that the Corinthians were asking the wrong question. Just look at the subject: can we eat food sacrificed to idols? Their question was self-seeking. Paul’s challenge is to change the subject: how does this question of food impact our ability to display the glory and salvation of Jesus to those around us? What a radically different question! And one that’s actually easier to answer.

Paul makes two overwhelming points as he answers. He says flee from idolatry (10:14), and he says that laying down our freedoms, preferences, and rights is often necessary for the gospel to flourish. Now we like the first one, don't we? That seems attainable, and Paul even says that it is (10:13). We know we need to stop sinning, to stop worshiping false gods, to stop __________ (fill in the blank). But laying down our freedoms? Going out of our way to intersect with those who need to hear the gospel, either for the first time or as a reminder? Putting ourselves in situations that are no fun, that are dirty and uncomfortable and frustrating and hard?

Paul says that the flourishing of the gospel is infinitely more valuable than our comfort, our preferences, our ease, and even our rights. And—this is the best part—he started off this whole letter by saying that "[Jesus] will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord" (1:8-9, ESV). Hear that repetition of Jesus' name, even feel that repetition of Jesus' name. God is faithful to sustain us and see us through to perfect righteousness through Jesus Christ!

And so God calls us to live our lives intentionally. Make plans for your growth and discipleship, make plans for your schedule and time, make plans for deepening relationships. Make plans for serving others, make plans to be in un-easy situations, make plans for how you will increasingly obey God. Practice speaking the gospel, practice hospitality, practice out-loud confession and repentance, practice prayer. Discipline your feelings, thoughts, beliefs, and actions to line up with the truth—the truth that Jesus gave his life so that you could gain life, and in doing so find the truest freedom you’ll ever know.

by Brennan Westerman

Local missions.

This is a term commonly used and heard in today’s churches. But what does it mean?

Local is a straightforward word—close to home. But missions? What does that look like? Does that mean evangelism, or fundraising, or volunteering, or community service? Are we meeting physical needs, spiritual needs, relational needs, or community needs? Is it humanitarianism, or philanthropy, or proselytization? What is the goal, aim, agenda, desire, hope, expectation of local missions?

In some ways, a general term here is a good thing. The Church is diverse, and so are the communities in which we live. Whatever “missions” means, it is going to require a broad stroke from the Church Universal.

On the other hand, I would argue that in today’s [Western, American] churches, our understanding of what constitutes “local missions” is so vague because our missiology is so anemic—but more on that some other time.

So while a varied approach to “reaching” people (again, vague terminology) will be necessary from the Church at large, it will do no good for each community or church to carry that same variety. Individual churches need to have a focused understanding and approach to local missions.

At The Bridge, our focus has become distorted. In the three years I have been a part of our community, we have sent money to homeless shelters, gathered backpacks and supplies for underprivileged children, thrown pancake parties in neighborhoods, hosted summer BBQs in neighborhoods, sent money to an anti-trafficking organization, hosted a dinner and dance for disabled adults, taken homeless men out to dinner and a movie, raised money and supplies to help mothers with unwanted pregnancies, given gas cards to folks living in their cars, paid random utility bills and rent for people in need, hosted a free seminar on fishing, and probably a few other things that I can’t even remember, all in the name of local missions.

And I couldn’t tell you a single person’s name who was a recipient of that.

That is the heart of the problem with an unfocused local missions ministry. Everything in that list is a “good” thing. But was it worth it? Worth the time, the money, the investment? I have no idea. I’m sorry, church. I wish that I did. But I have no idea.

So what now? That’s a question we’re asking a lot and being asked a lot. It’s a good question. It demonstrates that we’re a church that’s ready to obey Jesus and advance his Kingdom into our communities. (By the way, that’s one really good and basic way to understand what “missions” is—seeking to advance Christ’s rule and reign in our world.)

This is where fostering comes in.

Through a series of strange events—or as we see it, a series of divinely orchestrated events—we have become aware that a large chunk of our church already has a passion for foster care and adoption. Many of you were foster kids, had foster kids, have foster kids, or have adopted foster kids. It has become clear to us that the most natural answer to our focus question is fostering.

Let’s talk about fostering. Everyone knows about it, but not many think about it. There are over 10,000 children in the foster care system in the state of Washington alone. Fostering is rough on everyone involved, children and parents alike. The children often suffer from severe psychological trauma and behavioral issues. They struggle in school—averaging a 25% higher rate of not meeting 3rd-grade reading proficiency. 70% of all minors who are human trafficking victims come from the foster care system. 14% of prison inmates were foster children. And on and on we could go.

Sounds like a world we want to venture into, right?

Maybe that sounds daunting, but let me tell you the hope. What if we could deliver the gospel to every child and parent involved in fostering in our communities? Not just tell, and not just show, but deliver the gospel. What if we could bring the gospel to bear on the lives of these people who spend much of their days in real and desperate need? What if they knew there was a Savior, a King, an eternal hope? What if they had helpful support, meals cooked, houses fixed, cars repaired, friends made, relief provided, bills paid, children tutored, regular prayer, regular encouragement, regular engagement…and on and on we could go. And what if that all came from the redeemed people of God who brought not just those things, but the message and example of a hope beyond?

Here are 4 questions we often ask around here:

1. Who is God?
   God identifies as a Father.
   
   
2. What has God done?
   "But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons" (Galatians 4:4-5).
   
   
3. Who are we in light of what God has done?
   We are children and heirs, adopted by our loving Father!
   "And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God" (Galatians 4:6-7).
   
   
4. How will we live in light of who we are?
   That’s the beauty of what God has done in saving us—by making us sons, he has already given us the righteousness, the status, and the Spirit who empowers us to be able to reach those who thoroughly lack all of those things, in both the worldly and spiritual senses—in this case, the fatherless and orphans.

Isn’t that a beautiful work? God has promised to be faithful to those suffering injustices in our world, and he achieves that through us, his children, the body of Christ, who have already received that promise! This is the exciting mission and purpose into which Jesus has called us.

This Fall, we will begin hosting a support group at the church for foster families in this area. This will first and foremost involve childcare during those meetings, but will ultimately be the launchpad for all our engagement with foster families. We’ll be able to build relationships and discover needs as we invite foster families into our church and community.

That means we’ll need an ever-growing team of people who will take responsibility for that support group. The needs and ways to be involved will grow from there.

If you would like to enter this world with us and be on the team that plans and launches this support group, simply email us at hello@thisisthebridge.church.