Just so sad !!! A bit of a rant today !! Sticking my neck out !!!!!

This morning as I ponder life... we have been in a situation of lockdown in our Nation and state of Victoria for over 3 months now. I remember back when it all began how nervous I actually was, one Saturday morning a few months back I remember having high anxiety over what was unfolding. Since then so many people have died. And that is horrible for the families and friends of real people around the world.

The World Health Organization says it is still spreading at a higher rate around the world still, even though not as bad as it was in Australia. But it isn't finished this covid 19 thing.

So I am going to stick my neck out and speak what’s on my mind this morning...

But what makes me really sad is the fact that we seem to have become complacent and  in the church especially, all we want to do is go back to how things were.   And things were not that good really back then. We have been in decline for a very long time and its slowly getting worse.

To me thats a tragedy.....we were given this incredible opportunity to change things up, and yet we see people anxious to resume where they left off.... and that is the dumbest thing I can imagine.

We say we want change, but we are not prepared for the sacrifice and cost of change. We are not that brave. We lack courage to make the hard choices. We are weak when it comes to tough decisions. And so the real sadness is that as things start to ease, we will just go back to the same old same old. Why ? Because it’s familiar and it’s easier than trying to adjust and change things.

I know a few folks in leadership around the place have challenged and asked the hard questions and tried to challenge current thinking and methods. But when answers are spoken, they are ignored completely. Some people think they have all the answers, and I have even been guilty of that myself.. 

One of the best things I have seen is  a note from our DC today around asking our Officers to answer the question,, what is God saying about your place ?

My experience  and fear is, there is a question mark around if we are willing to even ask God that question.

And so 3 months down the track, we find ourselves potentially returning to “normal”...and I feel sad that we have missed the point.  Deeply sad actually.

You know when I said yes to my calling in my life, and as I try to live it out, I never expected that life would turn this way.  Would I have said yes if I had known ?  Unsure. Truthfully.

In some ways I am not a happy camper these days.... truthfully.  

There are many highly capable leaders in this world who are ignored and forgotten and I feel that at times myself.  It saddens me that folks with the runs on the board are just ignored because they have a strong view and speak it out, and it doesn’t quite align with “others” who have different opinions.  And thats where our danger really sits I think.... for what if God is speaking through these forgotten and neglected leaders ?

That is sad.

Yesterday I was speaking to a colleague who I respect highly, and truthfully I would go to the brink with and for this guy.  He has the runs on the board, in my mind he is a legend and I trust him, don’t always agree with him, but 90% of the time I do ...and can see true wisdom in him.  And yet he is ignored, disrespected ...sideswiped and it isn't right or fair.  Our problem is that we just might be missing what God is saying if we are not  listening to voices like this guy.

And so ... here we are, about to head back.... in the next few weeks.... 

And I respectfully ask.... head back to what ?

I pray that we wake up just in time to ask God for revival in our meetings.  Personal revival in each of us ...that God might pour out fresh power into our weak bones.... that we might be fired up to save the lost, and in our churches, instead of seemingly going through the motions week in and week out, caught up in politics, song choices and styles, criticism if things are not going our way, that our focus would be on Jesus, 100%.

I personally think it would be better to not go back at all, than to go back to how it has been in so many of our churches.

I know these comments will ruffle feathers, but if we are gonna fly as the church of God on the earth then we are going to have to spread our wings out and actually take a leap of faith into the air and fly. 

And that means ruffling the feathers and jumping from the safety of the nest to do so.

And in the words of our founders... we will never affect anything in the present ...if we don’t actually disturb it.

I guess if anyone above me actually reads my blog, I could well be in trouble.  

Ahhh..if that’s the case, I will suffer the consequences of that. 

But for me I am not sure we can keep doing the things we have been doing, stay with the status quo and smile at the same time. Well I simply cant do that and wont do that.

I am 60 years of age and have a few years left in me yet and I desire to serve the Lord as best as I can until He calls me home.  And if that means ruffling some feathers along the way...so be it.

Of that there is no confusion for me.,..

He called me to make a difference and that hasn’t changed over the past 25 years or so.

I love Jesus Christ. He is my Savior and my Lord.
I am not perfect and I dont always get it right.
But... I will serve Him as best as I can for as long as I can.
No messing with that for me.