Church

This is part two of “How to Know If You’re Called to Work for the Church.” To read part one first, click here. Key Point #3 – Must-Have Characteristics of Church Workers The third key point to consider if you are prayerfully discerning a call to vocational ministry is to ask and truly answer if you are willing and wanting to embrace the characteristics necessary of any man or woman who holds such a role. I do want and need to be careful with this key point because while the characteristics to follow are consistently lauded throughout the Scriptures, I will be the first to admit that there is no Biblical “spiritual checklist” that any person who desires to work for the Church must complete.  Neither is there, as was already said above, a demand for perfection in these following characteristics as a precursor to vocational ministry. One of the most humbling and challenging aspects of working for the local Church is that you are actively participating in strengthening and supporting the body of Christ alongside people who are similarly still undergoing sanctification—people who are still daily, or minute-by-minute, fighting to be more truly conformed with the image of Christ. In this vein, we will see that a conviction to fight for personal godliness and growth in each characteristic is vastly more desirable and necessary than a type of self-proclaimed perfectionism. The four characteristics I want to focus specifically on are unity, maturity, humility, and a serious commitment to living above reproach—that is, living a life worthy of the calling that you have received. You may look at the following characteristics and think, “Aren’t these necessary for any believer in any role or any job?” and the answer would be yes, to a degree. I believe there are specific and pointed attacks of the enemy for those who work within vocational ministry, attacks by which the enemy not only causes us to stumble but damages the reputation of our corporate and collective witness. You need only ask someone who has been hurt by the church to share their story, and you quickly begin to see the implications of our personal compromises in these characteristics spilling out into our corporate wounding of other’s hearts and souls.  While the bank, gym, or classroom suffers when believers fail to align their hearts with the Spirit, the one who sits in vocational ministry threatens to damage the perceived credibility of the entire body of Christ. Praise God that we are not the primary agents in the defense and proclamation of His glory, nor are we the sole agents of His salvation. This responsibility belongs to him and him alone. Therefore, our shortcomings are not the eternal nails in the proverbial coffin. However, I do think it is befitting for someone who is seeking a vocational position within the Church to weigh and consider their commitment to these particular characteristics. So, for those who are discerning a call to vocational ministry, I would encourage you to ask yourself these questions: Am I highly committed to the unity of the saints (Eph. 4:3-7), particularly those who would be working alongside me in the scope of ministry? Am I committed to their good and their growth, not utilizing gossip or slander, but using my words to build others up, using my hands to lift others, using my mind and intellect to serve others, all for the glory of God? Am I committed to rooting out comparison, jealousy, and selfish ambition?Am I highly committed to maturing up into the fullness of Christ, realizing that I am no longer able to simply settle for a lower common denominator of Christianity, but that I must press on to make the resurrection my own (Phil. 3:12), seeking continuously to be transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor. 3:18)?Am I highly committed to the humility necessary of those who seek to strengthen and support the body of Christ, knowing that I am not the head and that every part of the body has a role to play (1 Cor. 12:14-25) in growing up in love into Christ, who is the head (Eph. 4:15)?Am I highly committed to living my life in a manner worthy of the calling that I have received (Phil. 1:27)? Am I willing to not just meet the line of “Christian” standard or ethic, but will I joyfully and consistently go beyond what is expected in purity, accountability, and personal holiness, not to, through legalism, achieve a type of works-based righteousness, but to live in such a way that even those who criticize and condemn Christianity would be moved to reflection by your character (1 Pet. 2:12)? These are essential characteristics of anyone who would serve and labor in the local Church for an extended period of time. If you are unwilling to grow in, or even further, are unwilling to entertain the ideas that you must be growing in these characteristics, then I would implore you not to work for the local Church. The body of Christ is not well served by divisive, immature, prideful, and ethically ambiguous men and women.  Lastly, a final characteristic that is necessary for someone who wants to work for the Church vocationally is a willingness to embrace the cost of such work. By this, I mean that it is a wild fantasy concocted by a Western world obsessed with self-power and self-image that we can choose to work for the Church and suffer no material or personal cost. We should not be tricked into believing that it is a sign of success for those who build the church to also have the West Elm living room staples; that Church work must afford the luxury of international vacations and the highest quality goods. Christ was clear in his Sermon on the Mount that for those who prioritize the kingdom of God, seeking God and his character first, that which they need would be added to them.  Likewise, embracing the cost of working for the church vocationally means that you put to death any desire that seeks to implant in your heart for fame, recognition, and societal praise and notoriety. There are many careers through which a person could seek to reach a certain level of prestige and cultural awareness. The Church should not be one of those callings. Throughout the Scriptures, the call inherent to all believers is to prioritize being last, lowest, and in most ways, hidden in Christ. That does not mean that those in other professions who excel and are well-known are sinning. But it does mean that within the context of the vocational Church, there is no room for ambition that aims at celebrity, fame, or worldly recognition. There is a reason that one of the three temptations the devil put before Christ in the wilderness was the fame and “rule” of the kingdoms of the world. In light of this “costliness” here and now, those who desire to work for the Church should be confident and compelled in their assurance of a coming, future reward. Paul often wrote of how he was looking forward to the coming reward, the crown of righteousness (and Paul didn’t technically work for the Church vocationally, or at the very least, he was bi-vocational). A deep confidence in the coming treasure of Christ will help embolden the Church worker to pass over the lesser trinkets of this world in favor of that great and coming glory. Next Steps and Encouragement My goal in writing these points is not to severely discourage the spirit of someone wrestling with a calling to Ministry, but I hope to share a glimpse into the gravity of the calling to build the Church. Too often, men and women accept a vocational role within the Church out of naive excitement, out of a desire to find Christian community, or out of a compulsion to do “holy” work. None of these are intrinsically wrong—working for the Church should be exciting, it should be a place of rich and fruitful community, and the work should be sanctified unto the Lord as your hands are daily and often directly serving those who are finding or growing in salvation. But left alone, these reasons are too shallow to support a call into vocational ministry. The call to work for the Church should ring deep and true in your Spirit. It’s been said by many church leaders that “if you can see yourself doing anything else other than working for the Church, go and do that.” I think this is a bit too obtuse and limiting; many talented Church workers could apply their skills to a wide variety of different avenues. However, there is some truth beneath the words in that being called to the Church vocationally should be distinctive and marking. There will come a time when you will be faced with the reality of your decision to build the Church, and instead of fleeing from those temptations, you must be so convinced of your calling that you double down and stay. So, these words are meant to communicate some of this gravity and weightiness, lest you step too quickly into this. And yet, with all things discovered, there will always be a journey to navigate, and some will start further ahead than others. Exploring and evaluating the realities of working for the Church is not sinful, nor should you be shamed if you think you are meant to work for the Church and then later come to find out that God has you moving in a different direction. There is a reason that the Scripture says in James 4:13-15, “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” This is the posture each of us should seek to emulate. Ultimately, how can you know if you are called to work for the Church? Walk with Jesus. Stay in step with the Spirit. Ask the Father for wisdom and guidance, and believe that he will show up and lead you where he would have you go. Practically, start serving in your local Church. It doesn’t matter what ministry, but pick one and get involved. Show up regularly. Get to know the people in your orbit and give yourself to the Christian Community. If the harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few, the best hire a Church can make is to bring someone on who is already laboring for the sake of the Gospel in the seams of the day-to-day rhythms of the Church. No Church needs to hire people that they then have to convince to be laborers. So if you’re feeling stuck in the wrestling, start serving. If you are serving, keep serving, and look for opportunities to talk with the leaders of your ministry or to take on more responsibilities with joy and excellence. Ultimately, trust God with the timing. There is no model life for the Church worker to follow and emulate outside of Christ. You don’t have to start when you’re twenty-two, and you don’t have to end when you’re sixty-five. You don’t have to have gone to seminary, although seminary is, in my opinion, extremely helpful when done with wisdom. You don’t have to be single. You don’t have to be married. Remember 1 Corinthians 1 as quoted above—God calls the foolish, the weak, and the low and despised. He calls you and me, even when we had no merit of our own, to support and strengthen his body. But that is his grace in motion, and it’s the gift known to those who devote a portion or all of their lives to building the Church vocationally.

If you have ever wrestled with the question, “Is God calling me to work for the Church?” you’re not alone. From the birth of the Church and throughout every century since, people, young and old, who have felt the tug of ministry on their hearts have struggled to find clarity in discerning this assignment. So, while this is not a unique tension to today, there are distinctive characteristics of our Western culture and Church structure that tend to muddy the process of determining a call to ministry. This article, therefore, aims to speak to these unique characteristics while providing a clear and simple framework for approaching and eventually making this weighty decision. It will be said repeatedly throughout this article, but, to my knowledge, there are no silver bullets for determining a call to ministry. This framework is not the script for an infomercial promising a guaranteed solution. Because the assignment of vocationally building the Church is ignited and sustained via the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit is God and is both intimate and unsearchable, a level of holy mystery accompanies this decision, similar to anything related to walking with God. Because of that, this article should be treated less like a GPS giving you turn-by-turn instructions and more like a survival guide, which outlines key equipment, addresses critical tensions, and points you to key resources.  For some, this framework will help bring confidence, as it will help even further illuminate the stirring of the Spirit in your heart to build Christ’s Church vocationally. For others, this might begin the process of finding further clarity, but the answers you are looking for may still be a good distance coming. This isn’t a loss. From the Scripture, we see that, while a teenager, David was anointed as the future King of Israel. Yet, it took years and a whole host of complicated, discouraging, and difficult circumstances until he stepped into that position. Wrestling with and waiting on God is never wasted; He is always doing something in us that He will later bring out and bear through us.  Lastly, for some others, this article may help shed light on the reality that working vocationally for the Church is not the next step in your professional journey. That is also not a loss. We have all been given different measures of grace and gifts for building up the body of Christ, some of which some of us will use in a professional, vocational context. However, the Scripture does not equate faithful service to Jesus with a particular vocation or calling. Consider that Jesus called some fishermen to follow him as his disciples and left others on their boats. He invited some tax collectors to leave their stations but left others to collect revenue for Rome. He brought in one zealot but not all the zealots; this is still his pattern today. The Spirit will draw some to carry that same mantle of the early Church builders in providing a communal space for worship, edification, community, and prayer. Others, just as equally important, will be invited to stay or step into all spheres of work and life carrying the mantle of the Christian commission to go and make disciples of all nations. So, I pray this is helpful to you wherever you land and that through these words, the God who searches hearts and knows what is the mind of the Spirit would intercede on your behalf in accordance with the will of God. When done properly, it is a a true honor to participate in such a weighty and joyous wrestling. Key Point #1 – Understanding the Nature of Calling In attempting to discern and wrestle with this question of being called to work for the Church, it is important first to take a step back and look at the idea of calling. The Scriptures provide us with numerous examples of someone being called by God, some more dramatic and vivid than others. We’ve already referenced the way that Jesus called many of his disciples. Andrew and Simon, known as Peter, were fishermen and were actively tending their nets when Jesus walked by and invited them to become fishers of men. Moses was a runaway, exiled prince of Egypt who had a face-to-face encounter with the presence of God in a bush that burned but was not consumed. As discussed earlier, David was brought in from tending his father’s sheep in a field to be anointed as the future king of Israel. Paul had a revelation of seeing Jesus on the road to Damascus. Joshua was commissioned by Moses, Elisha was commissioned by Elijah, and Timothy was commissioned by Paul.  Many of these leaders had a direct, God-initiated moment of calling into the work of ministry. Yet few of these people actually exclusively worked in a vocation of ministry, and even fewer still worked for what we now call the “local Church.”  So, we must first be careful to separate and distinguish the very real differences between the general calling of all believers to follow Jesus and the vocational calling for some to work within a local church context. This first and more general calling for all believers includes our mandate to make disciples, love the body of Christ, and grow up in maturity and sanctification, becoming more conformed to the image of Jesus as we begin to look more like him and less like this world. There should be no Christian on Earth who releases their responsibility for these Scriptural markers of the faith simply because they do not work professionally for a local church. In fact, Paul would write to the Colossians in chapter 3, “Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” It is quite possible that the will of God for your life can be boiled down to that one word, “whatever,” and that, for many, it is not a particular vocation that underlines God’s path but the invitation to abide and reside in the root of Christ.   If you find yourself waiting to practice the responsibilities of your general calling of believing in Christ until you are effectually working in a spiritually vocational setting, you are likely diluting the effectiveness of the ministry of the Church you work at. This can lead to a dangerous struggle of misplacing your identity in your vocation rather than your secured and established position in Christ—as a son or daughter of God. For those who know Christ, deepen your pursuit of your general calling to love him with your whole heart, mind, soul, and strength and to love others as yourself first. The Church doesn’t need more hard workers looking to build their identities. It needs more healthy followers of Jesus looking to lay their lives down for the advancement and deepening of the Gospel. The brief counter to this is that no man or woman called to work for the local Church will be perfect in their pursuit of Jesus at the time of their calling. There is no exact spiritual bar or standard that must be met to “qualify” for Church work. I’ve heard it said that if the men and women in the Scriptures submitted their resumes to a local church today, many of them would not be hired. Moses was a murderer. David was an adulterer. Paul, as Saul, was a persecutor of the Church. This is why Paul would go on to write to the Church in Corinth this encouragement: “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) There is no boasting in our spiritual position (or lack thereof) before we are called. This is wonderful news because it means that the roles for working for the Church aren’t reserved for the Spiritual giants of the faith, but that everyday, ordinary people like you and me can be used by God, vocationally, to build his Church and to carry his kingdom forward. We must first aim to live a life worthy of our general calling. Then, if and as the Spirit prompts, often through means such as Scripture, prayer, and community (we’ll discuss this further down), prayerfully consider the invitation to step into the local Church vocationally.  Are you actively embracing the general calling of faith in your life? If so, do you also feel a tug in your heart towards a vocational ministry? Where and how have you most strongly felt this tug? Key Point #2 – Indicators You’re Being Drawn to Church Work If, after wading through key point #1, you still feel compelled to press into the possibility of working vocationally for your local church, I want to help identify a few indicators that may illuminate your metaphorical dashboard as you continue down this path. The first is that of a deepening and lingering desire to spend your working efforts engaged in this domain. Both adverbs are intentional and should be weighed with purpose in your processing. For many who were raised in Christian or faith environments or who know a family member or close family friend who worked in a church ministry context, a type of desire by association may find root in your heart. For some, this proximity to ministry actually acts as a repellent of any such desire, but for others, there is almost an unintentional acceptance of a way of thinking that says, “This (vocational church work) is just what ‘we’ do.” There can be a particular reverence in these circles for the office of the ministry, often at the expense of the One around whom the whole ministry is meant to orbit. And so, be guarded against such desires by association or any similar desires which have shallow roots. If you feel the Spirit guiding your heart to weigh this matter of vocational Church work, ask Him for a deepening of that desire in that it becomes more fervent, more pressing, and more vivid.  Ask that this desire also linger and not diminish with the passing of time or the opinions of others. There will very likely be some who do not understand your fascination with and eagerness to explore this avenue of vocational work; you must, with a humble unconcern, outlast their confusion. The enemy also will sense if you are seriously pondering spending your life, energy and talents to advance the mission of the Gospel through the structure of the local Church, and he will aim to derail this pursuit by putting all manner of questions before you. “Couldn’t you make more money elsewhere?” “Wouldn’t you be better off without seeing behind the curtain?” “Are you qualified to even truly consider this?” These, too, you must outlast, and you will, if the invitation to pursue ministry is truly instigated and sustained by the Spirit of God. The second indicator of being drawn to work vocationally for the Church is the affirmation of your spiritual community. Note that I said your spiritual community because, as stated above, for those who do not follow Christ (and even some who do), a vocation of Church ministry likely seems, at best, foolish and, at worst, irresponsible. But take heed of the words spoken by Godly mentors or Godly community. Look at 2 Timothy 1 as an example of this affirmation. Paul says of Timothy in verses 5-6, “I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.  For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.” Do not be afraid to ask, within the right context, for the opinions or discernment of your spiritual community if you do not feel that you are organically receiving that counsel.  Be wise and discerning in this process, however, to not put so much stock in the words of one or a few human beings when the words of God are meant to carry a far greater weight in our souls. Affirmation is beneficial as an indicator, but it is not the only indicator, nor is man’s opinion the barometer for truth.  The third indicator of being drawn to work vocationally for the Church is a wide door for effective ministry. This concept comes from Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9, when he said, “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” This indicator is perhaps the most mysterious of the three as there are no real identifiers of what these wide doors are or when they open, but we do know how they open, exclusively through the power of the Spirit. We know that a “wide door” is a particular favoring by the Spirit on a particular expression or moment of gospel advancement, but this “wide door” has very little to do with numbers, converts, or attendance.  Rather, a wide door for effective ministry could be a particularly rich and fruitful small group that you lead that the Spirit’s favor is on. It could be a particular project you take on within the area of your Church where you volunteer that is aligning supernaturally well with your talents and gifts. It could be a persistent conversation with an acquaintance who continually, and almost strangely, advocates on your behalf to the local church staff. Aiming to determine the exact application of your “wide door” could be a fruitless exercise; however, it is not unproductive to ask the Spirit to help you see and then step through the unique doors He is putting in your life. Lastly, when considering indicators that you are being drawn to vocational work within the Church, it is beneficial to summarize the categorical “types” of work that most often accompanied the local church in the early years surrounding Christ’s resurrection. These “types” of work, when compared to your respective passions and giftings, may give the most general guardrails for determining if a role in vocational ministry is your best next step. While there are likely far more than three categorical types of work, the three that I see most often represented in the Scriptures are preaching, pastoring/caring, and supporting.  Today, our local church structures have grown so much and have become so enmeshed with business ideologies that it is difficult to overlay the first-century church with the current Western Church. I do believe that while these categorical types are still present in today’s structures, there are now many more expressions of vocational ministry within the local church context. So, if you feel as if your strongest giftings are not in line with any of these three primary categories, know that that does not disqualify you from vocational ministry. Click here to read part two of  “How to Know If You’re Called to Work for the Church.”

Far too often, we approach our daily lives with the mindset that we must maximize every second or else we’ll miss out on a “successful” life. As our calendars fill and margins slim, the frenetic pace and pressure of life begin to generate a constant flow of anxiety, stress, and fear. If left unchecked, this unsustainable striving will leave us broken and empty, disconnected from the peace and pace God intended for our hearts. However, in His grace, God established the Sabbath to help us counter the chaos of striving. What is Sabbath? Simply a day, or a season, where we stop, rest, and remember who God is and what He’s done. It’s an opportunity for us to declare once again that our confidence and hope are in God alone, not in our own abilities or wisdom. It is not time off, to simply disconnect from the world, but it is time up. Time to look up; to fix our eyes on the source of our true strength; to reconnect with the One who made us and who loves us. When we participate in Sabbath, we commit to stopping. We make space in our busy schedules to slow down, pause, and surrender our striving efforts. This is how we begin to move from the non-stop, never-ending, rush of life to recenter ourselves on God. When we carve out time to stop, we let God’s peace set the pace of our souls. Then, from that place of stopping, we aim to rest in God. It’s this rest that helps our hearts resonate with God’s character. We begin to understand and believe that, as His children, we have already been accepted into His family. There is no level of striving or seeking that can diminish or elevate that reality. We’re not missing out when we’re resting in God; we’re refueling. We know God, and in that, we have all that we need. Lastly, we not only rest in God, but we also aim to remember. All throughout the Scripture, God encourages His people to remember His ways, goodness, and power. God has shown up in the past and He will show up in the future, so we can turn to Him and trust Him with our today. It’s our remembering that should propel us to live lives of faith and dependence on God.  These three themes will be woven throughout this Sabbath journey and these daily reflections. As we begin, stop and ask that God would help you uncover areas of restlessness as you seek to find rest in Him. Only He can satisfy your deepest longings, so let His peace set your pace and draw near to Him. He is eager and wanting to draw near to you. For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved;     in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” Isaiah 30:15

Ben Stuart guides us through 1 Peter 4:8-11. By God’s grace, He came into our chaos and calamity and saved us so that when times of crisis hit, the body of Christ can come together to love one another as a family, endure, and show compassion to one another.

Brad Jones challenges us to think about what God calls us to do as the Church—to be light in a dark and broken world and proclaim His name to the ends of the earth.

Join us as Dr. Crawford Loritts encourages the Church in her calling to make disciples compassionately and explores the proper relationship between religion, actions, and love.

For the promises you’ve made, we bless you, Jesus. For the promises you’ve kept, we bless you, Jesus. For how far you’ve brought us, we bless you, Jesus. For how faithfully you’ve held us, we bless you, Jesus. For how generously you’ve given to us, we bless you, Jesus. For your reign on the throne, we bless you, Jesus.   Desperately and expectantly, we wait for you, Jesus. Actively and not idly, we wait for you, Jesus. Filled with your spirit, we wait for you, Jesus. When our days are prosperous, we wait for you, Jesus. When our evenings are tragedy, we wait for you, Jesus. Until you return, we wait for you, Jesus.   As we go on our ways, be our strength, Jesus. As we love our neighbors as ourselves, be our compassion, Jesus. As we give without repayment, be our example, Jesus. As we live as strangers in a foreign land, be our home, Jesus. As we speak boldly of what you’ve done, be our courage, Jesus. As we put our hands to work, be our rest, Jesus.   Like a mighty rushing wind, maranatha, come King Jesus. With healing in your wings, maranatha, come King Jesus. Just like you said you would, maranatha, come King Jesus. Our salvation and our peace, maranatha, come King Jesus. Our hope and righteousness, maranatha, come King Jesus. The King of the Universe, maranatha, come King Jesus.

This week, Louie wrapped up Revelation 2-3 by diving into the final five letters that Christ wrote to the Church, unpacking specific themes that help us understand how Christ is challenging the Church and what gets consumed when we return, discern, and endure.

Ben Stuart dives deep into 2 Chronicles:1-30, focusing on the importance of community, desperation, and awe in order for us to have the motivation to press on in our faith.

Welcome to Call on Heaven: A 25 Day Journey of Prayer and Fasting. It is our team’s hope that this journey and these days will prove to be formative, life-giving, and fortifying. Whether it is your first time participating in a fast or if fasting is a common spiritual practice in your life, we are glad you are here and confident God is going to use this time powerfully to draw you into a deeper relationship with Him. Fasting is a tangible discipline to help a believer become more like Christ. It is an invitation to set something aside, often physical food, for a period of time in order to prioritize and cultivate a deeper spiritual hunger for the things of God. Fasting helps you lean closer and listen more intently for the wisdom of the Spirit, and it helps remind you that Jesus is sufficient for all your needs. While fasting has largely been either mystified or neglected in the Western Church, it is a discipline worth pursuing by all believers. Donald Whitney writes that “Jesus expected his followers to fast,” as per his words in Matthew 6:16-17, “And when you fast…” Not to mention that Jesus Himself fasted, as seen in his 40-day fast in the wilderness immediately following his baptism. He practiced this discipline and taught his followers how to fast in accordance with the Scripture and in ways that pleased the heart of God. Fasting is an invitation to participate in a tradition of sanctification. It is to be done on purpose and for a purpose: to strengthen prayer, to seek God’s guidance, to grieve, or to repent and return to God; to align our ways with God’s ways and our thoughts with his thoughts. Fasting is a demonstration of humility, of surrender, and of a willingness to go without so that you can gain something truly eternal and life-altering: more of God. Throughout this 25-day journey, this resource will help you gain clarity about the essentials of fasting. We’ll give you four key themes to come around as you practice this discipline and aim to substitute something good for someone better. Each day we’ll walk you through Scripture, a short devotion, reflection questions or thoughts, and a prayer, all of which you can use to shift your focus more consistently toward God. Richard Foster wrote that “fasting must forever be centered on God. It must be God-initiated and God-ordained… fasting reminds us that we are sustained “by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4). Food does not sustain us; God sustains us. In Christ. If you are nervous about practicing this discipline, know that emotions like these are completely normal and understandable – fasting can be intimidating but we encourage you that it is also worth the challenge. So stick with the practice and allow any cravings to lead you to hunger and thirst for God. We are eagerly expectant for how God is going to show up over the next 25 days, and we are encouraged to know that collectively, we will be seeking God with all of our hearts, our minds, our souls, and our strengths.

Do you immediately picture a large, white steeple? Maybe you hear the familiar ring of bells signaling the start of another Sunday service. Or perhaps you imagine the more recent expression of the warehouse, artistic, tangibly creative local church? The word “Church” has many connotations, some good, some bad, but most of which fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. For many in our society, the Church has become another aspect of culture, a building that at one point was found on most street corners and a place where people occasionally gather to find hope and an escape from the daily pressures of this world. For most, the Church has become common. As we dive into the Scriptures, particularly how Jesus viewed the Church, we see that His definition is anything but common. He viewed the Church globally and its local expressions as an undefeatable (Matthew 16:18), glory-radiating, community-deepening, truth-seeking epitome of God’s love and rule on this Earth. His view of the Church included a diverse collection of men and women who were distinguishable, marked by the fact that they had been resurrected from spiritual death to a new and profound reality of being spiritually alive. Jesus saw the Church as a source of overflowing goodness and generosity, regardless of material wealth or personal comfortability. Even in the hardest of external circumstances, the Church has always been rooted in an unshakeable and sure foundation, and therefore, it triumphs. Jesus had a high and magnificent view of the Church that the Holy Spirit would later reveal through the apostles. In their writings, we see the Church described most intimately and beautifully: as Christ’s Bride. This description, which started in the Old Testament in places like Ezekiel and Isaiah, continued through the New Testament in Ephesians and ultimately culminated in Revelation, with the marriage supper of the Lamb to come. The more Scripture we read, the more we discover how highly Jesus valued and viewed the Church. But why is this important for us today? One writer and scholar says, “How we think and feel about the church reveals how much we know the heart of Christ.” Not only that, but I would argue that how we think and feel about the Church reveals how we view ourselves in light of our role as the Bride of Christ. In Paul’s first letter to Timothy, he writes, “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” As the Church, we have a new identity. Rooted in Christ and because of His work, we can live confident and empowered, knowing that we are chosen, royal, holy, and treasured by God. We can know, as Paul wrote in Ephesians 5, that Christ gave himself up through death on a cross for you and for me, that he might sanctify us, cleansing us from our stain of sin so that He may once and for all present us as spotless and blameless before the throne of God the Father. As people of the Church, this is who we are. But as Paul wrote to Timothy, we aren’t just meant to understand our identity in Christ through His Church. We are meant to live from this right identity through wondrous worship and proclamation. Because we are knit together and joined to Him who is the Head of all things (Colossians 2), we are called to exaltation, to proclaim the excellencies of the only one who could ever quell our darkness and breathe new life into our lungs. This is why understanding how Jesus views the Church is critical to our faith. Without this meditation, we are quick to minimize the gravity of what we get to be a part of. We are inclined to forget the miracle of this God-empowered assembly, and we begin to see the Church and our involvement through the eyes of everyday culture.

What does it take to stay tethered? Why did Jesus use some of his last words to remind us to abide? Priscilla Shirer unpacks the wisdom of John 15:4, challenging us to remain in relationship with our Father.