Where are we going?
As a pastor and leader, I get asked this question all the time. Usually, these days, it comes with a twinge of anxiety and worry. It can feel a bit more like “where are you taking us?” Which I do understand…with a future that feels unsure and a culmination of uncertainties all colliding at once, it doesn’t surprise me that we want some boundaries, some clarity, some structure that we can depend on.
Change can be incredibly hard, and this has been a year of constant pivoting and shifting and compromising. It is a crucible moment for all of us. We are experiencing unprecedented stress and discomfort, but that isn’t always a bad thing. Not when we embrace the deep heart work that only occurs in times like these. Deep heart work requires deep introspection, and often it takes discomfort to cause us to explore the depths.
The book of Proverbs tells us, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.”
As I consider where we’re going, my answer is very similar to what it has always been. To become like Christ for the sake of others. (h/t Robert Mulholland) That’s it. simple. And yet a journey that will last a lifetime. Spiritual growth is transformation and it necessarily requires change. Always. And yet the way forward requires looking back. Realizing where we’ve come from allows us to navigate our way ahead.
In many ways, this pursuit is like rowing a rowboat. We take our bearing from the past, and put our shoulders and back into moving us forward towards change and growth. This is the way of wisdom.
Which is why I love the Sermon on the Mount. It is a beautiful reflection of heaven’s kingdom and God’s very heart. This is who Jesus is. These aren’t merely helpful insights or clever aphorisms. This is our identity, our mission, and it is who we are becoming. This sermon is our compass heading.
Jesus brought more than clarification of what was. He brought disruption and change and revelation of what could be. He took the old and expanded it into the future. He shifted our gaze from looking outward at our actions, to looking inward at the motives and desires of our hearts. This is where the real work occurs. And it can be painful to see the truth, and yet it is the only way to freedom.
This Sunday, we are looking at the beatitude, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. And I hope you are hungry! Jesus promises that these longings will ultimately be filled. But during this life, our appetites should drive us towards the bread of life. Our thirst should cause us to seek living water. Only Christ can satisfy these deep cravings. May we be satiated and refreshed and strengthened this Sunday.
And let us continue to press on. For the sake of others. To be a light of hope to this world. Because this is where we are going…to lean in to this deep work of transformation. We are going to set our gaze on Christ. And we are going to row.