Rut, Rot or Revival continued.

I'm also probably thinking about these thoughts from Tozer about the church because we are just several weeks away from the one year mark of church changing in the midst of the pandemic. For better and for worse, in March of 2020, churches and most every other entity, changed in their form and function. I can actually remember back to the end of 2019. I was pondering how I as a church shepherd might use the connection of the new year of 2020 that was coming with the idea of 20/20 vision. Seeing more clearly in 2020. Ummmmm. No. There is space inside of that thought for confession probably most of the time. My nifty little 2020 slogan seems almost immature in light of the trouble and suffering that is among us. "In His heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." Bible book of Proverbs chapter 16, verse 9. What seems to be clear about 2020 is that it was a time of potential humbling around the world.

Jesus. I need you.

Jesus. We need you.

Thoughts from the preaching of Aiden Wilson Tozer have been preserved as have been the words of many women and men over the ages. I'm thankful, even when they burn my heart eyes with their sting. Last weeks BuyTheField opened up these thoughts.

Tozer says, "The treacherous enemy facing the church of Jesus Christ today is the dictatorship of the routine, when the routine becomes 'lord' in the life of the church. Programs are organized and the prevailing conditions are accepted as normal. Anyone can predict next Sunday's service and what will happen. This seems to be the most deadly threat in the church today. When we come to the place where everything can be predicted and nobody expects anything unusual from God, we are in a rut. The routine dictates, and we can tell not only what will happen next Sunday, but what will occur next month and, if things do not improve, what will take place next year. Then we have reached the place where what has been determines what is and what is determines what will be."

He continues talking about the progressive stages of potential unhealth in the lives of the church, in her collective people.

"I begin with what I will call the rote. This is what I call repetition without feeling. If someday someone would read the Scripture and believe it and would believe what is sung in the great Christian hymns, there would be a blessed spiritual revolution underway in a short time. But too many are caught up in the rote, repeating without feeling, without meaning, without wonder and without any happy surprises or expectations. In our services God cannot get in because we have it all fixed up for Him. We say, 'Lord, we are going to have it this way. Now kindly bless our plans.' We repeat without feeling, we repeat without meaning, we sing without wonder, and we listen without surprise. That is my description of the rote."

Deep breath.

My, my AW.

We... repeat without feeling, repeat without meaning, sing without wonder, listen without surprise. This affects me. Now, let me go ahead and prick the bubble that is expanding. We can't make ANY of this happen on our own. Which is part of why this stirs me up so much. IT'S POSSIBLE TO ENGAGE WITH FEELING, ENGAGE WITH MEANING, SING WITH WONDER, LISTEN WITH SURPRISE! Not because we make it happen and pull it off, but BECAUSE HE IS THE EMOTIVE, TEACHING, AWE-FILLING, ADVENTUROUS GOD!

During these pandemic days, I have thought a good bit about what the church really is. I have wondered if this is perhaps a realistic definition of the church "in the west" as we are called. Church: repetition without feeling, meaning, wonder or surprise.

"Easy there fella. Lighten up a little."

Yeah, I hear me saying that a lot. But I still keep wondering if church is just one of my routines.

Tozer's words are so hard and so stirring because Trinity has created this WONDER potential inside of each of us and I'm sick of how I pimp it. I'll be that stirred about that game, that dessert, that show, that whatever you know the 'that' is for you...

and not Him.

And my words can't change me.

And my words can't change you.

And Tozer's words can't change me.

And Tozer's words can't change you.

So what then?

Read, wait and pay attention to what's happening in you.

Flatline. Take note.

Stirred. Take note.

Angry. Take note.

Tender. Take note.

Numb. Take note.

Offended. Take note.

Hungry. Take note.

Crying out. Take note.

Wonder.

Wonder?

There's more.