I've recently started to read a book on contemplative prayer by the early English church that speaks about the incomprehensible nature of God. A God that cannot be understood by mere language, though God gave us languages in order to weave together pictures of His being, I think they have a good point. The way that our language works today, especially with what's considered colloquial, we don't have enough theological language to describe God. We may never, but with God all things are possible, so who am I to say?
Then I come to my point. I think many of us can agree when I say "I hate acknowledging my shortcomings." I want to do well, I desire to walk in absolute devotion to Jesus. I don't do that all the time, and I know further than that I quench the Holy Spirit because of my own inhibitions, fears as to what is new or could change my way of looking at things, and discomfort over what is convicting and challenging. Most of you who know me would probably look at that and say "does he really have discomfort about those things?" but it's true. I choose to lean into challenges and discomfort because of my desire to be uncompromising about my faith, and uncompromising about allowing the flow of the Holy Spirit in my life, and through my life.
What would happen in the church if we were all uncompromising about allowing the flow of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Well, I think first off we would all feel peace in the land that churches are on. I landed here in Latvia, and we're staying at a church for a few days, and I was GRIEVED at how little anointing I felt here. We had just come from a place where a man and his wife are rebuilding the property in order to be a center for retreat, counseling, reconciliation, among other things. It was TWO people, and I could tell there was more prayer on that land than has been on this land IN A CHURCH. It grieves me to know how ineffective the body of Christ IS.
I get that Jesus meets people at church, believe me. He met me at the church I would call mine many a time. He continues to meet me in sermons and continues to challenge me to visit churches when the opportunity arises. Now I know that it has changed from a place of going to receive to a place of going in order to intercede and give.
But what if God's intentions were bigger than that? What if in the next coming years the mass exodus from the church became a church that was known for its intimacy with the small groups of people that they had? What if in the coming years our church attendance wouldn't just be stopped due to covid, but also in part because of God? How would it look if no longer did we have a Sunday service of worship, but Sunday was turned back into a working day, and the Sabbath of the week was regulated on Saturdays? Would there be enough people wholly devoted to the spirit that the church would still thrive, or would it fall flat on its face in all its agony? What if God's intention was to awaken people in their living rooms, and their workplaces? What if God's intention was to tear down the walls, as we so often ask Him to do? What would happen to our people if He came through on that ask? Would you be ready?