What I Learned This Summer
A month ago, I was able to spend three great days at the University of Saint Mary’s in Mundelein at a summer academy designed to stretch Christian leaders. The attendees at this event – put on by the CS Lewis Institute – were a curious mix of Christians who were both brainy and extremely extroverted. We heard up to seven lectures a day (each an hour long, minimum) broken up only by meals and end-of-the-day social hours that were full of non-stop talk, analysis, and chatter. I loved it all even though I felt like I was on both on the dim and quiet ends of the continuum!
The theme of this gathering was “Spiritual Rebirth: Recovering Hope for a Dying Culture.” That’s exactly what I was blessed and challenged to grapple with - and have been grappling with over the last month. Here are a couple of key takeaways for me: first, an image - and then - a calling.
First, in connection with the theme of hope, I was reminded of these compelling words from the Book of Hebrews, chapter 6:
“18We who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.
19We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain,20where our forerunner, Jesus, has entered on our behalf.”
The Bible holds up the image of an anchor as a metaphor for Christian hope. Just like a ship benefits from being tethered to a weighted, sunken anchor when the wind blows and waves rise up, so our lives benefit from being tethered to the anchor of hope! But, this spiritual anchor does not sink to some dark, fathomless depth, but rises up to the bright throneroom of heaven where Jesus himself is present and preparing a place for us. I really like this idea that hope tethers us to what is above, to what is coming soon with Jesus’ reign in the Kingdom of the new heavens and the new earth. What we currently see is certainly not all that we are going to get!
Secondly, because of this hope that draws us upward toward Jesus, we are called to exert influence in a manner that acknowledges that our current national, political, and even global struggles are not all that there is. As Christians, we have no precedent from Jesus for seizing the levers of political and cultural power. No! We’re simply called to be a nourishing force wherever and whenever we find ourselves. We live in a world that is increasingly desperate for something more: something truer, deeper and more beautiful than one can get with click or see on a screen. Christians are NOT called to take over and obtain a controlling interest over our civilizational structures. We are called to share what we already have: the water of life.
I’m especially excited to preach a couple of messages in the coming weeks about the way the Holy Spirit accomplishes this nourishing work in us as we open ourselves to receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and as we allow our characters to be reformed to produce more of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. These messages aren’t going to be about trying harder; instead, they’ll be about tapping into the root of Jesus’ grace that produces all the good, spiritual results in us.
C.S. Lewis once gave a great example of how this works. It involves a 6-year-old little boy who comes to his father and says “Daddy, can I have $20 to buy you a present?” The father obliges the child and pulls a $20 bill out of his pocket. Later the child comes back to the father to give him the gift he bought. The father is, of course, thrilled with the gift and thanks and praises the child for his thoughtfulness and his generosity. But, Lewis notes, only a fool would conclude the father came out $20 ahead on the deal.
We don’t bring to God anything he did not already give to us. But, God is thrilled when we bring to him the gifts of our spiritual fruit. And as loving children, it might thrill us to offer these and to receive our Father’s beaming love over and over again.
Hoping that Hope has found you this summer as well!
- Pastor Gregg