When the New Year Doesn't Feel New

It’s inevitable. All things corrode, wear down or die. Atrophy and Entropy are the norm. We fight it through refrigeration, face-lifts, diets, make up and New Year’s resolutions. Everything falls apart. The apostle Peter, quoting Isaiah 40 had this to say about human existence in I Peter 1:24-25,

All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, 25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.

All of this energy is driven by a desire for eternity. We want to live forever. Something in the human psyche drives us to fight against the decay. The apostle John, at a very old age, wrote these words found in Revelation 21:1-7. They tap into what we know to be true.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 5 He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.

Just a few days into the new year and you can identify with these two equal but opposite realties. We know we are dust and we long to last forever. This longing is there because we know we were made for another world. C. S. Lewis put it this way,

If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world.

So how do you tap into these promises and begin to experience the newness that has begun in the coming of Christ? The clue is found in verse 6. Do you see the word thirsty? That is where it begins. Thirsty people are aware that they need something outside of themselves in order to survive. You can’t look within. The beginning of newness is not found within yourself. You have to humble yourself and ask for help. 

Jesus said that he did not come for those who were well but for those who were sick. Admit that you need a physician and He will be there for you. In John 7, he also said that he was the living water,

Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! 38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” 39 (When he said “living water,” he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him. 

Are you thirsty for living water? It is yours for the asking. Start drinking and keep drinking!

Copyright © 2014 Timothy S. Lane. All rights reserved

Long Term Crisis: Who Do You Care For?

In long term situations, it will appear that the person in need of crisis care is the person on whom you expend all of your energies. But be careful, you may be neglecting others who are just as important.

Consider Everyone In the Family

When responding to a crisis and looking long term, it is important to focus on the whole family not just the individual who is at the center. What kind of care and encouragement is being given to the spouse, the children, close friends and extended family? The suffering of the person at the center is also bringing suffering into the lives of those close to them. Pastoral care, prayer and encouragement will be needed for them as well. 

Pay Attention to the Specific Needs

Get a list of foods that the family can and cannot eat so when meals are brought, they are suitable. Consider child care, homework, school activities, housework, grounds upkeep, groceries, errands, paying of bills, and transportation. When interacting with the doctor and hospital staff, have someone designated to take notes for the family daily. Listen to their instruction with the family to help them hear and remember. Keep elders/deacons/pastors informed. In situations like this, remember that mistakes are inevitable. Learn and adjust along the way.

Remember to Care for the Care Givers

Go overboard in encouraging those who are in the trenches. 1 Peter 1:3-9 reminds us of how God is working in the present to refine us and help us grow. This is true of everyone involved. It is amazing to see the maturity produced in individuals and churches that have gone through intense, long term care situations. Given the nature of the situation, don't be surprised that relational tension rises to the surface. Encourage the caregivers to work at maintaining healthy communication and practicing forgiveness when necessary. In the midst of the trial one thing is certain - you and your church will not remain the same.

Final Thoughts

No church is perfect but a prepared church will respond better when these difficult
problems come. Though many will volunteer to help out in an immediate crisis, it is the
long term needs that strain the resources of the church and reveal its weaknesses. To keep love constant is a challenge but Christ calls us to meet the challenge with his help. Finally, make individual and group prayer a regular part of your journey together.

Helpful Resources

Here are three books you might find helpful as you think about these issues:

1. To Be the Hands of God: One Woman’s Journey, One Congregation’s Challenge,
by Judy Griffith Ransom and James Henderson, Upper Room Books, 1992. This
book puts you in the middle of a church that is caring for a woman dying of
cancer. Also, very helpful practical lists in the back of the book.

2. Life Together, Dietrich Bonhoeffer

3. Golden Book of the True Christian Life, John Calvin