From the Pastor's Pen

August 2021

"Back to "Normal'?"

The arrival of August signals the waning of summer and the approach of fall, along with the promise of cooler weather and the transition into what many of us consider our favorite season of the year. In the city of Oak Ridge, schools are already back in session and those in surrounding districts will soon join them. The new delta variant of COVID-19 and chatter about resurrecting mask requirements notwithstanding, there seems to be every reason to hope that life will soon be getting back to something that at least resembles normalcy. And not a moment too soon.

Glenwood began her journey back to pre-pandemic life several months ago. God has been working and progress has been made, but the journey is not quite complete. Attendance remains down from prior levels, small group meetings remain mostly on hold, as do church-wide fellowships and other activities. It’s time that we stoke the boiler and get the good ship Glenwood moving full steam ahead!

September 1 marks the beginning of a new “church year.” To those unfamiliar with the inner workings of this and most churches working in cooperation with the Southern Baptist Convention, the “church year” comes to a close in August and loosely corresponds to the concept of a “fiscal year” in many businesses and corporations. It is mostly an arbitrary date established for administrative purposes, but also occasions the selection of church officers, teachers, and ministry teams. For many church-goers, the “church year” comes and goes without notice, but it nonetheless provides the perfect opportunity for an “official” return to full operation. That’s why I’m suggesting we consider Wednesday, September 1, to be our “official” day for full return to normal operations.

But what is “normal” in a post-pandemic world? The world has changed because society has changed. I’ve written and spoken about this ad nauseum (and still not covered all the bases) so let’s not revisit that subject here. Rather, let’s think about “normal” as it applies to the lives of Christians, and by extension, to the life of the church. The Christian classic, The Normal Christian Life by Watchman Nee, describes what it means to live as a Christian in a world that was decidedly not: twentieth-century Communist China. Often when we hear or use the word “normal” we intend by it to mean “usual” or “typical” or “average.” This is, of course, a perfectly legitimate use of the word as a quick check of any decent thesaurus will attest. But the Christian life Nee describes is anything but usual or typical or average. How, then, are we to understand this “normal Christian life” of which Nee writes?

“Normal” in the title of Nee’s book means “conforming to the appropriate standard.” For the Christian, that standard is nothing less than the life of Christ himself. The normal Christian life is the life of Christ being lived-out through the Christian in the circumstances and situations in which he or she is providentially planted.

For the church, then, getting back to normal does not mean so much getting back to the way things were before the pandemic, but living out the life of Christ as the Body of Christ in the circumstances and situations in which the church is providentially planted. As Glenwood gets back to normal, some things will return to the way they were prior to COVID-19. But everything must return to the Standard, i.e., the life of Christ expressed through His church that goes by the name Glenwood in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus used many different means to proclaim and authenticate His one central message: The kingdom of God is at hand. He taught small groups and multitudes. He consoled and confronted. He lifted the downtrodden and humbled the high-minded. He mentored and commanded. He used Scripture and logic, parables and experience, good words and good works, to declare the good news and describe the kingdom. He healed the sick, fed the hungry, and opened blind eyes. He met people where they were, and took them as they were, to show them where they could go and whom they could be. And He did so, not for the praise of men, but for the glory of God.

The way the life of Christ will be expressed in twenty-first century Oak Ridge and Tennessee will be different than in first-century Jerusalem and Judea. Different, but the same. The methods of meeting needs will evolve, but the needs remain essentially the same. The means of proclaiming the Good News change, but the message of the Gospel will always be the same. Attitudes, worldviews, and core beliefs change, but people will always need someone to find them where they are, take them as they are, and open their eyes to where they can go and whom they can become.

Fellow believer, will you join me in praying that God will give us the eyes to see, the words to say, and the wisdom and unction to carry through—not for the praise of men, but for the glory of God. It’s time we get back to normal.

Pastor Mark