DECEMBER 7 THE EASY CHAIR By Rev. Dr. Philip Ginyard First Baptist Church of Swedesboro, New Jersey
Acts 1:8 This past summer, three Christian college students in my community – where I pastor and serve as Police Chaplain – met with me and requested my help. They were energetic and passionate about obtaining a permit from our local police department to conduct a peaceful protest march. Well, truth be told, I cringed and thought to myself, “Oh my!” That day I came to the harsh realization that I had been lulled into a space of complacency and convenience in my life and ministry, when I failed to recognize that the truth of the gospel constantly challenges and confronts our conventional mindset. The early first century church, located in Jerusalem, was forced to expand their reach of function and community beyond their initial location due to persecution (Acts 1:8). This was the practical impetus behind the apostles traveling beyond their comfortable borders to fulfill the great commission in places of hostility and vast diversity. All too often we believe that the church, and our walk with the Lord, can only be maintained by the familiar routine of niceties and familiarity. We eschew the idea that crises such as a pandemic, societal upheaval, and justice issues could possibly serve to enhance our spiritual development and maturity. If the prayer is, “Lord, please make sure that my church continues to enjoy a life of ease and comfort,” then that prayer runs counter to the narrative of the New Testament text, where often through great difficulty, debate and changes, the ecclesia emerged from a fledging gathering of Jewish followers to the veil torn, marvelous patchwork of people from diverse ethnicities, nationalities and cultures that work together in community to incarnate the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways where communities are transformed! These three college students received their march permit that day. I also added a prayer vigil, and hundreds in our community were united, heard the truth of the gospel, and I was once and for all displaced from my “easy chair.”
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