A MID-WEEK MESSAGE FROM PASTOR DARREN...



“Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity.”

                                                                                   –Romans 12:6, 8

Dear Friends,

Does anyone know where I can find a good exhorter? Anybody have a recommendation…with references?

I know where to find legal services, internet services, tree trimming services, insurance claim services, and the like. The notification of those offerings are constant–on the billboards, in my inbox, and with every other buzz of a technological appendage. Thanks to a variety of resources, there are any number of connections waiting to be made.

But what about exhorters? Everybody needs one, yet sometimes its seems like a good one is hard to find. They do not advertise or promote themselves very well. But to be honest, I would not trust them if they did. 

Even so, does anyone actually call on them? If they did have a business card or phone number on the back of a van, who in the world would humble themselves enough to confess their need for exhortation? Or would we say (as we do for so many other things in life), nah…I know that something is broken, but maybe I can fix it. Or better yet, maybe the situation will mysteriously heal itself.

Meanwhile, there are other people in the community with other gifts, just waiting to use them. Imagine that. 

Biblically speaking, an exhorter is a person who has the spiritual gift of encouraging, comforting, and strongly urging others to live out their faith. The term comes from the Greek word, parakaleo, which means “to call to one’s side” or “to come alongside.” An exhorter acts like a supportive partner who walks beside a believer to give strength, practical advice, and hope during hard times.

Who do you know with this gift? How or when did you learn that they have it? Chances are, it was an occasion when you were able to lean on them yourself. At some point, that person was there for you, or maybe you were there for someone else, and it made all the difference in the world. Not as a mere consultant or technician, mind you– not as a quick-fixer with billable hours–but as a justice-seeking, mercy-loving, friend.

In his book, The Gift and the Task, Walter Brueggemann (a beloved Old Testament scholar) described the understanding of faithfulness in the Torah as “a practice of reliable companionship with neighbors.” I love that. It adds extra meaning to Jesus’ words to his disciples when he said, No longer do I call you servants…I have called you friends (John 15:15).

As I hear it, Jesus is drawing them in closer and closer in the relationship. Perhaps there is something here that points to the essence of all Christian community–that when we participate as servants of Jesus, we then grow from there. 

If justice is the insistence that everyone is welcome and worthy of a viable and secure life, then the gift of exhortation can be an enormous gift to the community as a whole. And if we understand mercy as the capacity for active empathy and solidarity with those who are in need, then the gift of generosity will become a tangible means of grace. These gifts and virtues all fit together in practice. Not for the church, ultimately, but through the church for the sake of the world.     

That is my prayer for the people of Ashland Place in this season of our life together. As we consider what the church needs (staff, budgets, buildings, etc.) let us not lose sight of what the church is for–that is, the mission of Jesus Christ.

If the church exists for the sake of the world, then our task is not necessarily to make the church bigger or more impressive according to the metrics of a bygone era. 

If the church exists for the sake of the world, then our task is to make it more useful to the world around us, starting with our neighbors.

If the church exists for the sake of the world, then our task is to become a place where people encounter truth, mercy, community, forgiveness, and purpose.  While learning to love boldly, the task is to proclaim and uphold a vision of life that flourishes beyond the typical offerings of consumption, extraction, ideology, and fear.

As Paul says in Romans 12, we have gifts. Let us use them. 

Our next Administrative Board meeting is October 15. Our Consecration Sunday is October 18. 

Speak, Lord, for your servants are listening. As we follow, let us find friends! 

                                                           Yours,

                                                                                               Darren