Presence Weekly 9/18/2023

The Devo: Making the Most of Your Weekend

In Eph 4:11–16, Paul writes,  

¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, ¹³ until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, ¹⁴ so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵ Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Serving and leading in the public square is often spiritually, emotionally, and relationally exhausting. Thankfully, there is always the weekend!

Weekends are an excellent time to recharge, refresh, and recalibrate. For those serving and leading in the Washington context of the public square, diverse options are abundant for personal enrichment. There are plenty of professional sports teams to watch in person on the screen. Northern Virginia offers numerous wineries, breweries, and distilleries - which are especially beautiful this time of year. Plenty of parks, mountains, and beaches are within a short drive. One could hang out with friends, read a book, watch a movie, or enjoy a local festival. Some might even work on a house or yard project. Of course, many will endeavor to enjoy the weekend with their children, who have seen little of them throughout the week.

Some are inclined to use the weekend to catch up on work or get a head start on next week's work. But the weekend is not supposed to be an extension of the work week but a time for rest. By providing a time to rest from our labors, the weekend acts as an extension of the Sabbath. The Sabbath, of course, is intended to honor our humanity in providing rest and for Christians to come together in worship.

So, if you want to make the most of your weekend - go to church. But don't just go to church; engage in church.

Church provides a venue for us to worship our God. Regardless of your preferred worship style, participation in public worship is an offering to God of our thankfulness for his steadfast love and faithfulness. It is an opportunity to focus on Our Father rather than ourselves and our career. Public worship is also a place for us to come into the presence of God and others in whatever situation we find ourselves. We can join with others who are joyful, angry, sad, confused, depressed, lonely, desperate, anxious, fearful, or suffering. The Psalms make clear that sharing these emotions publicly and before God is how God calls us to worship Him. It also amplifies our joy and diminishes our grief.

Church provides a place for us to be nourished for ministry. Paul makes it clear that he sees participation in the church as essential in whole-life discipleship. He says that the church's purpose is "building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes."

Paul does not envision this spiritual formation taking place individually but corporately. He sees the church as the place that provides the knowledge needed to participate in Christ's mission of making all things new and the endurance to live in a posture of faithful presence.

The Apostle also stresses the knitting-together of the Christian community when he says, "we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." Simply put, Paul is saying, "United we stand, divided we fall."

Church provides a place for other people to minister to us. Sometimes, it's easy to think of ourselves rather than others. Yet, in a way that displays Our Father's rich compassion and wisdom, the church allows us to love our neighbors as ourselves. If we can love ourselves enough to go to church, we place ourselves in a context where others can encourage us with the love of God. Worshiping with others allows an opportunity to share your joy or sorrows with another. Church brings us into a relationship with people willing to carry our burdens, listen to our pain, and celebrate our victories. God has gifted many in the church with the empathy and caring that we need, and staying away from church leaves God's messengers and ministers unable to act as the conduits through which we receive his love.

Church provides a place for us to minister to others. If everything above is true, so is that coin's flip side. When we go to church, we are there for others. The person who can barely get out of bed has someone to greet them with a smile or listen to their concerns. The person who just got a promotion has someone to high-five with. People who come to church thinking that they are alone in their life situation are presented with someone who has "been there, done that" and can offer wisdom and encouragement. When we stay home from church, we are diminishing the ability of the church to "build itself up in love."

All that to say, the church is perhaps the most you can do to maximize your weekend and the weekend of others! Plus, the Commanders don't play before 1pm!

Last Things

Our first video version of the Faithful Presence Podcast is available now (as is the audio version). It's also the first of what we hope to make a regular part of the podcast rotation - a cultural roundtable.

Later this week we will have another podcast, and it's a treat. Another vintage recording of Dr. Tim Keller from 1995 speaking on "Evangelism through Networking." For those leading and serving in the public square, it's gold!

Finally, we have pushed back the release of Presence Journal until Monday, September 25th to allow two of our authors a bit more time to complete their articles.

May the Lord bless you as you serve and lead in the public square!