Home » Pastor's Thoughts » Letter to HPC

Letter to HPC Congregation during a Dark Providence

E pluribus unum. It is engraved on our money and expresses a profound truth: from many come one. It is an apt description of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are individuals, with our own concerns and desires, and yet we are mystically united together into a deep fellowship unique to the body of Christ.

Such a unity makes the Church the most unique community the world has ever known, and such inter-connectedness makes us unable to ignore the pain and suffering of those in our midst. Many of our members are walking through a dark providence, a time of trial, struggle, disappointment, and pain. We have those who have lost jobs, those with health challenges, those with family struggles, and those who are mourning and in pain. Since we are united, they do not suffer alone; what happens to one member affects the whole body. The cumulative effect is easily seen in the fact that HPC herself is walking through a dark Providence, a time of trial, struggle, and unease.

The difficulty is not that we have been weighed-down by error, or that our sin has come back upon us, but rather we have become a people weary in doing good. We are heading in the right direction, we are faithful in giving, orthodox in our beliefs, but we are tired and worn-out at the amount of work required of us at a small church, and we long to see some progress in growth. Such a state is not unique to Heritage. A pastor from a previous era observes that churches in such a malaise are “moving in the right direction but the trouble is that they are shuffling along with drooping heads and hands and the whole spectacle and picture they present is the very antithesis of what the Christian is meant to be in this life and world.”

Our natural inclination in the face of such difficulty is to cocoon ourselves in our homes with our entertainments in an attempt to hide from our problems. Thus, when opportunities for fellowship arise, we choose to stay home. Please allow me, as your Pastor, to encourage you to join with the body of Christ often when walking a difficult path. We need each other, and when the body gathers to partake of the means of Grace—those things by which God blesses us: the Word, Sacraments, and Prayer—it is good for you to be present. Be assured: it is not the voice of encouragement and victory that tells you to stay home, that you are too tired or too busy to come and pray with your fellow sufferers. Those things, rather, are the voice of unbelief. They are the heralds of a heart that has ceased to believe that “God works all things together for the good of those who love him.”

Such unbelief is defeated when the Holy Spirit opens our eyes up to the glory of Christ and causes our hearts to rejoice in the redemption in which we stand. Unbelief fixates on the difficulties, obstacles and wrongness of the world while excluding the promise of Christ making all things new. Unbelief is fundamentally a focus on the world and not on Christ, and it is the cause of weariness in a Christian. What are we to do during such a time as this?

1. Recognize that a dark Providence is still a Providence! 
   Weariness in the Christian life is actually better than an insidious contentment with the things of life that can never ultimately satisfy. Perhaps the Lord is taking us down this path in order to show us where our heart’s affection and mind’s attention really are. To what are we looking for our hope, joy, and security? Our spiritual lethargy is often a reflection of the failure of our idols as opposed to a failure of God to fulfill His promises.
2. Feast upon the means of Grace—Scripture, Prayer, and Sacraments (including Fellowship!) 
   You will feel better simply by being around your brothers and sisters. Coming to a Wednesday night potluck and breaking bread with your Christian family will ease your mind and warm your heart. Being at worship on the Sabbath, encountering the Lord in His Glory and Mercy, will minister to your weary soul. Singing our God’s praises and partaking in Communion will encourage you.
3. Don’t suffer alone, not wanting to “bother” anyone! 
   We are in this together! We are the body of Christ, and if the tip of one finger is sore, it burdens the entire body. You are part of a community who loves you and is willing to suffer alongside you! You are only alone in your struggles if your quarantine yourself; don’t do that!
4. Serve the Lord with Gladness! 
   It may sound odd, prescribing service as a treatment for “weariness in doing good,” but serving the Lord will take your mind of yourself and your troubles. If weary, worn out, and heavy-laden, teach little children the Gospel and be amazed as you are ministered to as well. Come early and help set-up coffee and refreshments and then rest in the joy of service that will come. Write a note of encouragement to another suffering member, and experience the uplifting ministry of the Holy Spirit in your own heart!

There is much to do at HPC, and few to do it. I know this, and your Session knows this. But remember, our Lord loves this congregation more than any of us; He died for her. Our Lord feels the burden of the lost in Eureka and Wildwood more than any of us, for it is His kingdom that is to come, not ours. Jesus can and will do great things in, through, and among us. We must simply believe that Jesus is working, and our ultimate redemption draws near. With the father of the afflicted child in Mark 9, let us also look to our Lord Jesus and plead, “I believe. Help my unbelief.”

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthian 15:58

Pastor Sean