Restringing the Bow

I'm sitting here at the desk, relaxing in our house and listening to music on Nathan's Partain's music web sight: "The Lord is my delight...In him I have everything. To him my soul belongs"...

It is gesture, for me, of rest. I know that all around me are trials and troubles, sorrows and work. I am aware that my colleagues at Redeemer have borne a heavy work load in my absence. I am aware of the heavy lifting awaiting me on my return.

But for now, I rest. One way that I have described our sabbatical season is "the unbending of the bow." Being away from my work, from the constant cares and bearing of burdens that come with pastoral ministry, being with my family on a journey of a lifetime, and doing things I love to do such as travelling and fishing, all have allowed me to "unbend the bow."

The strings have fallen from their notch. The bow is relaxed, at rest, no longer taunt. Unbent.

So how do I feel about the work that awaits me?

I see the work before me more clearly than I did 8 years ago (when our family moved to Indy and I began serving as pastor at Redeemer). I see before me the great suffering and sadness and brokenness of our city. I see the aches and longings and trials of the hearts of the members of my congregation. I see, also, the vast, unbounded potential in them to change and renew our beloved city as they experience in deeper and deeper ways the grace of Jesus and learn to live out their core identity. I see a whole generation of young people in our city being raised without a father. And I see the need for raising up a host of gospel pace-setting leaders to reach this next generation. I see the need, now more than ever, to cultivate life-giving spiritual friendships. I see the need for collaborators across the sectors of life to partner together on our common cause of city renewal. And to all that are willing to share in the work of the gospel I say, in the words of Churchill, all I have to promise is "blood, toil, tears and sweat."

But as I look at all the work that is before us, and the blood, toil, tears and sweat that will be ours, I do so with a sense of great buoyancy and confidence. Christ our King is a great Savior! He, our leader, goes before us preparing the way! His name is worthy of our greatest and noblest exertions! He is the Great Comforter and will care for us in all of our sorrows.