Paul WANTED to go to Bithynia. But he was given a vivid, specific vision from God, that convinced him to go to Macedonia. And when he got there, it did not look hospitable! Philippi didn't even have a synagogue, so Paul's usual tactic of proclaiming Jesus as Messiah to the Jews in town first, was made more difficult. And Paul and Silas were made acquainted with the local jail! But the Holy Spirit gave Paul three gifts. First, the Spirit opened the heart of Lydia, whose home became a home base for Paul and Silas. Then, the Spirit gave Paul an incident that attracted widespread attention, the casting out of the spirit of divination from the slave girl, and the resulting mob. And finally, the Spirit gave Paul a miracle – an earthquake in the jail that brought the jailer and his household into the household of faith. With Lydia and the jailer and others who witnessed these events, the fledgling church of Philippi would be established, and Philippi would become a financial contributor in the future to Paul's missionary efforts.
What would it take to convince us to go in the direction of the national church? For me personally, it would take the same thing it took to convince me to interview in Provost, a strong sense that the Holy Spirit was giving the directions. For me, it would look like either: exponential growth in the national church – not happening! - or a vivid, specific vision from God - hasn't happened yet. Until either of these happen, I will assume that the spirit that is giving this direction is not the Holy Spirit, but the spirit of this age, the spirit of worldly wisdom, concerned with clicks and likes and appearances.
Does that mean we shouldn't want to go anywhere? No, there is, of course, value in periodically examining our traditions to see which still hold value for us. There is value in entering new arenas of ministry, as we attract new people with new gifts, or as old dogs learn new tricks. But there is also value in continuing to do the things we know we are gifted at – serving families at times of loss, providing children with a powerful summertime encounter with Jesus, giving Peter a place to voluntarily gift Paul with his excess stuff this Friday. And as we wait for this place to once again become more hospitable to the word of God, we can join Paul and Silas in praying and singing hymns, looking forward to the gift of revival from the Holy Spirit, that will open the doors and unfasten the chains.
Gracious God, we thank you for the Holy Spirit, our guide to your direction in our lives. Keep us listening to the Spirit's voice, and keep us effective in bringing your word to the people around us, in Jesus' name....