Thank You, Sojourn

So much of the blogging “world” revolves around critique- some justified, some not. I hope and pray that this post can be a breath of fresh air.

I am thankful for the expression of the church that I find myself in.  Sojourn Community Church has certainly been an incredibly place of seeing the Lord work, both for me and many others. I don’t know how many people on staff read this blog, if any, but I want to publicly thank them for their service to the body of Christ that God has put under their care, and to rejoice at the work he is doing at large. 

I am thankful for the body of elders who lead Sojourn.  I am thankful that they are dedicated to contending for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints. I am thankful that they continuously put the Gospel before us, recognizing that it is not something that we ever get past. I rejoice in their humility, and I am thankful for their transparency in public repentance.  They put much work into the edification of the body, the equipping of the body for ministry, and calling us to come together in unity.  They are living examples of what being pastoral is about- shepherding, teaching, correcting, counseling, etc. They recognize that it is not about them, but about Christ, and continually point us to him. I am thankful for the vision they place before us, a picture of community in the church which is not to be ingrown only, but outwardly focused also. Their labor and hard work is easily ignored because they realize that it is God who alone deserves glory, and reflect it all back to him. I know that they are weary and tired, and pray earnestly that they would find rest, both physically and spiritually. 

I am thankful for the deacons, who also do so much work “behind-the-scenes.”  They are true examples of servant leadership, serving the elders by taking tasks that free them up for the work of being a pastor. They serve the body by those very same tasks.  I am thankful for their work in the church, and their heart for connecting people: connecting them first and foremost to Christ, and secondly to the body. I am thankful for their work in the city.  They show us that the gospel proclaimed and the gospel lived do not need to be separate, but can and should go hand-in-hand by addressing the spiritual and physical needs of the community outside the doors of Sojourn’s building. I am thankful for the way that they integrate music, art, and worship. I am thankful for the way that take to the work of fixing up the building and making sure that we have a place to meet. Your work, as well, is easily missed or ignored, yet you continue to do so not for notoriety or applause, but because you want to faithfully serve Christ and his body. I pray that the deacons also would find the rest they need. 

I am also thankful for the body of Christ that gathers alongside me at Sojourn. I am thankful and rejoice at their love for true community. I am thankful that we can come alongside each other, help each other back up when we fall, keep each other accountable to the true gospel, and we can exhibit true love, forgiveness, kindness, and the other spiritual fruit as we grow in Christ together. My brothers and sisters paint a beautiful picture of the kingdom of God before me and I thank God for them. They too serve in many ways, speaking grace and truth into the lives of their brothers and sisters, giving sacrificially of their time and money to those in need,  and serving in various ways in the church to make things easier for both elders and deacons.

Of course, Sojourn is not perfect. It’s especially hard to be so when you consist of nothing but sinners dressed in Christ’s righteousness, trying to figure out how to be more like him together. We fail. We fall. We certainly aren’t better than other churches. Don’t see this as trying to paint us as something that we aren’t, and that no church can be. But I am thankful. I hope that readers can take some time to meditate on some of the ways that you, too, are thankful for the church that God has placed you in. 

So, to the body at Sojourn, thank you. I love you all, and hope to keep on doing this “life” thing with you for a long time (God willing), for the glory of God and his gospel.