There’s a part of me that likes to think of the story of the church like a good western. I have this notion that the early church was like a group of pioneers who heard about a fantastic new land to the west that was theirs for the taking if they could just get there and work it.
I see Pentecost being the big day when townsfolk gather together to hear the exciting news about the new land. It sounds too good to be true, but there are a few guys who seem to know what’s going on and who are excited enough to leave everything behind to go and stake their own claim.
The best part is that it’s free!
So with excitement, and maybe a little fear, a wagon train forms, and the townsfolk become pioneers. They head west with big dreams. They anticipate some troubles along the way, but they prepare for them. They leave behind homes, farms, jobs, maybe even loved ones, but they just know they’re heading for something better. Some in the group never thought about leaving what they know behind them. Some have loved ones who have gone on before them and who have sent word that they, too, should come.
It’s a long journey, and they need to stop to rest and eat. Along the way they face some troubles. They face bad weather. They even face attacks. And when trouble comes, they circle the wagons. They band together for safety and support. When the troubles pass, they get back in line and keep moving. They would never consider stopping, circling the wagons, and taking up permanent residence along the way.
That isn’t the point of the journey. That isn’t the goal.
But that’s where the movie ends for some….
Why does the church seem to find itself stopped along the way, circling the wagons, defending itself from enemies real and imagined? Why does it seem to be content to rest in one location, beyond the ability of its resources and people to regain its motion? Why does it often seem trapped by its environment, its surrounding culture? Why does it drag along the unnecessary relics of its past life, despite their weight and lack of purpose? Why does it often cling to the failures of the past and forget the excitement and hope of its future?
We’re not there yet! Let’s throw off the useless baggage. Let’s gather our resources together. Let’s repair the broken wheels. Let’s encourage each other to press on.
Let us uncircle the wagons and get back on the trail.