Wow. How time flies as I look at the last time I have posted. There are so many thoughts developing in my heart - it's so hard to get them together to write!
Two weeks ago I attended a joint worship service of the Evangelical Covenant Churches of the greater Detroit area. It was held in an old church in downtown Detroit. The transition phase of my past five years has now really come to a close with my move and topped off with this inspiring service which was also the final step in the beginning of this new phase.
The speaker spoke on the calling from God and His promises found in Isaiah 61:1-4. It has been a passage that has meant a lot to me through the years. The message was centered to challenge Christians to come back to the city of Detroit - to "preach the good news to the poor ... to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes ... the oil of gladness instead of mourning ... and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." I saw the inner city of Detroit with its unique problems - few other major cities in the US have the same. Driving through the streets - seeing burned out hulks of houses and people steeped in such despair with no hope of rising from it turning to drugs, alcohol and violence. A downtown which survives only because of the arts and the sports complexes. As the pastor quipped "Detroit has put its faith in the wrong "Big Three" (Ford, Chrysler and GM and not the Trinity!). I am challenged to be a part of God bringing beauty from the ashes of the inner city.
But the message also struck the depths of my heart. The pastor emphasized that there cannot be beauty without ashes, there cannot be gladness if there hasn't been mourning, there cannot be praise if there hasn't been despair. Now is the time that God is bringing forth the beauty from my ashes of the past years, my mourning is being turned to gladness and praise is coming from my despair. I want to embrace that fully. I am beginning again. Not to say that there won't be more times of ashes, mourning and despair but the promise is there - encouraging to endure - for out of them will come beauty, gladness and praise.
"They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of HIS splendor" (v.3b). Oh God, may I be a display of YOUR splendor.
"They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations" (v.4) Oh God, make Detroit YOUR city.
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