For many years, our family has attended a small country church that sits about a mile from our rural Iowa home. Nestled among farmfields, our church has its own cemetery across the road.
Whenever I tell people from other parts of the United States and the world about our church, they are fascinated. We worship with people ranging in age from infancy to nearly 100 years old. Some Sundays, we sing hymns out of the old hymnal. Other Sundays, we sing contemporary songs that we play on screens at the front of the church.
At least once a month, I have the privilege of selecting the songs that we sing, and I project them onto TV screens attached to the wall. I call myself the church deejay. And Deejay Jenny Lee likes to play it loud when she drops a beat.
The people who attend our church don’t come for the technical effects on-stage or the worship band (we don’t have either). At Christmas, baby Jesus is a doll pulled from the toy bin in the nursery. I like to think the people who show up on Sunday do so for some solid teaching and to catch up with the down-home folks who look you in the eye when you’re talking with them.
Our church is a place where six generations of believers (sometimes from the same family line) have been baptized, confirmed, shepherded, married, comforted, held, and even buried. It’s a place where real people encounter the sustaining love of Jesus Christ.
And it happened because people showed up and kept showing up, kept sharing Christ’s love, kept humbling themselves before God, kept serving, kept learning, kept diligent in the faith —
Even when it was hard.
Even through wars.
Even through the Depression.
Even through intense personal trial, addiction, heartbreak, and devastation.
They kept showing up.
One morning recently, before my husband headed out the door for farm chores, he came into the kitchen to tell me what he’d just read in his daily Bible reading. Here it is: only one generation after Joshua led the Israelites into their God-given homeland, the people stopped following God.
The people of Joshua’s generation died, and the next generation did not know the LORD or any of the things he had done.
Judges 2:10 (CEV)
One generation! That was it.
The people stopped remembering. They stopped worshipping. They stopped practicing the faith. They stopped telling the next generation what God had done.
Deejay Jenny Lee is about to get her preach on:
This is our time, friends. We are the next generation. We are the ones with the duty of remembrance and the responsibility of passing down what we’ve learned about the saving grace of Jesus.
It’s on us. If we don’t do it, who will? Will we be the people who stopped remembering?
I understand that not everyone can physically be in a church right now due to the coronavirus, and I know that kingdom work isn’t limited to a building of worship. Many of us, including our family, have had meaningful moments of worship and faith growth around computer screens in 2020. So I am certainly not suggesting that we all run back to church and start hugging one another and breathing on each other. But I am suggesting that we take some time to think about what “church” and corporate worship will look like in the months and years ahead.
Social researchers predict that many church members who previously attended in-person services will not return to the physical service after the pandemic is over. Of course, people can continue to engage in meaningful ways online.
But wherever we are and however we worship, we have the duty and privilege of carrying forth the gospel. I’ll say it once more: it’s on us. We are the generation.
What if we were known as a generation who kept its eyes focused on Jesus in this time of trial?
What if we were known as a generation who did our part, so “that a people not yet created may praise the Lord” (Psalms 102:18)?
What if we were known as a generation who kept serving, kept learning, kept diligent in the faith — like our forefathers and foremothers before us?
The torch has been passed. The time is now. Let’s not go down in history as the generation who forgot it all.
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Preach it deejay Jenny!
When the worldly “chips are down,” that’s the time the church (believers) need to rise up. We were made for such a time as this. The world is frantically looking around for answers and we are the ones holding the answer key. It’s past time for us to be sharing our faith and the hope that is within us. If a man was dying of thirst, you’d certainly give him a glass of water, The world is dying of a spiritual thirst and we hold a well of living water. Now is the time to share, and share boldly. Let us not forget, but look back over all our blessings and God’s faithfulness, and let that propel us forward with hope and courage. Amen, Sister!
Blessings,
Bev xo
If always brings me joy and encouragement to read your comments, Bev. Thanks for being such an integral part of our community, shining your light everywhere you go.
Excellent post by Jenny and as always, Bev, your comments were a great addition, especially the one about the world dying of spiritual thirst! Our mission is critical. Lord, help us to be faithful to share the Good News of the gospel!
..,,. This is so very timely – appropriate- and powerful. Thank you for describing your heart and our need for intentional commitment to Jesus.
So glad this spoke to you, Sandy!
What an important message! I cannot imagine how lost the Israelites must’ve been to have forgotten so quickly- and now, NOW, when the world seems to be tumbling right into Hell itself sometimes. Thank you for this reminder to share Jesus and his message today and each day.
I keep thinking, “It’s on us. It’s on us.” We can do this. God has equipped us. Let’s GO!
Thank you so much for this reminder! It has become very easy to sit on the sidelines this past year. The harder it is to share Jesus, the more important it is to do so. We are here “for such a time as this”. Let us encourage our local churches and help continue to spread the gospel and Christ’s love to all in our communities, however we can. Christ is counting on us to carry on what was handed down to us, let us be faithful in doing so.
Wow, Judy. This line here: “The harder it is to share Jesus, the more important it is to do so.” That’s so important. Preach it girl. Or can I call you, Deejay Judy C. 🙂
I love that we both attend a small, family church! Someday my grandchildren will realize how unusual it is to have 2 sets of grandparents in the pews with them, but I am grateful for our weird normal!
So true, Michele! I think I have taken this for granted. We have something very special to celebrate in these little communities. 🙂
Amen, Sister!
xo
Thank you, Jennifer for the call to action. I have contemplated what church will look like, even a few months down the road. It scares me in some ways to think that there are many out there who do not want to continue to grow their faith and the church. My son is the pastor of my church. It is a small church that sounds similar to yours. I pray I continue to do my part and listen for the Lord as He shows me what to do.
Praying for your son as he heads. And how had I forgotten this? It doesn’t surprise me in the least bit to know that your son is preaching the Word. Well done, Deejay Mary G. 🙂
Hey that’s homegrown God lived faith!! I love it.. I have lived 16 of my 21 years of being saved in a rural Pa. church. I learned gospel through helping teach children and yes baby Jesus was a doll from our nursery too. So many generations grew up there seems it was normal.. although it’s died off after several pastors died or retired.. no new generations stayed.. but 25 elderly ones did stay and it still shines somewhat in a very dark neighborhood.. praying for all of our churches …nation and world wide that we are His we know what He does and did and we will be the light to lead them home, here in NC with a church of over 1,000.. we stand strong and mission oriented. Depression has touched many this year but we see the evidence of His goodness and we are not swaying best we can accordingly with state regulations.. BUT GOD.., He is faithful and so we should be! No fear , Hope is alive❣️ Blessings Jennifer , stay calm..& dj on!!
Well hello there, Deejay Sadie. 🙂 I so appreciate your thoughts here tonight. Sorry it took a while for me to pop in and say hello! It’s been a wild year for our church, and we’ve been working hard to come up with ways to reach out to those who are shut inside their homes and are being hit with depression and loneliness. Sounds like you are of the same mind!
Sadly, I’m afraid that a lot of young people are turned off by church now. This is because of the association established between evangelical Christians and our current Administration. Unless the churches publicly sever ties with that group, many young people will flee and never return.
You’re right, Irene. I’m trying to make sure our church stands for the kingdom of God and not any human, but there is a stain on us all we have to work to remove if we expect the next generation to trust us, and that really is on us.
I am hoping and praying that we can continue to shine our light, and point to Jesus, despite the failings of humans. Sometimes I wonder why in the world God put the work of sharing the Gospel into the hands of frail and broken humans. But here we are! So let’s get after it! 🙂
So powerful! Thank you for this.
Glad this spoke to you, Tracy. Thanks for being here.
Wow! I so needed to hear this today. I’m trying not to be discouraged about church. I know it is God’s church and He is God and ultimately the church will thrive.
It’s hard right now, isn’t it? I keep remembering that we ARE the church, and it’s on us to be the light, and not to rely on someone else to be the church and the light. We can do this! He can and will continue to equip us. Much love to you tonight.
Thank you for sharing. You speak the truth and the world desperately needs to hear the truth. God Bless:)
So glad this spoke to you, Lynne. Thanks for commenting.
This pastor appreciates your preaching, Jenny Lee! You are right on target. I know church is hard, but we need a faith community to both help and be helped in our path. We just talked last Sunday about humans being created for community and how going it alone makes us all weaker. It’s really tough in this season for some–I get that. But we need everyone. We’re not meeting and hugging in person–but we’re still loving and serving. Happy to hear of your generations of faithfulness.
Deejay Jill R! It’s so rad to have you you here. 🙂 Thanks for sharing your heart. I love what you said about how we are created for community. Love it!
Thank you for this!
You are quite welcome, dear one.
Amen to that powerful message. As so many cannot possible imagine doing church, I cannot imagine not being a part of a church and participating in Sunday services and all that church has to offer. My heart breaks that my children have left the church and I understand why. I did the same thing for so many years and for the same reason they no longer participate. I ask God to help me bring them back. In the meantime, I joyfully zoom each Sunday.
I was like your children. I didn’t go to church. But now I am teaching and preaching God’s word every chance I get. Go figure! Don’t give up hope. He is still with you in this!
Thank you. Preach it, Jennifer!
You’re quite welcome, Mary.
This was a beautiful. Thank you for reminding all of us that we had generations before us who sowed in tears for us to be here. We need to sow for the next generation. I am in leadership in my church and in prison ministry. I am thankful for the prayers that anointed my unlikely path. God placed me in these positions so I could equip the current generation as well as future generations. I love how your church cares for all generations. Some churches have split over music, worship dress code and more. This devotional is timely and a call to the Christian church. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you for serving so faithfully, Ada!
I so appreciate all you’ve shared Jennifer, and all of the comments as well. I couldn’t agree more. Some of us have made very difficult choices in 2020 to leave a church ~ not THE church, not God. My husband and I have been in church leadership and attended and served our local church weekly for 15 years, (and others prior to that)… we LOVE God and being in his family and in community. We know we need it. But we had to choose a new path moving forward. When in such an unimaginably challenging year, a church can say to those struggling with their mental health that it’s a lack of faith, selfish, evil thing (etc. etc.), one has to seek a more compassionate and truthful space to heal, grow, serve others with that compassion and comfort that God gives us. We remain ministers of his reconciliation, we will find ourselves in ministry in a new setting as we seek a new community in a new community (we hope to move to a new town this year). God has provided tremendous support for us this year through ministries that we’ve had to access online these months of pandemic. We love the people we’ve sat and served in church with all these years, but we don’t believe we can be shepherded there anymore. This year has brought out some of the best in the believing community, but also some disturbing trends have surfaced as believers react to what’s going on circumstantially, in varying degrees of focus on God and his calling on us. I agree with the calling of remembering and passing on our faith to the generations as much as we are able. I would covet your prayers, and for others who perhaps find themselves in a season of ‘shipwreck’ from their own church… that God would lead us, guide us, sustain us, heal broken hearts, and strengthen us toward beginning again in community, whatever that looks like. It is vital to our life as believers to be in community! God is doing something new ~ and very old ~ may we remain faithful to be part of it!
Oh Margo, Thank you so much for sharing, and you absolutely have my prayers. Praying even as I type that those who feel “shipwrecked” would find safe harbor.
Thank you Jennifer.
“Wherever we are and however we worship, we have the duty and privilege of carrying forth the gospel.” – Amen! Amen! 120% of my agreement on this.
“Social researchers” predict that many church members who previously attended in-person services will not return to the physical service after the pandemic is over. – But we as believers should not agree with or accept the “prediction” although we have to be aware of that it would happen obviously. Further more, we as preachers should teach our believers that we have to overcome our natural human behavior tending towards easiness and convenience. Hebrew 10:24-25 says, ‘Let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.’
“Of course, people can continue to engage in meaningful ways online.” – Also agree with this. People “can” continue. However, this must be an option that we as believers cannot pursue the “meeting together” even after all of our biblical efforts to meet together. Our adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) We as preachers who are able to worship and stay in the faith faithfully but the most of the “many” are not. They will be in the risk said in the 1 Peter. We as preachers should speak against the Social researchers” and awaken the “many.”
Because the 2020 situation proved that the “many” will keep pursuing the easiness and convenience as the social researchers said even though the “many” had met together without ceasing it for hundreds of years.
This is just my thought towards current phenomenon, not against the idea posted and the current movement. I agree and will over the stream. The method cannot be prior to the purpose – “carrying forth the gospel.”
Hi Joseph! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. I appreciate your thoughtful response and it gives me hope for the future. 🙂
Many years ago, or so it seems, I took classes at the age of 64 to earn an associates degree just to prove I could. In one of my classes I learned that long before the written word, there were story tellers that passed on each communities history to the up coming generation so that the past would not be forgotten. Regardless of the how, it is our duty to pass on , not only our collective history but our personal and family history. It is imperative that we pass on truth and honestly do so. No sugar coating, no window dressing, and no leaving out the unpleasant. We are, warts and all, the ones Christ died for. It is no accident that John 3:16 is the basis for all new believers to begin their journeys with. It is simple and straight to the point of why Christ died for us. Never forget “For GOD so loved the world that HE gave HiS only begotten son that whosoever ( that is us – we are The Whosoevers) believe in HIM should not perish but have everlasting life.” ( the emphasis is mine)
We must pass on to anyone and everyone that will listen. That is what is required of all believers – pass our story on. It is not our job to decide who will listen because if we do not tell our story then it is a given that no one will listen.
This line wins the day: “We are, warts and all, the ones Christ died for.”
Deejay Jenny Lee is shoutin’ a big AAAAAA-MEEEEENNNNN!
I am here for Deejay Jenny Lee getting her preach on all. day. long!!!
Friend!! This post was so good. So timely. I am with you. I will tell of who God is and what He has done. It’s on us. May we be women faithful to the calling.
Jennifer,
I, too, go to a small church in the holler. Blue Springs Christian is 175 yrs old. Over the 16 years I’ve gone there most of the young people have left for bigger churches. Our church keeps getting smaller in numbers of mostly older people. You don’t see many young people going into full time church preaching ministry anymore. Most want to be missionaries or something else. Our pastor reminds us that the church’s mission from Jesus is to “go into all the world & make disciples.” He also says “the church” isn’t the building itself. We, the members of church, are the church. When we go out the door we need to be walking the walk & talking the talk. There has never been a greater need for us to shower the world with Jesus’s light & love. The next generation needs us desperately right now. Don’t be like the world, but show the world Jesus by your actions. Thank you preacher Jenny Lee!!
Blessings 🙂
My soul has been encouraged this day. Jennifer, you are such a blessing…thanks for living the gospel before me in such a compelling way. Your studies are excellent…God is using you mightily…
Amen!! Very well said! I miss the fellowship and worship in a corporate setting. I attend a small church too. But I’ve had to be away for nearly two months with exposure and then the experience of the Rona. I love that we can tune in from home and get all the teachings available. But there is value in gathering together as a community who loves the Lord and each other.