Last night, leaders sat around the table in our church board meeting. A growing challenge at church right now is communication.
We asked, “What is making communication such a challenge in this season?” And, “When did this start taking place?”
The conversation was enriching and enlightening. No single board member had it all figured out, but together, it felt like we got close to some solid next steps.
CrossLife Church has become a more complex organization since our founding in 2019, which admittedly itself was complex with a clarified mission (that seems ironic but think about it, it’s valid big time) and two legal entities: church and school. Two boards. Two budgets. Two different target audiences.
God is good and has blessed us with happy and healthy growth, as well as hard hitting challenges. With those in play, the old ways of communicating via a quick conversation on Sunday before church just doesn’t work any more. More people are involved.
Though not specific to our context, a general obstacle to communication in any context today is the overabundance of information, and diminishing attention span of everyone consuming it (this is a long sentence, I probably already lost you … see?)
Most helpful at our board meeting was this Scripture: “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
God lovingly and wisely is communicating to us in that verse about how he communicates. Pay attention here, starting with the first sentence. “The Word” (the capital “W” gives you a hint that this is a particular individual and not a bunch of letters strung together in a few syllables) could also be translated “Communication.” As in Jesus. He is God communicated to us.
God wants to be clear who he is and how he operates, so he tells us and shows us and persuades us and reassures us. He communicates clearly. In person. In the flesh. In Jesus.
“In these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being” (Hebrews 1:2,3).
Do you wish you’d hear from God more clearly sometimes? More directly like a voice speaking from the sky? Hear this: God has already spoken clearly. He has already said it all in his Son Jesus.
Look at Jesus, and you’ll hear everything from God you need.
PRAYER: Dear Jesus, when communication becomes a challenge for me, teach me to first look at you and listen by faith. When communication becomes a challenge between me and people around me, connect us in grace and truth. Amen.
NEXT STEP: God has communicated in person. Think of someone in your life right now with whom communication is a challenge because you haven’t spent enough time together in person. Invite them to get together within the next week.
