Oaks of Righteousness

Life springs from death
It’s the message of hope
Light from darkness
The beauty of new growth

In a world filled with darkness
That sometimes feels forgotten
We forget where it all started
With a tree, in a garden

When one bite of an apple
Brought humanity’s fall
When selfishness and sin
Built a fiery wall

But the story of the gospels
Isn’t one of death or greed
It’s the story of redemption
And it’s the story of a tree

It took a tree to bring destruction
But evil couldn’t stand
When another tree stood on a hill
To hold His nail-pierced hands

When the sun rose on the hill
Every single thing changed
Nothing in heaven or on earth
Will ever be the same

Because, here’s the thing-
The story isn’t over
The work of the Lord isn’t finished
It’s drawing closer and closer

The gardener is still at work
With gentle, weathered hands
He’s planting little seeds
And bringing up green plants

The water of heaven
Is powerful and sweet
The roots that he is planting
Are stronger than the weeds

When love touches broken hearts
When his power sets us free
We’re building up the garden
With strong, beautiful trees

The world is full of dark, deep soil
But he’s planting seeds of hope
Up from the darkness
The Lord is raising mighty oaks

Take off the crown of thorns, He says
I’ll give you one of leaves
From the ashy ground, life will spring
Chains broken, love set free

Strong and steady, firmly rooted
Ready for storms and flame
Oaks of righteousness rooted firmly
In the power of His name

Planted for the purpose
Of reflecting His glory
Standing high above the noise
To tell a timeless story

A tree brought evil
And changed the course of history
A tree held love
And brought the greatest victory

Now it’s our turn
To stand straight and tall
Be his oaks of righteousness
Show His splendor, meant for all

The Church and the church

The thing with revival is that it has to start somewhere.

Most of today’s generation would agree that some degree of reform and change is needed in the American church. But looking at the lists of problems and solutions feels a bit like looking at a long list of chores – and deciding to watch Netflix instead.

How do we create a culture of love? How do we become more accepting to those outside the church – while also maintaining higher standards for those within the church? How do we develop meaningful mentorship programs? How do we reach people beyond a surface “observer” level on Sundays?

It’s overwhelming, and it’s hard to know the answers. Fortunately; we don’t have to know all the answers. We just have to know one.

A church building or the basic concept of a “church” does not have any inherent value on its own. The value of the church comes from a living, breathing congregation of individual believers, strengthened through community. Faithfully investing in the family of God is crucial to strengthen and equip us to serve Christ effectively.

The Church (big “C”) is built up of groups of believers who come together for fellowship and study – i.e. church (little “c”). Instead of trying to rebuild an entire skyscraper, doesn’t it make more sense to focus on the individual bricks?

The big picture pressure of “reforming the church” is more likely to paralyze than mobilize. In reality, starting with minds and hearts will bring true change – more so than focusing on the system and structure and expecting minds and hearts to follow.

Faithful believers build faithful churches. Faithful churches build a faithful Church. Is it possible that our advocacy against problems we perceive in the American church is attractive because it absolves us of personal responsibility to focus on change in our own lives? Revival in the church will come through personal obedience. Personal devotion. Personal training of the mind. Personal choices to act in a way that is counter-cultural.

Change might not begin with massive reform. Change will probably begin exactly where it began in the first place – through the cross and Christ’s personal sacrifice for each individual. The church as an entity will follow the tide of the individuals of which it’s comprised. Let’s make sure we’re heading in the right direction.