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Overcoming Tribalism and Politics at Elim: The Challenge of Our Day

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(Adapted by Larry Short from T. J. Addington’s Leading from the Sandbox)

Last week Pastor Ryan spoke compellingly of the fact that our identity is to be Jesus followers first and primarily, and all other labels (political or whatever) are to be far secondary. This touched me deeply, as I, too, have been struggling with the way we have been dividing ourselves into ”camps” or factions for reasons not related to Jesus.

In a recent blog, former EFCA leader T. J. Addington also shines a bright light on this issue.

This is what he had to say:

Politics today has become tribal, and frankly ugly. People use social media to demonize those who don’t think like them with nasty, unkind comments. Christians are not immune. I have been called nasty names when I have posted comments regarding racial injustice, for instance, that had no political intent at all. Our tribalism is invading the church, dividing congregations, killing friendships and creating divisions that sadden the heart of God.

This is not a new problem. Even the early church dealt with differing perspectives, world views and opinions. Paul addresses this in Ephesians 4:1-6 where he writes: “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.”

Read the rest here.

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Standing at the Crossroads

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by Cindy Waple

This weekend begins the in-person process of finding a new senior pastor for Elim. Don Rayman will be coming to meet with the elders and members of Elim. It will be our opportunity to “interview” him: to meet him and spend time with him, get to know him, ask him questions, and hear him preach. AND he will also be interviewing us. He will be meeting us and spending time with us, he will be getting to know us and asking us questions. He will hear us “preach”—actually, share—our thoughts about Elim, our past and present experiences of Elim, and our hope for Elim.

I recently was meditating on a passage, Jeremiah 6:16: “This is what the LORD says: ‘Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.’”

The context of this passage is wrath and destruction, but that is not why I chose it.

I chose it because we are at a crossroads and have been at a crossroads since Pastor Martin left. And I would say, even before Pastor Martin left. Change was coming. And we have been looking and asking the Lord, “What is the way You are calling Elim to go?” The elders and the Transition Team spent months exploring that question. And then COVID hit, then racial injustice issues, then reopening the church, then more COVID, then ramping up for the elections, and COVID is still with us and schools are not opening and Elim is trying to reopen, people are leaving, our leaders aren’t doing what we think they should do, and on it goes—and we still stand at a crossroads, looking and asking, “Which is the way to go?” And sadly, depending on who you ask, the answer is varied. Go this way—no, go this way—go my way—no, go that way. And now we stand at the crossroads, divided. More divided than I have experienced during my 18 years at Elim.

Another verse that I was reminded of is John 17:20-21:

My prayer is not for them alone. I (Jesus) pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as You are in me and I am in You. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me.

Jesus, before His arrest and crucifixion, had one prayer for His followers, that they would be one. And then He adds, “May they also be in us so that the world may believe that You have sent me.”

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we stand at a crossroads and we are looking and asking, “What is the way to go?” I believe with all my heart that there is only one way for us to go, and that is the way of Jesus. It is the way of love, grace, and mercy. It is the way of humility, surrender, and putting others before ourselves. It is the way of compassion, healing, and reconciliation. It is the way of saying, “Not my will, but Your will be done, Lord.” It is only as we seek to follow Jesus with all our hearts, as we seek to walk in His ways, will we find rest for our souls.

For me, and I pray for you as well, following the way of Jesus begins with examining my own heart and motives, then confessing and repenting of being led by my own pride and/or fear, of following my own agenda or the agenda of another on social media or the news, of judging and criticizing those I strongly disagree with (and for me, wanting to prove them wrong), of not loving well—first my brothers and sisters in Christ, and then those I adamantly disagree with (mostly people I don’t even know).

Following and walking in the way of Jesus means I am willing to come together with my brothers and sisters in Christ to lay aside our egos, agendas, latest reports, and stats supporting my opinion and humbly seek together God’s will and desire. To earnestly seek together to love God with all of our being and love one another, to be one in Christ and to truly desire to point others to Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Don Rayman will be interviewing Elim. And in this precious church, he will find people confused, hurt, and, yes, divided. But more importantly, I know he will find committed believers longing and desiring to follow and walk in the way of Jesus above anything or anyone else. And if Don is the man God is calling to Elim, then I pray his heart will join with ours and together we can walk toward love, healing, unity, and hope for a whole and vibrant church, walking in God’s truth, sharing the Gospel, and shining the light of Jesus’s love on South Hill. To God be the glory.

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One in the Spirit

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By Jeff Foerster

Cross, Jesus, Christ, Sky, Faith, Jesus Christ

In the beginning, the Deceiver had a plan.  His target was God, but his mark was man.

God created the world.  God created Adam and Eve; in His own image He created them.  Satan’s fall from heaven landed him upon the back of man.  His hatred for God gave him fuel for the fire he unleashed upon mankind.  His attack upon image-bearing humanity is ultimately an attack upon God himself.  Adam and Eve were a means to an end.

The Accuser began by offering and fostering doubt.  He sowed seeds of distrust of God in the hearts of Adam and Eve.  He distracted them, exploiting their vulnerability and shifting their focus from God.

Doubt led to distraction, distraction led to division.  Once fellowship with the Almighty was broken God’s beloved image-bearers followed not the lead of their faithful Creator and Father, but of the one who came to kill and destroy.  The man blamed the woman (and by extension, God) and the woman blamed the serpent.  Fingers were pointed and blame was placed. They chose division over unity.  They chose accusation over responsibility.

Of course they did.  They were deceived, they were distracted, and they lost focus.  We are not so dissimilar from our original ancestors.  We have a tendency to wander from our Creator, become distracted, and seek to place blame.  The result of this will always be division.

Yet hope remains!  The finished work of Jesus Christ has delivered us from bondage to doubt, distraction, and division.

If we experience doubt, distraction, or division, know that these are tactics of the evil one.  And he has been defeated by the blood of the Lamb, our Savior, Jesus Christ!  We need not give in to these difficulties but recognize them for what they are and work to preserve the unity of all believers by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

“For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” –Galatians 3:27-28

Unity comes by prayer, it comes by seeking the good of others, and it comes by grounding ourselves in the love of our Father, and dependence upon Him in all things and at all times.  To do so is to live a life perpetually fixing our focus upon Jesus, our one true Hope!

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