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Isaiah 16 this AM. Verses 9-10 reminded me of something I learned & dearly loved while writing Chasing Vines. The people of God (by the direction & delight of God) rejoiced exuberantly, loudly—shouting & singing & stomping—as they harvested the fruit of their co-labors with God.
You see, there’s nothing wrong with—indeed everything right with—rejoicing over fruitfulness. We’re meant to shout & sing & celebrate when God blesses the work of our hands. But what was different in their culture is that their celebrations had no celebrities. It was God & group.
Our culture prizes individualism and independence as the highest of values & these values are virtually as treasured among us in our believing world as they are in the outside world. We don’t know God’s thoughts on these strangest of days for the church. But I wonder if He has...
something to be (largely, not across the board obviously) taken from us so that, in His way & in His time, it could be given back to a people (perhaps far fewer) who value it & return their hearts and lives to it. We don’t even like to join a church. We’re consumers. Not members.
Anyway, my point is that we, in our individualism, have hemorrhaged the joy that would’ve been ours. We know rare moments of community rejoicing among believers. Individualism has fed our egos & famished our souls. I have such high hopes of the church rising in our day. And if...
She does, it will be marked by communities of saints- not celebrities-that have learned once again to lean on one another, repentant of sinful rivalries, dying to their burdensome egos, to serve Jesus with mutual esteem in their differences, to labor, pray, cry & sweat TOGETHER.
THESE will be the most blessed people on earth because those who learn to labor together will get to celebrate together. Singing & shouting & clapping & stomping will break out among us again because we, the frail & weak, got to partner with GOD & the grapes are ripe on the vine.
