Letter to the Church of God in San Pedro

We started a short series in 1 Corinthians today entitled "Letter to a Messed Up Church." Last night I felt compelled to write my own letter to the Church of San Pedro, of which Trinity has been a part for 100 years. Here is the beginning:

Dear Church of God that is in San Pedro
gathered in many groups,
under different banners,
in numerous languages,
Yet one in Christ Jesus:
The Holy Spirit’s ministry is available,
is present and powerful to meet all of your needs
now in this moment and
here in this place.

I hear that it has been a very challenging season for each of your communities. There have been many that have suffered, and many have been concerned with the basic drive to survive, and some have even had to close their doors.

The temptations have been acute. Isolation has borne the fruit of despair and depression. Many have fallen away from the fellowship, and have increased the dangerous conditions in which all of our souls are at risk. I’ve heard that the tests of political affiliation, diverse responses to injustice, and even controversy over masks have increased anxiety and suspicion among you.

Church of God in San Pedro, remember who you are! At your core, you are not “Left” or “Right”, you are not “Protestant” or “Catholic”. The church is not even your’s to name. You belong to Christ, and Christ to God. Your foundation is not what you have laid, but is none other than the promise of Jesus who says, “I will build my church.”

There are those who will seek to divide you or cast doubt on one another’s faith or convictions, wanting to define you by something other than “beloved” or “Christian” or “God-follower.” But, nothing is more primary than this. No allegiance is even close to competing with the one given you at your baptism—“Jesus is Lord.”

When those who are named “Baptist” “Catholic” or “Iglesia de Pentecostés” suffer it is no different to God, nor would it be different to you than when those who are named, “Lutheran” suffer. For God does not know you by these names, but by the name, “My own dear people.” Their vibrancy, health, and growth is your vibrancy, health, and growth. In fact, there is not “their’s” and “your’s” for you are all “mine” declares the Lord.

Your mission is not to compete, it is not even to survive—God will take care of all of that.

Your mission is to live the resurrection life in a city and culture that sees violence and death as solutions.

Your mission is to prefer love for one anther over partisan idolatry or personal rights.

Your mission is to dare to believe that you are beloved, and so are all those who don’t believe it yet.

We all once thought and lived as if power was getting what we wanted, the way we wanted, when we wanted. But now we have come to know that the true power is not what we can accomplish, exert, manipulate, or squeeze, but in how deeply we can surrender, let go, and trust that we are held and that we are his.

We are his.

You are his.

Now and forever.
Amen.