What Are You Waiting For?

The trip odometer read 2,686 miles. These are the miles my rental car accumulated as I traveled to five of the ten spring Classis meetings within the US Central region (if I was not at your meeting, beware, I hope to come in the Fall). As I drove, I listened to audiobooks and podcasts about the church, the gospel, and culture. I soaked in music, and maybe even sang along (there could have been a Taylor Swift song played … or two). I also had a lot of time to think. I thought about the words spoken and the observations made at those Classis meetings. 

One thing I observed during the meetings I attended was that people were waiting. Some were waiting for a pastor to accept their call. Others were waiting for Synod to receive their overture. Deacons waiting for money to meet their budget. Sanctuaries waiting for members to fill their pews. Councils waiting to know how to handle challenges that come with growth. I even found myself waiting to get to my next destination as I drove.

One of the books I listened to on this Classis meeting tour was When the Church Stops Working by Andrew Root. Root speaks a lot about waiting and how waiting is not an idle word. A synonym for waiting is not inactivity. Instead, waiting is activity driven by hope.

Think about it.

Search teams wait while they actively search. Delegates prepare as they wait for Synod. Deacons gratefully collect money as they wait for the budget to be met. I waited as I drove to and from meetings.

God’s people are familiar with waiting. One example is Israel waiting for God’s promise of restoration to take place during their exile. Listen to what the Lord says to them in Jeremiah 29:5-7: “Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.”

A question I invite you to ponder with me is this: What are we building and planting as we wait? In our waiting, what does it look like for each of our churches to seek the welfare of the towns, cities, and communities where we live and serve? Waiting is the mission of God. Gospel mission is an activity driven by hope.  

Resonate exists to dream with, walk beside, and support you so the whole gospel can be made known to the whole world as we wait for the imminent return of Jesus. If you want to explore what it could mean to build, plant, multiply, pray, and seek the welfare of your community, we would love to connect with you! Send me an email at [email protected].

Brad Meinders is Resonate Global Mission's Regional Mission Leader for the Central United States region.