From Pastor Jason: Don't Wait and See ... Go and Do

Thank you. Laura and I were glowing with gratefulness all day Sunday. And perhaps even a bit on Monday. The love and generosity you all showed us was amazing. Thank you for listening to me preach one more time. Thank you for feeding us. Thank you for sharing great memories with us. Thank you for reminding us of all that God has done over the past few years. And thank you for my awesome watch! 

We were blessed beyond deserving. You have sent us off to Chicago, into our next adventure, with locked arms and tons of Jesus-style affection. Thank you my friends.

Now what?

No matter how long a lead pastor has been in office, no matter how long a church has been around, no matter how long you’ve been a part of church life … when a lead pastor steps away the temptation is always the same. We want to wait and see. Often one of our first impulses after saying goodbye is to hold our community at arms length. Not only so but sometimes we kept our distance until we feel like it’s safe to reengage. We wait and see.

This temptation is actually the result of believing two different lies. The first lie is that community can still happen at arms length. And second, that community was safe to begin with. Community can’t happen at arms length. Community is not safe. But community is the very thing God has given to his people in order to walk through times just like this.

Starting today, don’t wait and see … go and do. The brilliant thing about the Church’s mission is that it hasn’t changed in 2000 years! Jesus has fulfilled the law and the prophets and he has called us to be salt and light in the world. In other words, there’s nothing to wait for. The only thing left is to go and do what God has already shown us. So …

Go and love each other. 

Go and share meals together as a Gospel Group.

Go and tell the Little Dwellers about Jesus on Sunday Mornings.

Go and be good news at Apple and Cisco and Google and in your neighborhood and in your home and to your spouse.

Go and listen to your barista as she shares her life story.

Go and learn more about that homeless man you see everyday down the street.

Go and read your Bible and pray and fast … and repeat.

Go and take your wife on a date.

Go and take you husband on a date.

Go and date!

Go and disciple your children.

Go and volunteer the next time an opportunity pops up in the bulletin.

Go and bring someone with you.

Don’t wait and see what happens next. 

Instead go and do what God has called you to do.

Perhaps you’ve heard me share this a number of times before, but I don’t care. As always the question isn’t, have you heard this before? The question is, do you believe it? … A day is coming when we’ll get to tell these stories of going and doing. We’ll all be together in a refreshed and revived and remade world in the full view of God's glory and grace. And then we’ll start sharing. Story, after story, after story, after story. And you know what we’ll be saying?

This is what he did …

This is what he did …

This is what he did …

Until that day ... 

Peace …

- Jason

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Helveston's New Address: 514 N. Damen Ave Unit 2S, Chicago, IL 60622

Jason's New Email: jhelveston@parkcommunitychurch.org

Helveston's New Phone Numbers: Staying the same for now. We'll let you know when it changes!