There’s a rhythm to this world that existed from the beginning, and we see it in all aspects of life. The rhythm is Order —> Disorder —> Reorder. Summer gives way to fall which gives way to winter which gives way to spring: Order —> Disorder —> Reorder. 

Things exist in a natural order until complexity, time, and pressure enter the fray. Inevitably things break down, change, die, harden, or loosen whether we want them to or not. This loosening disorders the original design and forces creative tension thus making disorder inevitable.

There’s always a change in leadership, a global pandemic, new competitors, new software, new protocols, new health codes, and new educational standards, graduation, and the like. Order always gives way to disorder. The same is true for our faith. 

The faith of our childhood can’t withstand the creative tension of life and sin. We can whistle in the dark only until we come face to face with the despairs and dangers that lurk in the shadows. When that happens, the order must change. 

And that’s not a bad thing. Disorder is not evil or a sign of a lack of faith. It’s the necessary death that occurs (and keeps occurring) in our lives. It’s a tree losing its leaves only to sprout new ones again next year. It’s a caterpillar cocooning before metamorphosing into a butterfly. It’s an acorn that gets buried yet sprouts into a mighty oak.

Order —> Disorder —> Reorder. This is the way of true transformation and wisdom. We enter into disorder . . . but we don’t stay there. As C.S. Lewis put it, “nothing resurrects without dying first.” In other words, there’s no real path  (reorder) to transformation, eternal life, salvation, or reconciliation without going through the dark nights of disorder. But we need to make sure we know that disorder is never the end goal. True wisdom calls for us to eventually reorder. 

And this pattern is so universal that it is also found in the overarching narrative of scripture. And we’ll explore this together in this new sermon series. We’ll go through this wisdom pattern individually, socially, spiritually, and biblically. 

The stories of scripture will take us on an Order —> Disorder —> Reorder journey. The stories of our lives will too. And by doing so, we’ll uncover a path that can help lead us to transformation (reordering) as a church and as a people. It’s time we start thinking about what it is we need to reorder. 

Order

May 30 |  Genesis 1 - Work and Sabbath

God orders the world in seven days and sets a universal pattern for us image-bearers: Work six days and rest one. Work is essential to life. We work alongside God and fulfill our duties as the image-bearers of God, and then we rest. The relationship between work and sabbath is paramount to understanding the natural order and rhythms of life. 

June 6 | Exodus 20 - Exodus and the 10 Commandments

Moses does the hard work of leading God’s people away from captivity. He settles them into a new land traversing through all kinds of wilderness. He even establishes a law for them to follow. The Exodus story and the emergence of the 10 Commandments show us that we are meant to establish an ordered way to live in a community (too bad we struggle with this so much).

Disorder

June 13 | Judges - The Great Disordering

As time and community developed, the Israelites wanted more structure. They established a judicial system and it imploded disastrously. The entire book of Judges is an arch that tells the sad story of what happens when we are left to our own devices as humans: We hurt and hate. The book of Judges is the transitioning from Order to Disorder. 

June 20 | Exile - The Complete Disordering

For decades the Israelites bounced around in exile. They were defeated and destroyed by the Assyrians, Babylonians, and Persians. This dark period caused terrible strain on the traditions and customs of the old order. The same is true for us when we’re thrown into exilic periods of faith. Seeing this disorder as a growth opportunity, though, can change everything for us, just like it did Israel. 

June 27 | Prophets - The Prophets Reorder Us

Towards the end of Israel’s monarchy, prophets showed up to warn of impending doom. They were the voices of the disorder trying to help Israel reorder their lives. Their entire goal was to bring self-reflection and repentance into the public conversation. It didn’t always work, and Israel remained under foreign rule for hundreds of years because of it. 

July 4 | Outdoor Hymn Sing | One Worship Sunday 

Join us in the Preschool Parking Lot at 7:30PM for another Outdoor Service. No Sunday Morning activities.

Reorder

July 11 | Reorder - Jesus and the Kingdom of God

Jesus is the ultimate sign of a re-ordering. He brings new life, teachings, and opportunities for the poor to experience the Kingdom of God. He revolutionizes what can be and offers transformation and healing to all who follow him. He is the ultimate sign that something good can resurrect from evil. 

July 18 | Reorder: The Church

The church is meant to be the continuation of Jesus following his ascension. The church is the new presence of Christ in the world . . . the figurative Body of Christ. The church, therefore, is the established new order for how faith will follow and spread. The church, when healthy, is the greatest sign of the kingdom of God coming to earth and it’s worth our time reflecting on how we further it today. 

July 25 | Reorder: Christ and the 2nd Coming

At the end of it all, Jesus will return to reign. This is the Christian belief, and it is the ultimate end and the ultimate establishment of a new order. Revelation calls it a New Heaven and a New Earth. We can easily see it as a complete re-ordering of what was into what was always meant to be.