Into the Wilderness Part II

There can be little doubt that we have entered into a wilderness.
It is at this juncture that the biblical story may offer us insight and wisdom. The Exodus passage begins with the Pharaoh letting the people go. “When Pharaoh let the people go …”[1] Just so, the secular culture of American has let the mainline churches go. We are not being killed by hostile fire (through to be sure there is some hostile fire). Our demise as the established church is being brought about through indifference and perceived irrelevance. Pharaoh has let us go.
The Bible story tells us, “God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God thought, ‘If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.’”[2] Quickly the discerning reader learns two things. First, God lead them! God provides the desperately needed leadership. This is massively good news. Applied to the current context, it instructs us that we have not been abandoned by God. In fact, just the opposite is happening. God is leading us out of our cultural captivity. Rather than lament the loss, we can look forward with anticipation (and yes, some fear) to the unknown future which we face through God’s leadership. Minnie Haskins famous poem is apropos.
I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year'Give me a light that I may tread safely into the unknown.'
And he replied, 'Go into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of GodThat shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way!'
So I went forth and finding the Hand of GodTrod gladly into the nightHe led me towards the hillsAnd the breaking of day in the lone east.
So heart be still! What need our human life to knowIf God hath comprehension?
In all the dizzy strife of thingsBoth high and low,God hideth his intention."[3]

Second, the 17th verse tells us about God’s care. God is looking out for our welfare. Significantly God is looking out for our welfare in a way that is above and beyond our mere convenience. Our want of ease and comfort tempts us to seek to return to Egypt. For many churches this translates into a desire to somehow recapture the 1950s in their congregational life. God cares for us enough to give us not what we want but what we need. We don’t need to go back to Egypt. We are not yet ready for full scale war with the Philistines (the cultural despisers of mainline Christianity). To be sure, we face trials and tribulations, we face conflict and battle, but we are not yet ready for all out warfare with the culture. We are being lead on a round about way that allows us an opportunity to develop great spiritual maturity and recover a missional nature. God cares for us in allowing us preparation time. There will be time to prepare for battle.

The third teaching from this passage for our context comes in the realization that the way is “roundabout.” This wilderness journey does not follow a linear path. There is no straight line or open highway from here to there (wherever “there” might be). The implications of such insight are immense. To apply this insight to the current context of mainline denominations means that we can not look for easily answers or quick applications from other denominations or faith traditions. There is no easy journey with the 12 steps to take or 7 prescriptions apply. There is no magic bullet to slay the dragon of modern secularism and indifference to Christianity and especially indifference to the former mainline denominations. We may gain insights from independent Bible churches and from groups like the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox (to mention but a few). But, however needed and applicable the insights, the wilderness way for the United Methodist Church (as for any denominational faith tradition) will be strictly its own. Furthermore, it will by God’s leading be a roundabout path.
[1] Exodus 13:17a
[2] Exodus 13:17b
[3] Minnie Louise Haskins, The Gate of the Year, 1908