I have been reviewing the month of May in my journaling and notes and found there have been only two places that have been a catalyst for a longer exploration, though “longer exploration” is a bit of a misnomer as they took me on a path of further Scriptural exploration that was a few days… not months.

Yet, in these explorations, I have found challenges that should take up my attention for a long time after this.

The first passage came out of my reading in Deuteronomy:

Deuteronomy 9:25–29 (NIV)

²⁵ I lay prostrate before the Lord those forty days and forty nights because the Lord had said he would destroy you. ²⁶ I prayed to the Lord and said, “Sovereign Lord, do not destroy your people, your own inheritance that you redeemed by your great power and brought out of Egypt with a mighty hand. ²⁷ Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Overlook the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness and their sin. ²⁸ Otherwise, the country from which you brought us will say, ‘Because the Lord was not able to take them into the land he had promised them, and because he hated them, he brought them out to put them to death in the wilderness.’ ²⁹ But they are your people, your inheritance that you brought out by your great power and your outstretched arm.”

This was my reading the first part of the month. It also came at a time my wife and I were listening to Nancy French’s new book, Ghosted, which her story and a lot of it dealt with abuse she suffered at the hands of the church. Those two factors combined because the realization is this: After reading French’s story, and so many more over the last several years, I want to not be Moses. I want to call fire down on the American Church. I don’t want to walk away from Jesus. I just want fire burning down the nastiness of what the American Church has become not because I have any better ideas, but I am just so tired of the abuse and the refusal of the American Church to repent.

Moses reminded Israel in the Deuteronomy passage that he interceded for Israel in their worst moments. I read that passage and then began to explore so many more passages dealing with intercession (at least 3 dozen different passages).

Now understand this: when I say something about interceding FOR the American Church I am NOT saying, “Excuse all the issues.”

I AM saying the issues need to be exposed AND we need to fall on our knees in repentance. And if it is a handful of “Moses-type” people to do that… we still do it.

We don’t pray the generic “God save America” stuff. We need to pray specifically for the American CHURCH… crying out to God for his mercy.

Criticize the American Church… YES. Expose the nastiness… YES.

And pray for the American Church… also YES.

WHY?

Because what is ahead in this country needs a more pure witness of Christ. We face strong currents of extremism from both political edges that have this desire: tear down American democracy.

So please note: this is not my defense of “democracy.” It is my attempt to say that we will face horrific shifts culturally (potentially) that demand a more radical version of the Body of Christ than we’ve seen in a very long time. We will need a stronger witness of Christ and his Kingdom that will subversively challenge shifts in our culture that could lead us to more totalitarian ideologies that this country hasn’t seen before and it will be a total shock to the system of the culture.

We need the Body of Christ.

So we need intercessors praying for a return to God in the American Church (not just “America”).

And we need the way of the cross. Which leads me to the second verse that has captured me this month:

Romans 8:17 (NIV)

¹⁷ Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

We need to be prepared to share in the sufferings of Christ, which led me down another path of Scriptures that is very clear about bearing the sufferings of Christ in this present world.

What is ahead for followers of Christ in the U.S. is touch, it is necessary, but through all of it there is glory. His presence is with those bearing up the sufferings of Christ.

There is far more to all of this, but this has been the month of May in a nutshell for me spiritually. I am not prepared. I am feeling hesitant. My greatest fear, honestly, is I lay all this aside and just go on to the next thing.

The Kingdom of God deserves better of me… and better of us.

The road ahead may be this rough. I always hope it is not. I like my comfort!

Yet… the calling is great. I need to write this down as a witness. And I pray… Lord, help!