“Wholeness of the individual inspires and is nourished by wholeness in the community. The church is not perfect, far from it, but we are called to co-labor lovingly and supportively, and when we fail…”
— Dr. Redd
So writes Dr. Scott Redd in his book The Wholeness Imperative: How Christ Unifies our Desires, Identity, and Impact in the World (p. 34). Never does a week goes by without these three objectives bubbling up in my mind with the longing to have Christ shape them in my soul. And so, I turn to my church family and our Christ.
Christ focuses me to look more deeply into the Scriptures often guided by others like Scott. In his book he walks alongside Jesus’ disciples tossed on the turbulent waters in the boat as Jesus hushes the wind and storm (Mark 4). Scott remarks,
Who hasn’t in their deepest, personal moments, wondered like the disciples in the boat, ‘Jesus do you care that I am perishing?’ But to ask that of Jesus means we forgot who He is. And when we forget who he is, it’s inevitable that we will begin to fear the chaos instead of finding comfort in the Creator.
(Redd, p. 103)
And when, after the storm, Jesus quiets the storm in the soul of a man who has been dominated by demons — alone and terrified — for so long (Mark 5), Scott cites our own personal angst as evidence of the same de-construction sin. Scott comments,
Every one of us has felt our lives unravel as we chase after our own comforts, our own thrills, our self-indulgence. Many Christians wonder how on earth the chaos in the world around them could ever match the chaos they feel daily within themselves.
(Redd, p. 103)
And then the sterling truth:
If you sense the need for deliverance, that is a good start, but it is not the beginning of wisdom, or the beginning of deliverance for that matter. The need for deliverance is not enough. We must come to see Jesus as the Deliverer who cannot fail. He is the one who calms the sea-storm with a word, and who restores peace to the troubled spirit.
(Redd, p. 103)
Christ utilizes His Word, His Spirit, and His people/the church to unify this truth in our lives.
If this article has piqued your interest perhaps you should allow our Lord to lead you to our Friday night lecture — June 17 – with Scott Redd and delve deeper into this truth. We will have two lectures with dinner in between. On Sunday, Dr. Redd and his wife will be joining us for worship after which we will have a luncheon. Learn more and register here.