Hastings and Mississippi Restoration

Last week we took in some free events down at Hastings Rivertown Days. We saw Dock Dogs competition with dogs jumping for distance after some toy or decoy. It was kind of cool. I'm not a dog lover. So I couldn't imagine watching the same thing for two full days. But obviously some people love it and travel great distances to participate.

We also saw some powerboat races on the Mississippi. That was kind of neat. The biggest race with the most boats ended up being cancelled. They had run out of time with their allotted river closing permit. I should probably blog that separately. But basically, they lost the opportunity because of too much hesitation. Occasionally we may miss out on opportunities as well due to hesitation. Sometimes we get a second chance later. Sometimes we don't.

The National Park Service also provided some river cruises. As we took the short cruise to Prescott, Wisconsin, the park rangers talked briefly of how the Mississippi River from Saint Paul down to Hastings was pretty much dead 50 years ago. Sewage, chemicals, farm field runoff, and other factors had taken their toll. Hardly any fish survived. The report is that a census or count or however they do it found just three fish over many miles of the river. That is pretty bad.

Now the river is returning to life. There are several fish species surviving and thriving. The water is cleaner and safer. The river is slowly returning to some of its former glory.

As I recently read a report on the American church, and particularly mainline denominations, the parallels became clear. The decline of the Mississippi River happened over many years. In the case of the river, much of it came out of self-centeredness, short-term thinking, and a prideful refusal to admit wrong and change.

I will be more merciful with the church. But much of the reason for declining and dying congregations and denominations is due to a refusal to change. Sometimes it also includes some self-centeredness as they structure a church around their own needs and styles rather than selflessly designing a church that will serve and reach today's world.

The revival of the Mississippi came through changed perspectives, values, and behavior. The revival of churches can happen the same way. We need to put aside pride and be open to change. And we must actually make changes that will bring life to our communities. Our communities can start to be well-watered and healthy once the power and love of God begins to flow once again.

And there are some parallels for our personal lives as well. As long as we are alive, there are reasons for hope. And that is especially true if we are willing to change.

Looking at that section of the Mississippi can bring us hope that even decades of decline can be reversed if we are open to change. Repentance, changing our ways, can be the doorway to new life and new possibilities.

If this speaks to you, or your congregation, ask God for revelation of what is going on, the knowledge to know what should change, and the power to make it happen. New life awaits.

Reign Down USA

Talk about a marketing challenge! The theme of the event was basically “come and repent”. That is pretty hard to sell here in America.

There were two places in the northeast Twin Cities showing the simulcast for Reign Down USA. We went to North Heights. I was somewhat surprised nearly 500 people showed up. We broke away from the national show for a while to do our own local thing. I wasn’t sure I agreed with that at the time. But after seeing the full event later on God.TV, it was a good choice.

The main event had star power and was more of a concert than we expected. Locally we went deeper with more prayer time regarding a variety of topics. It was good.

Repentance is basically turning around and going in the opposite direction. It is a change of course.

People don’t like the word “repent” very much. It is difficult for our pride. Some claim that repentance was mostly an Old Testament thing. But Jesus clearly stated that repentance is associated with the “good news” of the gospel. See Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, 6:12, Luke 13, Acts 11:18, 17:30, 20:21, 26:20, 2 Peter 3:9, and other places.

Even though it is hard, repentance is often the key to moving to something better. We have to be willing to leave something behind to grab hold of the new thing. Most often that letting go includes attitudes and actions. But it can also include letting go of relationships, possessions, hobbies, jobs, and even ministries that do not match God’s plans for us.

Quite often we have actions that are simply wrong. They are not good for us. They do not bring honor to God, others, or even ourselves. We need to stop those and start doing what is right.

Other times we are called to let go of mediocre or even good things to pursue something better. That can be a difficult challenge as well.

Repentance is a gift. It is the start of something good.

Most of us would like to see some changes. Are we willing to change behavior so that the changes become reality? If it is what God wants, he will gladly help us do that.